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Tierra Whack wants to normalize conversations around financial literacy. The rapper, originally known as Dizzle Dizz, has teamed up with Venmo for its financial education series, “Money Talks.” The series features a range of artists and entrepreneurs, some of whom are Whack’s peers. Kicking off its second season, Whack sat down with North Philadelphia designer and seamstress Adriana Williams, who works a 9-to-5 while scaling her lifestyle brand. “We realized, we have so much in common and we had the same struggles,” Whack, a North Philly native, told AFROTECH™. “I really was like enlightened when I was talking to my friends, when we were filming. I’m like, ‘Yo, this is crazy.’ These are friends I talk to almost like at least twice, three times a week. And then we sat in front of the camera and I’m like, ‘Yo, I never knew you were going through this. I didn’t know.’ I don’t know what it is about us, but that’s just kind of like the unspoken thing. Venmo helped us break the ice. I...
With less than 30 days to go, AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 is fast approaching, and attendees need to prepare now to make the most of this transformative experience. Scheduled for Nov. 13-16 in Houston, TX, this year’s event promises a powerful lineup of speakers, sessions, and networking opportunities designed to help professionals thrive in tech and business. 2024’s conference is next level, featuring industry heavyweights like Google’s Matthew Robinson, who’s bringing the heat with his session, “Creative Summit: Diverse Design: User-Centric Innovation,” and Charlotte Burrows, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, dropping knowledge in “AI: The New Civil Rights Frontier.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH™ Conference (@afrotech.conference) But that’s just the beginning. You don’t want to miss game-changing sessions like “The Future of FinTech: Revolutionizing Financial Inclusion,” “The Power of Data: How Analytics Is Transforming...
If securing top-tier talent during AFROTECH Conference is on your to-do list, then you have the right idea. With over 20,000 attendees scheduled to be at AFROTECH, there will be unlimited potential walking through the exhibit hall, looking to land their next role. This moment serves as a prime opportunity to staff organizations. While the end result may be employment, how companies attract talent is a critical step. From the booth’s design to the recruiters’ authenticity, all points of contact matter when seeking to add people to your teams. With the job market in flux, on-site interviews can be the perfect opportunity to tap into interested job seekers to make a pivot or start fresh in their careers.
The only competition for Salenah Cartier is herself! Salenah Cartier is reportedly the youngest graduate from the University of Houston (UH) for the second year in a row. She was only 17-years-old when she made history as the youngest graduate from UH, where she earned a degree in psychology and business. Now, Salenah Cartier has done it again after receiving her master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from the college of education.
When it comes to getting your finances in order, Tierra Jae should be your girl! After the realization that there weren’t many people in the finance industry who not only looked like her but truly catered to the community, Tierra took matters into her own hands. From there, New Beginnings Community Consulting & Restoration (NBCCR) was born. “This was a personal journey for me,” she said in an exclusive interview with AfroTech. “I started NBCCR back in 2015 when I found myself helping my family and friends restore their credit. I realized that I can create a business out of this because it’s something that we needed within the community. At the time, that we launched, my sole service was credit restoration.” Along her journey, Tierra created a first-of-its-kind planner that focuses on an individual’s current credit status and goals. LivePix Media She says one of most common misconceptions that our people have when it comes to debt management is that credit cards are a bad thing....
Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, one of the fastest-growing independent whiskey brands, has announced that it has partnered with a popular Historically Black College and University (HBCU) for a new grant program. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the Diageo-distributed brand will be working with Kentucky State University (KSU) to provide financial aid totaling $25,000 for talented students. This grant/scholarship program will be available to students who apply to the Master of Agriculture Sciences in Environmental Studies (MES) program. For Bulleit Frontier Whiskey’s part, however, their goal is to promote diversity in the spirits industry — an industry dominated by white people, and specifically, white men — as well as to provide opportunities to Black men and women in Kentucky. “We hope to make a lasting impact as we provide resources, funding, and support to the next generation of pioneers through our partnership with Kentucky State University, an institution that...
Canon — the world’s leading imaging company — has just announced the launch of its first Africa’s “Frontiers of Innovation” Series — a continuance of the ground-breaking multi-sector initiative that first kicked off in the Middle East back in 2016. The series aims to unite both industry and sector professionals to provide an effective digital platform created to drive innovation, share ideas, gain insights and experiences, and form actionable solutions to existing challenges in the industry, a press release shares. The African Frontiers of Innovation Series will reportedly operate as an online monthly broadcast that speaks to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals, sectors and economies. During this series, experts and career professionals will be featured as guest speakers who will share their insights on ever-evolving trends, as well as dive into how different sectors are confronting the pandemic and setting themselves up for a successful post-COVID world. “Much like...
Salenah Cartier, 17, just became the University of Houston’s youngest graduate for Fall 2020, according to the University of Houston. Raised by a single mother, she now has not one, but two degrees under her belt. Because of Them We Can reports Cartier began homeschooling full-time after the sixth grade while in between public education during elementary and middle school, often being bullied by peers for being the top of her class and having high-level academic successes. Not your average preteen at the time, Cartier wanted to be anything but mediocre and enrolled in a self-paced homeschooling program that allowed her to sail through her studies with ease. At age 14, she graduated from high school and set her sights on college. “I needed a new challenge, and attending college presented the perfect academic and social growth opportunity for me,” said Salenah. A strong pillar in her life, Salenah’s mother often found it hard to make ends meet having to feed four children on her own....
The coronavirus pandemic has placed us in a very unique time, forcing many fashion designers to lean on digital practices to push the industry forward. Among the most popular tech innovations, 3D designs and models have proven to be a rising trend for fashion brands as of lately. While some of the fashion world is looking for solutions to supplement in-person events during this time, creative fashion brand TIER is aiming to change the game entirely with its latest project. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TIER® (@tier_nyc) On Friday (Sept. 25), TIER — a Brooklyn-based clothing brand founded back in 2014 — hosted a private screening of its 3D animated presentation at a local park in The Bronx to unveil its upcoming fall/winter collection during NYFW. The collection — Projects ‘Old News, Yesterday’s Paper’ & ‘Joy To The World’ — is an extension of the brand’s creators Nigeria Ealey , Esaïe Jean-Simon , and Victor James . The digital presentation began with a short film...
There’s nothing more cringe worthy than realizing that you sent a text message to the wrong person or that you’ve made an embarrassing typo. Every day, Americans send about 6 million text messages, so mishaps are bound to happen. But what’s at stake in our messaging ecosystem goes beyond that. People don’t only use messaging platforms to keep in touch with friends, they also use it to send money and exchange sensitive information. Maci Peterson is on a mission to turn back the hands of time and give people the chance to take back that message you didn’t think twice about before sending. Peterson is the founder of On Second Thought, a tool that lets users unsend text messages. She came up with the idea after sending an embarrassing text to an ex-boyfriend years ago. She explained the story, in detail, to NPR’s 1A . ”So I wanted to text him: ‘Hey, for some reason I keep missing your calls,’” she explains. “But Auto-correct changed it to ‘Hey, for reason I keep missing’ that part of...
Jamie Foxx is not here for the anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) narratives circulating in Hollywood . Foxx — born Eric Marlon Bishop — is the producer of Apple TV+’s “Number One On the Call Sheet,” a documentary that explores Black achievement in the film industry and the challenges Black women face in finding success. At the Los Angeles, CA, premiere on March 13, 2025, the Academy Award-winning actor emphasized the film’s importance, stating that it is more relevant now than ever. “Look what’s going on out there. They trying to erase everything we do… They talking about the DEI , affirmative action, we don’t need Black history . Why you picking on our history?” Foxx told Extra. “So, we just do more history. The more you erase, the more we replace. So, that’s all it is. We ain’t gonna be shy about it. Leave us alone. Let us enjoy. Let us all be American.” Since 2024, several high-profile companies have scaled back or eliminated their DEI programs , citing pressure from...
Verizon is receiving pushback for upholding its DEI commitments. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, pressures from conservative groups and efforts by President Donald Trump’s White House to dismantle DEI-related policies and programs have led major companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Google to follow suit. “We’re committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year, we’ve been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there,” a Google spokesperson told Business Insider in February. Not all companies are shifting gears. In fact, Apple’s shareholders voted against a proposal that would dismiss its diversity and inclusion program in February 2025. Additionally, Verizon is maintaining its DEI stance and sees it as a vehicle for success. “Verizon is committed to fostering an inclusive environment. We care about diversity in both our employees and our suppliers. Diversity and inclusion is how we achieve success,” a...
Google has launched Career Dreamer, an advanced artificial intelligence analysis tool that evaluates users’ skills and experiences and suggests personalized career opportunities. According to a Feb. 19, 2025 blog post from Grow With Google Founder Lisa Gevelber, Claire Thorn, a military spouse who spent nearly 20 years as a stay-at-home mom before reentering the workforce , was one of the early testers of Career Dreamer. After answering a few questions about her background and interests, she learned how to translate her life experiences into skills and new career opportunities. “(Career Dreamer) helped identify skills that I take for granted and showed me that they’re important and useful in the workforce,” said Thorn, per Google. “Now, I’m armed with the confidence of knowing that I already possess exactly what employers need.” Career Dreamer identifies patterns and connects the dots between unique experiences, educational backgrounds, skills, and interests. The platform then...
The tech event of the year is approaching once again. For the second year in a row, AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 is making its splash in Houston, TX. Attendees can connect with change-makers and leaders through keynote sessions, panel discussions, and workshops and find community at networking events. “Conferences like AFROTECH™ are full of opportunities you can’t predict, like running into someone hiring for your dream role or stumbling into a session that shifts your perspective completely,” HR leader Arianny Mercedes said in an email Q&A with AFROTECH™. Be among the first to secure your spot with early bird specials, available from the student tier to all-access passes. If you are struggling to decide which ticket level will be the best for your conference needs, we’ve got you covered. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH™ Conference (@afrotech.conference) Student Pass Students and recent graduates interested—especially those interested in technology— are...
Ross Dress for Less has long been a dominant player in the low-price retail space. It offers a broad selection of products at compelling discounts. Its value proposition, driven by significant cost savings, has made it a popular choice among budget-conscious consumers, particularly within Black communities. Over time, Ross has solidified its position as a go-to destination for those seeking both variety and affordability. However, as the retail landscape evolves, questions are emerging regarding the company’s stance on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) , particularly in light of recent regulatory changes. The new Trump administration’s ban on DEI initiatives has triggered a wave of corporate reassessments . Many businesses are either willfully or forcefully publicly stating their position on DEI policies. As a result, consumers are increasingly scrutinizing the values of the brands they support. This shift in consumer behavior signals that buying decisions are no longer solely...