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The popular pop the balloon dating show concept will be making its way to Netflix. “Pop the Balloon or Find Love” is a hit dating show that started on YouTube . Hopeful romantics put their fate in the hands of potential matches. Contestants signal their interest, or lack thereof, by keeping their balloons intact, symbolizing a spark, or popping them to show disinterest. The YouTube series was brought to life by self-employed m ultimedia producer and musician Bolia Matundu (BM) and his wife, Arlette Amuli, a beauty and lifestyle creator. During an interview with Essence GU, BM admits that versions of the concept started to pop up in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020. “Around the pandemic, everyone was doing their own versions on YouTube, and I just wanted to create a version that I had a vision for,” BM told Essence GU. “So I wanted my wife to host…I wanted it to be more mature as well so trying to get people that are working class, people that have good jobs, and it just kicked off.” He...
When the New England Patriots inked Stefon Diggs to a four-year, $69 million deal, $25 million of it guaranteed, it didn’t just make headlines; it marked a directional shift. A franchise long defined by systematic precision and conservative spending is finally reaching a new identity: one shaped around adaptability, controlled risk, and cultural recalibration. Betting On Diggs Production In A Post-Prime Window Diggs is 31 years old, and he’s coming off a torn ACL that sidelined him in Week 8 of the 2024 season. And yet, his numbers from those eight games with the Houston Texans weren’t symbolic—they were substantial. According to ESPN, he tallied 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns, ranking seventh in total receptions at the time and averaging 62.0 yards per game. C.J. Stroud posted a 104 passer rating and a 73% completion rate when targeting him, evidence of Diggs’ continued ability to elevate a quarterback’s efficiency. Even if the explosiveness has dulled slightly,...
The Rhode Island Black Business Association (RIBBA) is among several organizations impacted by President Donald Trump’s termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across various sectors. According to The Brown Daily Herald, every January, RIBBA, a Providence, RI -based nonprofit dedicated to closing the racial wealth gap through business development programs for small business owners , requests funding packages from its larger company partners, typically ranging from $7,500 to $100,000. However, some partners have indicated that their funding pool has been reduced this year, with many delaying their funding decisions until April and offering reduced financial packages. “This trend aligns with broader shifts in corporate giving and budget constraints that many nonprofits are experiencing nationwide,” RIBBA President and CEO Lisa Ranglin said in an email to The Herald. According to WPRI Channel 12, Ranglin stated that following Trump’s rollbacks of DEI...
There were some initial hesitations around Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, but that has not stopped it from attracting notable investors. Unrivaled is a startup founded in 2023 by WNBA players Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, its business model is unprecedented, offering the highest salaries in women’s sports and granting participating players an equity stake in the league. Its concept has proven to be a success among its players. “Everybody got equity coming into this league, that’s the most important thing…I know five years from now this thing is gonna be bigger than ever,” Angel Reese from Unrivaled’s Rose BC team shared during a virtual press conference held in January. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rose BC (@rosebc) The potential of Unrivaled was not understood by all. In fact, Collier recalls receiving various “no’s” during the league’s inception. “It was hard because you think the same thing like, ‘Oh, I’m an...
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...
Paula Wright has built an empire of McDonald’s restaurants, having made history at the start of the franchise era. According to MetroWest Daily News, Wright and her late husband, Don, became New England’s first Black McDonald’s franchisees in 1984. Before venturing into the fast-food industry, she had a career in technology at IBM. “A co-worker of mine, her husband was in the business,” Wright told the outlet. “That’s how Don and I got involved.” Their first location was in a newly built mall in downtown Boston, MA. However, the business did not fare well due to low foot traffic, with capacity never more than 60%. “There just weren’t enough people there,” Wright recalled to the outlet. The couple then secured a second location, but once again, sales did not match their expectations, which they believe was due to construction for TD Garden, a multi-purpose arena that opened in 1995. However, success would come when they moved into the suburbs. “We lived in Sudbury (MA), so when we...
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown remains committed to supporting Black-owned businesses, empowering communities of color, and fostering generational wealth along the way. On Feb. 14, 2024, Brown announced the launch of OaklandXChange, a sister project to his nonprofit, BostonXChange (BXC). Jaylen Brown announces a new business district and incubator program as part of his Xchange fund in a speech at a community luncheon at Oakstop in Oakland pic.twitter.com/kZwpd0HYEM — Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 14, 2025 Founded in 2024, BXC aims to create $5 billion in generational wealth within Boston, MA’s communities of color, AFROTECH™ previously reported. The organization provides funding, resources, workplaces, and mentoring from seasoned individuals to Black and minority entrepreneurs, helping them launch businesses that contribute to sustainable economic growth . According to Sports Illustrated, OaklandXChange, which launched in partnership with Jrue and Lauren Holiday’s JLH...
February marks a pivotal moment in Black history, and one town in Maryland is celebrating with a record number of Black-owned businesses . Princess Anne, located in Somerset County, MD, and serving as its county seat, now boasts at least 25 Black-owned businesses in its town of fewer than 4,000 residents, according to WBOC-TV. “When I first moved to this area, I was told that the last known lynching was in Princess Anne, Maryland,” said business owner Leslie Coker, reflecting on the past. “That there is now 25 Black-owned businesses in a county that has less than 4,000 people, that’s phenomenal.” Coker runs the Dynamic Divas majorette dance company, one of the Black-owned businesses contributing to Princess Anne’s record-breaking milestone. Alongside Croker, business owner Dale Parker runs the Cropa Station restaurant with his partner, while Danae Ballard launched her salon, Alluring Looks by Danae, at just 21 years old. They all take pride in being part of a community representing...
NASA, an independent agency of the U.S. government, will no longer be upholding DEI efforts. In a press release, NASA shared its plans to comply with executive order “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” which President Donald Trump issued when he was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025. The order revoked Executive Order 13985 of January 20, 2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government). It also revoked Executive Order 14091 of February 16, 2023, which further advanced those initiatives, according to the White House. As a result of the recent order, federal agencies are now adhering to guidelines to dismantle diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) efforts. Looking to set an example, the Trump administration placed its federal DEI employees on paid leave as “the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs,” as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The NASA Science Mission...
There is still optimism surrounding the future of creators amid the looming TikTok ban. This sentiment is felt by Eddie Rizzo, who serves as the VP of marketing at WORTHI, a full-service cultural connections agency on a mission to grow brands and build IP all while amplifying people of color. In 2024, Rizzo managed nearly $1 million in creator partnerships primarily on TikTok for BIPOC creators and clients such as Paramount+, Max, Google, GoFundMe, Amazon, and more. “My mission as the VP of Marketing at WORTHI is to grow and develop the best of the best team of predominantly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ strategists and creatives to deliver impactful work for our clients that’s intrinsically culture-forward from the inside out because we live and breathe culture,” he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “This aligns with our company’s overall vision of unlocking the business value and cultural impact of historically underestimated communities.” Looking to the current landscape, Rizzo acknowledges the...
If the workforce were a playlist, 2025 would give “Renaissance” by Beyoncé — a vibe shift, a reset, and a clear signal that the world of work is hitting some new high notes. The game is changing, and whether it’s artificial intelligence (AI) running point, the return of curated travel experiences, or frontline roles making a comeback, one thing is clear: opportunities are out here, but they won’t fall into your lap. For Black professionals, the stakes are high. Job competition is fierce, with 2.5 applicants per role compared to 1.5 in 2022. Confidence is shaky, and hiring managers ghost candidates like they forgot the assignment. However, according to LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2025 report , nearly 60% of these roles are fresh on the scene, signaling change and opportunity. “Fields like AI, experiential industries, and frontline jobs are booming, offering fresh opportunities to break into spaces where we’ve historically been underrepresented,” says Andrew McCaskill. AI: The...
Richard Merritt II had a clear vision for his next career step. Journey In Technology Richard Merritt II’s journey in technology began at the age of seven when he showed interest in old Dell computers and learned to code graphing calculators in math class. “I was actually pretty interested in how computers work. In math class, they gave me those graphing calculators, and I was able to code them to do calculations for me. So, I kind of always wanted to do something with computers,” he told AFROTECH™. Between 2007 and 2012, Merritt attended Texas Tech University. He initially pursued a degree in computer engineering but pivoted to business administration in management information systems after realizing he wanted to explore the intersection of technology and people. Immediately after graduating, Merritt jump-started his career as an IT Analyst Intern at Valero Energy Corporation, as noted on his LinkedIn profile. This internship led to a full-time role as a Technical Product Manager...
Having a game plan always pays off. Anderson Douglas, a Houston, TX-based professional with a background in engineering, has spent nearly a decade working as a sales consultant. At one point in his career, he transitioned into the tech industry but stepped away for some time until November 2024. “I felt like the position that I was in, it was great pay. I just wasn’t maximizing my potential in regards to having an engineering background,” he told AFROTECH™. Douglas applied to countless tech roles and was receiving rejection emails. However, his fate would change during his attendance at AFROTECH™ Conference held in November 2024 in Houston, TX. Douglas purchased a corporate ticket, and his approach for the conference was to build authentic connections rather than focus solely on leaving with an offer. By engaging on the expo floor and having less formal follow-up conversations at events, he strengthened his connections with recruiters. He also leveraged a 15-second elevator pitch,...
Writing a letter of recommendation for a friend can feel like an honor and a responsibility. It’s an opportunity to support someone you care about while helping them advance in their career , education , or personal endeavors. A well-crafted recommendation letter can make a strong impression on potential employers, admissions committees, or other evaluators. Here’s a guide to help you write a thoughtful and effective letter of recommendation for a friend. Understand The Purpose Of The Letter Before you start writing a letter of recommendation for a friend, clarify the purpose of the letter itself. Is it for a job, graduate school, a volunteer position, or something else? Understanding the context will help you tailor the letter to meet the specific requirements. Ask your friend for details about the opportunity, such as the job description or program guidelines, so you can align your tone and content with what the recipient expects. Much like creating a resume, tailoring the letter...
Shaw-naé Dixon is behind a popular soul food restaurant in Staten Island, NY. Dixon’s interest in cooking dates back to her time in the kitchen with her grandmother, her website reads. She would continue to nurture her skills at church and a local soup kitchen. “My grandmother was a dietician for over 40 years, and I know that my grandmother taught me a lot of different recipes when I was growing u p,” Dixon said during an interview with Bon Appétit . “ And it wasn’t necessarily about the recipes and the food, it was about the technique and making sure that I could feed a lot of people at one time. “ In her adult years, Dixon first pursued a career in education. For over a decade, she was a teacher. However, she was pushed into her true calling of becoming a restaurateur after spending time in a coma. “Following a very, I won’t say difficult time, but a pivotal time in my life when I was in a coma, when I woke up, I said, ‘ Chase your legacy and not the luxury.’ Opening up a...