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...

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...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Americans aren’t the only ones prepping for another tedious four years under President-elect Donald Trump. Since the results of the 2024 election projected Donald Trump as the winner, tech leaders from companies like Meta, Amazon, OpenAI, and others have shelled out seven-figure investments to Trump’s inaugural fund. According to CBS News, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has donated $1 million and plans to stream the inauguration on Prime. Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, will donate $1 million, along with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who delivered an optimistic statement about the President-elect’s election win. “President Trump will lead our country into the age of AI, and I am eager to support his efforts to ensure America stays ahead,” Altman said in a statement, per The Associated Press. Elon Musk, CEO of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, and general pop culture menace has been a lurking presence...

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...

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...

Seasoned tech executive Omar Johnson is leveraging his experience to revolutionize how brands market themselves. Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Johnson’s exposure to technology was initially limited to video games and consumer electronics. However, his inquisitiveness grew and ultimately helped him secure roles with major tech giants. “A lot of my curiosity was sort of like self-driven,” he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. Tech Journey Johnson’s interests also lay in marketing, leading him to earn an MBA from Emory University in 2004. Following a brief stint at Campbell Soup Company as an associate brand manager, he transitioned to roles with brands such as Coca-Cola and Nike. At the latter, he began as an assistant brand manager before being promoted to content manager of advising and innovation, which remained his focus. “Find the most important things that the company is betting on for the future and work on those things,” Johnson explained. “I always had that sort of lean when I was at...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. TikTok is once again finding itself at odds with the U.S government as it fights to stay available here in the U.S. Previously, TikTok had to go up against The Commitee On Foreign Investment In The United States because the company’s ties to China through its owner Bytedance prompted some concerns by the U.S. government for national security. President Joe Biden signed a new law in April 2024 that would force the sale of TikTok to a U.S.-owned entity, or it will face a permanent ban here in the U.S. starting January 2025. TikTok then asked the Supreme Court to place a pause on the potential ban to hear its arguments on why the platform should be able to operate in the U.S. The Supreme Court will hear the start to its arguments on Jan. 10. Today, TikTok is a place not only to discover content but also to engage in commerce. TikTok Shop launched in September 2023 and has quickly become a mainstay...

Being Black is not a monolith, which is why the culture’s approach to gaming is not something that is one-size-fits-all. That said, Xbox is on a mission to revolutionize the industry by offering a variety of games that fit the many needs of those playing. Beyond those who play games, there is also a space for those who have an interest in creating them over at the Microsoft-led company. One of the latest games that stem from Xbox is South of Midnight, a spellbinding third-person action-adventure game set in the American Deep South. Designed to celebrate Black heritage and Southern culture, the project follows main character Hazel, who was created by Compulsion Game’s, Zaire Lanier, who serves as the writer and narrative designer on the game. “When creating Hazel, for me, it was important to not think of Blackness as a monolith,” she said during the “ WOVEN: The Power of Black Voices in Gaming” panel at Microsoft’s Black TechXcellence House during the AFROTECH™ Conference 2024.  ...

Former NFL player Mark Clayton sketched his vision for entrepreneurship while in business school. Clayton founded LIVV Audio, which offers high-performing headphones designed for athletes and fitness enthusiasts. The product was inspired by his experiences as an athlete. Drafted to the NFL in 2005 by the Baltimore Ravens, he signed a five-year deal valued at $8.2 million, according to Spotrac. Around 2008, he was among the many athletes sporting Beats headphones. Over the years, Clayton recalled breaking two pairs. In 2010, he was traded to the St. Louis Rams but suffered a season-ending injury. During his recovery, he turned to aquatic therapy but faced challenges using over-the-ear headphones during his sessions. “I made it to St. Louis and had a season-ending injury. And a lot of the rehab we did was in the swimming pool,” Clayton told AFROTECH™. “So, of course, I want to wear my over-ear headphones, but they would start to fall off, and then I have to take ’em off because I...

Financial literacy is the new civil rights movement according to John Hope Bryant. Bryant, a passionate advocate for economic empowerment, urges the Black community to adopt a laser-focused mindset on f inancial literacy. Since 1992, he has served as Chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc., dedicating himself to empowering underserved communities. According to its LinkedIn profile, the organization has impacted over 2.8 million people and has facilitated the direction of $2.4 billion in private capital. The Oprah Rule Bryant appeared on the “Black Tech Green Money” (BTGM) podcast, emphasizing the importance of understanding relationship capital, forming strategic partnerships, adopting a broader vision of wealth-building, and the day he learned the “Oprah rule.” He had been investigated before receiving the Use Your Life Award from Oprah Winfrey, an honor given to individuals improving others’ lives through charity. “When her investigators came around after she said she wanted to...

Google has allocated a grant to support artificial intelligence learning at an HBCU. The nation’s first HBCU AI Institute is coming to NC Central University. CBS17 reports the university will open the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research. The groundbreaking institute aims to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence and social equity, focusing on addressing systemic disparities and fostering innovation through a lens of inclusivity and diversity. “Our purpose is clear to innovate, inspire and shape the next generation of leaders in artificial intelligence,” NCCU Chancellor Karrie Dixon said, according to CBS 17. The institute is expected to benefit 200 students with mentorship and research opportunities. Additionally, it will place NCUU as “the leading hub for AI within the HBCU network, advancing diversity, inclusion and equitable representation of AI-related industries,” the school notes , according to Qcitymetro. “[This is] the first program of its...

Nearly 630,000 Fortnite players were reportedly “tricked” into making purchases through the game and will receive a refund. According to a press release, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has reportedly accused Fortnite developer Epic Games of leading gamers to make “unwanted purchases” by carrying out tactics through its game button configuration. “For example, players could be charged while attempting to wake the game from sleep mode, while the game was in a loading screen, or by pressing an adjacent button while attempting simply to preview an item,” the press release from the FTC read. It had also been brought to light that Epic Games had allowed minors to accumulate charges without parental approval and blocked gamers who filed disputes of unauthorized charges, preventing them from obtaining items they had purchased. For these reasons, the company received an order from the FTC to refund players in December 2022 who had been subjected to these “unlawful billing practices.” The...