Dr. Rashae Barnes is a former classroom teacher and celebrity publicist who has taken her purpose of teaching to another industry.

Cameron Johnson remembers being stationed every few years during early childhood. Therefore, he understands the stresses and challenges that come with new beginnings firsthand. He eventually learned how to make any new place feel like home. Now, Johnson wants to alleviate the pressures of a fresh start through Nickson. Founded in 2017, the “Uber of furniture” does all the work so you don’t have to. Courtesy of Nickson “The idea was to help people and empower their fresh start. Life is hard and a place to call home should be easy, so that has been our ethos since day one,” Johnson told AfroTech exclusively.

Thanks to this partnership, students will receive funding to ensure they will reach the finish line at their university. According to a press release, the Anheuser-Busch Foundation has donated $200,000 to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the second year in a row. The investment will allocate up to $2,500 for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who need funding to fulfill their degree requirements. In 2021, 69 students were awarded financial assistance to walk across the graduation stage. “I would like to sincerely thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch Foundation for the scholarship which enabled me to become a LeMoyne-Owen College graduate,” said Braxton Miller, a biology major at the college, in a statement. “I want to truly thank UNCF and Anheuser-Busch. You saved me when I had to pay for not one but two courses I had to take. You truly and honestly blessed me,” James Wilson, a Benedict College graduate who majored in criminal justice...

To empower communities of color, Apple has committed $25 million to credit unions and financial institutions, which it will deploy through CNote, a women-led impact investment platform. CNote is thrilled to work with @Apple to expand access to capital in communities of color across the country! https://t.co/VfJS54uUG6 pic.twitter.com/WcvJlI5fF6 — CNote (@goCNote) May 5, 2022

Kevin Hart has raised substantial funding to merge his existing entertainment companies. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the comedian and Hollywood entertainer has merged Laugh Out Loud and HartBeat Productions to form HARTBEAT. In addition, it was also announced that the multi-platform media company raised $100 million from Abry Partners, in which the private equity firm took a minority investment. The funding will support new content, hiring new teams, and the expansion of existing brands and franchises.

Black Girl Freedom Fund, which is “an initiative of Grantmakers for Girls of Color,” will be pouring millions of dollars into organizations with an aim to create a more hopeful future for Black girls. According to a press release, the #1Billion4BlackGirls campaign and Grantmakers for Girls of Color Black Girl Freedom Fund were launched in 2020 to ensure a substantial amount of resources were allocated toward “the braintrust, innovation, health, safety, education, artistic visions, research, and joy of Black girls, gender-expansive youth, and their families.”

Serena Ventures, led by the one and only Serena Williams, has announced the raise of its inaugural $111 million fund. In a blog post and press release announcement, it was revealed that the fund will be used to power early-stage startups. Williams’ past success consists of 13 unicorns and six exits, plus nine years of experience in the investment world. With that said, it makes sense why Serena Ventures is continuing her commitment to growing additional companies. 23andMe, the DNA company which is a limited partner in the venture capital fund, released a statement expressing its excitement about what the future holds. “I have been so impressed with Serena Ventures and the extraordinary mentorship and support they provide entrepreneurs,” said Anne Wojcicki, CEO & Co-Founder of 23andMe. “Serena has built an exceptional team of diverse experts with branding expertise and strategic advice to help founders as they navigate building their companies. With unique backgrounds and...

LinkedIn is on a mission to support the Black community. According to information provided exclusively to AfroTech, LinkedIn will distribute $500,000 in grants to digitalundivided and Blavity.org. The contribution will propel LinkedIn’s Black entrepreneurship fellowship programs and provide new economic pathways for the community. LinkedIn will work alongside the selected organizations to uplift the stories of rising entrepreneurs and instill awareness for additional capital and resources year-round. “As a company, we are on a journey to create equal access to opportunity and help drive more equitable outcomes. Our strategic partners are essential in that journey and since 2020, we have donated $5 million in funding and services to organizations that support economic and workforce development within the Black community,” LinkedIn said in an article published. “We selected digitalundivided and Blavity.org because of their holistic approach to developing, supporting and funding...