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Before you close your laptop and get ready to enjoy the long weekend, there’s one last thing to check – is your Labor Day OOO message ready to go? If you’re not familiar, “OOO” stands for out-of-office, which many employees will be in lieu of Monday’s (Sept. 2) holiday. Setting up an auto-response not only lets people know you’re not available, but it also clarifies when they can expect to hear back. It “shows that you’re conscientious and organized while providing people with the information they need to get their needs met in your absence.” The process might seem trivial to some. However, if maintaining good communication is important to you, taking 15 minutes to set up a strong Labor Day OOO message can save tons of email anxiety for you and others. A delayed response (even over a holiday) can be perceived as “digital snubbery, a lack of interest or even negligence,” as TexTex Pander puts it. To keep you away from that drama, we’ve crafted some templates that colleagues and...
Things are looking to be headed in the right direction for Black TikTok creators when it comes to getting their long-overdue credit with the platform’s latest team addition. TikTok recently announced Shavone Charles, former director of communications and creative partnerships at VSCO, as the platform’s first-ever head of diversity and inclusion communications. According to Adweek, the multi-hyphenate creative will “lead all diversity and inclusion communications globally, overseeing the video creation platform’s multicultural campaigns in collaboration with media and diverse creators.” Although Charles is stepping into a newly formed role at TikTok, the now Los Angeles-based executive is in familiar territory when it comes to being a trailblazer in major tech companies’ diversity departments. While at VSCO, she led strategic brand partnerships and product campaigns across key consumer interest verticals youth culture, community, diversity/inclusion, entertainment and fashion,...
The advancement of technology doesn’t necessarily always have to be a bad thing. While many suggest that technology and social media alone have caused us to communicate less effectively, this Black founder says it can also mean the complete opposite. “If the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that both of those things are kind of true,” said Travis Montaque on the latest episode of Black Tech Green Money (BTGM). “When I think about some of the things that we’ve done at Holler from a research perspective, one of the things we look for is how people are utilizing technology and platforms to connect with each other.” Holler is a messaging technology company that delivers content in messaging environments that includes texts, social media, and payment apps. Montaque shares that during his company’s most recent report, studies found that 42 percent of people message more than they did pre-pandemic. “If you think about the natural behavior that created the demand for messaging platforms...
Stories of online harassment have made news headlines for years during the increased age of social media. According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, last year it found that 41 percent of U.S. adults have personally experienced some form of online harassment in at least one of six ways. This is why Black-owned tech company, Yappa was formed to intervene and create a more humane way for users to communicate online. Forbes reports that this week, the tech startup has raised a $3.5 million Series A funding round to double down on its exemplary efforts to restore positive virtual interactions online. Funding from the round — which was led by Future Media Limited — will reportedly go toward expanding the company’s existing features and launching new ones to further enhance its capabilities. Yappa — which was founded by Jennifer Dyer and Kiaran Sim back in 2015 — is a development-stage company that offers audio and video commenting services for Internet websites, its...
Termii, a Nigeria-based company that specializes in providing a communications platform as a service for African businesses, has announced that it has received some seed funding. According to TechCrunch, the company — owned by Gbolade Emmanuel and Ayomide Awe — raised $1.4 million in their inaugural seed funding round. The funding was co-led by African early-stage VC firm Future Africa and Japanese but Africa-focused VC Kepple Africa Ventures. And that’s not all: the outlet also reports that other investors include Acuity Ventures, Aidi Ventures, Assembly Capital, Kairos Angels, Nama Ventures, RallyCap Ventures, and Remapped Ventures. Termii also received angel investments from Ham Serunjogi, co-founder and CEO of Chipper Cash; Josh Jones, former co-founder and CTO of Dreamhost; and Tayo Oviosu, co-founder and CEO of Paga. The initial investment seems to be well-justified by the fact that the platform’s API-based communications infrastructure is extensively used across the...
There are many Black women in STEM who are not often recognized for their groundbreaking innovations, but Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is one who spent a lifetime breaking glass ceilings for her community to change that notion. Born in Washington D.C. back in 1946, Dr. Jackson — known as a renowned physicist and university president — grew up spurring an interest in science as a child and her parents helped nurture that throughout her educational career, according to The History Makers. After attending accelerated math and science classes at Roosevelt High School and graduating as valedictorian, she went off to pursue a degree in Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She was among the first handful of Black students at MIT and became the first Black woman to receive her doctorate from the university. Her determination to break barriers and promote social justice motivated her to organize MIT’s Black Student Union, where she helped increase the number of Blacks students...
Twitter just tapped communications veteran Tracy McGraw to lead the social media platform’s consumer communications and media campaigns. According to Variety , McGraw, who is known for her most recent work with Tyler Perry Studios, will oversee PR for Twitter’s partner announcements, cultural events, and product launches. She will report to Brandon Borrman, the company’s VP of global communications, and will be based in New York. “We couldn’t be luckier to have Tracy joining this team,” said Borrman in a statement, reports Variety. “Twitter plays a massive role in shaping the culture around the world, and Tracy is the perfect person to help us better tell those stories and deepen our connections.” In her most recent work with Tyler Perry Studios, she created various production entities and media partnerships to amplify the vision and purpose of the studio during its grand opening in 2019. McGraw — who got her start as a publicist for Lifetime Television before becoming a senior...
Black women in leadership positions have proven to be integral parts of companies’ growth and development time and time again. While diversity in the workforce has ramped up for many businesses over the last few months, LeBron James’ SpringHill Imprint has long since fought to close the gaps of systemic racism by granting more opportunities to Black and brown people. As the conglomerate company’s newest hire, Nike and ESPN alum Gianina Thompson has been appointed Communications Director where she’ll be responsible for “developing and executing the communications initiative within the media, consumer, and entertainment industries across each of the company’s three pillars,” she told ESSENCE . Within her new role, Thompson is expected to reshape SpringHill’s narrative in the media and entertainment industries to reflect social justice issues that require attention from the perspectives of Black and brown communities. In addition to her latest accomplishment, Thompson has a long...
As more women of color step into leadership roles in the entertainment world, this media veteran finds herself climbing the ladder at another major company. Showtime’s head of communications, Johanna Fuentes is making a transition to Warner Bros. as their head of global communications. “It’s a transformative moment in our industry, and I couldn’t be prouder to join a legacy and storied company like Warner Bros.,” said Fuentes on her new role. “I believe in Ann’s vision for the future of the company and am excited to work with some of the top communications professionals and storytellers in our field as we map the strategy for the continued expansion of our iconic brands, films, games and television series.” Fuentes has led a rewarding career in entertainment since beginning her career at CBS corporation in 2001, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As a former director of entertainment communications, she worked on programs including “Survivor” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” Fuentes...
Recently, Away Luggage Company CEO Steph Korey stepped down after an investigation by the Verge highlighted the company’s toxic work culture. From Korey reportedly using Slack to publicly critique work and label an employee “brain dead” to sending late-night messages — Away is a case study in how not to communicate in the workplace. Like the Away company, if you have a communication problem in the workplace, chances are: Work is being duplicated (or not done at all). The finished product isn’t what you expected. There is a high turnover rate. There are recurring errors or delays in products or services. Your team is silent in meetings and no one speaks up to offer ideas or share their experiences. While it’s often second nature for managers to blame “lazy” or “incompetent” employees, frequent communication issues are often a symptom of a much deeper problem. A bad system, an outdated process or pattern of behavior from the company’s higher-ups are often the culprits. Here’s how to...
You’ve probably experienced or known someone who has been “catfished” in the form of conversation. Meaning, the person sitting across from you, certainly isn’t the witty, funny, intelligent person they appear to be online, but how could it be? In the age of tech, effective in-person communication is a dying and almost extinct art form. A Broadband study shows that the time an average user spent on social media in 2019 would be equivalent to six years and eight months per user. The study goes on to reveal that the average social media users spend more time on online social networking than actually in-person socializing. Listening to others in conversation can be more difficult than reading their response on-screen. However, as an entrepreneur, both speaking and listening are in-person conversation skills that you must master. A University of Missouri study showed that we only retain one-fourth of what we hear, but as an entrepreneur listening to the needs of your target audience can...
Phone bills can get outrageously high as fees tag on throughout the month. That’s why 24-year-old Chaymeriyia Moncrief started her own telecommunications company to help customers avoid unexpected fees with their bills. Tesix Wireless launched in December to give customers more transparent billing. “You go in and they say your phone bill is going to be $98, but you are getting a $150 or $200 bill. I think the final straw for me was a $235 bill, and that is when I said I want my own company,” Moncrief said to WSFA 12 News . The company currently offers prepaid services, but Moncrief plans to expand in the coming years. Tesix Wireless offers four phone plans ranging from $25 to $60 per month. Each plan includes unlimited talk, text and 4G data. The $45 and $60 plans also include at least three months of free Netflix when users sign up. Entrepreneurship is not new to Moncrief — during her teenage years, she started her own branding and design company, Sxteen Design Studio. Moncrief...