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BET+ and Braze to Provide 1:1 Mentorship Guidance in Branding, Email Advertising, and Engagement Strategies to Select Companies through First-ever Partnership In 2023, startups founded by Black entrepreneurs in the US received less than 0.5% of venture funding, and woman-founded startups just 2.2% . To help address this imbalance, Braze, a leading customer engagement platform, has developed Tech for an Equitable Future, a product grant program. The initiative is designed to help underrepresented founders accelerate their company’s growth with the use of Braze technology, increasing their chances at securing future VC funding. The innovative initiative selects 20 startups from APAC, EMEA, and North America with founders from underrepresented backgrounds—including Black and women entrepreneurs. These businesses will receive 12 months of free access to Braze technology, as well as a range of supporting resources aimed at driving business growth and scalability. Each company will...
There’s no such thing as one lane as Beverly Bond is proof that you can do it all. As a former model and DJ, Beverly Bond has always defied odds and showcased her talents without limitations for the world to see. However, her long list of achievements doesn’t stop there. She also created the award-winning global women’s empowerment brand, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! (BGR) For years, the brand has highlighted Black women doing amazing things — even highlighting some of our favorites during the BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Awards that previously aired on BET. With the pandemic changing the way that we push the culture forward, Bond is also taking on the life of BGR through a new lens in partnership with Culture Genesis, a Los Angeles-based media-tech company. “In this time series where everything is moving to a digital space, we just needed a way to figure out how to reach our audience. We have a lot of followers on social media and the partnership with Culture Genesis will help us to actually activate...
On Aug. 17, Sony Music Publishing announced to extend Tyler Perry’s worldwide agreement with Tyler Perry Studios (TPS). The Oscar and Emmy award-winner owns the largest production studio in the nation and made history as the first African American man to own a major production studio in 2019. Sony Music Publishing’s Visual + Media division (previously known as Broadcast Media Rights) has worked alongside Tyler Perry Studios and music supervisor Joel C High for the last decade. The extension with Sony guarantees authorized music for over 60 productions, comprising 26 films, 20 plays, 1,5000 series episodes, and future projects, Market Insider previously reported. Tyler Perry stated, “I’m very pleased to continue my creative partnership with Jon, Cathy, and the Sony Music Publishing team. I’m grateful for their support and passion for Tyler Perry Studios, and I look forward to future successes together.” Sony Music Publishing Chairman and CEO Jon Platt shared, “Tyler Perry Studios...
Twitch is quickly becoming the future of live entertainment. As its popularity with creators continues to rise, it’s positioned itself to expand its team to support its growth. This week, the Amazon-owned live-streaming platform recruited former YouTube executive Constance Knight to take over the newly created role of VP, global creators at the company, according to Variety. “Creators are the heart and soul of Twitch, and as we continue to see more people finding their community on Twitch, now is the perfect time to add more support for global creators to our internal team,” said Michael Aragon — chief content officer at Twitch — in a statement of Knight’s hire. “Constance is an experienced and passionate leader who brings a wealth of knowledge from across the streaming industry. Her perspective will be invaluable in helping Twitch and its creators grow and thrive.” Knight — who did a nine-year tenure as YouTube’s head of content programs and partnerships for creator communities...
BET’s founder is demanding a change when it comes to Black wealth! Robert Johnson, also the founder of The RLJ Companies, has proposed a new program that would change the way Black-owned businesses gain access to capital. The Better Opportunity and Outcomes for Socially Disadvantaged Talent (BOOST) Act is based on the FCC Tax Certificate Policy which was created in the 1970s as an effort to increase minority ownership of media properties, according to PR Newswire. It is a response to the historic problem of attracting capital, specifically “strategic equity” capital, that Black business owners and socially disadvantaged minorities face — something that has long affected them since before the COVID-19 pandemic. “The biggest challenge to racial equality in our nation is the glaring wealth chasm between Black and white American families,” said Johnson in a news release. “To close that gap, there must be a commitment to finding a workable solution to the lack of capital in the Black...
Last year at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person events were upended in the entertainment industry, leaving many to wonder how things would carry on while people quarantined at home. With the introduction of remote events such as VERZUZ and other digitized programming, many industry-style happenings began to pivot to virtual formats to continue creating quality immersive experiences. A key player in making this happen was none other than BET and its 2020 awards shows. With a virtuous spirit and forward-thinking mentality, the network single-handedly made history and created the new gold standard for awards shows. It all started with the network’s broadcast special, “Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort,” a program designed to help support communities of color hit hardest by COVID-19’s harmful impact. Join us in a celebration of hope – A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort, hosted by Anthony Anderson, Regina Hall, Terrance J and Kelly Rowland. #BETCovidRelief...
The year of 2020 is when streaming services took over and it looks like their epic reign will continue throughout 2021. UMC — the Black-focused streaming service created by BET founder Robert L. Johnson — announced plans to launch a rebrand under the name “ALLBLK” in January 2021 to ramp up on Black TV and film content. This first quarter launch will find the streaming service debuting a premium look and feel for ALLBLK as it’s scheduled to produce a robust slate of original series next year – including the previously announced multi-cam comedy, “Millennials”; MC Lyte sitcom, “Partners In Rhyme”; legal drama,”Lace”; haircare makeover series, “My Mane Problem”; and the Datari Turner/eOne reality series, “Notorious Queens.” UMC was initially created as a first-to-market subscription streaming service focused primarily on targeting Black audiences, with dedicated content for and by Black people. “UMC began as a distribution model for Black creatives to directly reach the then largely...
More Black women are climbing the ranks of leadership in the business world. This past Wednesday, Debra L. Lee — former chairman and CEO of cable network channel BET — joined the board of directors at the Procter & Gamble (P&G) — a multinational consumer goods company, Black Enterprise reports . “We are delighted to welcome Debra to the board,” said P&G Chairman, President and CEO David Taylor in a news release . “She has distinguished herself as a leader in the media industry for more than 30 years and brings broad, deep knowledge ranging from media strategy and programming to corporate risk oversight.” He added: “Her experience, expertise and guidance will further strengthen our efforts to better serve consumers and a broad range of stakeholders. We look forward to her contributions.” Lee is a seasoned executive in the media business having served in numerous C-suite roles at BET Networks — a media and entertainment subsidiary of ViacomCBS –throughout her 30-year tenure. She...
We hear stories about Black women millionaires and business leaders but rarely do we get a chance to know the origin stories of Black women billionaires like Sheila C. Johnson — co-founder of BET and CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts — who was able to build up her fortune as a trailblazer in business. Born in Pennsylvania to George P. Crump — a neurosurgeon — and Marie Iris Crump — an accountant — and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Johnson grew up to graduate from Proviso East High School in Chicago. She later attended the University of Illinois obtaining a B.A. degree in music. As an accomplished violinist, co-founder of a popular cable network, co-owner of professional sports franchises, CEO of a chain of hotels and resorts, Johnson has amassed quite an accomplished resume all while triumphing some remarkable feats in the industry. Her billionaire mindset didn’t come until later in her career, but Johnson credits her skills as a violinist with shaping her path in business....
Showtime and BET are joining forces to bring viewers their favorite programming to one place. As a result of ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish’s outlined plan announced back in February, the two networks are merging to launch a co-branded channel to pool their content, Deadline reports . The new multiplex channel — SHOXBET — will feature a mix of series, films and documentaries as a means to appeal to larger Black audiences. The two networks joined the ViacomCBS merger last December, and are now coming together to achieve a common mission for Black viewers. “This channel is really a reflection of taking those complementary elements to the next logical conclusion,” said BET Networks president Scott Mills to Variety . “And that is, both platforms really understand premium programming to African American viewers and people who value content that is anchored in African American narratives and African American stories.” As leading consumers of both networks — with a higher adoption rate than the...
Voting in the 2020 Election just got a lot more convenient. One of the biggest concerns with voter turnout is the inconvenience it causes voters, whether it involves conflicts with jobs or the commute to local polling places. To increase voter turnout this year, major brands like Twitter, BET, MTV, and more are backing what they hope will become a new national holiday: Vote Early Day. Similar to Voter Registration Day, the motivation behind this initiative is to encourage Americans to not only exercise their right to vote but to vote early. Major brands are supporting this new push to target young voters and ensure they’re properly educated on their respective state’s laws around early voting. The planned date for Vote Early Day is Oct. 24, giving voters more than a week before the general election on Nov. 3. A recent press release stated that celebrating Vote Early Day “will help ensure that millions more Americans take advantage of their options to vote early. Over 200 million...
Content creator and director Jourdan Guyton does not believe in the word “no.” Throughout her career as an actress and content creator for network television, she longed to see programs that reflected the stories and the faces of women who looked like her. Tired of waiting, she decided to take the reins. Guyton and a former colleague from her television past joined forces to explore programming beyond network television. In 2017, the pair launched “Two Grown,” a web series that explores the hijinks of two young women of color experiencing the personal and professional highs and lows of life in New York. “The web series space leaves room for full and vast credibility. You can tell stories that aren’t limited the way they are in mainstream media. It’s a powerful platform for people of color, because it’s not limited in space or duration,” according to Guyton. When “Two Grown” began, the two co-creators took on multiple roles in front of and behind the camera, along with a small crew....