British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton is helping the next generation pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. In 2021, Hamilton launched Mission 44, a foundation named after his race car number, dedicated to creating equal opportunities for young people worldwide. According to its website, the initiative focuses on advancing education, expanding access to STEM and motorsport careers, and empowering the next generation to reach their full potential. Initiatives include a motorsport scholarship, created in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, that connects students with industry leaders. Recipients include Gerren Ntir, who earned a bachelor’s degree in motorsport engineering and is now pursuing a master’s. He was part of the scholarship’s second cohort. “Having seen the amazing work Mission 44 has been doing throughout the past year, I knew it was something I wanted to become involved in. Now, embarking on my own journey as one of their...

24-year-old actress Yara Shahidi felt protected when she entered the entertainment industry. At just 6 weeks old, she landed a photo shoot gig for a life insurance company, and by 6 years old, she had her first movie audition. In an interview with SoFi, led by Vivian Tu of Your Rich BFF, the actress reflected on her experience, noting that she was able to enjoy acting as a craft rather than as a means to support her family — a privilege she acknowledges isn’t always afforded to child stars. “My parents were able to set it up so that we had either family members or people that were helping us that were on set with another brother that were looking after me where they were able to dip out and do things for themselves,” she told SoFi. “So it was under that environment where I was able to have a fulfilling career at a young age and even be in my 20s, and say I’m happy I started that young. But it was so particular to being under those set of circumstances, which allowed me to enjoy...

Keturah Orji isn’t your average Olympian. As a force in track and field, Orji is attending the 2024 Olympics through the USA Track and Field team. Her eyes are set on the gold as her retirement plans are underway. Orji is a two-time Olympian and a 10-time U.S. champion in the sport. When she’s not on the track, she is committed to helping to spread financial literacy to others, especially the youth in her community. “When people believe in you, you’re able to accomplish so much more,” Orji told AFROTECH™. With a busy schedule, she said she still wants to find time to use her love for learning to inspire others. Importance Of Financial Literacy As a financial planning major in college, Orji took courses on wealth management, retirement planning, and various money-related topics . “It opened my mind to how much information there is that we’re not exposed to,” she said. “I didn’t grow up knowing any of that; I only knew about saving.” As a full scholarship student at the University of...

NFL player Bryce Young is investing in women’s sports. According to KGW8, the Carolina Panthers quarterback has joined the Portland Thorns ownership group. The women’s soccer team’s controlling owners are Lisa Bhathal Merage and her brother Alex Bhathal, who manage it through their investment firm RAJ Sports. “Supporting women’s sports is extremely important to my family and I,” said Young in a press release, per KGW8. “I am thankful to the Bhathal family for the opportunity and look forward to being a passionate supporter of this club.” Other Portland Thorns investors include two-time U.S. decathlon gold medalist Ashton Eaton, former NFL quarterback Joey Harrington, and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Brandin Cooks. “We are thrilled to welcome such an accomplished group of athletes into the Thorns investor group,” Bhathal Merage said. “This is truly a group of champions, both in their respective sports, and as leaders in the Portland community. We are excited and honored to access...

Ernst & Young LLP (EY) aims to equip Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs with the necessary tools to scale and grow their businesses through the official opening of applications for its 2025 cohort of EY Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN). Since EAN’s inception in 2019, EY has supported Black and Hispanic/Latino-owned businesses for their impact on their communities and the overall American economy, according to the EY website. Already Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs have shown a proven track record of success, producing more than $183 billion and $800 billion, respectively. However, some roadblocks stand in the way of them reaching their full potential. Thus, EY wants to bridge the gap to access and resources for minorities throughout their entrepreneurial journeys. The 2025 EAN installment is another step toward helping them scale their businesses. “Black and Hispanic/Latino entrepreneurs are among the unsung heroes of our economy,” Nit Reeder, EY EAN program director, said...

A teenager is on his way to making history in Indiana. ABC-7 in Chicago, IL, reports that at age 15, Khaya Njumbe is set to become the youngest college graduate in Indiana. As the first generation of his family born in the U.S., the teen lives in Gary, IN, and attends Indiana University Northwest. He will cross the graduation stage in May 2024 — making him the first to do so in his family. The outlet details that to get a head start on the achievement, Njume took dual-credit courses at 21st Century Charter High School. Theresa Canady, a social worker at the charter school, shared that he initially started taking college courses at age 11. “When I was younger, I had a lot of ambition,” Njumbe told the outlet. “I always just wanted to do more, impress my parents mainly. I was always an overachiever in school.” Jack Bloom, one of Njumbe’s professors at Indiana University Northwest, shared, “It’s pretty amazing. Obviously the stuff he can do is beyond what most people can do.” He added,...

Cari Champion has always been a certified go-getter. So much so that before becoming an esteemed broadcast journalist and TV personality, Champion traveled across the country to pursue her dreams. After interning at local news stations, working as an assignment editor at Channel 13, and sending her resume tape to countless companies, the Los Angeles, CA, native received a call from a news director in West Virginia about a job opening, she shared in a previous interview with radio show “The Breakfast Club.” Despite the long distance, Champion jumped at the opportunity. “My checks might have been like $450 every two weeks,” Champion told the show. “I could’ve been working at a fast-food restaurant, making more money at the time. [The news director] he’s like, ‘We’ll give you the job. It’s a one-man band. You gotta shoot the camera yourself. You gotta edit everything yourself’… And I was like, ‘OK.’ That was it. And I packed up my Nissan Altima with whatever little things I had and...

Educator Raioni Madison bid farewell to the classroom walls to further her dedication to her community. She would make the brave step in 2019. Despite her departure, Madison’s mission remained intact. She tells AFROTECH™ that education runs in her bloodline. Her grandmother, a single mother living in New York who raised four children, was also an educator, and her mother is a high school science teacher. 3D Girls Madison has shifted her full-time focus to 3D Girls Inc., a nonprofit she established as a personal endeavor in 2012 during her time at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. Her decision was prompted by the disparities she observed in other nonprofits. “I was just evaluating some of the organizations that were in my community. And I found that a lot of other nonprofits were inactive or under-resourced and that bothered me. ‘Why don’t we have this?’ or ‘This program is on the north side of town; why don’t we have access to things on the south side of town,'” Madison told...