Kava, a Nollywood streaming platform, is set to launch in August 2025 with over 30 Nollywood titles. The platform is a partnership between Inkblot Studios and Filmhouse Group, according to Deadline. “Kava is more than a streaming service. It’s a bold new chapter for Nollywood, designed to meet the growing demand for premium, authentic African content and to redefine how the world experiences our stories,” Kava Co-CEO Chinaza Onuzo said. “By giving both rising and establishing talent a trusted, lucrative stage to tell their stories, we’re building a platform that doesn’t
Black-owned social media network Fanbase has reached $12.7 million of its $17 million equity crowdfunding campaign. Founder Isaac Hayes III announced the milestone in an Instagram post, saying, “This raise is part of a larger mission to democratize ownership in the social media space.” Hayes is shifting away from traditional venture capital and turning to the community for investors, as the public now has the opportunity to own a stake in the platform. Fanbase’s equity crowdfunding campaign It reached $10 million of its equity crowdfunding campaign in 2024, which reportedly made Hayes
Sports tech company, Ballin AI, just announced the close of a $500,000 angel round. The startup, founded by Division I athlete Nyla Pollard, analyzes players’ gameplay to help them improve their performance and increase their recruitment chances. After players upload their film, the footage is examined by a nationally recognized evaluator, who then scores it across various criteria, including defense, shooting, rebounding, scoring, transition, ball handling, and finishing. How does Ballin AI work? “We created Ballin because every athlete deserves the opportunity to have the information they need to develop
Vogue is receiving backlash for the use of an AI-generated model in its August issue. The double-page Guess advertisement, created by AI marketing agency Seraphinne Vallora, features a blonde model wearing two different outfits. Seraphinne Vallora specializes in “editorial-level AI-driven marketing campaigns and cinematic videos.” The agency has previously worked on editorial shoots featured in Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. Seraphinne Vallora told the BBC that it created 10 draft models for Guess cofounder Paul Marciano, who ultimately selected one brunette and one blonde. When asked about the choice of race for the model,
Live Nation Urban has launched the Live Nation Urban Creator Network in partnership with Breakr, a creator marketing and payments platform. The national network will be powered by a tailored collective of thousands of top Black creators and backed by Breakr’s broader database of 75,000+ creators and 55 million data points. Live Nation will be able to provide brands with an innovative media channel that is culturally relevant and instantly scalable. “As brands increasingly looked to us to help them connect authentically with Black audiences, even outside the context of our events, it became
Green Book Global, the first Black travel review mobile app, and EatOkra, an app for discovering Black-owned restaurants, are collaborating to add over 2,500 Black-owned restaurants into Green Book Global’s Driving While Black Road Trip Planner. With this new partnership, travellers will be able to use the Green Book Global app or website to add Black-owned restaurants from EatOkra straight to their road trip commutes across the US. “This collaboration is about more than food. It’s about culture, safety, and creating a network of trusted spaces for Black travelers as
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media after Skydance agreed to end DEI efforts. The settlement has removed the final step for media and entertainment companies to close the deal. “It is time for a change. That is why I welcome Skydance’s commitment to make significant changes at the once storied CBS broadcast network,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement, according to CBS News. Carr mentioned Skydance’s plans to hire a CBS News ombudsman to examine complaints of editorial bias
Etsy Users are urging customers to boycott the online marketplace after “Alligator Alcatraz” merch was found on its website. The term refers to the Trump administration detention centre in the Florida Everglades. Sky News reported that the facility has been compared to a “dog cage” with some detainees saying “not even sunlight gets in.” It’s built from Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers and temporary shelters at the site of a training airport in Miami-Dade County and is situated in the middle of a natural alligator habitat, according to Fast Company.
R&B singer SZA raised the alarm about the environmental impact of AI, especially on Black and brown communities, in a series of Instagram Story posts on July 16. The R&B singer said the only AI she is interested in using is “actual imagination,” according to a screenshot captured by Vibe. “AI is killing and polluting black and brown cities. None of you care cause your codependent on a machine. Have a great life,” the singer added. SZA Calls Out Environmental Racism Fans had flocked to SZA’s page in search of
Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content: https://www.patreon.com/techish This week, Techish hosts Michael and Abadesi dive into the incident that everyone is talking about: two execs spotted getting cozy at a Coldplay concert. They unpack the drama, talk about trust in the workplace, and explore how social media turns everything into a spectacle. They also chat about the blurry lines in work relationships, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, and ask if influencer culture is losing its grip? Let’s get into it. Chapters 00:26 Tech Execs Caught on Coldplay Kiss Cam06:59 Trust,
