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According to Jamé Jackson, whether you recognize it or not, you are a brand. Jackson, the founder of the entrepreneurship website and podcast “TheBlondeMisfit,” serves as LinkedIn’s community manager of community segments, overseeing over 17,000 individuals. Her tenure with the social networking platform for professionals has centered on scaling its video content and viewership. According to her LinkedIn, coaching, workshops, and initiatives have led to an increase of 0.05% in video creation and attracted VIP and executive clients from tech companies to the platform. “My contributions have positioned LinkedIn as a leader in video-first professional storytelling, further reinforced by my role in ramping the video tab beta to over 10 million members, resulting in a 16% month-over-month expansion within just 12 weeks,” she describes on her LinkedIn profile. Jackson joined the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, where she emphasized the...
Snoop Dogg reportedly earned a substantial paycheck for his appearance at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Beloved by generations, the “Gin and Juice” rapper was one of the final torchbearers at this year’s games. View this post on Instagram A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) “At the same time, it says a lot about France as far as connecting the dots and allowing me to do this. I look at this as a prestigious honor and something I truly respect,” he expressed, as reported by the Toronto Star. “I would have never dreamed of nothing like this. I’m going to be on my best behavior. I’m going to be on my best athleticism. I’ll be able to breathe slow to walk fast and hold the torch with a smile on my face, because I realize how prestigious this event is.” Snoop Dogg also took on the role of NBC Olympics correspondent, as reported by AFROTECH™ , leading to segments like swimming with Michael Phelps, traveling with the U.S. men’s basketball team, and cheering on athletes such as decorated...
For over a decade, Amazon has been committed to providing free legal services to communities in need. Pro Bono Program In 2014, David Zapolsky, Amazon’s senior vice president of global public policy and general counsel with 35 years of legal experience, launched a pro bono program. This allowed Amazon to scale its efforts to deploy free legal assistance. This initiative has played a pivotal role in breaking down barriers for underserved communities worldwide. “ Amazon employees were highly engaged in pro bono service long before the pro bono program’s formal launch, but our efforts have expanded greatly on a global scale with a more organized structure in place to help engage and support employees, encourage and facilitate partnerships with law firms and third-party organizations, and provide trainings and other resources for team members across the globe who have a passion for this impactful work,” Sean Croman, vice president and associate general counsel of Amazon’s Legal...
Community is essential for Black professionals. Among the annual events that center Black audiences, the AFROTECH™ Conference has rightfully earned the title of “Black tech Mecca.” Each year, leaders that have included Robert F. Smith, will.i.am, Beatrice Dixon (The Honey Po co-co-founder and former CEO), and Colin Kaepernick (Lumi Founder) have taken to its programing stages to offer industry insights. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) In attending the AFROTECH™ Conference, attendees have the opportunity to explore the expo floor, which features over 200 tech and enterprise companies actively recruiting, product demonstrations, and event activations both within the conference venue and in the surrounding area. The conference has made its way to Austin, TX, in previous years but has transitioned to Houston, TX, for the 2024 and 2025 years. Transforming Your ATC™ Experience As An Insider Among the list of ATC 2024 attendees was Jade C. Williams, a...
Dr. Dre had his doubts about Snoop Dogg securing ownership of Death Row Records. Both Hip-Hop artists and businessmen were signed to the label in the ’90s before parting ways. Snoop Dogg’s decision to leave the label in 1997 was difficult, as he faced consecutive challenges. “See, that’s what you gotta understand. Ni–as broke my spirit,” he explained on the “The 85 South Comedy Show” podcast. “They broke me, man. They broke my spirit. Look, ‘Doggystyle,’ workin’ on [The] Doggfather, win my murder case, Dre leaves, Tupac get killed, Suge going to jail, Death Row want to kill me. That’s all in the same year.” Fast-forward to 2022, and Snoop Dogg reclaimed his time, returning to the label not as an artist but as an owner. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he acquired Death Row Records from the Blackstone-controlled MNRK Music Group. “It feels good to have ownership of the label I was part of at the beginning of my career and as one of the founding members. This is an extremely...
Wiz Khalifa views his decision to sell a portion of his catalog as a sound business move. In July 2023, the artist sold a portion of his music and publishing assets to HarbourView Equity Partners, a global alternative asset management company, according to a press release. The sale included hit singles such as “See You Again,” “Black & Yellow,” and “The Thrill.” “Wiz Khalifa has already made a profound impact on culture as a musician, executive, media visionary, and creative force. We celebrate his talent and creativity and are thrilled to welcome him and Taylor Gang to the HarbourView family today,” said Sherrese Clarke Soares, Founder and CEO of HarbourView, in a news release. Khalifa commented: “Sherrese and HarbourView truly understand the value of music and artistry. We are excited to partner with them as they continue to build a dynamic media company that is in line with the values and goals we all have here at Taylor Gang.” More than a year after the transaction, he explained...
50 Cent is known for his forward-thinking, so was he ahead of the curve with Bitcoin? In 2014, it was said he was one of the first to embrace cryptocurrency in the music industry by TMZ. He agreed to accept B itcoin as payment for the album sales of “Animal Ambition,” NPR reported. He was driven by a desire to “stay with [the] times,” mentioned CNBC. At the time it was said 50 Cent had received nearly 700 bitcoins, placing its value at more than $400,000. By 2018, Bitcoin’s value had reportedly surged and the bitcoin was worth between $10,000 to $12,000 per coin. This increase brought the estimated value of 50 Cent’s 700 Bitcoin to a range between $7 million and $8.5 million. “Not Bad for a kid from South Side, I’m so proud of me,” 50 Cent wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post, according to CNBC. “I’m a keep it real. I forgot I did that sh-t.” While Bitcoin’s worth was impressive at the time, its value has grown since. Benzinga reported that bitcoin’s value soared to $68,973 by...
Several Black women-owned businesses are making their way to JFK airport. According to TRBusiness, six small, women-owned businesses based in New York will now have a new home at Terminal 8 (T8) due to a $125 million redevelopment program. They were selected through an accelerator program launched by Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW) Airports. The chosen entrepreneurs were also offered adaptable deal structures and smaller storefront spaces to minimize entry hurdles and lower design expenses. “Helping local businesses access concessions opportunities at Terminal 8 is an asset for our passengers, who will enjoy products unique to New York that are made and sold by local artisans and vendors,” said Dominic Lowe, US chief operating officer of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, per TRBusiness. “These six local women bring the energy and enthusiasm of a small business owner to Terminal 8 while offering one-of-a-kind products, which are made right here in New York.” Lowe added, “Working with the...
Spelman College graduates who were friends first and then founders seconds are taking their nail bar to new heights. Kelli M. Coleman and Anika J. Odegbo are the founders of The TEN, marketed as Detroit, MI’s first modern nail bar. The two shared a common goal of embarking on an entrepreneurial journey to build wealth, which they brought to life in 2016. “So, Anika and I are friends and Spelman sisters. We ultimately met when we found out that both of us intended to attend. We decided to room together, and the rest is history, as they say. Both Detroit natives, I grew up in Southfield, and Anika grew up in Detroit proper. We come from entrepreneurial families; we really understand the power of entrepreneurship to create generational wealth. It was always our respective goals to own businesses of our own in addition to carrying on our family’s entrepreneurial legacy. That’s sort of the origin of how we know each other, and that’s how The TEN came to be,” Coleman told the Michigan...
The future is bright for top high school prospect Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. The No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, AJ Dybantsa has already caught the attention of NBA great Kevin Durant , who is impressed by his skill set and has no doubt he will one day be drafted into the NBA. “I got to know him two summers ago between his sophomore and junior year in high school. He came to work out with us. I was impressed by his size and fluidity as a player, his ballhandling. He was shooting jump shots well. He’s got the body type to become a pro in this league for 20 years. It is good to be around him. He has a lot of energy, too,” Durant told Andscape. While there appears to be a foreseeable path towards the pros, Dybantsa will first be taking his talents to college. According to The Athletic, he has committed to Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, UT. He also is the school’s first 5-star recruit, notes KUTV 2 News in Salt Lake City. View this post on Instagram A post shared by...
Taking into consideration its network of entrepreneurs, T.D. Jakes Enterprises has launched an accessible marketplace. In 2023, the social impact holding company set out to support underrepresented entrepreneurs by addressing a critical gap. Despite the efforts of stakeholders driving meaningful change, there were no centralized systems or platforms to provide comprehensive resources. This need inspired the launch of the Good Soil Movement in April 2023. “What we didn’t find was one centralized space where entrepreneurs can not only network but actually get access to capital, access to back office support, legal help, accounting support, business plan development, understanding where they fall on the capital continuum… So out of that, we created Good Soil,” Michael Phillips, chief operations officer of T.D. Jakes Enterprises, told AFROTECH™. Nourysh Good Soil has set an ambitious goal: to empower 1 million small business owners to generate $1 million in revenue each. To advance this...
A Black-owned pharmacy has opened in Toledo, OH. After seeing health disparities within communities during his residency with Kroger, pharmacist Anthony Pattin was driven to provide better access to underserved citizens. At the time, Pattin had already completed an undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences and a PharmD from the University of Toledo, Toledo Blade reports. “One of my first projects was looking at African-Americans’ perceptions of vaccines,” he told the outlet. “I learned a lot. One thing is, not everyone feels the same way. I had a group of people who wanted vaccines but said ‘As a matter of fact, when I go to the pharmacy, they don’t offer it,’ and that’s how I found out that there are some pharmacies, even in their community, that didn’t offer that service. So that was a disparity — that you were saying that maybe they don’t want the service, but they don’t have it available.” While Pattin took note, the idea for a pharmacy was catalyzed by an elderly neighbor...
Being in the right place at the right time paid off for Jade C. Williams. Williams, a product leader, says the technology sector found her. A proud Howard University alumna with a bachelor’s degree in economics, she originally aspired to become a business owner and CEO. However, her career took an unexpected turn when Deloitte, a consulting firm, reached out to her. In 2014, she joined the company as a business technology analyst and, within two years, earned a promotion to product management consultant. “That was my first exposure into tech and I did more tech advisory work on the business side for Deloitte. So that was the entry point to me for me doing product management and product advisory work across like Fortune 100 companies in the federal government,” she said during an interview with AFROTECH™. Williams earned two additional promotions before leaving after six years. Her following job opportunities would result from attending and being present at the AFROTECH™ Conference....
Kwame Christian leverages his expertise to inspire and equip professionals with the tools to succeed. Christian’s journey can be traced back to Tiffin, OH, where he was raised as a first-generation Caribbean American, often standing out as the only Black student in his classes. A defining moment in sixth grade shaped his path: being rejected and ostracized by peers on the playground. This experience ignited a deep desire for connection and acceptance. By high school, he channeled that drive into leadership, rising to become the captain of both the basketball and tennis teams. Reflecting on his journey in an interview with AFROTECH™, Christian admitted he adopted a “people pleaser” mentality, often prioritizing others’ approval over his authentic self. “I wasn’t my authentic self in many ways,” he said. “I still had really great connections, but when it came to difficult situations and difficult conversations, I would always agree, even if I disagreed, I wouldn’t speak up if I didn’t...
Several salon owners have been awarded a grant from Beyoncé. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the singer’s BeyGood foundation, in collaboration with her newly launched haircare line, Cécred, established a $500,000 annual fund. The initiative supports hairstylists in Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; and New Jersey who meet specified criteria: They must be licensed for at least two years; have been in business for a minimum of one year; lease or own a suite, booth, or chair; and face financial hardship, according to the foundation’s website. Additionally, the fund includes a $10,000 scholarship opportunity for five cosmetology schools in the aforementioned markets. “Fostering talent, promoting professionalism, and supporting entrepreneurship within the hair industry is deeply important to us,” BeyGood commented on its website. “That’s why we’re partnering with Cécred to create the Cécred x BeyGOOD Fund, which celebrates the influence professional stylists have...