Renowned producer Timbaland has launched his own AI entertainment company, Stage Zero, with its first artist, TaTa. The company was co-founded with his creative partner, Zayd Portillo, and film producer Rocky Mudaliar, according to Rolling Stone. Timbaland will handle most of the production for this new artificial intelligence venture, calling the new genre “A-Pop.” “I’m not just producing tracks anymore,” Timbaland said in a statement. “I’m producing systems, stories, and stars from scratch. [TaTa] is not an avatar. She is not a character. TaTa is a living, learning, autonomous music
Rhode was recently acquired by e.l.f. fr $800 million, with the potential for an additional $200 million payout based on the brand’s future growth over the next three years, as reported by Forbes. Perhaps less well known, but essential to Rhode’s success, is longtime cosmetic chemist and BeautyStat founder Ron Robinson. Ron Robinson’s career With 30 years in the beauty industry, Robinson played a part in leading Rhode to success. Beauty Matter reported that his career began at Adelphi University, where he studied biology and chemistry, with the intention of
Melissa Butler, founder and CEO of The Lip Bar, shared that sales have declined by 30% since the boycott of Target began earlier this year. The boycott is in response to Target’s decision to roll back its DEI efforts, which include a commitment to increasing Black representation by 20% and a program to feature more products by Black- and minority-owned businesses. Butler is now calling on consumers to support Black-owned businesses through other channels, including buying from them directly. The Lip Bar’s sales declining In a video posted on social media,
Zeal Capital Partners has closed its second fund at $82 million, tripling its assets under management (AUM) to $186 million in just five years. The Washington, DC-based firm plans to invest the new capital in early-stage startups across fintech, healthcare, and the future of learning and work. A Broader, Stronger Investor Base Zeal’s investor base has grown significantly with this latest fund. Zeal’s limited partners now include Citi Impact Fund, M&T Bank, MassMutual, Wells Fargo, Zaffre Investments and Spelman College, according to a press release shared with POCIT. In addition
The Detroit-based tech meetup for creatives has received a $1 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The funding will be used to grow its workshop across the state, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. It’s the largest single grant out of $6.8 million that the MEDC is giving to 23 organizations as part of the Trusted Connector Grant program, the MEDC announced on Wednesday. The $1 million grant Black Tech Saturdays will run a pilot program in Detroit and Lansing, featuring 25-30 micro workshops that provide focused programming for
This article is sponsored by Walmart Business. Black and Hispanic entrepreneurs are reshaping the hospitality industry, from vibrant boutique hotels and dynamic catering services to in-demand short-term rentals. Yet despite their outsized growth (Black-owned accommodation and food businesses jumped 45% between 2020 and 2023 and Latino-owned grew 35%), these founders often pay up to 20% more for bulk supplies and face steeper hurdles from inflation and supply-chain instability. At POCIT, we celebrate and empower these leaders. Here’s how Walmart Business equips Black and Hispanic hospitality founders to protect their time,
Google has agreed to pay $50 million in a racial bias lawsuit against Black staff workers. On Thursday evening, a preliminary settlement covering over 4,000 Google employees in California and New York was filed in Oakland, California federal court, which requires a judge’s approval, according to Reuters. The lawsuit In 2022, the plaintiff, April Curley, proposed a class action lawsuit from the California Civil Rights Department, stating that management gave opportunities only for lower-ranked roles, paid them less, gave them lower performance ratings, and stopped them from opportunities for development
Streamer Kai Cenat has launched Streamer University, a weekend event aimed at aspiring content creators. He first teased the idea during a Twitch stream on February 13, revealing plans to rent out a university campus for the experience. On Tuesday, the 23-year-old unveiled the project with a Harry Potter–themed Instagram video captioned, “Enroll Now.” According to The Independent, the enrollment site received one million applications within minutes, overwhelming the site and causing error messages for some users. Kai Cenat’s Streaming university Applicants successfully enrolled in the university will spend a
Magic Johnson and Angel Reese have launched Wealth Playbook, a new financial literacy program for high school seniors in Baltimore. The program aims to teach students how to manage money and build long-term wealth. The initiative is a partnership between the Angel Reese Foundation, the Magic Johnson Foundation, and Pull Up Neighbor, a marketing and advertising firm focused on community outreach. Bringing Financial Education to Baltimore Classrooms The four-session program began last week at Saint Frances Academy, Reese’s former high school, in collaboration with wealth management giant Merrill Lynch. In
Are you a techie or a founder? Are you based in New York? More importantly, are you free on the 5th of June? If you tick all those boxes, we proudly invite you to our ‘Founder Stories,’ an event bringing techies together. This unique event, powered by Braze, will include a robust lineup of founders breaking barriers and transforming the tech industry. Founder Stories is part of New York Tech Week, a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Be ready to engage in honest
