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Supreme announced a new creative director to oversee and lead its innovative vision for streetwear fashion in the right direction. The clothing brand has appointed Tremaine Emory — the founder of Denim Tears — for the role, in what Business of Fashion is calling its “first major creative appointment since it was acquired by VF Corp for $2.1 billion in late 2020.” Under his position, Emory will work with Supreme founder James Jebbia and the duo, as well as the design team, to keep streetwear front and center of the brand. “It’s a good move for Supreme,” Supreme collector and Jebbiah’s close friend Ross Wilson told British GQ. “When VF acquired the brand both parties promised the basic infrastructure, core team, and method of working would remain the same, so it’s good to see James sticking to his guns and bringing on board a close friend of the brand who gets it, rather than a corporate hire who doesn’t.” He continued: “Everything James Jebbia does is so carefully considered and this...
Emory University is taking things to the next level with the first student-run venture capital (VC) fund. The Peachtree Minority Venture Fund (PMVF) was launched at The Roberto C. Goizueta Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School (GBS) to support Black, LatinX, and Native American entrepreneurs. This is the first VC fund to have a focus that is strictly dedicated to underrepresented minority founders and will be funded by the Goizueta Business School endowment. Currently, the fund has $1 million in assets that are currently under management, and students are responsible for souring companies, conducting due diligence and making investment recommendations to the Peachtree Investment Committee. The committee — made up of GBS faculty, staff and alumni — utilizes an “evergreen” structure, which means that they recycle all proceeds to be used for reinvestment. “Peachtree Minority Venture Fund will invest in companies that have at least one...
Kids are humans, too — and A Kids Company About aims to reach them. The world may mistake their little bodies for little minds — but Jelani Memory does not. That’s why he created “ A Kids Book About, ” a book that told stories that talked to kids, not down to them. After the tremendous success with the book, Memory and his team decided to rebrand to A Kids Company About, which is an extension of the best-selling book series. The brand now goes beyond books — it includes conversations through podcasts, classes, and more that are for kids, by kids . The overall goal is to tell stories that meet kids on their level at all ages. “From the beginning, we set out to tell stories that talked up to kids, not down to them, creating inclusive content from first-person perspectives and diverse voices,” said Memory in an official statement shared with AfroTech. “With this expansion, we can tell more stories from new voices, engaging kids where they need it most. This is the future of kids media...
Racial injustice in the corporate world became a huge hot button topic last year following the social unrest that brewed over the summer. To help solve America’s problem, Emory University launched a special competition initiative. According to a press release, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School launched the John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition to examine how corporate companies can properly address the issues of racial inequality within their organizations. The idea to create a business case competition — led by MBA student Willie Sullivan — stemmed from the police violence that led to the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery last year. After seeing the many corporate statements on racial injustice being released, Sullivan wondered what the aftermath looked like and how companies planned on addressing these issues directly. Sullivan then spoke to several fellow Goizueta MBA students, and found that many of them wished to get involved in the...
This Tennessee teen just became one of the youngest students to ever attend Clark Atlanta University (CAU). Emory Pruitt — now 16-years-old — joined the class of 2020 this fall, making her one of the youngest students to ever attend the HBCU located in Atlanta, Georgia, per GA Followers . In a statement, CAU officials shared that while Pruitt may have graduated with a 3.7 GPA, her path to college was not easy. “At her hometown high school, she was mocked for being a young Black woman who dared to dream big,” a CAU spokesperson wrote, according to GA Followers. “But the racism and adversity, along with strong family support, only strengthened Pruitt’s resolve.” What makes this even more special for Pruitt is the fact that her brother, Elijah was also accepted to attend Clark Atlanta this year. Both were raised by a single mother, Karen Pruitt, who shares her daughter was ecstatic to get accepted into CAU. “Words would not be able to describe how thrilled and excited she was to have...
Model and influencer Wisdom Kaye understands the power of using social media as a creative outlet. That realization led Forbes to name him one of its 2025 Top Creators, ranking him at No. 48 with reported earnings of $5 million. Kaye, a former electrical engineer, sometimes skipped classes to create content that allowed him to experiment with different ideas and styles in fashion. That experimentation has blossomed into a successful career as a content creator, earning the 24-year-old 13.7 million followers on his primary TikTok account alone (as of the time of this writing). In an interview with Forbes, he shared that his passion for making content dates back to childhood. “I started doing this essentially when I was a child,” Kaye told Forbes. “I mean, my earliest memory of making content — It was not really content, was for myself — but I had a Nintendo, and I would just make videos on my Nintendo…I was a kid just creating and trying to express myself artistically.” He also added...
Marvin Ellison has made history as a Fortune 500 executive. Career Trajectory Back in the day, Ellison worked part-time at Target with paychecks reflecting compensation of $4.35 an hour as an employee, according to Fortune. Ellison, who holds a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from the University of Memphis and an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, went on to serve as a director at Target for 15 years beginning in 1987, and later as executive vice president of stores at The Home Depot, according to his LinkedIn profile. CEO Of Lowe’s, Which Crossed $83.67B In Revenue Ellison transitioned to JCPenny as its CEO and now holds that title at Lowe’s where he has been since May 2018, a news release mentions. He has led the home improvement company to $83.67 billion in revenue and almost $7 billion in profits for 2025, per Fortune. “Attracting Marvin is a great win for the entire Lowe’s team. Marvin is an experienced retail CEO with extensive expertise in a complex...
Icebreaker questions are an easy practice that can make a big difference in the workplace. Whether you’re kicking off a Monday morning meeting, onboarding a new team member , or leading a company retreat, icebreaker questions are one of the best ways to create an atmosphere of openness and engagement. They can ease tension, reveal common ground, and jumpstart conversations that otherwise wouldn’t happen in a strictly professional setting. When used well, icebreakers can build team cohesion and make each team member feel safer and more included. They’re especially valuable in hybrid or remote workplaces with limited opportunities for informal interactions. The key is to choose questions that are light enough to be low-pressure but interesting enough to invite genuine responses. Here’s a mix of fun, thoughtful, and creative workplace-appropriate icebreaker questions , grouped by themes. Get-To-Know-You Basics What’s your favorite way to spend a day off? This question reveals team...
Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) may dominate today’s conversations, but beneath the innovation lies traditional software engineering — the bedrock that makes these systems work. At AFROTECH™ 2024 , Kunle Oshiyoye, a software engineer at GitHub, shared insights from his work on AI technologies, his background as a graduate student at Georgia Tech studying machine learning, and his hands-on experience building and maintaining robust software systems. During the workshop, Oshiyoye explored idiomatic patterns and practical strategies for writing effective tests in the Go programming language, emphasizing why testing serves as both a safety net and a validation strategy. “Testing, to me at least, is a way to validate, to verify what you’re writing,” Oshiyoye said. He referenced a favorite quote: “A good programmer is somebody who always looks both ways before crossing a one-way street.” Purchase your ticket to AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 now! View this post...
In 2025, America’s higher education landscape is being reshaped by a wave of federal funding cuts and political pressure from the Trump administration. Universities across the country are under scrutiny, not only for how they handle civil rights issues but also for their participation in diversity and inclusion initiatives. As a result, many schools have already begun scaling back their scholarship offerings , cutting graduate research funding and even laying off staff. This shift marks one of the most significant challenges to U.S. higher education in decades, particularly affecting institutions that rely heavily on federal research grants. With billions of dollars in play and political agendas now influencing financial support, students and faculty alike are facing an uncertain future. The Federal Clampdown On Higher Education (RUT MIIT/Unsplash) The Trump administration’s approach to federal funding has caused ripples across nearly every sector of higher education . Historically,...
Junior Bridgeman has passed away at 71 years old, leaving behind a lasting legacy. The former NBA Milwaukee Bucks player who became a prominent businessman died on March 11, 2025, following a medical emergency. He had collapsed during a luncheon at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville, KY, for the Lincoln Heritage Council of the Boy Scouts of America, according to WDRB. His exact cause of death has not been confirmed, but various Louisville television stations reported that he was seen holding his chest at a point during the event, per ESPN. “We express our heartfelt condolences to Junior’s wife, Doris, their children, Eden, Justin and Ryan, the Bucks organization, and his many friends and admirers in the basketball community,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, notes ESPN. Bridgeman was a well respected figure for his accomplishments on and off the court. In fact, his jersey was retired at Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Bucks’ home arena in Wisconsin, in 1988 to honor his...
Fawn Weaver established a scholarship to carry the torch of excellence surrounding Nearest Green. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Weaver is the CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest, a whiskey brand valued at over a billion dollars. The brand was born after she came across a 2016 New York Times article while traveling in Singapore. The article featured an image of Jack Daniel alongside a group of men, with Nathan “Nearest” Green—known as Uncle Nearest—positioned in a way that ensured he wouldn’t be overlooked. In 1864, Green, who was enslaved, began teaching Daniel how to make whiskey in Tennessee. Daniel went on to sell whiskey throughout Lynchburg, TN, and the business formed into the popular brand Jack Daniel’s. Green’s role had been lost over time despite him being the master distiller at the Jack Daniel Distillery and the first African-American master distiller on record in U.S. history. As a whiskey maker, research shows he became the wealthiest African American in Lynchburg,...
The power of representation led Omar Johnson to recognize his potential as a marketer in the technology sector. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Johnson developed an interest in the field and discovered his passion for marketing. This motivated him to earn an MBA from Emory University in 2004, which paved the way for his career at Nike. He joined the company as an assistant brand manager in 2005 and, within two years, was promoted to content manager for advising and innovation. During his tenure at Nike, he was inspired by Trevor Edwards, who served as chief marketing officer before advancing to executive vice president of global brand and category management from 2003 to 2013. Edwards later became president of Nike Brand, a role he held until 2018. “One of my mentors, his name is Trevor Edwards, he was a president at Nike when I met him…Knew every part of the world that mattered when it came to culture and led this beautiful and big magnanimous way,” Johnson said on the “Black...