All results
CocoLife has been awarded a $100,000 grant from CVS Health to improve Black maternal health outcomes. CocoLife — a nonprofit founded by Alexia Omega Doumbouya in July 2019 — offers support through maternal health groups, one-on-one doula visits, and 24/7 doula assistance for mothers until they are 12 weeks postpartum, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. The need to support women in maternal health was inspired by a lived experience. According to The Philadelphia Citizen, Doumbouya had difficulties following the birth of her daughter in 2011, leading her to experience severe postpartum depression, psychosis, and anxiety. “I had this baby, and six weeks later I was expected to go back to work. And I just kept thinking How am I supposed to do this,” she explained, per the outlet. As time went on, she recognized other women had also faced challenges in their pregnancy journeys. This prompted her to become a trained certified doula prior to kickstarting CocoLife, which began...
CVS Health expects to cut close to 3,000 jobs in efforts to cut costs, according to their annual report . The drug store and pharmacy chain reports struggling due to reimbursement rates for prescription drugs. The franchise has also been impacted by customers purchasing snacks and household items from other retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and dollar-value stores. In an effort to curb their losses, the company has committed to a multi-year initiative to achieve $2 billion in cost savings. This year’s layoffs represent less than 1% of the company , although last year they announced that they would be laying off approximately 5,000 employees and closing around 900 stores between 2022 and 2024. The company also plans to incorporate more artificial intelligence via robotics into its operations. Despite their efforts to further reduce costs and improve the shopper experience, here’s how the CVS layoffs will affect employees and customers. How Will The CVS Layoffs Affect...
At the top of 2022, Mark Cuban first announced the launch of The Cost Plus Drug Company. As previously shared by AFROTECH, the online pharmacy sells generic drugs such as those for HIV, birth control, migraines, and more, at affordable prices. Additionally, no intellectual property deals or insurance companies are involved, and consumers pay with all cash for the medication based on what it costs to make and an additional 15% to cover overhead.
CVS Health is following through with its commitment to social justice and racial equity in America with its latest educational initiative. Last week, CVS Health Foundation announced the launch of a five-year, $5 million scholarship program in collaboration with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) — the nation’s largest minority education organization advocating for minority education — to help Black and brown college students pursue an academic career in healthcare. The new initiative — called the CVS Health Foundation Health Care Careers Scholarship program — is a part of CVS Health’s nearly $600 million plan to properly address racial inequity for disenfranchised communities over the next five years, a press release shares. “This scholarship will feed a robust pipeline of under-represented students, which will in turn strengthen the pool of talented college graduates ready for today’s and tomorrow’s workplace,” said David Casey — Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer...
UnitedHealth Group, a longtime healthcare powerhouse, just took a brutal hit, missing earnings expectations and slashing its 2025 outlook. The company’s stock dropped rapidly Thursday morning, April 17, and it wasn’t just a blip — this was a full-on market reaction to what many are now calling a crisis moment. At the center of it all? A shaky Medicare business, a leadership shakeup, and the long shadow of a massive cyberattack. For years, UnitedHealth was considered untouchable on Wall Street. But now, the once-steady giant is showing signs of severe strain. Medicare Misfire Rattles Confidence In The Insurance Giant Investors didn’t just flinch — they ran. According to The Wall Street Journal, UnitedHealth stock tumbled about 18% in early trading, pulling other major healthcare players like Humana and CVS Health down. What happened? The company’s Medicare Advantage division, which manages benefits for older and disabled Americans, faces deeper issues than previously disclosed....
Entreprenuership is a risk that Monique Rodriguez was willing to take on. Business Risks Rodriguez is the co-founder of haircare brand Mielle Organics, which she launched with the help of her husband, Melvin. She shares on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, that her earliest risk in her entrepreneurship journey was walking away from a stable position as a registered nurse. Melvin also took a leap, leaving his corporate role. Together, they trusted in what they believed was a vision from God and created a blueprint that ultimately led to success. “We didn’t just leave our jobs and say, ‘Oh, we don’t have a plan in place or we don’t have income.’ We had to have a solid plan in place to map out how we were going to get some type of income to still keep our bills afloat and food in our kids’ mouth. So we had to plan that out. But it was a huge risk of the unknown, of both of us turning away from our jobs,” Rodriguez mentioned on the...
Virginia Union University (VUU) students can become certified doulas on campus, making it the first historically Black university in the state to offer such a class. On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the private, Richmond, VA-based HBCU announced a partnership with the birth center Birth In Color and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to launch a six-month doula training certification program, according to WRIC Channel 8. VUU’s announcement came just ahead of World Doula Week, which runs from March 22 to March 28, 2025. In an interview with AFROTECH™ , Mama Glow Foundation founder Latham Thomas described a doula as a birth “producer” who provides emotional and physical support, education, and advocacy tools during childbirth. While some people view doulas as less educated or non-compliant, Thomas noted that they are just as important as other healthcare professionals, especially in a society where women, particularly Black women, are expected to advocate for themselves. “Black women...
Beatrice Dixon does not want to police how shoppers spend their dollars, but she acknowledges the risks of neglecting business owners on shelves. Dixon is the co-founder, CEO, and chief innovation officer of The Honey Pot Company, which is a plant-based feminine-care company that sells washes, wipes, and pads. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, she experienced chronic vaginal issues, which prompted her to create a vulva-safe formula that she grew into a business in 2014 with the support of a $21,000 loan. The company scaled to more than 33,000 stores across the nation, including retailers like Target, Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens. In January 2024, the company was acquired by Compass Diversified in a deal valued at $380 million. Dixon maintains a significant minority stake in the business. Part of The Honey Pot Company’s success can be attributed to its strong presence in retail stores. However, there is a shift among consumers to be more strategic about where they spend their dollars...
Meta is being sued for allegedly directly contributing to education inequities in Black communities. A lawsuit filed by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs, and Emery Celli Brinckerhoff Abady Ward & Maazel LLP on behalf of the Equal Rights Center (ERC) cites that Meta’s algorithm has shown bias by directing ads for for-profit colleges and universities to Black communities. In contrast, more ads featuring public and nonprofit colleges and universities were shown to white users. “Relegating Black students to receive information about for-profit schools, which often provide lower quality education at greater financial cost, also sends a negative message about who belongs in which types of institutions,” a statement from an email sent to AFROTECH™ by the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights read. The difference between the two types of institutions is that for-profit colleges focus on generating profits...
Some facts about Black History Month have been well-established: Carter G. Woodson was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. His frat created Negro History and Literature Week in 1924. Woodson sent out a press release to announce the first Negro History Week. He chose February to honor another historical legend, a formerly-enslaved-man-turned-activist Frederick Douglass, who had chosen February 14 as his birthday without knowing his real birthdate. Negro History Week was also chosen to honor former President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12. And on its 50th anniversary, in 1976, younger members of the Association for the Study of African American History extended Negro History Week to Black History Month. While all of these facts are inarguable, there’s one point that remains vague: What exactly are you supposed to do during Black History Month? Like Juneteenth , there were never any established rules. For employees who want to honor this month, are there tips for how to...
There are nuances surrounding the support of Black-owned businesses in the wake of companies dismantling their DEI efforts. Walmart and Target are among the major companies that have boldly announced they will scale back their efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion. This list also includes Meta, Amazon, McDonald’s, and Nasa. “We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers, and suppliers, and to be a Walmart for everyone,” Walmart said in a statement, according to AdWeek. Walmart’s shareholders do not align with its board of directors, expressing “deep disappointment,” as AFROTECH™ previously reported. What’s Going On At Target? Target has followed suit, placing a red light on its three-year DEI commitment. According to NBC News, the retailer will no longer send reports to an external diversity-focused group and will dismantle its...
Alexis McGill Johnson, president and chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), has proven to be a thought leader for reproductive rights and a true advocate for social justice. After earning her Master of Arts degree from Yale University, Johnson returned to her alma mater as a faculty member. She later served as political director for Russell Simmons’s “Hip-Hop Summit Action Network.” In 2009, she co-founded the Perception Institute, a collective of researchers and strategists dedicated to turning scientific insights into practical solutions for people from diverse backgrounds, per their website . In 2019, she was named president of Planned Parenthood. During the AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 on Nov. 15, the C-suite executive joined board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Simone Whitmore and 1063 West Broad founder Alencia Johnson for a discussion on reproductive health rights, effective advocacy strategies for women, and advancing reproductive health equity....
Life can change at any given moment, and this was the case for entrepreneur Parker Barbee. In 2022, Barbee was laid off from his job just before the Christmas holiday. This moment of uncertainty led him to jumpstart his passion for a staple dessert in his family — banana pudding. KSL News reports Barbee is the founder of dessert sweet shop Parfé Diem, located in Salt Lake City, UT’s Sugar House neighborhood. According to its website, it features a variety of pudding parfait flavors, including banana, strawberry cheesecake, pistachio, and chocolate. It also offers shortbread cookies and a creative twist on the classic ice cream sandwich, using pudding as the filling. View this post on Instagram A post shared by parfé diem 😋 pudding parfaits (@parfediem) Now, just in time for the holiday season, Barbee’s venture has received a significant boost through the NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant, established by investor Daymond John of “Shark Tank.” The grant is $25,000 and is funded with...