Chef Kurt Evans is providing jobs to those formerly incarcerated. This was first done in 2021 with the opening of Down North Pizza in Philadelphia, PA. Evans was among the co-founders behind the restaurant, which had employed eight employees who were formerly incarcerated at the time of its opening, Food & Wine mentions. Having grown up seeing his loved ones in confinement, Evans is now focused on creating a safe place where they can restart their lives. “The food industry has never had a problem hiring formerly incarcerated people. The problem is employers threatening to call parole officers and dehumanizing these guys,” he told Food & Wine. Fast forward to 2024, Evans has opened a new restaurant venture, Black Dragon Takeout, which is inspired by the Chinese food he would enjoy in his West Philadelphia neighborhood as well as Black American cuisine, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The inception of the restaurant dates back to 2020, and he began to raise money through pop-ups...

Anderson .Paak is preparing to release his third collection with Vans. It will be the musician’s first collaboration since taking on the role as the first-ever global music ambassador for the company. The “Vanderson Collection” includes t-shirts, sneakers similar to the EPack Sport, apparel, and other accessories that are hand-selected by Anderson. “Vans was super patient with me on this one,” said the Silk Sonic crooner in an official statement. “We met every week in Malibu and designed these shoes in the California sunshine. This is my best drop yet and I’m so proud of what we’ve come up with.”

Vans isn’t just skating through Women’s History Month with performative actions — the brand is providing resources to women-identifying creators. This month, instead of spending its allocated budget on traditional ads, Vans dedicated those resources to creatives — including mixed-media artist Rewina Beshue and ceramicist Lalese Stamp — to actually create inspiring works for a digital museum. The online exhibit showcases drawings, sculptures, music videos, custom shoes, digital animations, and more. “I’m drawn to projects that uplift and shine a light on topics that are important to Black women taking up space in the art world,” said Beshue. “I love using my art and my platform to promote representation and inclusivity. Growing up, there wasn’t much Black representation in the art world, or at least I wasn’t exposed to it. It was hard to find. It’s really important that we use our platforms to promote representation of creative women in the mainstream world.” “I’ve always worn Vans,”...

In 2014, startup Zoox was founded by co-founder and CTO Jesse Levinson, to make an impact on the tech industry by building purposeful zero-emissions automobiles for autonomous ride-hailing. After being acquired by Amazon for $1.2 billion, according to Forbes , that impact may have been set in stone. “This acquisition solidifies Zoox’s impact on the autonomous driving industry,” said Zoox’s CEO, Aicha Evans, in an Amazon blog post . “We have made great strides with our purpose-built approach to safe, autonomous mobility, and our exceptionally talented team working every day to realize that vision. We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5mmCEJZAf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link As Zoox looks to the future after the acquisition, Evans and Levinson will still hold their leadership positions as the business still stands by itself to fulfill its mission. “Since Zoox’s inception six years ago, we have been singularly...

Entreprenuership is a risk that Monique Rodriguez was willing to take on. Business Risks Rodriguez is the co-founder of haircare brand Mielle Organics, which she launched with the help of her husband, Melvin. She shares on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast, hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas, that her earliest risk in her entrepreneurship journey was walking away from a stable position as a registered nurse. Melvin also took a leap, leaving his corporate role. Together, they trusted in what they believed was a vision from God and created a blueprint that ultimately led to success. “We didn’t just leave our jobs and say, ‘Oh, we don’t have a plan in place or we don’t have income.’ We had to have a solid plan in place to map out how we were going to get some type of income to still keep our bills afloat and food in our kids’ mouth. So we had to plan that out. But it was a huge risk of the unknown, of both of us turning away from our jobs,” Rodriguez mentioned on the...

Six years after opening, a Philadelphia, PA, pizza shop continues its mission of providing a fresh start and making life easier for former inmates . According to NBC News, the seven-member staff at Down North Pizza consists entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals, including executive chef Michael Carter. Carter was searching for a new beginning after losing his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and selling barbecue meals off his porch. “When I add up the guys who work here, it’s about 63 years incarcerated. So it’s like we understand each other, where we come from,” Carter told NBC. “We had the same barriers when we came home, like whether it be employment, housing, health care — we all had to figure it out.” Carter was one of the first hires at Down North with experience in the kitchen, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Childhood friends Kurt Evans and Muhammed Abdul-Hadi founded the North Philly staple, hoping to reduce recidivism rates in the area. The restaurant serves pizza,...

Considering a sponsor to invest in your career journey this conference season? Terri Evans, a senior technical program manager with a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University, was able to further her decade-long career thanks to securing a sponsor for her first AFROTECH™ Conference in November 2024. She has worked in several project management roles across companies that include Northrop Grumman, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Equinix. Her next steps within her career were to move into leadership, and this was an incentive to attend the conference. “I’m looking to expand to being in a space of manager of a PMO (Project Management Office) or as director of a PMO. I work primarily in the infrastructure and data center space, so there is a lot of growth in that space due to artificial intelligence (AI) and all of the cool and things that are in machine learning that are coming into the space,” she told AFROTECH™. “So because of that, there is a deep...

Tabitha Brown is thriving in business alongside her close friend. Known for her witty humor and vibrant personality, Brown has captured America’s heart through her social media presence. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, her viral video featuring Whole Foods’ TTLA sandwich garnered one million likes in just a week, ultimately leading to her role as an ambassador for the brand. By continuing to leverage her social media platforms, Brown has transformed into a powerhouse, seamlessly extending her influence into entertainment and business. As of this writing, she boasts an impressive 9.2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok. Her ventures span various industries, including television shows on YouTube and the Food Network. Brown’s portfolio also features Donna’s Recipe, her natural haircare company, and a signature line at Target , offering plant-based grocery items, kitchen essentials, home décor, and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tabitha Brown...