Black developer, Meka Knepley, has announced the launch of her social shopping app, ReUp, described as a crossover between TikTok and Amazon. The app, expected to launch this October, will allow users to watch videos and shop simultaneously, with one click. Like apps such as Instagram and TikTok, users will have the ability to scroll through content and products endlessly. Community through shopping ReUp provides users with an innovative shopping experience that benefits businesses and shoppers alike. The video feature aims to make it easier for people to discover small, upcoming businesses
“My success as a Community Manager requires a certain level of autonomy, and that can be scary for brands,” says Mercedes in an interview with Forbes. Streaming service Tidal was founded by Jay-Z in 2014 who has managed to build an online audience and platform that profoundly resonates with its target audience. Melanie Mercedes has been one of the most significant forces behind developing TIDAL’s social strategy and building a solid worldwide online audience. Over the past two years, Mercedes has been actively growing the streaming services’ online presence. TIDAL has raised
Video-sharing platform, TikTok, has partnered up with Cyversity to connect underrepresented individuals with more opportunities in the cybersecurity world. TikTok is championing the #SeeYourselfInCyber hashtag as a part of a new HBCU program set to launch later this fall. The program, made up of an online mentoring syllabus, will host in-person events at HBCUs to aid students with the skills needed to work within the cybersecurity sector. The initiative aims to solve the issue of 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by awarding 50 students a scholarship representing the platform’s ongoing commitment to helping the next
Since its launch in 2009, WhatsApp has intensified instant messaging and made communicating easier for families, friends, and companies. But in most recent years, particularly during the pandemic, it’s being used for much more. Teachers in Africa took advantage of the platform during the lockdowns when schools were shut. Data from a study conducted by Sabinet analyzed a WhatsApp group of 24 economics teachers and three lead teachers (heads of departments) from 15 schools in Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa and a focus group interview was thematically analyzed to present findings.
A well-known influencer collective, Collab Crew (formerly known as Collab Crib) has had a turbulent few months with its founder Keith Dorsey stepping down to focus on his mental health, appointing Robert Dean III (@robiiiworld) to take the lead and of course the big news that it’s shifting from a collab house into a studio. What was the ‘Collab Crib? It was one of the nation’s only content houses for all-Black influencers. There – 10 young creators worked daily under the care of a manager. Most of them lived in
Capitol Music Group has severed ties with the FN Meka project following accusations that the AI rapper perpetuated racial stereotypes online. FN Meka, a virtual “robot rapper,” created by the founders of Factory New, a “first of its kind, next-generation music company specializing in virtual beings.” In a short time, FN Meka amassed over 10 million followers on TikTok and 500,000 monthly Spotify subscribers based on music and lyrics generated by an AI based on popular rap music. The robot rapper, which industry professionals described as a “preview of what’s
Music platform, Shazam, has officially crowned Drake as the most searched artist of all, with over 350 million searches. According to Variety, the platform put together a list of its most searched artists to celebrate the app’s 20th birthday. Unsurprisingly, musician Drake was ranked as the most sought-after artist on Shazam’s radar. Out of all tracks in Drake’s discography, “One Dance” was one of the most searched tracks with over 17 million Shazams. Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” took second place as the most Shamazed song, with most people searching for the
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz’ relationship with short-form music video app Triller has taken a turn for the worst. According to reports, the pair have decided to sue Triller after alleging they refused to pay them $28 million after acquiring Verzuz, a rap-battle show they founded during the first peak of the pandemic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Timbaland and Swizz Beats entered a settlement and signed a payment agreement with the platform. The deal meant Triller was supposed to pay the pair $9 million each and $500,000 on the first of
Billionaire Silicon Valley mogul, Adam Neumann, has bounced back from the spectacular failure of WeWork to become the face behind a $1 billion residential real estate company, Flow. According to Bloomberg, venture capital powerhouse Andreessen Horowitz has pledged approximately $350 million to kickstart Neumann’s newest venture. This investment will be the largest check written for single funding round, in the fund’s history, according to the New York Times – and it’s got everyone on the internet talking. Failing upwards Neumann’s new business venture comes three years after the world witnessed the meteoric
Black Business Month is well and truly underway. To celebrate, video-sharing platform TikTok has announced it is now accepting applications for its third annual ‘Support Black Businesses’ accelerator program. The accelerator program, launched in 2020 in the wake of the George Floyd protests, aims to help elevate the voices of Black-owned businesses on TikTok. Through the initiative, Black entrepreneurs will have exclusive access to resources, benefits, and networking opportunities. The program will also offer entrepreneurs custom virtual training sessions across four weeks to help them accelerate their business on TikTok.
