The Root, an online news and media website, will be owned by a Black woman for the first time. Democratic political strategist and CNN commentator, Ashley Allison, announced that she is acquiring The Root from G/O Media, a digital media holding company controlled by a private equity firm. CNN reported that Allison said she will invest in video content, build new partnerships with experts, and launch in-person experiences for The Root’s readers. The Root’s history In 2008, Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Donald E. Graham launched The
The Fearless Fund has launched a new initiative one year after settling a lawsuit with the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER). The announcement of Fearless Global Initiative was made at an event hosted by The Fearless Fund, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This is (as) good for the white Kentucky coal miner as it is the Latino California farmworker,” Founding Partner and CEO Arian Simone told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Demographic equity means delivering the resources, the financial support, at a scale that reflects the population. This is something we
During Mafiathon 3, Kai Cenat released a trailer for a movie featuring himself and comedians Kevin Hart and Druski. The movie will be a horror-comedy film about streamers titled “Livestream From Hell,” directed by David Janoff. Mafiathon is a series of month-long, non-stop live streaming events hosted by Cenat, where fans can subscribe to support and keep the event going. Kai Cenat’s movie The announcement was made during a sleepover-style broadcast hosted at Hart’s house. “My n*** are going to be movie stars,” Hart said, as reported by Complex. “You
Vibe-coding startup Anything has raised $11 million in financing at a $100 million valuation, led by Footwork, with additional backing from Uncork, Bessemer Venture Partners, and M13. Founded by former Google colleagues Dhruv Amin and Marcus Lowe, the platform lets anyone build and monetize an app through vibe coding — a technique where users provide an AI assistant with “vibes” or natural-language descriptions, and the assistant generates, refines, and debugs functional code. The Viral AI App Builder Anything went live on August 7, the same day as GPT-5, and reached
Shield, a crypto neo-bank, has raised a $5 million seed round led by Giant Ventures to help businesses send and receive money across borders more quickly and affordably. CEO Emmanuel Udotong told TechCrunch that he and his team launched Shield as mainstream uses for crypto were scarce, while “bad actors” were dominating the space. Shield’s goal, he said, is to bring blockchain into the real economy by solving real-world problems. How Shield Works Shield was founded in 2022 by Udotong, his brother Isaiah, and their college friend Luis Carchi. The
Ariel Alternatives has acquired Groome Industrial Service Group, a provider of industrial cleaning and maintenance solutions. JPMorgan Chase & Co. joined the deal with a minority stake through its asset management division. Founded by business leader Mellody Hobson, Ariel Alternatives is the private equity arm of Ariel Investments, one of the largest Black-owned money managers in the US. The acquisition will help Groome, which employs more than 900 people across more than 20 US sites, expand its market share by tapping into the firm’s ties in the energy and utilities
Career Karma, the app and community that has helped thousands transition into tech careers, has been acquired by New York-based student platform Climb Credit. Ruben Harris founded Career Karma in 2018 alongside twin brothers Artur and Timur Meyster, building on the success of their earlier podcast that introduced newcomers to the tech industry. With this acquisition, Career Karma’s mission to expand access to tech careers takes on a new scale, helping prospective students gain training programs and career opportunities before and after they graduate. About Credit Karma Before launching Career Karma,
The National Science Board has elected Victor McCrary as its new chair, the board announced July 24. McCary, who is currently the vice president for research and professor of chemistry at the University of the District of Columbia, will replace former Chair Darío Gil, who left the role to become under secretary for science at the US Department of Energy. “The nation’s science and technology (S&T) enterprise is in the midst of a profound transformation,” Chair McCrary said in a press release. “A transformation that began years ago and is
The US Latino GDP has soared to $4 trillion, making it the second-fastest growing among the world’s ten largest, according to the newly released 2025 Official LDC US Latino GDP Report. The report, now in its eighth edition, was published by the Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC), a think tank dedicated to highlighting economic growth opportunities. “The data confirms what we’ve seen building for years,” Sol Trujillo, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Latino Donor Collaborative, said in a press release. “Latinos in the US are not just participating in the economy;
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is on its way to our theaters, and as part of the movie’s promotion, Marvel has partnered with Xbox to inspire the next generation of gaming and tech leaders. According to an HBCU Connect survey, 95% of HBCU students and alumni are interested in a career in the gaming industry. Yet, only 2% of video gaming industry professionals are Black. The Marvel and Xbox partnership aims to narrow the gap between these two figures. Code your own Marvel game Fans around the world are being invited to
