Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, told employees in Minneapolis on Feb. 4, 2026, that he plans to rebuild customer and employee trust after the retailer’s pullback from DEI triggered backlash. Reporting from Bloomberg News shows Fiddelke used his first town hall to concede that Target “lost” trust and that leadership failed to communicate clearly in the moment. CNN reports that the credibility gap was tied to the dismantling of DEI commitments, including a program that helped Black-owned businesses secure shelf placement, plus the removal of minority hiring goals and the
Complyance said Wednesday it raised a $20 million Series A led by GV to sell AI agents that run continuous governance, risk, and compliance checks inside enterprise tech stacks. Reporting from TechCrunch describes a product aimed at replacing periodic, audit-based reviews that can take weeks or months with automated checks that run in seconds. The shift matters because large companies increasingly treat compliance as a real-time control surface tied to vendor access and data movement, not a quarterly paperwork cycle. Capital is shifting compliance from audits to always-on controls Complyance
Kevin Hart’s Gran Coramino tequila has generated about $200 million in cumulative retail sales since 2022, executives said on Yahoo Finance’s “Opening Bid.” Reporting from Yahoo Finance cites co-founder and liquor executive James Morrissey saying the brand produced $85 million in 2025 retail sales, sold 3.6 million bottles, and delivered nearly $2 million in weekly consumer-level sales in stores. Yahoo Finance also reported that Gran Coramino sold nearly 300,000 nine-liter cases in roughly three years, with about half of those cases attributed to 2025. The numbers matter because U.S. spirits
iHeartMedia extended a multi-year deal with Charlamagne Tha God, keeping “The Breakfast Club” and The Black Effect Podcast Network tied to iHeart’s audio distribution and ad stack. Black PR Wire reported the agreement as an extension of an existing relationship that spans broadcast radio, a nationally syndicated morning show with more than 7 million monthly listeners, and a podcast joint venture. The structural importance lies in the control of monetization rails. iHeart keeps a high-volume Black audience and premium talent inside its integrated ad-tech and syndication system, while Charlamagne retains
Nike faces a federal EEOC investigation in Missouri after the Trump administration moved in court on Feb. 4, 2026, to compel information tied to allegations of anti-white discrimination. Documents cited by The New York Times show the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which currently has a 2-1 Republican majority, seeks records on layoffs, hiring, internships, and career programs that it says may have treated white workers and applicants differently. The investigation matters because it tests how far large employers can use demographic targets and race-tracked development programs before regulators reframe
When Simone Biles left a Nike endorsement reportedly worth $1.6 million a month and signed with Athleta in 2021, it shocked the sports world. Biles’ move was not about money but about her values and feeling supported as an individual, Marca reported. From performance marketing to values-first partnership The four-time Olympic gold medalist exited Nike months before the Tokyo Olympics. Athleta, the Gap Inc.-owned activewear brand, offered a partnership structured around collaboration and product development. The deal included direct work with Athleta’s design team and a focus on Athleta Girl,
Pat McGrath Labs, the luxury beauty brand once valued at more than $1 billion, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, as first reported by WWD. The company will continue operating as it restructures its finances, while founder Pat McGrath remains active in high‑profile creative roles across the fashion and beauty industries. A Once Billion-Dollar Brand Faces Financial Strain Founded in 2015 by British makeup artist Pat McGrath, the brand quickly built global acclaim for its bold pigments and runway-inspired artistry. In 2018, Eurazeo Brands invested $60 million for a
Khaby Lame, the most-followed creator on TikTok, has finalized the sale of his core company, Step Distinctive Limited, in an all-stock deal widely reported at around $900 million. The buyer is Rich Sparkle Holdings, a Hong Kong–based firm that also trades in the US as ANPA.US. Under the agreement, Rich Sparkle will hold exclusive operational rights to Lame’s brand for an initial three-year period, while Lame becomes a controlling shareholder in the acquiring company. From Viral Reach to a Single Operating System Lame, who was born in Senegal and raised
Dr. Gladys West, the mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern GPS technology, has died at the age of 95. She passed away on January 17, 2026, reportedly surrounded by family at her home in Alexandria, Virginia. West’s contributions underpin a technology now embedded in global commerce, aviation, emergency response, and everyday navigation, though her role went largely unrecognized until late in her life. From Virginia Farmland to Federal Research Born Gladys Mae Brown on October 27, 1930, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia, she grew up on a small family
Steven Bartlett, the founder and host of “The Diary of a CEO,” said he hired a candidate with a two-line CV after reading her behavior in the building as a stronger signal than formal experience. Bartlett told Fortune that “much of the reason why I gave her the job was that she thanked the security guard by name on the way into the building.” He framed that moment as evidence of humility, respect, and social awareness, traits he considers difficult to train compared with job skills. During the interview, she
