Showing 23 results for:
capital-one
Popular topics
All results
Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has changed its stance on underwriting initial public offerings (IPOs) for companies with all-white male boards. In 2020, CEO David Solomon announced that the leading investment bank would only take a company public in the United States or Western Europe if the organization had at least two diverse board members, one of whom was a woman, AFROTECH™ previously reported. However, as of Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, Goldman’s IPO requirement is null and void, according to Bloomberg. “As a result of legal developments related to board diversity requirements, we ended our formal board diversity policy,” said Goldman spokesperson Tony Fratto, Bloomberg reported . “We continue to believe that successful boards benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and we will encourage them to take this approach.” Goldman’s 12-member board currently includes two people of color , one of whom is a woman. Among the bank’s executives, 73% are white, with 56% being men. Data...
Shaboozey is hopeful about artificial intelligence (AI). The country artist has had quite the year. He was first featured on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album, collaborating on the songs “Spaghettii” and “Sweet Honey Buckiin.” “It’s just so surreal and humbling for me for them to choose me to be a part of the album,” he expressed to Forbes in an interview. Shortly after the launch of “Cowboy Carter,” Shaboozey teased “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” which officially launched April 12, 2024. It became a Grammy-nominated single and earned the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 consecutive weeks, according to Forbes. What’s more, it garnered 2 billion streams and earned over $10 million. “I feel great. Dream come true. I can’t complain,” he told the outlet. Catch Shaboozey on Dec. 4 during Art Basel in Miami, FL, as well. He’ll be among the performers for an exclusive event hosted by Capital One and The Cultivist to amplify artist Hassan Hajjaj and his installation DAR MIAMI 1446. As part of...
Aaron Walton is the CEO and founder of the award-winning ad agency Walton Isaacson. He is celebrated for his extensive work with renowned brands and celebrities, establishing himself as a true trailblazer in the art of collaboration. Walton began his career as a marketing executive for the food and beverage giant Pepsico and went on to create his own company, Aaron Walton Entertainment (AWE). He later sold AWE in 2002 to Omnicom Group’s DAS Division. This transaction resulted in Walton being appointed president of Omnicom’s Radiate Entertainment Group, driving exponential growth across numerous agencies. With his knowledge, Walton shared how he successfully created major opportunities to transform traditional advertising practices by embedding them with cultural insight and innovation. On Nov. 14, during the AFROTECH 2024 Conference, Walton spoke about challenging the practice of collaborating with the same people within the same industries. While aligning with brands for successful...
David “Slim” Penn Jr. has opened a cannabis shop in Pasco, WA. Penn’s journey into entrepreneurship began as a child, according to the Tri-City Herald. He would mow his neighbors’ yards and had a paper route. “I remember those 20-pound papers,” he told the outlet, embellishing the weight of newspapers in the past when they were larger and heavier. Today, that business mindset has carried over into the cannabis space. Penn is now a franchisee of Lucky Leaf Co., which is owned by his friend David Morgan, who has stores in Spokane, WA, and Pasco. Penn had previously backed Morgan when he was looking to challenge the city to allow for legal cannabis sales to adults back in 2022. The following year, a council approved removal of the ban and permitted the legal sale of cannabis, paving the way for three storefronts including Lucky Leaf Co. Now, Penn will operate his own store alongside his partner Jamie Badden, who serves as the manager of the store. To get the shop up and running, they...
In 2022, only an estimated 11.9% of Fortune 500 board seats were filled by Black board members, per Missing Pieces Report. The alarming statistic is part of why executives like Samuel Bright, vice president and general manager of Google Play plus the developer ecosystem at Google, actively push to advocate for diverse voices to be heard in the boardroom. During the fireside chat “ The Kaleidoscope Effect: Redefining Boardrooms” at the 2023 AFROTECH™ Conference, Bright detailed his board service journey including joining TIAA’s board. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the financial retirement services company is helmed by Thasunda Brown Duckett, who is one of two Black women CEOs to lead a Fortune 500 company. “I’m very fortunate that TIAA has had DEI ingrained in its DNA,” Bright told Kelly Buchanan Spillers, chief marketing officer of Infor at the time, during the fireside chat. “It is when I was joining the board I was joining a diverse board. Also, there’s a very diverse...
Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), has shifted his personal political support for the presidential election, now pledging donations to Kamala Harris’ campaign after previously backing Donald Trump. In an email update to a16z supporters about “political activity,” Horowitz said Harris has been a “great friend” to him and his wife, Felicia — who is Black — in the 10 years they’ve known her. He noted the vice president’s support for their firm in its early days, mentioning her involvement in events that helped establish the Cultural Leadership Fund network, which supports Black cultural leaders and organizations. “As a result of our friendship, Felicia and I will be making a significant donation to entities who support the Harris Walz campaign ,” Horowitz wrote, per Business Insider. However, he added that a16z remains committed to positions aligned with its “Little Tech Agenda,” focusing on candidates who advocate for a strong startup...
‘Tis the season for AFROTECH™ Conference 2024! This year, the highly anticipated annual event for Black techies will be touching down in Houston, TX, from Nov. 13-16. The new stages announced are as follows: Cybersecurity Stage On the Cybersecurity Stage, speakers will discuss topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), security, and governance. AI Stage View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH™ Conference (@afrotech.conference) As AI continues to be one of the biggest trending topics in technology, the stage discussions will focus on quantum AI and automation, ethical AI, and regulation across job sectors. Data & Engineering Stage The Data & Engineering Stage is set to provide insight into career development for software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and others. AI Hackathon Speaking of AI, AFROTECH™ is calling on all diverse developers, coders, builders, hackers, and technologists for an upcoming...
At 14 years old, Keniah Washington has graduated from college. Washington graduated with a liberal arts associate’s degree from Saint Leo University in Florida and a 3.0 GPA, according to USA Today. With the support of her former high school teachers and staff, she enrolled in a dual-enrollment program while attending Icon Preparatory School in Tampa, FL, and took online courses. “I started taking high school courses when I was in sixth grade,” Keniah said. “Once the teachers and staff saw that I was still excelling in my work, they enrolled me and a group of other kids in Saint Leo, and we had a tutor.” Washington admits that reaching her goal was not easy. She had to skip some school events, such as prom and homecoming. “My biggest challenge was being on track and not trying to fall behind,” she said, per USA Today. “I was missing out on prom and homecoming — everything other people experienced in high school. But I told myself that… I’m doing the high school courses now so I can...
The world is in an age of technology that people from decades ago likely could not fathom. With the emergence of AI and the range of tech products offered, there is little that people can’t imagine regarding innovation and advancement. This new tech era has revealed there isn’t just one way to create, to develop, or even to exist. In many ways, this technology amplified the necessity and interwoven strategies of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The intersection of tech and DEI often manifests unexpectedly – in organizations where many people would not naturally think of those intersections. Capital One, for instance, is primarily known as a finance organization but is also a leader in technology and innovation. During a 2023 interview with Built In , the firm’s Director of Product Management, David Henkel, summed up its innovative approach. “We’re a tech company disguised as a bank,” he said. The work of people like Maureen Jules-Perez has cemented this identity marker. As...
Recent reports have shown companies pulling back from implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). A leader in global communications has spoken out against the matter. At the 2024 Women of Color Connecting Summit, hosted by the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman led the session titled “Data Matters.” During his presentation, he shared findings from “Edelman’s Trust Barometer Special Report: Business and Racial Justice,” according to the virtual summit’s website. While relaying the findings was to inform allies, investors, and policymakers, Edelman took a moment to address the misconceptions about DE&I. “This is one of the big problems in America. We lack reliable information,” Edelman said, per a news release. He continued, “I have heard so much about ‘let’s drop DE&I as a phrase; let’s just focus on sustainability.’ Nonsense. We have to defend DE&I as an important part of the equation of ESG [environmental, social, and governance]. ESG...
Young female learners will be encouraged to dream big because of a newly formed partnership between Frito-Lay Variety Packs, science-fiction star Sonequa Martin-Green, and STEM Next’s Million Girls Moonshot. According to a press release, the shared commitment will make STEM learning opportunities accessible to young girls through the Back-to-School Blast Off program. Martin-Green hopes her presence will encourage the next generation to evolve their interests in STEM. “Representation matters and sometimes, all it takes to inspire us to achieve something is to see someone we can relate to doing it first,” said Martin-Green, according to a press release. “I’m honored for the opportunity to join Frito-Lay Variety Packs in their mission to inspire talented young girls everywhere to develop their passions for STEM and pursue their dreams.”
Six years after the passing of the legendary musician Prince, a ruling has ended the battle over his estate. Since Prince had no will, children, or spouse, this placed six half-siblings as his legal heirs and catalyzed the probate process in court to divide Prince’s estate. In January, there was progress as the heirs closed a deal with the Internal Revenue Service marking the tax valuation of the estate to $156 million, according to Billboard. One month later, the judge recommended turning Prince’s holdings into limited liability companies (LLCs). The move decreased the estate’s tax exposure and solidified a management plan for how the parties involved could collaborate to administer music and other jointly-held assets. Three of Prince’s half-siblings, Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker, and Alfred Jackson, sold all or most of their shares of the estate to Prince Oat Holdings LLC (Primary Wave). The remaining three reportedly retained their stakes and partnered with advisors L. Londell...
LinkedIn is on a mission to support the Black community. According to information provided exclusively to AfroTech, LinkedIn will distribute $500,000 in grants to digitalundivided and Blavity.org. The contribution will propel LinkedIn’s Black entrepreneurship fellowship programs and provide new economic pathways for the community. LinkedIn will work alongside the selected organizations to uplift the stories of rising entrepreneurs and instill awareness for additional capital and resources year-round. “As a company, we are on a journey to create equal access to opportunity and help drive more equitable outcomes. Our strategic partners are essential in that journey and since 2020, we have donated $5 million in funding and services to organizations that support economic and workforce development within the Black community,” LinkedIn said in an article published. “We selected digitalundivided and Blavity.org because of their holistic approach to developing, supporting and funding...