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Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. For many founders in the beauty and lifestyle space, the measure of success isn’t just in sales but also in the value of an exit. Recently, Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand, Rhode, was acquired by e.l.f . for $1 billion. Founded in 2022, the beauty brand has reached its valuation quickly thanks to Bieber’s name recognition and viral social media campaigns. But while Bieber has been praised for selling her company, the majority of Black founders are accused of being sellouts by Black customers when they do. Over the past several years, Black-owned brands like The Honey Pot Company, Mielle Organics , and Briogeo Hair Care have been acquired by large conglomerates. For every acquisition, a large portion of their Black customers have complained or claimed that they would no longer buy from the brand because they view the acquisition as a form of selling out. Black founders are held to a different standard...
If you’ve been plugged-in to the political side of the business world lately, you may have noticed a fundamental shift in how corporate culture is responding to DEI measures . DEI, which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion, has been the industry standard blanket term for the last several years regarding certain hiring practices, employee training routines and more. Major companies such as Target, Costco and Apple have utilized specific language upholding DEI in their company guidelines at one point or another, amid a national push to support BIPOC employees , those with disabilities and members of all other marginalized communities. Of course, when Donald Trump regained control of the White House in January, he issued a day-one decree that all companies must remove DEI protections from their charters, sparking a wave of discussion about government overreach and the future of diversity in the workplace. Some, such as Target, Walmart and Harley Davidson, were quick to discard...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. DEI has become a conservative buzzword to target anything that doesn’t appeal to straight, white, male ideals. The Trump administration has gone after every federal agency, academic institution, and corporate entity to eradicate any semblance of DEI. Whether through affirmative action, hiring laws, or ensuring equal representation of all races and genders, Trump has made DEI the hill to die on. Everything is DEI, from Kendrick’s Super Bowl halftime show to plane crashes. However, diversity has not been effectively implemented recently, nor applied in the appropriate context. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are designed to create a more balanced and fair society, particularly in the wake of the civil rights movement, by addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring equal opportunities for all. But now, conservatives have equated DEI policies with lower standards, a false narrative that President...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Diversity, Equity & Inclusion has been in the spotlight since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, MN, in 2020, which millions of people witnessed via social media. That reminded me of how the civil rights movement didn’t spark real change until people saw the violence against protestors broadcast directly into their homes. Similarly, in 2020, many witnessed injustice unfold in real time on their phones. We can draw parallels between the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the events of the past five years. Just as some supported integration while others opposed it, there are divided views on DEI today. Gallup Inc. helps track public opinion on these issues over time. George Gallup founded the American Institute of Public Opinion, the precursor to Gallup. In 1935, they conducted their first political public opinion poll and have remained independent, never conducting surveys on behalf of...
Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Just two weeks into his presidency, the Trump administration has already decreed several executive orders to undo much of former President Joe Biden’s work in the past four years. As many predicted, President Donald Trump has come after DEI initiatives , signing an executive order to remove all DEI programs within the Federal government. Corporations like JP Morgan Chase & Co, Costco , and Goldman Sachs have all stated that they plan to retain their corporate DEI programs and continue with business as usual. However, other big retailers like Walmart , Meta, McDonald’s, and Target have rolled back their previous DEI promises in accordance with the Trump administration. In recent years, corporate DEI initiatives have faced increasing attacks, with right-wing critics arguing that efforts to promote diversity are discriminatory against white people. Many corporations began implementing diversity,...
Target is putting its money where its mouth is. In 2021, the retail giant announced a commitment to advance racial equity, including increased investments with Black-owned businesses by more than 50 percent. In addition to this commitment, the popular Minnesota-based retailer is enhancing its Target Scholars Program with updated extensions and additional resources.
As long as the culture is at the forefront, there’s no way you can lose! In fact, one company that continues its winning season is Be Rooted — the stationery and gifting brand launched by Jasmin Foster after the realization that we were missing from the industry. “I launched Be Rooted in 2020 because I wanted to change the face of the stationery and gifting industry. For far too long and in too many spaces, Black and Brown women have been left unseen and unspoken to. Be Rooted was created to flip that narrative and center Black and Brown women by making them feel loved, celebrated, and uplifted,” said Foster, the Founder and CEO of Be Rooted. Now, the brand has been named as one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential brands of the year!
Black-owned businesses are out here thriving, and we love to see it. As previously reported by AfroTech, Young King Hair Care launched in more than 1,200 Target and Walmart retailers just shy of two years of becoming the destination for haircare tailored specifically for young men. Now, they are headed for the famous NBC’s “Shark Tank” and founders Cora and Stefan Miller hope that this continues the company’s growth. “Prior to filming our segment, our business was experiencing exponential growth since our launch in December 2019,” said Cora in an exclusive email interview with AfroTech. “The Sharks were very complimentary regarding the business we built. They actually even called my husband a ‘brilliant marketer,’ which as our CMO, whose professional background is all-around marketing, made him feel so proud.”
Being a risk-taker paid off for entrepreneur Shontay Lundy, the founder of Black Girl Sunscreen. The New York native began cultivating the brand after nudges from friends suggesting Lundy should consider wearing sunscreen, as she became an avid hiker after moving to Los Angeles. While diving into research for products catering to Black skin, Lundy was not convinced by her findings. To her disappointment, the sunscreen sector underserved Black people and she recalled zero options that resonated with her. Recognizing an issue, Lundy decided to be the change and disrupt the $8.5 billion sunscreen industry. Although Lundy never manifested she would become the head of a million-dollar sunscreen brand, she was determined to follow what made her happy.
This Florida A&M University student bet on herself and landed in national stores. Kah’Milah Ledgester submitted her designs for Target’s 2021 HBCU design contest and JCPenney’s Young, Gifted and Black design challenge. And, putting her hands in various baskets paid off. Ledgester was informed she won both competitions during the spring of 2021 and to expect them displayed on a national scale for Black History Month of 2022. FAMU senior graphic design student Kah'Milah Ledgester recently appeared in a @Target commercial showcasing her work for their 2022 Black History Collection! Way to strike from the top, Kah'Milah! Check out the commercial below! #famu #rattlers #blackbeyondmeasure pic.twitter.com/q2k7HukC3F — FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (@FAMUSJGC82) November 26, 2021 “I always get a little excited because of the fact that I did the Target challenge, and I also did JCPenney and won both of them. It made me feel very good because I took a chance,” said...