21-Year-Old UNC Athlete Seth Trimble Used His NIL Earnings To Become The Youngest Ben & Jerry’s Franchise Owner

Seth Trimble has made history in the business world.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) basketball player has always been interested in expanding beyond the sport, a passion that dates back to his high school years, he shared in an interview with Inside Carolina.

Thanks to name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, it has become easier for athletes to turn revenue into long-term wealth-building opportunities. For Trimble, this means fulfilling his desire for ownership, which is made possible through NIL deals, including Powerade and Town & Country Farms, according to Pro Football and Sports Network (PFSN).

“I’ve always had that vision, I know the ball doesn’t juggle forever,” Trimble, 21, explained in the Inside Carolina interview.

“I know that me, as a human being, I’m allowed to have many interests in life. Basketball is a thing that I crave the most. Its what I love to do, but you know, there’s things I also want to explore, and that’s the business world, that’s entrepreneurship, that’s just seeing what I can do and how successful I can be in these other fields,” he continued.

Primo Partners CEO Antonio McBroom, his mentor, helped Trimble realize his aspirations. The pair met during the Final Four when Trimble was in his senior year of high school. The two did not begin talking regularly until his first year of college, according to his interview with Inside Carolina. By Trimble’s sophomore year, their conversations turned toward opportunities.

As AFROTECH™ previously reported, McBroom is also a University of North Carolina alum. He scooped ice cream in college and became a Ben & Jerry’s franchisee in 2008. According to his LinkedIn profile, McBroom owns more than 24 locations.

“I just see him as like somebody very close to me who always instills the right things and the right beliefs into me,” Trimble said of his relationship with McBroom on Inside Carolina’s YouTube channel.

Trimble shared with that Inside Carolina that in one of his meetings with McBroom, McBroom suggested he could pass down one of his stores to Trimble, which has become a reality. On Sept. 1, Trimble revealed on Instagram that he now owns the Ben & Jerry’s storefront on Franklin Street near the UNC campus. Trimble also makes history, becoming the youngest franchisee in the company’s history, a record previously held by McBroom, according to PFSN.

“In the recent months, I have been blessed with the opportunity to fulfill one of my many dreams and aspirations of entrepreneurship. I’m extremely grateful to officially be able to say that I am now an owner of the Ben & Jerry’s store on Franklin St,” he wrote on Instagram.

“The main goal is always the main goal, but I’m excited to stamp myself in a different way at this University. I am honored to reinvest in the community that has given so much to me. Go get y’all’s Ben & Jerry’s,” he continued.