All results
Are you ready for John Legend to put you to sleep? John Legend first teamed up with Headspace, an app for practicing mindfulness, in 2020. The two first launched “Focus Music,” as a helpful resource in the midst of the pandemic’s impact. The soundtrack’s aim was to help ease users’ stress and improve your health and focus, according to GQ. “People are concerned about the state of the world, and they have good reason to be,” John Legend told the outlet. “There are a lot of stressful things about the fact that there’s a raging pandemic, the economy’s where it is, unemployment is where it is—but there are proven techniques that help people deal with someone of those issues.” Now, in the partnership’s second year, the Grammy-award-winning singer is in the spirit of self-love, wellness, and a good night’s rest. According to a press release, Headspace has aired its debut Super Bowl commercial ahead of the annual football championship. The campaign, “Love Yourself Like A Legend,” is of the...
For a year, the Google News Initiative backed Project VidSpark, an effort designed to help newsrooms reach Gen Z through shareable videos. Leading the charge of this Herculean effort was none other than Ahsante Bean, a YouTuber who first rose to fame in the early 2010s when she chronicled her Harvard University application process. The year-long program kicked off in March 2020 — just as the United States was beginning to go into lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic — and was done in conjunction with the Poynter Institute. Each of the three participating newsrooms — The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 89.7 GBH News in Boston, and 10News WTSP in Tampa — received $25,000 to build out and promote their video production efforts, while Poynter provided the training and consultation. However, they couldn’t have done it without Bean and her efforts. “Poynter had established the partnership with the Google News Initiative on this project, and was looking for someone with production chops and...
Technology is enabling fans to immerse themselves in the music of legendary artists like Janet Jackson. The “Anytime, Anyplace” songstress is currently headlining a residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, NV, running through May 31, 2025. Fans can relive 42 of her timeless hits, including “I Get Lonely” and “When I Think of You.” The latter, released in 1986 as the third single from her “Control” album, became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as Billboard notes. Jackson’s Vegas residency carries deep significance. Her career began when she was seven years old at MGM Las Vegas. She performed alongside sisters Rebbie and La Toya, as noted in Las Vegas Magazine. “I will always have a very, very special place in my heart for Las Vegas. I started my career here 51 years ago. I love you so much,” Jackson said during her performance on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Photo Credit: Resorts World Theatre L-Acoustics With a career spanning five decades, Jackson’s passion for performing...
Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...
Kendrick Lamar received mixed reactions from the public over his Super Bowl LIX halftime performance — but it led to a nearly 175% increase in Spotify streams across the United States. According to an Instagram post shared by Spotify on Feb. 10, 2025, several songs from Lamar’s halftime setlist experienced significant boosts. “Not Like Us” — the popular Drake-aimed diss track released in May 2024 — saw a 430% increase, followed by “HUMBLE,” which rose 300%. “DNA,” which, along with “HUMBLE,” is from the 2017 album “DAMN,” experienced a 260% increase. “Luther,” performed with SZA, and “tv off,” featuring lefty gunplay, both experienced a 170% increase in streams. SZA also benefited from the performance, with an 80% increase in her Spotify streams. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Spotify News (@spotifynews) Exactly one week after winning five Grammy Awards — bringing his total to 22 — Lamar performed 10 songs at Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025, including five tracks...
You work hard for your money, so how you spend, invest, or save it is your business — and it’s critically important for managing your life. Since money plays a vital role in almost everything we do, budgeting and money management tools are essential for long-term sustainability. One of the nation’s leading experts on this topic is The Budgetnista, Tiffany Aliche. Aliche’s path to becoming “The Budgetnista” started with her passion for teaching. After 10 years as a schoolteacher, she transitioned into personal finance — a topic she was familiar with, having grown up as the daughter of a CFO father. Raised in a Nigerian household, financial literacy and negotiation were ingrained early on, with her mother being a master negotiator. This blend of professional teaching, family financial wisdom, and cultural influence laid the groundwork for Aliche’s successful personal finance brand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiffany Aliche (@thebudgetnista) The former preschool...
Being funny pays. Just look to TikToker DeMarcus Shawn as confirmation. Beginnings Growing up on the outskirts of Chicago, IL, he recalls always being funny, often creating skits or playfully imitating his family members. His humor translated well to the camera, and he would toss around various skit ideas with his two older brothers. With the rise of social media, leaning into it was natural for Shawn. Ultimately, he landed on TikTok as his breeding ground for content though initially his Instagram was geared towards his creative interests. @artbydemarcusshawn #fyp ♬ original sound – DemarcusShawn “I grew up doing music and learning how to sing and photography. I’m a guy that’s heavy on drawing and painting,” he told AFROTECH™. “ Those are my hobbies that I like to do. Outside of that, when I came into TikTok, it was more of what I’ve been doing with my siblings, but on a larger front.” Full-Time Content Creation Shawn was working on building his online presence while also employed...
Myavana Founder Candace Mitchell once struggled to raise funding, but staying the course has led her to close a multi-million-dollar round. Mitchell, who attended Georgia Institute of Technology and obtained a bachelor’s degree in computer science, launched Myavana with a $1,000 investment from her checking account and had a mission to improve hair care for Black women, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “Originally, my ‘why’ was really to provide a more personalized approach for people to really be seen and heard in the beauty industry,” Mitchell said in an interview with AFROTECH™. “Because, at the time, there were not many products catered to women of color or textured hair. And it just felt like it was just a huge oversight, and we were just kinda out there figuring it out on YouTube. I feel that hair is deeply connected to our purpose and identity, especially in Black culture. So my ‘why’ was just really deeply rooted in people understanding who they are and also having the...
Rajah Caruth’s love of fast cars extends back a long time. He says, “… I would watch races on TV, and play NASCAR video games. I watched my first race when I was 12.” This love of fast cars has put the 20-year-old Winston-Salem University Junior on the path to becoming the GOAT of NASCAR racing. Rajah, who came into professional racing by way of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, is one of only a handful of Black professional NASCAR drivers, and he’s already had a big impact on the sport. From finishing 3rd in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East to grabbing three late model stock car wins in the same year, he’s accomplished so much in his four year NASCAR career. He believes that having the right set of tools has set him up for success, including the right tech and being in the right environment. He spoke with Blavity about the future of NASCAR and the importance of diversity in the sport. He acknowledges that both he and NASCAR have a long way to go, and we’re all geeked to see...
Venus Williams has received backing from some heavy hitters for her plant-based superfood nutrition company. According to a press release, Happy Viking has raised $2 million in an investment round led by Venus Williams, Serena Williams, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s 35V, Peloton Vice President of Fitness Programming Robin Arzón, professional golfer Michelle Wie West, soccer champion Megan Rapinoe, tennis star Reilly Opelka, and basketball stars Isaiah Hartenstein and Collin Sexton. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Happy Viking Superfood (@drinkhappyviking) Participating investors also included Mates, Talent Resources Ventures, Parallel, and Oliver Trevena. “Venus is an incredible entrepreneur, and in getting to know her and the team she’s put together behind Happy Viking, it was clear to Kevin Durant and I that the company has set itself up for success. No one understands the health and nutrition space like a professional athlete, and Happy Viking is proof in product...
If it is on Nick Cannon’s bucket list, he seems to always deliver. As AfroTech just told you, the television personality and entrepreneur announced his new business venture for the “billion-dollar” Wild ‘N Out franchise, a new sports bar in his hometown of San Diego, CA. “I am opening up a Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar, it would be our second one. Now we’re doing the true flagship one in my hometown of San Diego that opens this month,” Nick Cannon told AfroTech. Nick Cannon’s business is now up and running and the star celebrated the official launch of Wild ‘N Out Sports Bar and Arcade in late February. The 4,000-square-foot attraction is two stories and will become a home for comedians and DJs. In fact, guests can expect special appearances from Nick Cannon and the Wild ‘N Out crew. “It’s a beautiful opportunity to be able to open this up and to have people come out from the community and show love,” Cannon said, according to FOX 5 San Diego. “To really have the people that I came up...
Yara Shahidi is one of the leading voices of today’s generation, and her latest partnership is further affirmation of her influence. Today, Dell Technologies announced a multi-year partnership with the actress, entrepreneur and advocate to “inspire Gen-Z to use technology to drive their passions,” according to a press release provided to AfroTech. Shahidi will be working alongside Dell XPS to highlight how the brand’s laptops are a force for storytellers, visionaries and creatives like herself to bring their imagination to life. “ Technology has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I t’s something that touches nearly every aspect of our lives and has the power to make meaningful impact,” said Shahidi in a press release. “My work with Dell XPS is incredibly special to me because we are mobilizing my generation to use technology to make space for their unique stories and voices . ” Shahidi is the definition of a changemaker. And with her avid social activism and Dell...
It’s no secret that collegiate athletes have been cashing in on deals after recent changes to the name, image and likeness (NIL) laws. Now, one startup wants to help them take advantage of the changes by cashing in through another method — the monetization of video content. Curastory — a creator tool — helps student-athletes by “connecting brands in need of video content with athletes, influencers and actors who create video content and are willing to create directly for brands,” Sport Techie reports. “So if you have a video talking about your pregame meditation routine, multiple brands can sponsor that, like Calm,” Founder Tiffany Kelly told Sport Techie. “As opposed to making an influencer post for Calm, it’s natural. You don’t mention Calm, other than audio and logo attribution between breaks, and Calm’s logo just so happens to be on the video.” The unique technology not only allows athletes to have more creative power over their digital content, but Curastory also opens doors...