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BMW and Louis Vuitton’s 2014 collaboration is reportedly considered the most sought-after brand collaboration ever. Through its research, women’s online retailer Public Desire determined the top 10 collaborations by analyzing various factors, including original price, resale value , price growth, accessibility, and public interest. According to information provided to AFROTECH™, the company then calculated a composite score for each collaboration, which was ranked in descending order based on its performance across these criteria. With a composite score of 98.0, the BMX x Louis Vuitton collaboration, which produced highly exclusive luxury luggage, had the highest growth in resale value. When BMW announced the collaboration, Adrian van Hooydonk, senior vice president of BMW Group Design, highlighted the use of CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) in the company’s i8 sports car as an example of its “intelligent lightweight construction philosophy.” “BMW and Louis Vuitton share both...
These new astronauts are “preparing for takeoff” in NASA’s Astronaut Office. On March 5, 2024, NASA held a graduation ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, as 10 new graduates, “The Flies,” crossed the stage after completing two years of training, per a news release. Among the graduates are Andre Douglas and Christopher Williams — representing for Black astronauts. The monumental milestone is a dream come true for both Douglas and Williams. However, the two each had to make crucial decisions along their career paths that ultimately led to turning their dreams into reality. Following NASA’s graduation ceremony, Douglas recalled in an interview with AFROTECH™ about his journey of leaving the U.S. Coast Guard to pursue becoming an astronaut. While it became a great part of the Virginia native, and his father, who was also in the service, he knew he wanted to be in aerospace. Douglas’ curiosity for the industry began at age 7 when he looked through a telescope for the...
There’s no doubt that “Girls Trip” was a box office hit during the summer of 2017. Starring Jada Pinkett-Smith, Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Tiffany Haddish, it became the first film with “an all-black creative team in front of and behind the camera to earn $100 million at the box office,” per The New York Times. What’s more, Tracy Oliver became the first African-American writer to cross off that milestone.
If you’re a founder in the outdoor industry, this initiative is for you! According to PR Newswire, REI Co-op has launched Path Ahead Ventures, including $30 million in 300 founders of color to start and scale their outdoor industry businesses. “Path Ahead Ventures is an opportunity to collaborate with founders of color to create an outdoor industry where economic opportunity, success, and influence reflect the true diversity of people who love, protect and share life outside,” said Susan Viscon, REI senior vice president of corporate development and investment, in an official press release. “Partnering with founders to grow their businesses faster will also provide the opportunity for their innovations, perspectives, and ideas to influence the broader industry.” After months of discussion with hundreds of founders, investors and industry and community leaders to better understand their current challenges, Path Ahead Ventures was born. “Through Path Ahead Ventures, we are taking a...
Creativity and leading should go hand in hand, but some young CEOs struggle with this. Malachi Fuller, founder and CEO of Hyyer Creative Consulting Agency, shares his insight on how he maintains his creativity while leading a business at a young age. Hyyer Creative is a boutique creative agency that specializes in targeted content development and production, marketing, and strategy for creative entrepreneurs and businesses rooted in urban millennial culture. The Maryland native graduated from the University of Maryland in 2015 with a degree in criminal justice. Fuller moved to Los Angeles shortly after graduation, where he decided to make a big career change. “I had a strong background in entrepreneurship and creating content, so LA felt like the best place to grow and do something with that,” Fuller told AfroTech. Fuller said it took him some time to figure out what he was good at once he got to the west coast. Hyyer Creative was birthed from Fuller’s niche for photography,...
Lena Waithe is taking her talents to music! The Emmy-winning television producer just took a leap into the music business and is partnering with Def Jam Recordings to start a new label, Hillman Grad Records, reports Variety. For Def Jam, the goal of this collaboration is “leveraging opportunities across music, TV, and film…to capitalize on the cultural significance generated when these worlds meaningfully intersect.” “Music and storytelling have always gone hand in hand,” said Waithe in an official statement . “And I think that’s because musicians are the storytellers we love the most. They can take complex emotions and simplify it in four minutes, the same artist can sing about the revolution and falling in love. Music is a part of us. It’s so often connected to our fondest and sometimes our darkest memories. Musicians tell our story.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lena Waithe (@lenawaithe) While no artists signings have been announced, Hillman Grad already has...
Bank of America is standing on its commitment to uplift and support the Black community. According to a press release, the financial institution has announced its move of $22 million in philanthropic funding that will support education, entrepreneurship, health and housing, and jobs for people and communities of color. This initiative continues to deliver on its $1 billion, four-year commitment to advance economic opportunity and racial equality. The grants will build on its $250 million in philanthropic funding the company allocates annually to nonprofit partners that will address critical needs in the communities that they serve. “Workforce development, job creation, and access to health and housing services are some of the most pressing needs facing Black, Hispanic-Latino and Native American individuals,” said Ebony Thomas, Bank of America’s Racial Equality and Economic Opportunity Executive in a news release. “By providing this support alongside our national and local partners,...
When one family member becomes incarcerated, the entire family suffers the collateral consequences . Of them all, exorbitant prices for limited communication and the inability to make in-person visits take one of the worse tolls. Due to their personal experience with the unjust and oppressive prison system, teen-aged Jay’Aina “Jay Jay” Patton and her father Antoine, an ex-prisoner, developed Photo Patch , a program and mobile app that connects imprisoned parents to their children. According to Teen Vogue , Antoine, who learned to code in prison, was released in 2014 and built Photo Patch Foundation, a website where kids could write letters and upload photos without unreasonable charges. Later, to avoid sending the materials through snail mail, Jay Jay developed a mobile app version for easier, faster access. “Everybody’s on their phone. It’s way easier for them to take a picture and type a letter right there,” she told Teen Vogue. “My dad said I should try it.” Since the app’s...