Chief Administrative Officer Corenza Townsend has opened a hospital in Louisville, KY. According to CBS News’ “Eye On America,” the idea was first planted eight years ago when Townsend was working as a nurse manager at a hospital in the Norton Healthcare system. She boldly pitched the concept of opening a hospital in Louisville’s majority-Black West End neighborhood to Norton Healthcare’s CEO. “We had this plan,” Townsend explained, according to the outlet. “It wasn’t in writing yet. We happened to see Russ Cox, our CEO, walking to the bathroom. So we stalked him outside the bathroom… Nobody thought he would actually say yes. He said, yes. He just listened to us and he said, ‘Let’s do it. What do you need?'” In late 2024, the Norton West Louisville Hospital reached the finish line after a two-year-long process. Its opening is especially timely, as the area had been without a hospital for over 150 years. “The life expectancy in West Louisville is about 12-and-a-half to 15 years...

A Black woman-owned wine brand has secured a sweet victory. Established in 2023, IBest Wines has secured a partnership with American Airlines. The company was launched by Ingrid Best, who carries two decades of experience in the wine and spirits sector from companies such as Diageo, Moët Hennessy, and Bacardi, the company website mentions. She entered the industry as a brand ambassador, assisting in the launch of a small rum brand for Diageo in San Francisco, CA, New York, and Miami, FL, she said during an interview on “Way Up With Angela Yee.” She later rose up the ranks in the aforementioned companies, holding titles that include Regional Marketing Manager for Hennessy (2013-2016), Brand Director for D’USSE (2019-2020), and CE’s EVP, Global Head of Marketing Spirits (2021). Her career milestones include managing two of the largest venture joint spirit partnerships. “I was so fortunate to be exposed to every facet of the business, which typically, in an ambassador role, you aren’t...

It appears a four-year partnership between Buy From a Black Woman and H&M has come to an end. According to a press release, the nonprofit, founded by Nikki Porcher in 2016, has partnered with H&M since International Women’s Day in 2021. Together, they have supported 30 Black women through accelerator programs and helped over 15 founders obtain their Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certification within two years. On its own, Buy from A Black Women has hosted over 100 workshops and trainings, awarded 45 business grants, and provided 20 relief fund stipends to Black women business owners. Between 2022 and 2023, Buy From a Black Woman was able to drive more than $2.7 million in revenue towards Black woman founders. In 2023, Buy From a Black Woman and H&M hosted the The Inspire Tour, which was the brainchild of Porcher since 2019, and it reached various cities including Philadelphia, PA ; Charlotte, NC ; Houston, TX ; Los Angeles, CA; and Atlanta, GA. The aim was to amplify...

Thanks to this partnership, students will receive funding to ensure they will reach the finish line at their university. According to a press release, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has donated $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the second year in a row. The investment will allocate up to $2,500 for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who need funding to fulfill their degree requirements. In 2021, 69 students were awarded financial assistance to walk across the graduation stage. “I would like to sincerely thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch Foundation for the scholarship which enabled me to become a LeMoyne-Owen College graduate,” said Braxton Miller, a biology major at the college, in a statement. “I want to truly thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch. You saved me when I had to pay for not one but two courses I had to take. You truly and honestly blessed me,” James Wilson, a Benedict College graduate who majored in criminal justice...

Tracee Ellis Ross has become an ambassador for a partnership championing Black women entrepreneurs. According to a press release, H&M will carry on its collaboration with Buy From a Black Woman. The nonprofit, created in 2016 by Nikki Porcher, is on a mission to ensure Black women excel in their entrepreneurship journey by providing educational programs, an online directory, and funding, its website states. On the other hand, H&M plans to donate $250,000 toward the nonprofit and sponsor the Buy From a Black Woman Inspire Tour that will spotlight various businesses across the nation. “I feel like part of what’s happening here with H&M and Buy From a Black Woman is this really authentic way to bring attention to Black female entrepreneurs,” Ross told ESSENCE.