Keith Lee has been amplifying Black-owned restaurants with his viral food reviews on TikTok. In an interview with AFROTECH™ in 2023, the viral food critic discussed increasing the visibility of local Black-owned restaurants in the U.S. “Just to be able to be on a scale where people see the hard work that’s put in because a lot of times these restaurants have great food and great customer service, but they just don’t have the eyes on them,” Lee told AFROTECH™. “I think it’s just gonna be so dope to allow these restaurants to have the platform that they deserve.” For 2024, Lee has a new partnership to create efficiency for Black-owned businesses. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Lee has teamed up with Microsoft to provide restaurateurs with AI tools to help their businesses thrive. In 2021, two-thirds of Black-owned businesses had fewer than 10 employees, per Pew Research Center . Lee and Microsoft aim to tackle the barrier through the efficacy and growth that AI...

Memphis is widely considered to be the birthplace of the music we love today. It’s also the hometown of George Monger, the founder and CEO of Connect Music — a Black-owned music startup launched in 2020. More specifically, the Memphis-based company is a music monetization platform that provides distribution and publishing administration services. As Black creators are disproportionately affected by the downfalls of the industry, Monger has been dedicated to proving that music is an asset class by helping the group own their music and become profitable during today’s streaming era. The founder has gone on to have over 200 label clients and developed editorial partnerships with streaming giants Pandora, Spotify, and Apple. Addiontally, Monger has also gotten Boosie Badazz on board as part-owner of Connect Music.

It’s #GivingTuesday 2021, and Nike has awarded All Star Code with a $500,000 grant. The leading computer science nonprofit, also known as ASC, reported in a press release provided to AfroTech that this is the largest single donation it has received since its founding in 2013. The organization plans to use the grant award to scale its web development and leadership training programs for young minority men. “Addressing systemic racism in America requires urgent action and sustained engagement – and Nike is committed to both,” All Star Code Executive director Danny Rojas said in a press release. “We are so proud to be a part of this commitment and thankful to Nike for their fervent support.” ASC runs a free, six-week education program over the summer that’s supported by leading tech companies including Google and AT&T. The generous gift is part of Nike’s Black Community Commitment, which focuses on supporting organizations that center their work on social justice, education and...

PepsiCo and the National Urban League (NUL) are teaming up to provide financial support for Black-owned restaurants. According to a press release, the global food and beverage (F&B) leader has formed a partnership with the NUL to launch their Black Restaurant Accelerator Program, which has pledged to give 500 Black restaurant owners in 12 U.S. cities a total of $10 million over the next five years. Both entities’ support comes about following a tumultuous year for small Black-owned businesses that were impacted by the pandemic. “As the pandemic exposed existing disparities many minority business owners face, we saw a fundamental threat that could erase the decades of progress Black-owned restaurants have made,” C.D. Glin — Vice President, Global Head of Philanthropy at The PepsiCo Foundation — said in a statement. “This investment will help Black restaurateurs not only recover from the pandemic but set them on a path to long-term economic resilience. We are inspired by the progress...

Black-owned spirit brand Nyak has announced today its launch into new national markets in addition to its newly-formed partnership with famed rapper Young M.A. A press release reports that NYAK’s initial national debut will expand across several U.S. states such as Florida, Texas, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Delaware and Connecticut. Additionally, the brand has aligned itself with Young M.A to help represent cognac’s influence on Black and Hip Hop culture. Similar to the global impact of Young M.A’s music, Nyak also hopes to have that same effect on consumers. “Nyak is premium cognac and the culture loves cognac. We want to connect the Nyak brand to change agents in the culture…the artists who push the needle and drive our culture with their innovative artistry,” Nyak founder and serial entrepreneur Dennis McKinley says in a statement. “Our collaboration with Young M.A will be the first of many as we keep our finger on the pulse of what and who is...

Deluxe and The Deluxe Corporation Foundation looks to create more inclusion and diversity in a new partnership with the National Urban League. According to Businesswire, initiatives will be driven by the company’s more than 6,000 employee-owners with a plan to deliver on its promise to invest talent, time, and money to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion within the communities it serves. “In the spring and summer of 2020, our hometown of Minneapolis became the national epicenter of racial injustice that is far too prevalent across the country,” said President and CEO of Deluxe, Barry McCarthy. “Beyond emoting about the need for change, we announced significant commitments to non-profits supporting racial justice and equality. The National Urban League and Deluxe share a common commitment to community success, economic empowerment, equality, and social justice, making us natural partners.” With headquarters in New York City and 90 affiliates serving 300 communities in 37 states...

In the midst of two massive pandemics, Black America has been hit hard by COVID-19 and the emerging civil rights movement, which is liable to affect any person’s physical and emotional health. As a reminder of our duties to self-care and civic responsibilities, The National Urban League Young Professionals has partnered with the Houston Area Urban League , Honor Humanity , and E&J Gallo Winery to curate the Healthy at Home Inaugural Conference, BET reports . View this post on Instagram A post shared by NULYP (@nulyp) The Healthy at Home Conference aims to tackle all the current issues Black America is battling that have impacted us “financially, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.” The Healthy at Home Conference is a complimentary community event that will take place July 14-18 from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. with a week’s worth of events highlighting civic duties such as voting, investing, and participating in the census as well as a host of sessions addressing how we...

It’s an undeniable fact that Black people drive popular culture and tech is no different. Although a digital divide still persists — Black people are less likely to have access to the internet at home — that doesn’t mean we aren’t online and driving the world’s most popular trends. Take Twitter for example. Black people have dominated the platform since its inception and Black Twitter has been at the center of the biggest cultural moments of the past decade. In fact, as of 2018, of the 67 million users on Twitter, 28 percent were black, according to Nielson . That same study shows other upward digital trends for Black people. The African American podcast audience has skyrocketed 70 percent from 2014-2017, and 73 percent of African Americans 13 and older play video games, an industry notorious for using Black culture without paying the people who create it . Although Black people continue to be one of the main drivers behind the tech industry, we aren’t receiving many of its...