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Canza Finance’s co-founders are leaning into Web3 to financially empower the African continent. Pascal Ntsama IV and Oyedeji Oluwoye are looking to create “the world’s largest non-institutional-based financial system” through the creation of Canza Finance, the company website mentions. They both share distinct journeys on how they arrived to the company’s inception. For Chief Technology Officer Oluwoye — born in Nigeria, Africa, and raised in Sydney, Australia, before moving to the United States at 14 — he began taking various CompTIA Certifications, early-career data analytics certification, during his senior year of high school. After graduation, he headed to the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. While in college, he was able to secure a position with Adtran, a networking and telecommunications company based in the U.S., as a co-op engineer. He then transitioned to work at AT&T as a senior specialist-network...
Sometimes you can’t just trust the process; you have to trust yourself as well. It’s something Samara Moore has learned during her career in technology. As a Security Assurance Senior Manager and Global Energy Specialist, she’s made her mark since joining Amazon Web Services (AWS) by leading the security and compliance program for regulated industries and public sector throughout North and South America. It’s a role that found her unexpectedly while she was still with another company. She says this shift happened while “I was going along my merry way with a company that I really enjoyed, and I got wind of an opportunity at AWS and someone said ‘Hey would you consider this?’” Less than two months later, Moore found herself implementing and sustaining integral programs that effectively managed cyber risks and aligned security measures with business and IT strategies. In many ways, it’s a role Moore was simply made for, thanks in part to experience that draws on over a decade with the...
Black wealth, especially at the billionaire level, remains a statistical anomaly in global finance. But in 2025, that narrative continues to shift — if only incrementally. According to Forbes, out of 3,028 billionaires worldwide, only 23 are Black, representing less than 1% of the list. Despite this underrepresentation, these 23 individuals collectively hold an impressive $96.2 billion in wealth. The figures tell one story. The names behind them tell another story — one of legacy, innovation, cultural power, and long-game strategy. This year, two notable newcomers joined the global roster of Black billionaires: Sheila Johnson, the media and hospitality powerhouse, and Herriot Tabuteau, a biotech founder with a focus on brain health. Both represent not only financial achievement but industry-specific influence in spaces where Black leadership is often overlooked or underestimated. Who’s New To The 2025 Black Billionaires List? Sheila Johnson, widely known as the co-founder of Black...
Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund has reached the halfway point of its funding goal. The fund was launched by the Black Economic Alliance Foundation, which is led by Executive Vice President Alaina Beverly, to create generational wealth for the Black community, working alongside public, private, and social sectors to accomplish this goal, its website notes. Samantha Tweedy is CEO of the coalition behind this effort, Black Economic Alliance, which is made up of “business leaders and aligned advocates.” In 2021, the Washington, DC-based foundation established the Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund LP to further its mission and has since onboarded venture capitalist Melissa Bradley, to lead its investment strategy, according to The Business Journals. Bradley was previously recognized as a AFROTECH™ Future 50 Dynamic Investor and founded 1863 Ventures, which provided business development programs, coaching, mentorship, and access to capital primarily for new...
Technology is enabling fans to immerse themselves in the music of legendary artists like Janet Jackson. The “Anytime, Anyplace” songstress is currently headlining a residency at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas, NV, running through May 31, 2025. Fans can relive 42 of her timeless hits, including “I Get Lonely” and “When I Think of You.” The latter, released in 1986 as the third single from her “Control” album, became her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as Billboard notes. Jackson’s Vegas residency carries deep significance. Her career began when she was seven years old at MGM Las Vegas. She performed alongside sisters Rebbie and La Toya, as noted in Las Vegas Magazine. “I will always have a very, very special place in my heart for Las Vegas. I started my career here 51 years ago. I love you so much,” Jackson said during her performance on Wednesday, Feb. 12. Photo Credit: Resorts World Theatre L-Acoustics With a career spanning five decades, Jackson’s passion for performing...
A group of HBCU students were awarded during the week of Super Bowl LIX for their innovative pitch in sports technology. Diverse Representation, a company focused on increasing the number of Black agents, attorneys, managers, and publicists across sports, hosted its inaugural HBCU Sports Business Pitch Competition in New Orleans, LA, in partnership with the talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, during Super Bowl LIX week. According to information shared with AFROTECH™, the competition was launched to provide local HBCU student entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch sports-related concepts for a chance to receive funding and connect with decision-makers in the industry. “When I initially launched Diverse Representation, I’ve always been very, very clear about what our mission is: to help Black professionals in the sports and entertainment industry,” Diverse Representation Founder Jaia Thomas told AFROTECH™. “Not minorities, not people of color—Black...
A skincare company geared towards empowering those with melanated skin has raised new funding. Established in 2021, co-founders Sneha Mehta and Jade Oyateru launched Uncover in Kenya. The company offers resources that include quizzes and interactive features to tailor a skincare routine to the user, its website mentions. So far, Uncover has a digital audience of more than 200,000 women across Kenya, Nigeria, and the diaspora, Shoppe Black reports. It has also just expanded to Ghana and Uganda. Products are sold on its e-commerce platform and are also available in major retail stores in Kenya and Nigeria. “Our shelves are filled with international products that are simply a geographical expansion strategy, with little thought on tailoring products to women in Africa. We are on a mission to change that, to make Africa a priority and not an afterthought. We hear you, we see you and we value you and we are specifically making skincare with U in mind,” a statement from the company...
Rosalind “Roz” Brewer has joined a coalition of leaders to advocate for financial prosperity in Black communities. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Brewer — an alumnus of Spelman College — formerly helmed as Walgreens Boots Alliance chief executive officer (CEO). This company, headquartered in Illinois, owns the retail pharmacy chain Walgreens in the U.S. and the U.K. However, Brewer exited her position in August 2023. She was the only Black woman to hold the C-suite title in the S&P 500 at the time, per Bloomberg. The former Walgreens CEO was also the third Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company, notes Forbes. Before Walgreens, Brewer served in leadership roles for retail giant Walmart and then transitioned to its Sam’s Club division as president and CEO to advance digital technology and improve shoppers’ experience, a news release mentions. She also took on the role of the chief operating officer (COO) of Starbucks Coffee Company from 2017 to 2021. Her contributions included...
Nathan Brown is the proud franchisee of a New Orleans, LA-inspired coffee shop. However, he didn’t grow up as a coffee consumer. Instead, the graduate of Indiana’s Ball State University developed the interest while working for a Big Four accounting firm, which he described as a “grind house.” “Working late hours pretty regularly, a part of the culture developed into a habit, and I became an avid coffee drinker,” Brown, 33, told AFROTECH in an interview. “As the years went by, I got more into quality. So, I started off getting any sugared-down caffeine I could find. Then, I graduated to drinking black coffee. Then, I started to be able to decipher the taste of coffee.” Brown moved from Indiana to Texas in 2015 and became a homeowner four years later. While living in Third Ward, a neighborhood in Houston, TX, he discovered the nearest coffee shop was a 15-minute drive. He then felt led to open a coffee shop closer to home, and it became possible with the help of a family member and...
Zachary Wallace is intertwining his passion for both food and music to grow in the business realm. Andscape reports Wallace was a contributing songwriter for some of the culture’s classic hits, which include songs such as “Goodies” and “Get It Shawty.” His pen has also led to him working with artists Nelly, CeeLo Green, and Jeezy. Nowadays, Wallace’s musical preferences are linked to the enjoyment of a delicious meals at his Atlanta, GA, restaurant. As the founder of Local Green, Wallace offers menu items such as 3 Stack Cauliflower Tacos commemorating André 3000, and even sandwiches in honor of albums released by T.I. and Hip-Hop group Goodie Mob. His transition into the food industry can best be explained as a personal awakening to prioritize his health. While he was living big in Atlanta, racking up publishing checks and platinum plaques, Wallace was also neglecting his health and putting on weight. He would spend many late nights at the club or studio and enjoyed whatever foods...
Rajah Caruth’s love of fast cars extends back a long time. He says, “… I would watch races on TV, and play NASCAR video games. I watched my first race when I was 12.” This love of fast cars has put the 20-year-old Winston-Salem University Junior on the path to becoming the GOAT of NASCAR racing. Rajah, who came into professional racing by way of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, is one of only a handful of Black professional NASCAR drivers, and he’s already had a big impact on the sport. From finishing 3rd in the 2021 ARCA Menards Series East to grabbing three late model stock car wins in the same year, he’s accomplished so much in his four year NASCAR career. He believes that having the right set of tools has set him up for success, including the right tech and being in the right environment. He spoke with Blavity about the future of NASCAR and the importance of diversity in the sport. He acknowledges that both he and NASCAR have a long way to go, and we’re all geeked to see...
The time has come, NASA astronaut Jessica Watkins is now the first Black woman to make the trek to the International Space Station for an extended mission. On Wednesday, her journey began when she, alongside fellow astronauts Kjell Lindgren, Robert Hines, and Samantha Cristoforetti hopped on the SpaceX Dragon to begin their mission to the ISS, NPR reports. The team traveled over 15 hours from the Kennedy Space Center located in Dallas, TX, and will remain on the trip over the course of six months. While she is not the first Black woman to go to space, the trip remains historic as it’s a huge leap into the future of space as it pertains to Black women. “We have reached this milestone, this point in time, and the reason we’re able to arrive at this time is because of the legacy of those who have come before to allow for this moment,” said Watkins when the news was announced and reported by AfroTech in November 2021. “Also, recognizing this is a step in the direction of a very exciting...
Black women dominate every space they enter. Therefore, it’s only right that we continue to uplift, support, and equip them with the keys that they need to win. To take things beyond just highlighting women across the AfroTech platform during Women’s History Month, the brand took things a bit further and ended March with a bang. The AfroTech Executive Brooklyn event was a one-day, in-person leadership summit dedicated to addressing the lack of representation in boardrooms across America, the wage difference that women are up against, and the actions that need to be put into motion to lead more Black women to the wealth that they more than deserve. Held in Brooklyn, at the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge on March 25, the experience included sessions from boss women like Ursula Burns, the first Black woman CEO in the Fortune 500; Merline Saintill, Fortune 500 board director and lead director of Rocket Lab; Heather Hiles, entrepreneur, technologist, and investor; Samantha Tweedy, the inaugural...
For many small businesses, especially those owned by women and people of color, navigating the existing COVID economy presents new opportunities and challenges — particularly when it comes to the digital demands required to operate in today’s business world. That’s why Verizon teamed with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and Next Street to create Verizon Small Business Digital Ready , a free online curriculum designed to give small businesses the tools they need to thrive in the digital economy. It includes access to personalized learning plans, coaching from experts, and networking opportunities with diverse, industry-specific businesses. “As our country works to help all sectors regain their financial footing, there is a strong need to focus on small businesses, who are the backbone of our economy. The past two years revealed that the lack of a digital presence, appropriate tech resources and support systems made it difficult for some small business owners to survive,”...