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For decades, Ben & Jerry’s has been more than just an ice cream company — it’s been a loud, proud, and unapologetic advocate for progressive causes. From climate justice to racial equity, the brand has built an identity around speaking truth to power. But now, that identity is at the center of a corporate power struggle. Ben & Jerry’s is accusing its parent company, Unilever, of firing CEO David Stever, not because of poor performance but because he refused to back down from the company’s social mission. According to the New York Times, the lawsuit, filed in a Manhattan, NY, federal court, claims that Unilever violated a key part of its 2000 merger agreement by removing Stever without advisory board approval. What started as a quirky Vermont ice cream shop with a social conscience has now turned into a legal battleground, with Unilever allegedly trying to muzzle the very activism that made Ben & Jerry’s a cultural force. A Brewing Corporate Clash Ben & Jerry’s alleges that...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. DEI has become a conservative buzzword to target anything that doesn’t appeal to straight, white, male ideals. The Trump administration has gone after every federal agency, academic institution, and corporate entity to eradicate any semblance of DEI. Whether through affirmative action, hiring laws, or ensuring equal representation of all races and genders, Trump has made DEI the hill to die on. Everything is DEI, from Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show to plane crashes. However, diversity has not been effectively implemented recently, nor applied in the appropriate context. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are designed to create a more balanced and fair society, particularly in the wake of the civil rights movement, by addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring equal opportunities for all. But now, conservatives have equated DEI policies with lower standards, a false narrative that President...
When the New England Patriots inked Stefon Diggs to a four-year, $69 million deal, $25 million of it guaranteed, it didn’t just make headlines; it marked a directional shift. A franchise long defined by systematic precision and conservative spending is finally reaching a new identity: one shaped around adaptability, controlled risk, and cultural recalibration. Betting On Diggs Production In A Post-Prime Window Diggs is 31 years old, and he’s coming off a torn ACL that sidelined him in Week 8 of the 2024 season. And yet, his numbers from those eight games with the Houston Texans weren’t symbolic—they were substantial. According to ESPN, he tallied 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns, ranking seventh in total receptions at the time and averaging 62.0 yards per game. C.J. Stroud posted a 104 passer rating and a 73% completion rate when targeting him, evidence of Diggs’ continued ability to elevate a quarterback’s efficiency. Even if the explosiveness has dulled slightly,...
This women’s health company has been acquired. Launched in 2017 by Erica Chidi, LOOM has been a helpful sexual and reproductive resource for women, launching first at a physical location in Los Angles, CA, before scaling to a mobile application, its website mentions. TechCrunch reports its offerings included courses, content, and community for women. Chidi’s vision had been emboldened with a $3 million raise a few years later, joining the few Black women to do so. “I was like the 34th Black woman to raise over a million dollars in venture capital,” Chidi recalled to TechCrunch, adding that she didn’t expect she would raise the nearly $3 million in three months back in late 2019. “At the moment, there was just a new interest in women’s health.” In total, Chidi has secured $6.5 million in funding since its inception with support from Slow Ventures and Founders Fund, along with celebrity interest that included Tessa Thompson and Gwyneth Paltrow. Now, LOOM is turning a new leaf. It has...
Myavana Founder Candace Mitchell once struggled to raise funding, but staying the course has led her to close a multi-million-dollar round. Mitchell, who attended Georgia Institute of Technology and obtained a bachelor’s degree in computer science, launched Myavana with a $1,000 investment from her checking account and had a mission to improve hair care for Black women, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. “Originally, my ‘why’ was really to provide a more personalized approach for people to really be seen and heard in the beauty industry,” Mitchell said in an interview with AFROTECH™. “Because, at the time, there were not many products catered to women of color or textured hair. And it just felt like it was just a huge oversight, and we were just kinda out there figuring it out on YouTube. I feel that hair is deeply connected to our purpose and identity, especially in Black culture. So my ‘why’ was just really deeply rooted in people understanding who they are and also having the...
A college connection that birthed Topicals Founder Olamide Olowe changed the trajectory of her life. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Olowe is behind the popular skincare company Topicals, which sells skincare products for people with chronic skin conditions such as eczema and hyperpigmentation. Founded in 2020, by 2022, it had become one of Sephora’s fastest-growing brands, selling one product every minute. Meeting Richelieu Dennis Olowe’s trajectory to founder was not her initial calling. In fact, she attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) on a full-ride scholarship to participate on its track team. Additionally, she was studying to become a doctor, she said during an interview on the “God Is My Creative Director” podcast. While there, she was introduced to another student, Rechelle Dennis, the daughter of SheaMoisture Founder Richelieu Dennis. “My freshman year, I’m standing there with one of my teammates, and a woman comes over to me and is like, ‘Hey, you...
If one were to walk down the hair care aisle of any major big box store, there is a high chance Shea Moisture would be on the shelves. With products like shampoos, conditioners, and oils, the natural hair care line has been serving Black and Brown communities for years. But did you know the brain behind the massive beauty and hairline is Liberian-born mogul Richelieu Dennis? From Humble Beginnings To A Purpose-Driven Mission Dennis attended Babson College and began selling shea butter from his dorm room. By the early 90s, he had leveraged his dorm room sales to start the Shea Moisture line, which would eventually become a part of the parent company Sundial Brands. However, Dennis’ journey was one of hard work, selling his product from a card table in Harlem. Beyond the entrepreneurial spirit, Dennis recognized his product was not just a hustle but a connection to something greater. “But for me, there was this overwhelming sense of responsibility: there were no real products or...
The four-day work week is a new workplace disruptor that is gradually taking over the contentious discussion of working remotely. The idea is gaining momentum as a result of multiple significant experiments conducted in the US, UK, and Canada. Let’s examine the chances of states and businesses being open to implementing a four-day work week and the potential implications for you. What Is A 4-Day Work Week? Although the five-day workweek is widely used today, it wasn’t until Henry Ford introduced it in his factory in 1926 that it became popular and was made official by legislation in 1940. According to a press release from the office of Sen. Bernie Sanders , a new bill being introduced into the U.S. Senate would reduce the standard U.S. workweek to four days, while retaining the same five-day pay wages for workers. This marks the anniversary of Ford’s decision to reduce the workweek for his employees by nearly a century. Although the idea is not new, there has never been a greater...
When it comes to scaling and growing Black-owned businesses, Richelieu Dennis is the man with the master plan. He played a pivotal role in spearheading the largest consumer products transaction between a majority Black-owned company during his negotiation of the acquisition by Unilever of the company he co-founded, Sundial Brands.
Netflix is making some more changes to its leadership ahead of the new year. Deadline reports the streaming giant has named Strive Masiyiwa — billionaire founder and chairman of telecom tech company Econet Group — to its board of directors. “We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board,” Netflix co-founder, chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement. “His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world.” Masiyiwa’s appointment to the board follows the news of former United Nations U.S. ambassador Susan Rice’s departure from the streamer’s team. According to Variety, Rice is relinquishing her board seat at Netflix to join president-elect Joe Biden’s administration on Jan. 20, 2021. Masiyiwa previously launched his mobile phone network, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, in his native country back in 1998 after a years-long...
Longtime friends and CEOs Dawn Dickson and Natasia Malaihollo have joined forces to further innovate the automated retail industry through their two companies. Recently, tech company PopCom — an automated retail company that leverages facial detection, machine learning, and blockchain technology — announced their recent acquisition of game-based survey company Wyzerr as part of its plan to shape the future of retail. “The acquisition of Wyzerr marks an exciting new chapter for PopCom,” said PopCom founder Dickson in a statement. “Natasia and I have the same goals in mind, and together we will continue to make waves and change the whole look of the automated retail industry.” Wyzzer — which was founded by Malaihollo in 2014 — was created to make surveys fun and easy to supply. As the company looks ahead, it hopes to align with PopCom in a way that will allow them to thrive post-pandemic. “My journey with Wyzerr was incredible, and we made a real impact on the companies we worked...
Nigerian startup Kobo360 is now expanding to three more African countries after raising $6 million in funding. The company will reach Ghana, Togo, and Cote D’Ivoire by 2019 to link freight truck drivers with businesses that need them. Kobo360 is also expanding to offer supply chain management tools, more programs and services for drivers. There will also be more warehousing capabilities and an increased presence in its home country. TLcom Capital and Y Combinator have contributed to Kobo360’s funding. The startup’s founder Obi Ozor told TechCrunch his plan to grow the company into a global logistics operating system. Kobo offers insurance on shipped goods and real-time status updates on deliveries. The company also offers KoboWin which allows individuals and groups to invest in trucks with the goal to inject at least 20,000 fairly used, roadworthy trucks into the logistics space. Kobo has an incentivized education plan to help drivers pay for education, which the company sets on...
The changes artificial intelligence will have on the workforce will be substantial in years to come. And now, according to Tech Crunch , companies that are automating repetitive tasks are seeing big valuations as businesses look to replace their office workers. Tech brands UiPath and Automation Anywhere each develop automation robotics and have recently received notable amounts of funding. UiPath earned $225 million in its last funding round, while Automation Anywhere, whose customers include Google, Unilever and Comcast, received $250 million. Companies across various industries want to automate customer support, scheduling, hiring and employee analytics and investors are pouring into the places that know how to make it happen. Sequoia Capital and Alphabet’s CapitalG led the funding for UiPath and helped bring the company to $408 million in funding and a $3 billion valuation. Goldman Sachs invested in Automation Anywhere’s latest funding round, bringing the robot-maker to a $1.8...