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By capitalizing on her status as a leading beauty influencer, Jackie Aina has built the foundation for a prosperous business empire. How It Started Aina, a Nigerian-American born in California’s San Gabriel Valley, came from humbling beginnings. BuzzFeed News mentions she has six siblings, with an even split between brothers and sisters. She recalls “growing up with nothing” at times, bouncing around shelters with her mother and siblings. “Growing up, I had no leverage, I had no rich uncle,” she said, per the outlet. “We got kicked out of a shelter, we couldn’t get to another one quick enough. And when you’re a mom of seven, It’s not easy.” To change her outcome, Aina studied medicine at the California State University, Business Insider reported. That route did not pan out for Aina, and she made the decision to serve in the Army in 2008, after being convinced by her then-boyfriend. They would marry — although they later divorce — and she moved to Hawaii to live with him where she...
Vonnya Pettigrew, Hon.D., is concentrating all her interests in one place — a property building located on Baltimore, MD’s Waterfront. But that’s just the start. The Baltimore Times reports Dr. Pettigrew comes from a communications background stamped by a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland College Park. During her time in higher education she landed opportunities to intern under President Bill Clinton as a speech writer. She also interned for a television show. “It was a political show that was produced on Capitol Hill and filmed out of Reuters newswire, and so I fell in love with television and film,” Pettigrew told the outlet. Root Branch Media Group Pettigrew also learned scriptwriting and took her skills to create content for TV One and Discovery Channel. Now, she is investing in her own media empire. In 2006, she launched Root Branch Media Group, which she named for her family’s property in South Carolina. “When I established my business, I wanted it to...
Overcoming barriers is one thing, but creating opportunities for others to do the same is another. After nearly two decades of working as an executive at JPMorgan Chase, Thasunda Brown Duckett became the president and CEO of TIAA, which works to close gaps in retirement and provide equitable opportunities for investment. At the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) Business Summit during the ESSENCE Festival Of Culture presented by Coca-Cola, Duckett spoke about how the impact she’s making extends past the financial retirement services company and how her serving as a Black woman CEO can provide inspiration for young Black women. When it comes to the imposter syndrome that those who look like her often face entering corporate spaces, Duckett shared guidance with AFROTECH™ for how future Black executives can navigate such challenges. “When you think about imposter syndrome, which we all have at certain points in our life, I think the most important thing is as you’re going through life,...
Over the years, Thasunda Brown Duckett has gained global recognition for her monumental career strides, impact, and influence. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, the TIAA president and CEO’s historic feats include, in 2021, becoming the first woman to lead the financial retirement services company in more than 100 years as well as one of two Black women to helm a Fortune 500 company. What’s more, Duckett was named on Forbes’ list of “The World’s Most Powerful Women” in 2023 and TIME’s “100 Most Influential People of 2024” the following year. As Duckett continues to make efforts toward closing the racial retirement gap and women’s retirement gap and tirelessly advocates for DEI, she credits her foundation for fueling the leader she is today. On July 5, 2024, at the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) Business Summit during the ESSENCE Festival Of Culture presented by Coca-Cola, she thanks her parents, Otis and Rosie Brown, for teaching her the level of resilience required to be a...
Angela Rye is one of today’s leading voices in political advocacy and social justice. Recognized for her politics and culture commentary on networks like CNN and ESPN as well as her own podcast “Native Land Pod” with co-hosts Tiffany Cross and Andrew Gillum, the award-winning host, commentator, and lawyer transformed her passion into IMPACT Strategies. Launched in 2013, the political advocacy firm creates strategic partnerships and coalitions to birth societal change. In an interview with AFROTECH™ before her fireside chat, “Bridging the Gap for an Equitable Community,” at AFROTECH™ Executive Newark, Rye shared the backstory of one of IMPACT Strategies’ most impactful partnerships to date. Moreover, it came following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. “A lot of companies were coming asking for Black support, Black help, Black input, Black advice, and strategy,” Rye recalled to AFROTECH™. “A t the time, I represented PayPal and worked really diligently with them on their [$535...
Three-time WNBA champion Swin Cash has achieved another feat. Cash, who retired from the league in 2016, was the second draft pick overall in the WNBA 2002 draft and was picked up by the Detroit Shock. During her career, she played for other teams such as Seattle Storm, Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream, and New York Liberty over 15 years , and joined the U.S. Women’s National Team to win two Olympic gold medals (2004, 2012). After her basketball career, Cash went on to secure a leadership position in 2017 as the Liberty’s director of franchise development. In June 2019, New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin announced that she would be hired as the team’s vice president of basketball operations and team development by the New Orleans Pelicans, Yahoo Sports reports. “I am so excited to join the New Orleans Pelicans as Vice President of Basketball Operations/Team Development,” Cash said at the time, according to a news release. “I want to extend...
As Pinky Cole continues to reach the pinnacles of success as an entrepreneur, she also lifts others as she climbs. The Slutty Vegan founder and CEO has never been afraid of taking risks and betting on herself, even when the odds are stacked against her. Her Atlanta, GA-based restaurant has been wildly successful, even though she created the concept as a passion project, initially launching the company as a food truck without focusing solely on profit. “I pinch myself every day,” she told AFROTECH™ in a recent interview. “Sometimes we’re so immersed in our work that we don’t realize the blessings happening around us. I think about how Slutty Vegan opened the door for me to partner with PepsiCo on the Pepsi Dig In Campaign to support Black-owned restaurateurs. As a leader in this space, I can help provide the support they need.” Cole added, “It’s all been a passion project for me because I get to help people reimagine food in a way they never have before. Every single day, I’m humbled...
OpenseedVC, run by Europe’s first Black solo general partner, has raised $10 million in its first close. Per its LinkedIn, the London, England-based firm exists to invest dollars in operators, those previously involved in daily operations of a startup, who are launching new technology companies across Africa and Europe. “We exist to back the most talented and experienced operators from day zero,” OpenseedVC Founder Maria Rotilu wrote on LinkedIn. “ As an angel-style fund, we are designed for one founder profile. Operators just as they take the leap to start their tech companies. We are driven by *pure merit* (hence the name OpenseedVC), and our goal is to back the most experienced operators and builders as first investors, especially at a time where the need to build truly groundbreaking and impactful solutions is critical.” She continued, “It is a tough fundraising climate, for funds and startups alike. However, we believe this is the best time to invest in the most visionary and...
The Beyoncé effect strikes again! The world is still processing the brilliance behind the Houston, TX-born artist’s latest album “Cowboy Carter,” which features singles including “Blackbiird,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “Riiverdance.” The album is certainly making its mark in music, breaking records as the most-streamed album in a single day on Spotify in 2024 when it was released, People reports. It also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, the eighth time for the star on the chart. To no surprise, “Cowboy Carter” could be a contender for next year’s Album of The Year at the Grammy Awards too. While its status in music is clear, the album is also making its way in business. According to NBC News, Black-owned businesses have experienced an increase in demand for cowboy apparel following its release. This includes athleisure brand KIN Apparel founded by Philomina Kane, who jokingly shared as an April Fool’s prank on Instagram that the brand would be selling satin-lined cowboy...
Uncle Nearest’s presence in the spirits sector continues to rise. The whiskey company, established in 2016 by Fawn Weaver to honor Nathan “Nearest” Green, a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, has scaled into 30,000 stores, bars, hotels, and restaurant s in 12 countries, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. In its latest report, Bloomberg notes Weaver aspires to own a larger share of the spirits market. This stance has motivated the company to purchase vodka maker Square One Organic Spirits. Additionally, she mentions a settled legal dispute between Diageo Plc and Sean “Diddy” Combs concerning his vodka brand as a contributing factor for her latest acquisition, noting a void in the market and the importance of having a Black-owned vodka occupy space. The market is heavily dominated by major players such as Diageo PLC and LVMH, with valuations totaling nearly $79 billion and $423 billion, respectively, the outlet mentions. Uncle Nearest continues to gain a...
Shayna Atkins is a multi-generational entrepreneur now leading the third-fastest-growing company in the Midwest and the fastest in Illinois of 2024, according to Inc. magazine. She credits her interest in entrepreneurship to her mother, who owned several businesses on the West Side of Chicago, IL, including a pager shop in the early ‘ 90s. During this time she recalls being exposed to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as she would program beepers at the shop. “I used to program beepers when I was young. Like those were some of my early science experiments for school, and also help her out at the shop,” Atkins shared in an interview with AFROTECH™. “I would actually program, like turn on and turn off, pagers using a DOS program at a very, very young age. Those two things I think really reduce the barrier of fear around both STEM as well as entrepreneurship.” In high school, Atkins developed a liking towards physics and selected the field for her...
Jatee Kearsley refers to herself as a “generational starter.” The Queens, NY, raised pastry chef is the owner of Je T’aime Patisserie, a business located in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The naming of the restaurant was intentional as her love for cooking was born in her teenage years while hosting weekly bake sales in front of a building she used to reside in. “You’re a kid and you want money. So what do you do when you want money? You do what you’re good at. And I was always good at baking cakes and cupcakes for my family,” she tells AFROTECH™ during the Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit. “I would invite my friends over and they’ll come and eat cupcakes. I’m like, ‘You know what? I’m going to make money.’ So I took a table outside and just started selling these cupcakes that I was making. Then it just elevated into a passion.” Kearsley would continue to opt for self-teaching even as she pursued culinary education, honing her skills in baking intricate pastries such as macarons and...
Founder Wilglory Tanjong has Beyoncé’s attention. On April 7, 2024, the “Cowboy Carter” singer took to Instagram sharing two posts where she is seen wearing a Willie Nelson T-shirt, platform boots, and a jacket with a print of the American flag. She also accessorized the look with a luxury handbag designed by Tanjong and launched through the founder’s company, Anima Iris. This marks the second time Beyoncé’ has sported the brand since 2021, per CNBC. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ANIMA IRIS (@anima.iris) “ANIMA IRIS IS BEYONCÉ APPROVED… AGAIN !! Beyoncé really loves Anima Iris, no cap all facts,” Tanjong said on Instagram. “I know y’all will ask so YES, I’m releasing the bag we made just for Bey and I’m naming it the Cowboy Carter ZAZA. Available now on animairis.com…AHHH BEYONCÉ APPROVEDDD.” While Beyoncé’s interest in Anima Iris is certainly noteworthy, it is also a testament to the labor of love behind Anima Iris, which was born while Tanjong was traveling in...
Piersten Gaines’ Pressed Roots is now on location No. 4 and counting. Houston Chronicle reports that the blowout bar for textured hair has opened a new salon in Houston, TX. Located in the Centre at Post Oak, the new spot accommodates 50 hair stylists, the outlet details. Before having four brick-and-mortar locations in Dallas, Arlington, Plano, and now, Houston, Gaines and the Pressed Roots team did popups around the time the company’s vision first came to life in 2018, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. After having her share of poor experiences at hair salons, Gaines created the company’s business model to fill the void of access to affordable, quality styling for textured hair of all types. “We spend a lot of money, a lot of time in salons, and the level of services just do not match the money we’re spending,” Gaines told Fortune. “Our goal is to make quality hair care accessible.” Moreover, to ensure that hair health, time, and top-tier customer service are prioritized for...
Sony Pictures Entertainment has officially announced its next EVP, Chief Communications Officer, and the move is a major one… a historic feat, if you will. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Tahra Grant will serve in the position, succeeding Robert Lawson who will relocate to the company’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan as SVP of Corporate Communications for the entire Sony Group. Not only is Grant the first Black woman to be named Chief Comms Officer at a major Hollywood studio, she is also the only Black woman to hold the position at a major studio among the stars. Since joining the studio in 2016, Grant has “streamlined and sharpened corp comm ops, handling crisis and issues with def skills during Covid and the double strikes, before and after,” per the report. Within a year with the company, she was promoted to SVP of Media Relations and her expertise in the industry continues to expand. She has also worked on several Sony blockbusters, which include Little Women,...