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Marche Robinson has advice for content creator seeking monetization. Robinson has worn many hats from attorney to content creator to founder of the vegan and cruelty-free haircare brand Isaline Beauty, which she launched in 2020. Having multiple streams of income has worked to her benefit, as she admits it has allowed her to take greater risks and be more intentional with the opportunities presented to her as a content creator, as explained on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marche Robinson (@marcherobinson) “I worked for, I think, seven years before I went full-time with, or I won’t say full-time content creating, but before I left corporate America, one thing I loved when I worked my day job was…I never felt the pressure to align with a brand that I didn’t feel spoke to my life or resonated with my followers…,” she explained. “If you ask my managers, I’m very rigid when it comes to...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The theme of the 2025 Met Gala was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style”, particularly focused on Black dandyism. Guest Curator Monica L. Miller’s book, “Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity,” served as the primary inspiration for the exhibit. Black dandyism began in 18th century Britain, but its cultural movement took root in the early 20th century, in which Black people embodied the European sensibility through clothing as a form of self-expression. Emerging during a time when African Americans had little to no agency after the Emancipation Proclamation (1863), they used dandyism to address the erosion of their civil rights. The theme highly parallels the current fight to retain ownership and freedom during a divisive time in politics. The 2025 Met Gala had Black male co-chairs for the first time in history, with celebrities A$AP Rocky, Lewis Hamilton,...
Kai Cenat was one of the top-earning creators in 2024, and now he wants to put other streamers in position. The New York native is one of the most popular content creators, with a Twitch community of 17.1 million followers and an Instagram following of 14.2 million (at the time of this writing). As AFROTECH™ previously reported, his success as a content creator in the streaming industry led to $8.5 million in earnings in 2024. What’s more, he shares his success with those around him. This also includes AMP (Any Means Possible), a content creator group that Cenat joined, consisting of Duke Dennis, Agent 00, Fanum, ImDavisss, and ChrisNxtDoor. Before rising to fame with AMP, Cenat had been longtime friends with Tylil, Punga, and Dezz, for whom he recently purchased a home with the intention of supporting their streaming careers . RaKai, Ray, and Reggie, other streamers and friends of Cenat, were also given keys to the home. “Bought a house for my friends. God is good,” Cenat...
A passion area for Shannae Ingleton-Smith has blossomed into a 6-year-old talent management firm prioritizing diverse creators. Ingleton-Smith understands the nuances of the creator economy, having worked as an influencer who was earning revenue and steadily securing more deals. She also co-led a Facebook group with a close friend that helped Black creators learn how to advocate for themselves and negotiate opportunities. This even led to a mention by a Forbes writer who highlighted the significant revenue creators were generating through the group. In addition, while actively working in a corporate role, Ingleton-Smith began receiving requests from creators to become their manager. “I was working full time, and I had a job. And I was just like, ‘I’m just doing this for fun. I’m learning and I like helping people. I don’t expect to be paid doing this.’ That was my mentality initially,” she said in an interview with AFROTECH™. “Then I think after the fourth or fifth person asked me...
For Wisdom Kaye, his passion for fashion has made him a millionaire. His bold fashion choices have frequently garnered chatter online over the years, and his TikTok account alone has drawn 13.5 million followers and 443.7 million likes. Kaye even made an appearance at the 2024 Met Gala, a feat that he believed was out of reach for him in 2022. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wisdom Kaye (@wisdm) Wisdom Kaye’s life has forever changed as a result of his online presence stemming from his creative videos, which he primarily edits himself. However, his bread and butter is not coming directly from his social media impressions. “I’ll spend 12 hours, 12 days on a f-cking video, and it won’t really make anything. I’m in the Creator Fund, but, that doesn’t really pay,” the model and creator said in a TikTok video. “I mean, it does pay. I’m grateful for the amount that it does pay, but, I can make a video right now and it gets 20 million views, which is a very likely number for...
Here are some tips to consider to become a well-paid creative. The creator economy is projected to reach $500 billion by 2027, according to Sprout Social. If you are a creator, you don’t want to miss out on your piece of the pie. At NAB Show 2025 (National Association of Broadcasters) held in Las Vegas, NV, Rhea Allen, president and CEO of Peppershock Media, moderated a discussion that offers real-world strategies that can be applied by creators to increase your value and income. Niche Down And Specialize While it is OK to be a jack of all trades, it will be a better bet to narrow your focus on mastering one niche and to establish trust among an audience that will gravitate towards you for a particular subject matter. This can also be helpful as more companies seek expert commentary. “Companies tend to hire experts, and they’re more willing to pay for the expert,” Allen explained. “And so if you position yourself as the go-to person for a specific skill or industry, you naturally...
Dove wants increased representation in the digital world, leading the global personal care brand to launch a guide to help designers create characters with Black hair textures and protective styles for video games. “Code My Crown” — created with the help of Black game developers, artists, academics, and stylists — features instructions, personal insights, detailed references, and complete open-source code. “In the real world, there is an incredible variety of Black hairstyles. But this is rarely reflected in the gaming world,” said Lead Guide Contributor and Founder of the Open Source Afro Hair Library (Osahl) A.M. Darke in the guide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prof. A.M. Darke (@prettydarke) Recent research indicates that 85% of Black gamers believe video games poorly represent Black hair textures, according to Dove. Additionally, around 80% of Black gamers report feeling excluded, discriminated against, or inadequate when they do not see accurate...
The popular pop the balloon dating show concept will be making its way to Netflix. “Pop the Balloon or Find Love” is a hit dating show that started on YouTube . Hopeful romantics put their fate in the hands of potential matches. Contestants signal their interest, or lack thereof, by keeping their balloons intact, symbolizing a spark, or popping them to show disinterest. The YouTube series was brought to life by self-employed m ultimedia producer and musician Bolia Matundu (BM) and his wife, Arlette Amuli, a beauty and lifestyle creator. During an interview with Essence GU, BM admits that versions of the concept started to pop up in the wake of COVID-19 in 2020. “Around the pandemic, everyone was doing their own versions on YouTube, and I just wanted to create a version that I had a vision for,” BM told Essence GU. “So I wanted my wife to host…I wanted it to be more mature as well so trying to get people that are working class, people that have good jobs, and it just kicked off.” He...
Researchers have developed algorithms that accurately depict coily Black hair in computer graphics — a historic advancement for Black characters in media. According to The Guardian, AM Darke, an associate professor in the department of performance, play, and design at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Theodore Kim, a professor of computer science at the Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science, co-authored the study. Despite increased representation and numerous papers published on computer graphics algorithms over the past 50 years — particularly regarding hair — Kim noted that representations of Black hair have remained relatively unchanged. Due to a lack of appropriate formulas, animators have struggled to accurately depict textures like type 4C hair , characterized by tightly coiled curls. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” Kim said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then...
Fans are flocking to support the music of the late Angie Stone. The Grammy-nominated soul artist and member of The Sequence passed away on March 1, 2025, at 63 years old, according to Variety. Stone was in a car accident with an 18-wheeler while traveling from Montgomery, AL, to Atlanta, GA, causing her vehicle to overturn three times. Of the nine passengers in her van, she was the only one who did not survive. Stone, born in Columbia, SC, is survived by her children Diamond Stone and Michael Archer and her grandchildren. “Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news,” Diamond and Michael said in a statement, the outlet notes. “Our mom is and will always be our everything. We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken.” Stone leaves behind an imprint that includes her most revered song, 2001’s “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” 10 solo albums, and three Grammy nominations in categories including: best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals...
TikTok creator Anayka She was once severely underpaid by her agency. The beauty creator and artist from Brooklyn, NY, who has amassed 1.7 million followers on TikTok, took to the platform to discuss compensation in comparison to white counterparts such as Bran Flakezz, born Brandon Edelman. He shared that he earned $768,000 in 2024 as a content creator. He currently has 1.1 million followers on TikTok. It is widely known that Black individuals have to work ten times harder just to see half the success of their white counterparts. She reveals that while being managed at Carter Agency, which is led by Josh Popkin, she was misled about her earnings from brand deals. “The head of Carter Agency, Josh Popkin, this is what he would do. He would tell you that the brand deal was $2,000. It was actually $10,000,” she explained in a TikTok video. “He would take that $8,000, then take the 20% fee off of the $2,000. And guess what? He was targeting Black women mainly. When we all found out and...
Breakr continues to find new ways to improve the creator economy. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the platform was created by Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alums and brothers Anthony and Ameer Brown to ensure artists can connect with brands and agencies and establish creative campaigns they are compensated for. With an early focus on music, Breakr partnered with BMG and Sony Music and built a roster of clients that included Ye (formerly Kanye West), Young Thug, Megan Thee Stallion, Rick Ross, Future, and Gunna. Additionally, Nas is involved not only as an artist on the platform but also as an investor. He participated in a $4.2 million seed round led by Slow Ventures in 2021. Breakr has expanded its scope beyond the music industry, adding partners such as Hershey, Billboard, Celsius, Samsung, and UMG, information shared with AFROTECH™ notes. In 2022, 30,000 creators had onboarded onto its platform. In 2025, that number has more than doubled, reaching a community...
Shonda Rhimes is stepping down from her position on the Kennedy Center board. Deadline reports that the award-winning producer had served as treasurer of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which exposes art to 2 million annual visitors and is guided by a mission to promote a “culture of inclusiveness,” according to its website. The center has served 1.4 million students and offers education and outreach programs throughout the United States and in 29 countries. Now, the center’s leadership, which contributed to its direction and impact, will shift in response to Trump becoming more involved. He previously shared on Friday, Feb. 7, 2024, his intentions to become its chairman and stated that he would remove board members as part of his plan to pursue “a golden age in arts and culture,” the Los Angeles Times reports. This resulted in 18 board members being removed from the roster on the center’s website by Feb. 10, including chairman, David Rubenstein. Most of the...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Last week, the Chinese social app RedNote grew in popularity as a potential TikTok replacement . As TikTok users waited for the Supreme Court to rule on the ban, they quickly migrated to the platform. The app became number one in the Apple App Store, with thousands of American users joining. Users have mistakenly referred to RedNote as the Chinese version of TikTok, but the platform is more akin to Instagram. RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu in China, launched in 2013 as a shopping platform. Like many apps, it serves as a default search engine for content on makeup, fashion, travel, and lifestyle tips. Users can post photos and videos in a similar fashion to Instagram Reels and TikTok. The migration from TikTok to RedNote has become a protest statement in the wake of the U.S. government’s ban on TikTok. Initially, calls to ban the app began with President Donald Trump in 2020 before being passed...
There is still optimism surrounding the future of creators amid the looming TikTok ban. This sentiment is felt by Eddie Rizzo, who serves as the VP of marketing at WORTHI, a full-service cultural connections agency on a mission to grow brands and build IP all while amplifying people of color. In 2024, Rizzo managed nearly $1 million in creator partnerships primarily on TikTok for BIPOC creators and clients such as Paramount+, Max, Google, GoFundMe, Amazon, and more. “My mission as the VP of Marketing at WORTHI is to grow and develop the best of the best team of predominantly BIPOC and LGBTQ+ strategists and creatives to deliver impactful work for our clients that’s intrinsically culture-forward from the inside out because we live and breathe culture,” he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “This aligns with our company’s overall vision of unlocking the business value and cultural impact of historically underestimated communities.” Looking to the current landscape, Rizzo acknowledges the...