Samantha Dorisca is a Houston-based journalist and photographer whose mission is to impact communities through the gift of storytelling using the written word or visual media. She completed her B.A at The University of Texas at Austin and is pursuing a M.A at The University of Memphis. Her work can be found on platforms such as Houstonia Magazine, Girls' Life Magazine, and Blacque Magazine. Samantha mainly reports on tech, trends, and entrepreneurship.
Twin brothers and co-founders Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham are now behind a multi-billion-dollar company alongside David Goaté. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the siblings founded U.K. -based digital car insurance startup Marshmallow to combat “unfair insurance prices” for migrants. “We now help 100,000s of UK newcomers get a fairer deal on their car insurance every year. We do this by building our own technology, developing pricing and fraud models that let us cater to their unique experiences, and investing time in getting to know them on a deeper level,” a statement on the company’s website reads. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marshmallow (@getmarshmallow) According to TechCrunch, Marshmallow made history in 2021 as one of two Black-founded startups in the U.K. to reach a $1 billion valuation. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the company raised $85 million in a Series B funding round with investors that included Passion Capital, Monzo, Investec, and...
Harvard University does not intend to change its DEI efforts to align with the Trump Administration. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, President Donald Trump issued a two-week deadline that requires schools and university to no longer consider “racial preferences” in admissions, financial aid, or hiring. Educational institutions that fail to comply risk losing federal funding. T his aligns with the administration’s goal to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, which has played out with the closing and ending of “ all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs” within the federal government. “Colleges and universities are going to find themselves between a rock and a hard place,” Angel B. Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, said to AP News at the time. “They know that what they’re doing is not illegal, but they are worried that if they do not comply, not having federal funding will decimate them.” Harvard University Responds In a...
Time management has always been a critical skill, but as workloads increase and efficiency becomes more valuable, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool for optimizing schedules, automating tasks and improving productivity. AI-driven solutions help individuals allocate their time more effectively, eliminating repetitive work and streamlining decision-making. Unlike traditional time management methods that rely on manual input, A I leverages data and automation to create more efficient workflows , ensuring that time is spent where it matters most. The analytics that come from consistent use of tools like Gemini and ChatGPT provide a clear picture of how time is being spent across projects and teams, enabling businesses to streamline operations and eliminate unnecessary meetings. Predictive AI technology anticipates peak work periods and adjusts schedules accordingly, helping professionals prepare for heavy workloads in advance. This is especially useful in industries...
With space being the next great frontier, many big names have been throwing their hat in the ring to venture beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Space exploration has become the name of the game for several companies that strive to make humans a multi-planetary species. Mankind’s growing need for resources has seen an increased interest in galaxies far, far away, however, the vision of life on Mars will take plenty of money and research before it can be realized. While many people know of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, there is another contender that is making headlines for its’ out of this world exploration . Blue Origin, another privately owned space company, has made headlines over the last year for launching space missions with iconic crew members . On Monday, Apr. 14, they continued that trend by sending the first all-female crew (including celebrities like Gayle King and Katy Perry) on a mission. Here’s what we know about Blue Origin’s owner , history and latest ventures. Blue Origin Is Owned By...
The Trump administration has repealed a Biden-era policy that guaranteed a baseline wage for workers on federal contracts, cutting the federal contractor minimum wage down from $17.75 an hour. However, the move still leaves an Obama-era rule in place that puts the minimum at $13.30 an hour. With that single change, hundreds of thousands of private-sector workers employed by federal contractors are at risk of wage reductions up to 25% — a shift that will disproportionately affect workers without college degrees and those already earning near-poverty wages, the Center for American Progress reports. The Federal Contractor Minimum Wage: A Lifeline Now Lost The now-defunct regulation, established under Executive Order 14026, raised the federal contractor minimum wage in 2021 to $15 and indexed it to inflation, bringing it to $17.75 in 2025. It was designed to ensure that janitors, cooks, maintenance workers, and other federal contract laborers earned a livable wage. More than 327,000...
President Donald Trump has established an “America first” policy on tariffs and soon big changes will be evident, according to economic forecasting . The tariff war has already had drastic impacts on businesses and the stock market, so there are sure to be others. Along with the controversial federal funding cuts, there are a myriad of moving parts to keep track of as Trump enacts his executive orders. The American people and those abroad keeping abreast of the situation may not be caught up on their international taxation information . For anyone seeking uncomplicated answers, here’s a quick guide to how tariffs work and why they’re so relevant in 2025. How Do Tariffs Work? (Tyler Casey/Unsplash) In a conversation with UChicago News earlier this month, Professor Robert Gulotty explained, “Tariffs are federal taxes, set by Congress, and applied to goods at the border. Unlike income or sales taxes, tariffs vary by product and by the originating country.” These taxes on imported goods...
Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is mobilizing support for Black maternal health. Black Maternal Health Week April 11–17 is Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), an initiative created by the Black women-led, cross-sectoral consortium Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), with the intent of raising awareness and fostering community around the experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Atlanta-GA-based BMMA traces its origins to 2013 when the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (SisterSong) began constructive research on the obstacles Black mothers face in accessing health care. Once it had become its own independent entity in 2018, BMMA established Black Maternal Health Week and began working with up to 18 community-based organizations. That number has since grown to nearly 50. Black Maternal Health Week also intentionally coincides with National Minority Health Month,...
The third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Pullman Yards in Atlanta, GA. Founder Charlamagne Tha God will join popular personalities from his and iHeartMedia’s Black Effect Podcast Network for the one-day festival — which promises some of the “biggest and best” podcasts — featuring live recordings to amplify Black voices and informative discussions to inspire the next generation of podcasters. The Black Effect Marketplace will also be in full effect, featuring various Black-owned businesses and a lineup of food trucks to keep the energy high throughout the day. “We’re excited to return to Atlanta, building on the incredible momentum of the podcast industry and the growing impact of Black creators in the space,” Charlamagne said in a statement. Mandii B and WeezyWTF, hosts of the “Decisions, Decisions” podcast, will host the festival with sounds by DJ Loui Vee of 105.3 The Beat in Atlanta. Appearances are anticipated by popular...
Being a founder is not an easy journey. James Oliver who is currently behind Kabila, a company connecting underserved founders to co-founders, capital, and community, had his fair share of challenges prior to the venture. In fact, his first startup, WeMontage, failed while he was also navigating the early days of fatherhood — his twin children were born prematurely at just two pounds each via an emergency C-section. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, some of his difficulties were launching his company as a non-technical founder creating software. Two days after his children’s births, he had to attend an accelerator, led by gener8tor, which was a two-hour drive from where he lived in northeast Wisconsin. Ahead of a presentation on demo day, Oliver was greeted by an angel investor group, and they were willing to invest $250,000. “I dropped to my knees and thanked God because everything I was going through at that time was really hard. So that was my introduction to being a parent and...
John W. Rogers Jr. founded the nation’s first Black-owned mutual fund company and remains committed to expanding opportunities for other minority groups. Rogers comes from a family who upheld civil rights, fairness, and economic justice, he revealed in an interview with the SIU Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. It would be his father who sparked his interest in finance and economics. When Rogers was 12 years old, he received stocks as gifts for Christmas and his birthday. These included $200 worth of shares from companies such as General Motors and Commonwealth Edison, and he was able to pocket the dividends from those investments. “My dad was very insistent,” Rogers explained in the interview. “He wanted me to learn everything there is to know about the market, so he made me read the annual reports of the companies that were sent out every year, the quarterly reports that the companies would send out in those days, and I’d read about those companies.” His father also connected...
Dove wants increased representation in the digital world, leading the global personal care brand to launch a guide to help designers create characters with Black hair textures and protective styles for video games. “Code My Crown” — created with the help of Black game developers, artists, academics, and stylists — features instructions, personal insights, detailed references, and complete open-source code. “In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” said Lead Guide Contributor and Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl) A.M. Darke in the guide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prof. A.M. Darke (@prettydarke) Recent research indicates that 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent Black hair textures, according to Dove. Additionally, around 80% of Black gamers report feeling excluded, discriminated against, or inadequate when they do not see accurate...
Charles D. King has changed the entertainment landscape for the better. The Journey Born in Harlem, NY, and raised on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA, he showed early signs of being a businessman by selling supplies at school and even cutting neighbors’ grass, CNBC reports . He says his inspiration was his father, who founded a medical practice as a pediatrician. According to Forbes, King originally intended to also pursue a career in the medical field. “Seeing him leave a job to start his own practice. My mother was the first receptionist. It was just amazing watching it, but the other thing was the freedom that he had,” he told CNBC. King would follow that blueprint of ownership, but within the entertainment industry. As a political science student at Vanderbilt University, he showed an interest in recognizing talent. However, his pivot into the entertainment industry came during a two-year stint as a law clerk with a music attorney while at Howard University School of Law between...
Rosalind “Roz” Brewer is a trailblazer. While Brewer has proven to be a corporate catalyst through her various high-ranking positions, it was her parents who set an example of excellence, both working at General Motors. In particular, her father worked several jobs simultaneously to support her education along with that of her siblings. “He didn’t have the choice to pursue even his high school diploma, but eventually achieved a significant management role in the auto industry. He displayed so much discipline and dedication to excellence,” Brewer, a Michigan native, explained in a Q&A with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, where she is part owner. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) Brewer would go on to display the same characteristics she admired about her father. She attended Spelman College, graduating in 1984 with a degree in chemistry, before pursuing further education at the Director’s College at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business,...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. President Donald Trump has gone all in on his tariff crusade, announcing last week a 10% tariff on almost every country with even higher tariffs on specific countries. From beauty and food to car automation , every industry is currently reeling with the stock market dovetailing, and the potential negative aftereffects will be felt for decades to come. However, the now billion-dollar AI industry is at risk of being decimated thanks to Trump’s tariffs. Pro-crypto and pro-AI fanatics have curried a lot of favor with the president, so much so that many of them have been appointed as high government officials to advance America’s standing in the global AI race. Even though Trump has reversed his initial thoughts towards technology, his insistence on tariffs may hurt the AI industry after all. According to Time, AI companies, along with several other industries, lost billions of dollars when the tariffs...
Will Packer knows a thing or two about spotting a good story. With films like “Ride Along,” “Think Like a Man,” and “Stomp the Yard,” he’s turned everyday moments into box-office gold, built characters we root for, and created cultural blueprints that stick. But when the call came offering a confidential shot at owning a piece of an NFL team — no details, no guarantees — this wasn’t a plot twist in a film. This was real life. And it didn’t come with a pitch deck or press release. It came with a non-disclosure agreement and the vaguest of possibilities. “I said, NFL? National Food League?” Packer joked. “Because I know the NFL doesn’t just let people in.” The terms? Mysterious. The team? Unknown. The risk? High. But Packer signed the NDA anyway. That moment — unflashy, uncertain, but undeniably bold — set off a chain of events that would lead him not just into the NFL ownership circle but into a growing movement to rewrite what power and equity look like in professional sports. Fast...
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