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The gift that keeps on giving, MacKenzie Scott, has made another contribution to an HBCU. As previously reported by AFROTECH™ , the philanthropist, who acquired the vast majority of her $35 billion net worth following a divorce from Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos, has donated millions to various Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She was inspired to give to others by the late author Toni Morrison, who was her teacher and mentor. After Scott became a billionaire, she pledged to give half her wealth away and signed The Giving Pledge. Some of her investments in higher education this year alone include: Voorhees University ($19 million) Howard University ($80 million) Spelman College ($38 million) Morgan State University ($63 million) Norfolk State University ($50 million) Winston-Salem State University ($50 million) North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ($63 million) Prairie View A&M University ($63 million) Dillard University ($19 million) “This gift is more...
Tyler, the Creator was recognized in Hollywood on Dec. 6 as Variety presented him with its Innovator of the Decade award during the publication’s annual Hitmakers event. The honor marked a moment of reflection for the artist, who spoke about his 15-year career while accepting the award. According to Variety, he was surprised when he was informed he had been selected and noted that the news made him think about the artists he has long considered innovators, including Stevie Wonder, Missy Elliott, Kanye West, and Pharrell Williams. “It made me think like, ‘Yo, I don’t take the time out to look back at what I’ve done, for me, the folks around me, for the last 15 years. For me, always looking forward, me always wondering what the next thing is — that’s where I sit comfortable at,” he told attendees, per the outlet. André 3000 presented the Innovator of the Decade award and highlighted Tyler, the Creator’s influence across multiple creative fields. He noted Tyler, the Creator’s...
Louis Carr is the new president of BET. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, Paramount announced that Carr will step into the role after nearly four decades at the company. He is credited for his efforts in the multicultural advertising landscape and for bridging the gap between global corporations and Black and Brown communities. Under his leadership, BET has secured partnerships with Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Unilever, McDonald’s, Meta, and Toyota, among others. Carr’s impact at BET led to billions in advertising sales and investments in diverse communities. “Louis’ leadership has been integral to BET’s success for nearly four decades,” said Paramount TV Media Chair George Cheeks, to whom Carr will report in his newly appointed role, according to the release. “His vision for the future will drive innovation, deepen BET’s cultural impact, and position the brand for continued growth.” Carr will be tasked with carrying forward BET’s foundation of strengthening its...
Kayla Rowe turned pain into a business empire that is helping countless women and raking in major revenue. Rowe is a University of South Florida alum with a degree in public health , which she obtained in 2015, according to information on her LinkedIn. Her mother also planted the seed for her interest in health as a certified nursing assistant, Ebony reports. However, the catalyst for Rowe becoming a founder came after experiencing a miscarriage when she was five months pregnant in 2021. “That was very hard for me,” she told Ebony. “After that happened, I became more aware of everything, what I was eating, putting on my body, [and] I just became more cognizant and aware of health.” Her Fantasy Box A year later, Rowe launched Her Fantasy Box, a plant-based feminine hygiene and wellness brand. With a focus on transparency, safety, and women’s wellness, Rowe shared that it was important for ingredients to be nontoxic and not include parabens, phthalates, and other harmful chemicals...
Aliko Dangote, the richest Black man in the world, is looking to expand his business into India. In a recent conversation with Business Today’s Riddhima Bhatnagar, Dangote, the Nigerian billionaire industrialist, founder, and president of Dangote Group, explained why India has become a crucial partner in powering the next generation of large-scale projects for his company. Dangote’s Long Bet On India In the interview, Dangote discussed his relationship with India spans two decades, underpinning many of his most significant industrial ventures. “Our dealings with Indian companies actually go back to 2003,” he said, recalling the early expansion of his cement business. That partnership evolved into today’s megaprojects, including his refinery and petrochemical operations. He noted that companies such as Engineers India Ltd. (EIL) have been central to that growth. “We used EIL … and they did a very very great job,” he said. Dangote added that his refinery sourced over $2.5 billion...
Marvin Ellison ’s journey to becoming president, CEO, and chairman of Lowe’s began far from the boardroom. While attending the University of Memphis, he worked part-time at Target, earning $4.35 an hour, according to Fortune. “I was fortunate to land in a company that believed in developing people, and I just grinded it out for 15 years all the way up to a director level,” Ellison told Daymond John, the entrepreneur behind FUBU and an investor on “Shark Tank,” in a 2022 interview. That early experience shaped how Ellison approached his career, especially as someone who didn’t come from a traditional corporate pedigree. “I didn’t have an Ivy League education. I didn’t have any stellar international opportunities or stints on my resume. I’m competing against all of these exceptionally talented people on paper; I had to find a way to differentiate myself,” he shared in the interview. His strategy became simple but demanding: Take every tough assignment no one else wanted. “I’d take...
Mielle Organics has scored a first-of-its-kind partnership. The textured-hair care brand has experienced massive success. It is currently stocked by more than 100,000 retailers such as Target, CVS, Walgreens, Kroger, JCPenney, and Walmart, and in 2021, it secured $100 million in a non-dilutive round led by Berkshire Partners, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The brand started when its founder, Monique Rodriguez, took a leap of faith when she walked away from a career in nursing to launch the venture with the help of her husband, Melvin. Today, the pair still lead the company as CEO and COO following the company’s acquisition by P&G Beauty in 2023, per AFROTECH™. What’s more, it’s still making significant moves. According to a press release, Mielle Organics has made history as the first official textured-hair care partner of the NFL. View this post on Instagram Tracie Rodburg, the NFL’s senior vice president of global partnerships, said the league is “excited” to work with Mielle...
Kohl’s has officially named Michael Bender as its permanent CEO, putting a seasoned retail executive in charge after a turbulent period for the department store chain, the New York Post reports. According to the outlet, Bender, who stepped in as interim CEO in May 2025 following the dismissal of Ashley Buchanan, now faces the challenge of steering the company through declining sales, profit pressure, and shifting consumer habits. In a company press release, Bender said, “I’m honored to take on the role of CEO at Kohl’s. Working with the teams over the last six months has deepened my love of this company and my conviction in what’s possible for our future.” He added, “Kohl’s has a storied and important role in the retail industry, serving and celebrating families with great products, compelling value, and a differentiated shopping experience. I’m looking forward to reestablishing our leadership position by putting our customers first every day. While we’re pleased by our recent...
Community, family, love — those are the three words Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks CEO Derrick Hayes wants people to think of when they hear his name. Yes, he’s the founder of a multi-million-dollar brand, but he’s so much more than a successful businessman, he says. “[I went from] not knowing entrepreneurship to being a top entrepreneur in the country,” Hayes says in an interview with AFROTECH™ — and his journey supports that. The Rise Of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks A Philadelphia native who became an Atlanta transplant, Hayes opened his first Big Dave’s — originally called Dave’s Philly Water Ice — in 2014 inside a gas station in Dunwoody, GA. While he always dreamed of success, he says his greatest motivation came from a promise he made to his late father, Derrick Hayes Sr. “I just wanted to make him proud and honor something to him,” Hayes said. “So when I eventually built Big Dave’s, it was more so to prove to him that I can stand on my 10 toes and the words that I promised him. And then...
Black-woman-owned Prismm has secured significant funding to help families in times of crisis. Prismm Prismm is a transaction-enabled digital vault. It stores critical records that become essential during an emergency. Users can upload documents, property and asset information, and financial accounts. They can also add beneficiaries, trusted persons, lawyers, executors, or advisors as connections, granting them view-only, view-and-modify, or no access across all categories, according to the company’s website. All information stored on Prismm is encrypted using HTTPS and kept in a digital vault that can be decrypted only with an authorized user account and the correct account key. Prismm intends to protect deposits for financial institutions and automate the inheritance transfer process, which is timely given that $84.4 trillion in wealth is projected to be transferred to Millennial and Gen X heirs by 2045, according to financial services organization, Cerulli Associates. Inception...
These twin brothers flew across the world to pursue their dreams in anime. Raised in Paterson, NJ, Arthell and Darnell Isom split time between their parents who lived separately. Their mother enjoyed writing, and their father was a musician who also doubled as an artist and liked to draw and paint, Arthell said in an interview with the BBC. Their father was also a carpenter. “I described him as like he’s a serial entrepreneur. So anything that my dad could do, he would do it … And he would create like a whole like business from it,” Arthell said, according to the outlet. It may come as no surprise that the brothers caught the creative bug. They didn’t have many toys, but that didn’t put any limits on their imagination. Arthell recalled to BBC that they would spend a lot of time together and create “fake movies” with their dogs as characters, filmed on a video camera. They would also draw superheroes using the abundance of paper from their mom’s home. “We had like a big black binder,...
Dr. RoDina L. Williams has made history as the first Black person in Illinois to earn a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS). A mother, advocate, and scholar, Williams recently received her DCLS from the University of Texas Medical Branch but says it was her time at Illinois State University (ISU) that set her on the path to success. She first stepped into higher education at ISU, earning two bachelor’s degrees — in kinesiology and recreation and medical laboratory science, according to Illinois State University News. She currently serves as director of health sciences–medical laboratory programs at City Colleges of Chicago . “To stand as the first Black person in Illinois to have a Doctorate in Clinical Laboratory Science is a testament to every door our ancestors pushed open and every barrier we continue to dismantle,” Williams shared in an email to AFROTECH™. “This honor reminds me that representation isn’t just symbolic; it is a beacon. If my journey lights the path...
Issa Rae has built a multifaceted career as an actor, producer, director, and entrepreneur. With a net worth that Celebrity Net Worth estimates to be around $20 million, Rae first gained a devoted following through her 2011 YouTube series “The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl,” and later cemented her cultural impact with the Emmy-award-winning HBO series “Insecure.” Despite her achievements, Rae admits she doesn’t feel successful — at least not right now. Appearing on the first episode of KevOnStage’s “Not My Best Moment” podcast on Nov. 11, 2025, Rae shared that she currently feels stagnant in her career. “I know that I appear successful to other people, but right now, no, I feel really stagnant… because I only feel successful when my sh-t is on the air. I don’t have sh-t on the air right now,” Rae said, acknowledging that creating shows is her first love. “Like I can have the 18 businesses that you said, and those are like great passion projects, but like what I do and what...
Angel Mosley is equipping companies to mitigate cybersecurity risks. Mosley is a cybersecurity consultant and risk management professional who was first inspired to join the field while at Jackson State University. She scored an internship with Virgin Records and BMG Distribution and was living the dream, she told AFROTECH™. She even had a chance to be around entertainers such as Janet Jackson and Ice Cube. Ultimately, her interest in the field would be sparked after wandering into a computer room. “When you’re in college, you think you can ask anybody anything. So I was like, ‘Hey, how much money did you make when you graduated from college?’ [And they said], ‘Oh, we graduated making $60,000 a year,’ which back then was a lot of money. Right now, it’s still good money,” Mosley explained. “But I was like, $30,000, $60,000. I’ve always liked computers. I went back to school, changed my major to computer science, and never looked back.” She graduated from Jackson State University in...
Your past doesn’t define you, and this doctor is a testament to that. At 14 years old, Dr. Stanley Andrisse, MBA, Ph.D., raised in Ferguson, MO, was arrested. By his 20s, he had accumulated three felony drug convictions, according to The Dig at Howard University (The Dig). Yet, despite this experience, he went from being incarcerated in a maximum-security prison to working as an endocrinologist, scientist, and tenured professor at Howard University College of Medicine. The catalyst for rewriting his story occurred after losing his father to Type 2 diabetes while still incarcerated , according to a separate article from The Dig . That experience inspired him to learn more about the disease, prompting him to read his first scientific article. “ I decided to live differently and honor my father’s life by pursuing science,” he told the outlet. Andrisse applied to various graduate schools after being released from prison and received various rejections. Fortunately, he received an...
