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REFORM Alliance and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation joined forces Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, by hosting a job fair in Richmond, VA, that connected over 2,000 job seekers with more than 1,500 open positions. The free event focused on removing employment barriers for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system , particularly those on probation or parole, according to a press release. Participants had access to a diverse range of 36 employers, including major national brands like Amazon, Starbucks, and Foot Locker , alongside local businesses from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The job fair also featured numerous state and local government agencies, such as the Virginia Department of Corrections, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Virginia State University, and the City of Richmond. Jessica S., who was recently released from incarceration, interviewed with both Amazon and Foot Locker and received invitations for second-round interviews. “It’s been a struggle to find work...
AfroTech has announced yet another big musical talent is heading to the 2022 AfroTech Conference! As previously reported by AfroTech, music heavyweights such as Bia, Zaytoven, Bas, and more will be headlining the conference’s inaugural music experience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech (@afro.tech) “We are thrilled to bring such incredible musical talent to the AfroTech stage, and expand the AfroTech Franchise to include a music festival. This is especially fitting since our annual conference is being held in the live music capital of the world,” said Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity, Inc., owner of AfroTech in a statement. “We are also excited to host our conference live and in-person after hosting it in a metaverse the last two years. The addition of our live music festival truly rounds out the entire AfroTech experience as we celebrate Black and multicultural innovators, and these rising creative artists.” In addition to the music stage’s lineup, on Nov. 17, the...
One of the most highly anticipated entertainment events recently made its official comeback. Annually, Broccoli City — a Black-owned social enterprise — holds Broccoli City Festival in Washington, D.C. Coming in on its tenth anniversary after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, May 7 and May 8 was a time to celebrate. With the event being more than just about music, many of the artists on its lineup share a similar view of the bigger picture at hand as they work to connect with their fans in multiple ways. For instance, Masego has expanded from just being in music to tech. In March, the multi-faceted talent told AfroTech about dropping his debut NFT collection on OneOf. Following his amazing set at Broccoli City Fest, the Grammy-nominated artist shared with me more about the new experience, as well as what’s next in the cards for him tech-wise. Courtesy of Masego “I think it was good because when it comes to Web3 and crypto, I just want people to participate,” Masego told...
John Legend, on the surface, may seem like a little more than an R&B pretty boy. After all, he was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2019. But, in reality, he’s a shrewd businessman who has made several individual seed investments. He’s a multi-award-winning artist and performer who is the only Black man, to date, to win the coveted EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). And he’s worked hard enough to get, according to Celebrity Net Worth, a $75 million war chest. But John Legend (born John Roger Stephens in Springfield, OH) takes it all in stride. In fact, he told UPI that were it not for the influence of his church, he wouldn’t have been inspired to sing in the first place. “The church has been so important to who I am as an artist and as a human being, I felt like it was a no-brainer for me to say yes,” he said. “I knew I would be in good hands and that [Henry Louis Gates] would tell the story in a way that was really honoring the history of the Black church in our country. I was...
African mobility is taking on a new meaning thanks to fintech startup Moove and its company mission. Today, the Nigerian tech-based vehicle financing platform — also Uber’s exclusive car financing and vehicle supply partner in sub-Saharan Africa — announced the raise of a $23 million Series A funding round to help empower more African drivers to buy and own their own cars. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Moove (@mooveafrica) According to a press release, the round was led by Speedinvest and Left Lane Capital, with participation from other investors such as DCM, Clocktower Technology Ventures, thelatest.ventures, LocalGlobe, Tekton, FJ Labs, Palm Drive Capital, Roka Works, KAAF Investments, Spartech Ventures, Class 5 Global, and Victoria van Lennep, co-founder of Lendable. Additional investors also include Africa specialist, Verod Kepple Africa Ventures and existing Moove lender Emso Asset Management. For many of its U.S.-based venture capital backers, Moove is their...
New York-based startup Andela is building up its remote engineering base to expand into other territory across the globe. Today, the global talent network — which connects companies with vetted, remote engineers in emerging markets — announced its global expansion efforts to accept applications from engineering talent in Latin and South America. By moving into these new regions, Andela’s client base will have an opportunity to lean on regional expertise and nuances to help bolster their international growth. Andela’s track-record has proven to secure opportunities for remote engineers with businesses all over the world. Its esteemed reputation is what will allow the startup company to continue supporting global talent moving forward. A press release shared with AfroTech reports that the startup has achieved a 750% increase in applications outside of Africa over the last six months, and a 500% increase within the continent. Now accepting applications from 37 countries across five...
In 2017, John Legend’s FreeAmerica program partnered with Unlocked Futures to develop a 14-month accelerator program centered around formerly incarcerated social entrepreneurs, according to Forbes. Legend announced the second cohort of participants for the program that also advocates for employers to be more open-minded in their hiring process and include job seekers who have a criminal background. “If we want the full human potential that is contained in our communities to be maximized, we need to include formerly incarcerated people in conversations around hiring, and how we develop the workforce,” Legend said, according to Forbes. “These folks are valuable and they’re worth reintegrating into our society.” Legend’s vision is to end mass incarceration and give a voice to those negatively affected by America’s criminal justice system, according to the FreeAmerica site. Its partnership with Unlocked Futures provides participants with coaching on leadership skills, including board...
Uber has partnered with several organizations in San Francisco to help increase access to high-quality jobs. The ride-sharing giant– announced in a blog post –its plans to commit $100,000 to nonprofits