Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown announced his latest initiative, Oakland XChange, which will support underrepresented business owners and creators in Oakland. This initiative follows the success of his nonprofit Boston XChange (BXC), where he also created similar opportunities for underrepresented business owners, according to Boston Celtics. What is Oakland XChange? Similar to his first nonprofit, Oakland XChange will provide underrepresented creators in Oakland with $100,000 in grant funding, workspaces, and business services valued at more than $150,000. The entrepreneurs will also be offered three years of coaching and receive assistance
Stacy Brown-Philpot, TaskRabbit’s former chief executive officer, secured $172 million for her new venture fund, Cherryrock Capital. The fund focuses on investing at the Series A and B stages in companies led by underinvested entrepreneurs. Cherryrock Capital’s investors included JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc, as well as Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Ariel Investments’ Mellody Hobson, and former Meta Platforms Inc. chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, according to Bloomberg. The fund’s launch comes at a time when several companies are scaling back their
The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, announced it will end its commitment to DEI, according to The Guardian. Executives at CZI told staff workers on Tuesday evening that it would end its internal and external DEI efforts, as stated in an internal email and other messages. The announcement came despite Zuckerberg’s recent assurances that the for-profit charity organization’s longstanding support for DEI remained unchanged. “Given the shifting regulatory and legal landscape, we will no longer have a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility team at
The NAACP has announced the launch of the Black Consumer Advisory to help Black consumers stay informed on which companies promote diversity. As more companies continue to scale back their DEI programs, Black consumers should spend their money where they are valued. However, they can only do this if they know which companies value diversity and inclusion. This is why the NAACP is creating the Black Consumer Advisory, to remind Black consumers that their money is valuable. “The NAACP stands firm in our belief that, in a global economy, those
Raenest, a multi-currency platform for Africans, raised $11 million in series A funding, bringing its total venture funding to $14.3 million. The funding round was led by QED Investors, Norrsken22, Ventures Platform, P1 Ventures, and Seedstars. Who are Raenest, and what do they do? Lagos-based Raenest is a global multi-currency platform that aims to simplify how Africans manage their money across borders. The company offers quick, affordable international payments and simple ways to spend, save, and invest. “We strongly believe that no African, whether a business or an individual, should face barriers to accessing
Deloitte recently shared that it would scrap its diversity goals and urged government contract employees to remove gender pronouns from their email signatures. However, in the UK, Deloitte’s senior partner and chief executive Richard Houston informed staff in an email that diversity “remains a priority” despite the US firm’s plans for DEI. Deloitte US rolling back on DEI efforts. The Financial Times reported that the firm told consultants to remove pronouns highlighting their gender from external emails to align with emerging government client practices and requirements,” as stated by people with
At 17, Omarion Calloway received 21 college offers and $1.3 million in scholarships; it’s an achievement that any teenager should be proud of. What makes this accomplishment more outstanding is that he did it while navigating grief, instability, and the responsibility of caring for his family members since childhood. For this reason, Calloway has launched WeRiseLoud, a platform committed to giving caregivers, survivors, and marginalized communities a voice. The platform will provide caregivers with the tools they need to move forward. It will be a hub for inspiring stories and art to
On Monday, President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that Mexico would sue Google if it continues to label the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America to US-based users, CNN reports. President Sheinbaum contended that President Trump’s executive order to rename it only pertains to the continental shelf’s part under US control. “What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the US continental shelf,” told CNN. “We do not agree with
Live Nation Urban has shared its recent investment in Breakr, a leading marketing and tech platform. Breakr is the focal point for music, creators, and technology. It allows music labels, creative agencies, and brands to quickly pay and contract independent online content creators to promote songs and services. The investment came from the Black Lily Capital Fund, a new venture fund created by Live Nation and Live Nation Urban to support early-stage music companies founded by Black entrepreneurs. “Our investment reflects our belief in the founders, in the transformative power
Undocumented migrants were among the many workers employed to help build Telsa and SpaceX facilities just outside of Austin, TX, despite Elon Musk’s call for stricter immigration policies, a Bloomberg investigation has revealed. Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed labor advocates, contract managers, and ten undocumented workers employed by third-party contractors. To verify their ties to Tesla and SpaceX, Businessweek reviewed site photos and videos taken by employees and confirmed details through family and friends. Undocumented migrant labor at Tesla and SpaceX Undocumented workers have reportedly been a regular part of Tesla’s workforce
