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AI messaging company Holler is well on it’s way to proving that Black founders can obtain VC funding to help power their startups and fuel their missions to change the world. According to TechCrunch, the Black-owned tech company has just announced the raise of a $36 million Series B funding round, bringing its total funding to $51 million overall. The round was co-led by CityRock Venture Partners and New General Market Partners, with participation from other investors such as Gaingels, Interplay Ventures, Relevance Ventures, Towerview Ventures and WorldQuant Ventures. MarTech Series reports that Holler plans to use the new funds to “invest in the research, engineering and development around conversational media, and the original creative content intended to drive its use.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Holler (@holler.io) Holler — which is described as a conversational media company — initially launched with a mission to become a news and video content app before...
In December 2017, Instagram launched its standalone messaging app, Direct. The app was pretty simple in design and reminiscent of Snapchat. Like its competitor, Direct opened straight to the camera to encourage users to share. “Direct has grown within Instagram over the past four years, but we can make it even better if it stands on its own,” a product manager told The Verge at the time. “We can push the boundaries to create the fastest and most creative space for private sharing when Direct is a camera-first, standalone app.” Two years later, it seems that Direct has reached its limit because Instagram will no longer support the app starting this upcoming month. The update was spotted and tweeted by Matt Navarra , a social media industry commentator. Users who open Direct now are greeted by a message saying, “The Direct app is going away.” Confirmed: Instagram is killing its standalone Direct Messaging app pic.twitter.com/owt2gXtfCE — Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) May 16, 2019...
Snoop Dogg is on to his next venture in the NFT space. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he agreed to be compensated in Bitcoin back in 2013 when he released his album “Reincarnated.” In a separate article, AFROTECH™ shared Snoop Dogg had been revealed as the hidden figure behind Cozomo de’ Medici, a popular non-fungible (NFT) Twitter platform, which had 175 tokens worth millions of dollars by 2021. That same year, he also released an NFT collection, titled “A Journey with the Dogg,” to pay homage to his early years as an artist. Snoop Dogg x Telegram Now in his latest move, t he “Drop It Like It’s Hot” artist has partnered with Telegram, a messaging app founded by Pavel Durov that claims to be one of the most downloaded apps with over 1 billion users, its website mentions. Snoop Dogg can be shown in an Instagram post commemorating the partnership with a theme song, titled “Gifts.” He also currently has 212,218 subscribers on the platform (at the time of this writing). View this...
Pinky Cole, the visionary founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan, is taking her plant-based brand to Florida. After regaining full control of her company, as AFROTECH™ reported back in April, she’s officially announced her first new restaurant location. The Slutty Vegan Florida grand opening is set for Saturday, July 5, 2025, from noon to 6 p.m. at 2080 Badlands Drive in Brandon, Florida, just outside Tampa. The announcement was first made via Instagram on June 26. “One thing God don’t do is play about me 🙏🏾🥰💪🏾… WHATEVER YOU DO… KEEP GOING” she wrote. The post also featured a video by multi-platinum Hip-Hop artist Flo Rida, who welcomed the restaurant to his home state with enthusiasm and support. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pinky Cole Hayes (@pinkycole) “Hey, what up? What up? It’s your man—Flo Rida—and I’ve got a huge announcement to make. I had to snap this one myself because I’m proud to say it’s official… Slutty Vegan is touching down in the state of Flo Rida! It’s...
McDonald’s is the latest major brand in the crosshairs of a growing consumer-led movement protesting companies accused of scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. A nationwide boycott of the fast-food giant , launched Tuesday by grassroots group The People’s Union USA, adds to a string of “economic blackouts” the organization has orchestrated since February, USA Today reported. Why Are People Boycotting McDonald’s? The boycott stems from a perception of corporate DEI as performative. The People’s Union USA Founder, John Schwarz, said the protest is about holding corporations accountable as they quietly reduce their DEI commitments under pressure from political and economic factors. Earlier this year, McDonald’s drew public backlash for removing benchmarks related to executive-level and supplier diversity, AFROTECH™ previously reported. While the company insists its programs remain intact, the messaging has shifted. U.S. Chief People Officer Jordann Nunn told USA...
Program managers play a crucial role in guiding complex projects, aligning teams, managing resources, and ensuring that strategic goals are met within organizations. Hiring the right program manager means finding someone with not only the technical know-how but also the leadership skills, communication abilities, and strategic vision necessary to oversee multifaceted programs successfully. Crafting the right interview questions is essential to uncovering these qualities. This article provides an in-depth guide to strategic interview questions explicitly tailored for program managers. These questions help assess candidates across key competencies such as leadership, project execution, communication, stakeholder management, risk mitigation, and strategic thinking. By using these targeted questions, hiring teams can better predict which candidates will excel and drive organizational success. Leadership And Team Management Questions Program managers must effectively lead diverse,...
Tyler James Williams has built a remarkable career in Hollywood , transitioning from a child star to a respected actor in television and film. Best known for his breakout role as the lead in Everybody Hates Chris , Williams has continued to evolve in the industry, securing major roles in critically acclaimed projects like Abbott Elementary . His ability to adapt and maintain longevity in the entertainment world has contributed to his financial success. But how much is Tyler James Williams’ net worth today? Let’s explore his career, earnings, and business ventures as well as his estimated wealth. Early Career And Breakthrough In Hollywood Williams’ introduction to Hollywood happened at a young age. Before Everybody Hates Chris , he was already acting on television. He made guest appearances on hit shows such as Sesame Street and Saturday Night Live . His early exposure to the industry gave him a solid foundation, preparing him for his breakout role. His big break came in 2005 when he...
Building a successful startup requires more than just a great idea. It demands a unique set of traits that allow founders to navigate challenges, inspire teams , and scale their businesses. While many qualities contribute to entrepreneurial success, 2 successful traits in startup founders stand out as the most critical: resilience and adaptability. These characteristics don’t just separate successful founders from those who struggle. They also determine how well a startup can survive market shifts , financial pressures, and operational hurdles. Why Startups Fail, And How These 2 Successful Traits In Founders Make A Difference The startup world is notoriously unforgiving. About 90% of startups fail, and only a small percentage reach sustained profitability. According to CB Insights , the top reasons for failure include lack of market demand, running out of cash, and flawed business models. However, a deeper look into these failures reveals that many of them could have been avoided if...
Here are some tips to consider to become a well-paid creative. The creator economy is projected to reach $500 billion by 2027, according to Sprout Social. If you are a creator, you don’t want to miss out on your piece of the pie. At NAB Show 2025 (National Association of Broadcasters) held in Las Vegas, NV, Rhea Allen, president and CEO of Peppershock Media, moderated a discussion that offers real-world strategies that can be applied by creators to increase your value and income. Niche Down And Specialize While it is OK to be a jack of all trades, it will be a better bet to narrow your focus on mastering one niche and to establish trust among an audience that will gravitate towards you for a particular subject matter. This can also be helpful as more companies seek expert commentary. “Companies tend to hire experts, and they’re more willing to pay for the expert,” Allen explained. “And so if you position yourself as the go-to person for a specific skill or industry, you naturally...
In a political landscape where economic promises often shift with the news cycle, one topic has managed to grab headlines and public curiosity alike: DOGE checks. Tied to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — an initiative linked to Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s administration — the proposed stimulus would direct billions in alleged government savings back to American taxpayers. But is this an actual policy shift or a high-profile thought experiment? Here’s what we know. What Are DOGE Checks? DOGE checks are a proposed stimulus payout drawn from cost-cutting measures implemented by DOGE. Since its launch in January, DOGE claims to have saved the federal government $130 billion by downsizing federal agencies and eliminating redundancies. According to Newsweek, the Trump administration has set a $2 trillion savings goal, with the potential for Americans to receive direct financial benefits from these efforts. The term “DOGE checks” gained traction following a...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. In the 2024 presidential election , it was reported that voter turnout among Gen-Z voters dropped significantly compared to 2020. There was also a significant uptick in younger voters who supported President Donald Trump, according to the Guardian . Overall, Gen Z appears to be leaning slightly more conservative than their Millennial counterparts, a shift largely attributed to the influence of social media and its impact on shaping political perspectives. Social media’s prevalence in our daily lives has only gotten worse over the years. People now spend the majority of their time online, doom-scrolling. Younger generations are less likely to get their news from sources other than social media. They watch YouTube videos instead of regular television and don’t listen to the radio in the same way previous generations did. Videos targeted towards young men are laced with misogynistic messaging and the...
Companies are increasingly blending storytelling, commerce, and technology in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape. One such company is pgLang, the multidisciplinary agency founded in 2020 by Kendrick Lamar and Dave Free. While it has often been described as a creative agency, pgLang operates across multiple industries and platforms — from music and film to brand partnerships and live events — positioning itself as a hybrid model within the broader creative economy. Based on a previous AFROTECH™ report, pgLang describes itself as a “multilingual” company, referencing its spoken language component and ability to communicate across forms: music, television, film, books, podcasts, and visual media. The company’s creative outputs reflect this flexibility, leveraging cross-platform strategies to distribute content that resists traditional industry categorization. This approach earned the company recognition from Fast Company, which named pgLang one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative...
On March 15, 2025, the U.S. bombed Houthi terrorist targets across Yemen. But two hours before the world knew, a Signal message had already mapped the strike. The sender? Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The recipients? Top intelligence officials, but also Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic — a journalist inadvertently folded into the highest levels of American military planning. This wasn’t a clandestine leak. It was a raw, unfiltered display of the fragility of power in the digital age. It was a breach not orchestrated by a hostile foreign actor but self-inflicted — executed casually, almost thoughtlessly, by the nation’s top security officials on a consumer messaging app. For those of us who approach these matters with a deep understanding of U.S. statecraft and a critical perspective shaped by intellectual and resistance traditions, the story may demand more than mere procedural outrage. It calls for an unflinching analysis of how an empire, when unmoored from...
For the first time in history, five generations are working side by side in the modern workplace. From Baby Boomers to Gen Z, employees bring unique values, work styles, and expectations that influence workplace dynamics. While these differences can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, businesses that embrace generational diversity can drive innovation, improve collaboration, and strengthen employee engagement. Yet, despite 83% of global executives recognizing the importance of a multigenerational workforce, only 6% have implemented unbiased recruiting processes, according to AARP. Understanding how different generations work, communicate, and respond to change allows organizations to develop a more inclusive and productive environment. Each generation has been shaped by distinct historical events and technological advancements, influencing their workplace behaviors. Traditionalists, born between 1925 and 1945, tend to be disciplined, loyal, and value hierarchical structures. Baby...
