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Collaboration is one of the most powerful forms of currency, and the proof is evidenced by Pharrell Williams and HEINEKEN USA. In a recent press release, HEINEKEN USA announced a partnership with Pharrell’s nonprofit venture, Black Ambition. In 2020, the nonprofit was founded to help close the wealth gap through entrepreneurship. According to the company’s website, Black Ambition “invests capital and resources in high-growth startups founded by Black and Latinx HBCU students and entrepreneurs.” To date, Black Ambition has awarded $3.2 million to 34 business owners in the sectors of technology, goods and services, healthcare, and design.
Stephen and Ayesha Curry are taking action to increase the literacy rate for children through their Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation. ABC7 reports that the Currys have unveiled the first of 150 Little Town Libraries that will be spread out across Oakland, CA — with an aim to provide 30,000 books to the youth. The libraries are chosen by partners in the community such as Oakland Literacy Coalition, Oakland Public Library, and Black Cultural Zone. First up for the installments was Franklin Elementary. The power couple’s foundation — launched in 2019 — is all about providing kids and families in Oakland, the Bay Area, and across the U.S. with the resources necessary to excel. Their latest initiative is working to combat the statistic of one in three children reading at grade level by the end of third grade in addition to the low levels of Black and Latinx elementary students reading at grade level. According to the outlet, “only 15.4% of Black and 12.5% of Latino/a elementary students are...
Supporting entrepreneurs starts with funding! Shelly Omilâdé Bell, founder of Black Girl Ventures (BGV) hosted Atlanta Pull Up & Pitch competition in partnership with Visa to support Black and brown small businesses on March 15. Through this program, BGV and Visa have virtually visited a number of cities, including Washington, D.C., Detroit, and Chicago with Miami competition taking place next Tuesday March 29, giving entrepreneurs from these areas the opportunity to present a 60-second pitch in hopes of securing a $5,000 grant to advance their entrepreneurial journey. For Bell, the competition is hopeful to help more entrepreneurs better articulate their business by deliberating through partnership funding, and feedback opportunities. “Black Girl Ventures as a whole focuses on pitching as an avenue for their voice. Our entire focus is on enhancing the way women can articulate who they are and what they have, and how they can be funded through those matters. Because often, we find...
Oprah Winfrey’s initiatives continue to create opportunities for the youth. With The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation, Winfrey launched a new scholarship program — The Oprah Winfrey Leaders Scholarship. According to People, the scholarship “will benefit students who have displayed both academic excellence and leadership within their respective communities.” “I am where I am today because of education and the support of teachers throughout my life,” Winfrey said in a statement. “I am honored to support these students who have shown high achievement in their academic studies, but more importantly a commitment to their communities.” To inaugurate the four-year program’s class, each of the 15 students selected were congratulated with a surprise virtual call from Winfrey herself earlier this summer. “I’m thrilled that there are young people like you in the world,” Winfrey shared in the call. “You are claiming your stake in the future and have done the work to prepare for a better life...
Earlier this year, Pharrell Williams’ nonprofit YELLOW joined forces with Amazon Music and Georgia Institute of Technology to launch a new educational coding and music remix competition. After months of listening to over 1,500 student applicants across the U.S., five winners have been chosen. According to a blog post from Amazon, the “Your Voice is Power” program was created to encourage students to use their voices through music to amplify issues centered around social justice and equity while also learning how to code. The music competition instructed students to create their own remix to Pharrell and Jay-Z’s “Entrepreneur” song using music coding platform EarSketch. As a result of the contest, five grand prize winners from schools in Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Texas, California, and Ontario were awarded either a $5,000 scholarship or grant to start their own business. Five teachers were also awarded a $1,000 cash reward for going above and beyond in teaching the program to their...
Doritos has announced a new financially-backed initiative that’s all about amplifying Black joy, strength and resilience in our community. As part of its 2020 #AmplifyBlackVoices work, a press release reports that Doritos is now launching and funding SOLID BLACK™ — a new multi-platform initiative that’s dedicated to uplifting the voices of Black innovators and creators today. The initiative will reportedly involve Doritos investing more than $5 million in resources to help drive change in Black communities on behalf of the voices and stories that often go unheard. “Doritos has long been a brand that believes in igniting and championing bold self-expression and authenticity,” Stacy Taffet — VP of marketing, Frito-Lay North America — said in a press statement. “We are proud to provide a platform and resources to innovators and creators who are making a lasting impact on culture and hope that their stories can inspire the next generation in the continued effort to create a more equal...
Pharrell Williams is teaming up with fashion house Chanel to take his nonprofit organization to the next level. As previously reported by AfroTech, the super-producer and entrepreneur launched his nonprofit, Black Ambition, back in December to help support underserved entrepreneurs with startups across tech, design, healthcare and consumer products/services. According to Complex, now he’s upping the stakes with Chanel by launching a two-part mentorship program in addition to sponsoring two competitions this summer with prizes for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs as well as emerging talent from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). “Chanel’s support of Black Ambition is a cornerstone of Black Ambition’s mission and is vital to the success of the next generation of Black and Latinx entrepreneurs,” Williams said in a statement, “to honor their commitment to investing in human potential and advancing greater representation in culture and society, Chanel has put together an...
Grammy award-winning super-producer Pharrell Williams is always finding new ways to give back to his community, and now his latest project is focusing on youth in his home state. According to The Virginian-Pilot, Williams recently called out the unjust public school system in Virginia and revealed his own master plan to open a group of small private schools for students from low-income families. Pharrell strongly believes the state’s public school system needs to be refined in a way that doesn’t allow it to turn its back on underprivileged students. Now he’s using his nonprofit organization to pay it forward and get all students the education they deserve. “If the system is fixed and unfair, then it needs to be broken,” he said in a news release. “We don’t want lockstep learning where so many kids fall behind; we want bespoke learning designed for each child, where the things that make a child different are the same things that will make a child rise up and take flight.” The new...
Longtime local innovator Felecia Hatcher — a serial entrepreneur and champion for minority tech business-owners — is reportedly stepping down from her role at Miami’s Center for Black Innovation to lead Black Ambition — a nonprofit organization founded by Grammy-winning artist Pharrell Williams, Bizwomen shares. Black Ambition — a new venture recently launched this past December — was created in hopes of funding projects and companies led by Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs. “Excited to finally be able to announce that I have accepted a role as CEO of Black Ambition a bold vision founded by Pharrell Williams to connect Black & Latinx and HBCU startup founders to unprecedented capital and access through prize competitions,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Excited to lead this! Excited to be in a position to directly fund founders. The best part….although a nationally-focused organization we will be based in Miami. Excited for the journey ahead.” Hatcher is well-known for being a...
Goldman Sachs has added the Currys as two new additional members to help it reach its ambitious goal. As previously reported by AfroTech, Goldman Sachs announced a new initiative back in March that aimed to invest $10 billion in what they called the One Million Black Women (OMBW) initiative — a hefty effort that plans to support Black women over the next 10 years. The original 15-person Advisory Council has now grown to include NBA superstar Steph Curry and his wife Ayesha to assist the company in its grandiose mission to end racial inequity. “Given all that’s happened over the course of the last year, we’ve done a lot of talking at the firm—and even more listening—to help us figure out how we can do more to end the racial inequity and the gaps that have existed in society for well too long,” Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon previously shared in a statement to ESSENCE. “Impact comes with sustained effort over a long period of time. We’re very prepared for that.” According to the...
Ernst & Young LLP just announced their inaugural cohort for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs, the Entrepreneurs Access Network (EAN). According to PR Newswire, the comprehensive, business accelerator — which operates as an executive-level educational program to elevate scalable companies — will include entrepreneurs in 10 markets across the U.S. giving companies access to resources, networks, and mentors. “Deep-rooted systemic challenges hinder many minority-owned businesses from achieving their full potential, an issue that was exacerbated this year,” said EY Americas Vice Chair of Accounts, Sam Johnson, in a press release. “Through EAN, our goal is to provide Black and Latinx founders with the necessary support to sustainably scale their businesses and drive economic growth. Without equitable access, the future of many Black and Latinx-owned businesses — and millions of jobs — hangs in the balance.” According to the press release, only 1 percent of venture capital dollars go to...
The last few weeks should make Pharrell fans very happy. The multi-hyphenate artist launched his Humanrace skincare line and released the gospel-music show “Voices of Fire” on Netflix, and now he is helping Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. According to ESSENCE, Williams announced Black Ambition, a non-profit initiative that will support underserved entrepreneurs who are launching tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products/services startups. In addition, part of the initiative will include two competitions for investments, The Black Ambition HBCU Prize and The Black Ambition Prize. “With Black Ambition, the goal is to help strengthen the pipeline of talented entrepreneurs and close the opportunity and wealth gaps derived from limited access to capital and resources,” Williams said in a statement. He added on Instagram, “We see a future where ideas flourish, ruinous risk is diminished, and Black and Latinx entrepreneurs are positioned to realize America’s promise.” View this...
Sephora is not just the beauty mecca where women go to spend their money shamelessly on Fenty Beauty and Pat McGrath. The personal care retailer is also responsible for helping to accelerate Black beauty founders’ innovative ideas through Sephora Accelerate. Sephora Accelerate is a six-month program designed to build a community of forward-thinking businesswomen. The commitment begins with a one-week boot camp, then the founders experience a series of mentoring sessions and business challenges. The entire initiative culminates into Demo Day, where participants present their company to gain investments. This year, Sephora Accelerate has selected 13 founders for the 2020 cohort , including women from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, Singapore, Germany, the U.S., and the U.K. Among those selected to participate in the accelerator are Kymberlee Hill, a co-founder of Curl IQ; Helena Mendes, founder of Mawena; and Dawn Myers, founder of THE MOST. To date, the accelerator has...