College student Layla Wallace has secured a grant for her bakery business. Wallace started her Michigan-based business, Layla’s Cool Pops, when she was just 10 years old after being inspired by her fourth grade economics project in 2015, MLive reports. At the time, she did not have any proper knowledge of what it would take to run a business and be successful, but she is only becoming wiser in light of her steps in higher learning as a business student at Western Michigan University. “When I started the business, I didn’t know anything,” Wallace told the outlet. “I’m taking courses that are helping me develop my business, teaching me the fundamentals of how to function, develop, and grow.” In the meantime, Wallace continues to run Layla’s Cool Pops in Kalamazoo, MI. She sells cupcakes in flavors such as confetti, pink lemonade, red velvet, and lemon, among others, as well as cookie pops, cake pops, brownies, and pies. Orders are currently being fulfilled from her home, and the...

For decades Crayola has been the leading art supply company in America, and it has played a huge role in allowing both kids and adults to create like never before. The slogan “Everything Imaginable” is perfect for the company as they continue to move the needle forward when it comes to the tools needed to create. The slogan came to life in 2020 when the decision was made to restructure the way the crayons reflect the diverse children and adults who use them. As a kid, Mimi Dixon recalls using Crayola and not really seeing colors that reflected her skin tone. Now as the company’s Director of Brand Activation and Content, the New Jersey native has ensured that no person is left out through the Colors of The World collection which includes 24 specially formulated colors that represent people across the world. In an exclusive interview with AfroTech, Dixon provides insight into Crayola’s commitment to ensuring that they are a brand reflective of all people.