All results
A former inmate’s love for a restaurant franchise turned into transforming his life. "Having a business that justifies employees is a huge privilege." @ChickenTakeover 's founder Joe DeLoss explains the importance of fair-chance employment and providing jobs for people who have faced adversity https://t.co/fG4Vd9G5KR pic.twitter.com/ugoHJDgXZg — Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) August 31, 2022
A high school student is shattering the glass ceiling! While attending school in Nigeria, Damilola Awofisayo remembers unstable electricity disrupting educational lessons. At the time, Awofisayo and her classmates were not exposed to the solutions that existed in the world of computer science. Nearly four years later, Awofisayo moved to the United States and would attend Thomas Jefferson High School in Virginia. The computer science-driven school encourages all students to take a course in the field before graduating. Awofisayo did not understand the value of computer science initially. With that said, she planned to take the course her senior year of high school but a counselor placed her in the course her freshman year instead and the rest is history! “Within the first three weeks in the class, I fell in love with computer science. It was my tool to create solutions for problems I had seen in my society and with my experience living in Lagos, Nigeria,” Awofisayo said to AfroTech.
Dreams really do come true! According to the Economic Times , Brandy Fisher-Blood will now lead the company’s Diversity & Inclusion Strategies and will be responsible for overseeing diversity and inclusion efforts across Walt Disney Animation Studios. She will also serve as the primary strategic consultant to Walt Disney Animation Studios’ business leaders and creative leaders which includes directors, producers, and production leadership along with its Human Resources partners. Fisher-Blood will bring insight on the best inclusion methods that will help to broaden Walt Disney’s inclusion commitment both internally and externally. “I was 8 [years] old when the first BIPOC Disney Princess hit the big screen and no words can express how it felt to [finally] see an animated Disney character resemble me on TV, in stores, on lunchboxes at school, on t-shirts at the playground, and much more,” said Fisher-Blood in an interview with the Economic Times. Fisher-Blood will be responsible for...
Historically speaking, HBCUs have long prided themselves on their community involvement and deep ties to local areas they occupy. A 2017 report commissioned by UNCF’s Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute previously shared that HBCU institutions have generated over 130,000 jobs both locally and regionally for their home states and make up $14.8 billion in economic impact, according to a press release. Now this week, a new independent study ordered by Baltimore’s own Morgan State University shows that the HBCU currently accounts for $1.1 billion generated in annual financial impact on Maryland and $640 million within Baltimore City. Morgan fiscal footprint leaves lasting economic and community impression in Maryland and Baltimore, more than $1B impact in state and $640M in Baltimore – Read More 👉🏾 https://t.co/yvMwoLBPVr #MorganMomentum #EconomicImpact — Morgan State University (@MorganStateU) January 25, 2021 The new study — conducted by national economic consulting firm Econsult...
The holidays are the perfect time to spread cheer, love and support. Every year, people and businesses come together to give money, goods and resources to those in need. This year, the season of giving is more important than ever. Millions have endured hardships while navigating the coronavirus pandemic, and Black and minority-owned small businesses have felt the brunt of it. Numerous small business owners have had to put their businesses on hold to care for their loved ones. But despite their own fight to survive, many small businesses are still finding ways to support their local communities. In today’s interconnected economic environment, it takes everyone, big and small, to come together and uplift local communities, which collectively buoy the national economy. It’s companies like Fiserv, a global leader in payments and financial technologies, and Clover, its point-of-sale platform, that can leverage their combined market power to support smaller businesses and help them...
Never underestimate a Black woman’s drive for success. Vivian Fisher, a 98-year-old woman from California, achieved her lifelong dream recently graduating high school. According to Black News , as part of Monrovia High School’s Class of 2020, Fisher received her diploma alongside her great-grandnephew, Elijah Vance, in a drive-thru ceremony. Vance’s father rented a van for the entire family to ensure everyone could make it to see both of them graduate. “We had 12 people in there so we loaded it up everybody was able to come that wanted to come,” said Jason Vance, Vivian’s great-nephew, to KABC . Fisher wasn’t able to graduate high school in her youth because she worked multiple jobs to support her family. Her dream of graduating has been 82 years in the making, but she never let time stop her. “This graduation ceremony will go down as one of the most unique and exceptional graduations that this school has had,” said Kirk McGinnis, principal of Monrovia High School, to KABC. Fisher...
Philadelphia’s FIS Group agreed to acquire Piedmont Investment Advisors LLC, a 21-person firm based in Durham, NC. With the acquisition, FIS will have a combined $10 billion in assets, making it one of the biggest U.S. African American-owned investment companies. Employees from both groups will keep their jobs. According to The Philly Inquirer , FIS says it manages $5.6 billion in “innovative portfolio solutions across the global public equity spectrum through entrepreneurial managers worldwide,” and Piedmont expects to manage $4.7 billion in “active, passive, and structured beta equity and core fixed-income management.” Most of the clients that FIS deals with are governments, and the same can be said of Piedmont. The money management industry can be hard to break into, especially for minorities. But many are still pushing to encourage government agencies to be more inclusive by hiring minority and women-owned firms to diversify the field. The merging of FIS and Piedmont makes for a...
Microsoft is laying off approximately 9,000 employees, impacting less than 4% of its global workforce. On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the second day of its 2026 fiscal year, the tech giant confirmed the move to CNBC via email, stating it will “continue to implement organizational changes necessary to best position the company and teams for success in a dynamic marketplace.” Microsoft — which employed 228,000 people worldwide as of June 2024 — has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years, including letting 10,000 employees go in 2023. In January 2025, the company reduced its headcount by less than 1% based on performance. AFROTECH™ also reported that in May it laid off around 6,000 employees — roughly 3% of its global workforce. And the company cut at least 300 more in June. A source familiar with the matter told CNBC that, like with the May layoffs, Microsoft is aiming to streamline its organizational structure by reducing the layers of management between individual...
This Black-owned restaurant received a stamp of approval from Jay-Z and Beyoncé! Taste Kitchen + Bar Downtown Houston’s Taste Kitchen + Bar is a beloved Southern comfort and brunch restaurant owned by University of Houston alum Chef Don Bowie. Its current location is situated in downtown at 420 Main St. and opened in 2022. Customers can line up as early as 8 a.m. for brunch items that include peach cobbler waffles, steak and eggs, and elevated grits. Also featured on its menu is smothered chicken, greens, candied yams, jerk lamb chops paired with smoked gouda mac and cheese, cajun or smothered fries, and also various cocktails desserts. “At Taste, we don’t just serve food—we serve soul,” Bowie told Houston Style Magazine. “Each dish tells a story rooted in tradition, culture, and celebration.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taste Kitchen + Bar (@tastekitchenbar) Taste Kitchen + Bar has seen an influx of customers over the years, but over the weekend, Bowie received...
Tennessee State University (TSU) has finalized an agreement with state leaders that will reallocate $96 million in state funds to stabilize the institution’s operations and restore financial confidence, according to the Tennessee State University Newsroom. The move is considered a critical step toward ensuring TSU’s sustainability after years of systemic underfunding and financial instability. The funds were initially designated for deferred maintenance as part of a $250 million capital improvement allocation in 2022. However, the funds will now be used over the next three years to support university operations. University officials described the arrangement as a transformational opportunity that will relieve cash flow concerns and fund improvements to student services, staffing, and long-term infrastructure, the HBCU reported. “This agreement provides TSU with the opportunity to solve its financial challenges and regain its legacy as one of our nation’s great, historic institutions...
The U.S. Department of Labor has announced plans to implement a phased pause in operations at its nearly 100 contractor-operated Job Corps centers nationwide by June 30, 2025, according to a department press release. This marks a significant change that will affect workforce development for underserved youth. The decision to wind down the Job Corps centers follows an internal program review and stems from significant issues, including financial deficits, safety concerns, and underwhelming student outcomes. The residential career training and education program is focused on low-income young adults ages 16 to 24. Job Corps Closing: Breaking Down The Numbers The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration released a report in April 2025 that details the Job Corps program’s performance and return on investment. The average graduation rate is about 38.6%, according to the report, as cited by Fox News. Other findings show that the average cost per graduate was up to...
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” proved to be good business for Chicago, IL, locals. The entertainer who won Best Country Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards for “Cowboy Carter” is currently touring its tunes with a stop in the Windy City. According to USA Today, the three planned concerts took place on May 15–18 at Soldier Field . View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) The tour brought great momentum for the city and was beneficial to several Black-owned businesses, including Bronzeville Soul. The restaurant first benefited from the Carter family in 2023. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Hip-Hop mogul Jay-Z had been in the area to celebrate his wife Beyoncé’s second night of her “Renaissance World Tour,” which was also held at Soldier Field. The soul food restaurant had been “up and down” for nearly a year before Jay-Z’s visit, but it was able to gain new momentum afterward. “The element of that surprise was huge. It was overwhelming,” Bronzeville Soul Co-Owner Mario...
House Republicans have introduced a new Medicaid bill aimed at cutting federal healthcare spending without dismantling the program. What’s Inside The GOP Medicaid Bill? According to the Associated Press, the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced the Medicaid bill as a central piece of the Republican plan to secure $1.5 trillion in savings. Much of the savings would go toward extending the 2017 Trump-era $4.5 trillion tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. To help reach that target, the committee proposed $880 billion in cuts, most of which come from changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is important to note that the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010, was a landmark healthcare reform aimed at expanding coverage, reducing costs, and improving care delivery. Though it significantly increased access through subsidies and Medicaid expansion, many Republicans have long opposed the law, using it...