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Dr. Helene Gayle Resigns As Spelman College President After Previously Taking A Leave Of Absence

Spelman College president Dr. Helene Gayle will not return after taking a leave of absence and is stepping down permanently, the college announced on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. The institution did not disclose the reasons for her initial leave or her decision to resign, according to The Associated Press. In a statement, Gayle expressed gratitude for the opportunity to lead Spelman. “I thank the larger Spelman community for this magnificent opportunity to serve as president. I have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the outstanding students and future world leaders who have chosen to attend Spelman College,” Gayle said in a statement, per the AP. “I look forward to my next chapter.” As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Gayle became president in 2022, succeeding Mary Schmidt Campbell. After her leave of absence was announced in October 2024, Rosalind “Roz” Brewer assumed the role of interim president. The Spelman Board of Trustees said they are in the process of selecting a new president,...

Nov 26, 2024

Khaby Lame Is The Highest-Earning Black Creator With $20M In Earnings

Khaby Lame is letting the numbers do the talking. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lame, now one of the most-followed creators , was once a factory worker in Chivasso, Italy. “I was really poor,” he said on a panel during Forbes Creator Upfronts in partnership with Walmart Creator on Oct. 29, 2024. Lame was later fired from his job, returned to live with his family, and decided to not look back. Instead, he chose to bank on what was once merely a hobby — TikTok — during the onset of COVID-19. “When I started making videos, people told me to get a proper job,” he mentioned to Forbes in 2023. “But I continued to make videos because that’s what I like doing, even though no one was watching them.” It would ultimately become a money machine because he stood out for reacting to memes and viral videos without saying a word. “It’s my face and my expressions which make people laugh,” he told The New York Times in 2021. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Khabane Lame (@khaby00)...

Nov 18, 2024

Farewell For Now: AFROTECH™ 2024 Concludes A Powerful Week Of Black Excellence And Tech Innovation

Who ever thought the end of AFROTECH™ 2024 would evoke the feels of Boyz II Men’s classic “It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday?” And now that AFROTECH™ has wrapped up, those lyrics hit differently as we say farewell to an unforgettable week. Houston, TX, welcomed 37,500 industry leaders for four days of groundbreaking discussions and networking. The city was buzzing with Black excellence — from entrepreneurs and tech innovators to corporate powerhouses, all owning their futures and reveling in the experience. Every day, attendees dived into immersive sessions that were as empowering as they were culturally on point. With a lineup of standout speakers — like Bun B, Tobe Nwigwe, will.i.am, Ashley Blaine Featherson-Jenkins, Kendrick Sampson, Angelica Ross, and Rashad Robinson — AFROTECH™ made sure every moment was full of inspiration. AFROTECH™ Conference also showcased groundbreaking initiatives and discussions aimed at driving innovation, equity, and community empowerment. Angel...

Nov 17, 2024

Druski, A Creator With $12M In Earnings, Reflects On His Sold-Out Coulda Fest — ‘Can’t Believe All This Started From A Instagram Live’

Druski has the content creation game on lock. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the Maryland native’s foray into comedy dates back to skits he shared on Instagram under the handle druski2funny. According to Forbes, he was known for his humor as the class clown at an early age, though it wasn’t always to the amusement of his teachers and parents. “I think just being a class clown early on that’s what kind of grooved me in my career,” he told Forbes. “Sometimes when you’re young you really don’t know what your purpose is. But thankfully I have good parenting, so now we figured it out in the midst of all the craziness, but they don’t always support being a c lass clown while in school and being young. I had to figure it all out later in life. I came back to it, and I was like ‘All right this is my purpose.'” Before his big break, Druski faced various challenges, leading him to work different jobs — some he was fired from, others he quit. He considered pursuing higher education and...

Nov 4, 2024

With 7.7M Followers Across TikTok And Instagram, DeMarcus Shawn Reveals The Secret Formula To Building An Online Community

DeMarcus Shawn has the formula for building a strong following across social platforms. Shawn is an online creator known for sharing humorous skits on TikTok and Instagram. His sense of humor has always been evident among his family since growing up on the outskirts of Chicago, IL. He also draws inspiration from them still today. “I was able to experience all different facets of life growing up through school, through family and just everyday nuances,” he mentioned on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast. Today, Shawn is a full-time content creator, but his journey began in 2017 with a 9-to-5 role as a Starbucks barista. While there he decided to turn more of his attention towards content creation in 2021. It was then that he was able to sustain himself through earnings via TikTok and his photography business, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “When I quit Starbucks, I already had money saved up,” he said, per the “Black Tech Green Money podcast.” “It was 2021, so I had money saved...

Oct 31, 2024

Spelman College Alumna Rosalind 'Roz' Brewer Becomes Its Interim President Following Dr. Helene D. Gayle's Exit

Rosalind “Roz” Brewer is stepping into a new role. Brewer is the former chief operating officer of Starbucks and CEO of Sam’s Club. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Brewer had also served as the previous CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. She assumed the position in 2021, making history as the only Black woman in the S&P 500 to hold a C-suite title. In addition, she was the third Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. After three years, Brewer stepped down from the role in 2023, AFROTECH™ also reported. Today, she continues to serve on the boards of United Airlines, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Black Economic Alliance. Now, Brewer will step in as the interim president of Spelman College, her alma mater, according to ABC News. Brewer maintained a longstanding connection and involvement with the school, having served 12 years on its board prior to her new role. Brewer’s appointment follows Dr. Helene D. Gayle’s personal leave of...

Oct 23, 2024

How Much Is Starbucks' Net Worth (Market Cap) In 2024?

Almost everyone is familiar with the mermaid branded barista coffee chain offering a premium brew with faux Italian charm. Founded in 1971 in Seattle, Starbucks Coffee has long since been an international sensation. From humble beginnings at its flagship store in Pike Place (the first Starbucks location), to outposts in far-flung locales around the world, almost everyone is familiar with Starbucks. Today, Starbucks boasts over 38,000 locations serving more than 80 countries with its signature brews and even customized treats unique to the cultural tastes of each region. From airports to hotels, dabbling in the venture capital world , and even consumer packaged goods for coffee lovers to enjoy favorite items at home, there’s no stopping this iconic brand. And this leads to the inevitable question, just how much is Starbucks’ net worth — or in the case of a business, market cap? Humble Beginnings Starbucks Coffee logo is seen in Manhattan, New York, United States of America, on July...

A Conversation With OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Led Oprah Winfrey To No Longer Be Scared Of AI — 'We Should Honor It And Have A Reverence For What Is To Come'

Oprah Winfrey is embracing artificial intelligence (AI). How She Is Using AI The long-time television host and founder of her own network believes “we are in for the ride of our lives.” There appears to be positive sentiments around her reactions as she has been leaning into the technology, even using ChatGPT to search for Airbnb listings, she mentions during an interview with “ABC News.” “It was miraculous to me that before you can practically finish the request, the answer has already come back to you,” Winfrey said.   Shift Towards AI Influenced By Sam Altman Winfrey’s encounter with AI did not come until after she had spoken with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, for her ABC special, “AI and the Future of Us,” which aired on Sept. 12, 2024. After learning further about its capabilities, the television mogul said there was no need to fear AI. “After he was telling me all about all the things it could do, I’m saying, ‘Okay. don’t be scared. Don’t be scared,'” she revealed in her...

Sep 13, 2024

How DeMarcus Shawn Went From Starbucks Employee To Full-Time Content Creator

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...

Sep 5, 2024

AltFinance Donates $2M To Help HBCU Students Find Careers In The Alternative Asset Management Industry

A celebration is even better when it involves supporting your community. AltFinance is giving a helping hand to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in alignment with its one-year launch anniversary. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the company is donating $2 million to HBCU partners, Howard University, and the Atlanta University Center institutions: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. A donation of $500,000 will go to each of the schools for their alternative investment fellowship program in an effort to help HBCU students venture successfully into the alternative asset management industry. “The partnership between these four colleges and universities and AltFinance has already begun to create meaningful and lasting impact for HBCU students, the alternative investments industry, and our shared future,” stated Marcus Shaw, CEO of AltFinance, per the press release. “We have established a solid foundation in our first...

Jun 30, 2022