Rocket scientist Aisha Bowe will bring plant samples from Winston-Salem State University to the first Blue Origin all-female mission to space in the spring. Odyssey, WSSU’s space science and operations firm, will launch an innovative suborbital space experiment aboard Blue Origin’s All-Female Mission, NS-31, according to a press release. This is the HBCU’s first suborbital spaceflight experiment for the WSSU’s Astrobotany research program, which is part of the Department of Biological Sciences. Experiment for the Future of Space Agriculture and Food Security Students will analyze crop plants’ early molecular stress
Meghan Markle has announced her new podcast about female founders. It will debut on April 8, exploring her journey as an entrepreneur and conversations with other female founders, as stated by People Magazine. The podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, produced by Lemonada Media, follows Meghan’s Netflix series With Love, Meghan and the launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever. Meghan Markle’s new podcast “I’m so proud of what we’re creating, and the candid conversations that I’m able to have with other female founders as we unpack the twists and
The non-profit We Are Enough (WAE) is hosting a new initiative, the 3.3.3 Challenge, which aims to inspire three million women to invest $3 billion over three years. The movement was created with a “gender lens” to help women expand their wealth, match their values, and build a world they want to see, as stated in a press release. What is We Are Enough? Founded by venture capitalist Tracy Gray, WAE educates women about investing, regardless of economic background. Gray is also the founder and managing partner of The 22 Fund, a
It’s difficult for Black female founders to get their foot in the door, especially when it comes to raising capital for their business. However, billionaire businessman Mark Cuban told ESSENCE that Black women shouldn’t necessarily be looking for funding. Instead, he believes they should take a different approach, one that he has personally followed in his own journey. Why should founders stop looking for funding? The Shark Tank investor spoke with ESSENCE at SXSW in Austin, Texas, ahead of his panel discussion on entrepreneurship with Tabitha Brown and entrepreneur Justin Fenchel.
LOréal USA has announced the sale of Carol’s Daughter to its founder and new President Lisa Price and finance veteran Joe Wong, initially only referred to by L’Oréal as an unnamed independent beauty entrepreneuer. Wong has several former L’Oréal brands under his belt, including Ambi Skincare, AcneFree, Baxter of California, and Dermablend. L’Oréal USA selling Carol’s Daughter This new move highlights L’Oréal’s belief in Price’s leadership and the new partner’s ability to honor the brand’s heritage, values, and commitment to its loyal customers. “At the heart of this legacy is
Zeal Capital Partners has announced that Stefanie Thomas-Martin has been promoted to Partner. Since joining the company in 2023, Thomas-Martin has led the Barclays Black Formation Investment (BBFI) vehicle, a $50 million pre-seed investment platform that supports Zeal Capital’s Inclusive Investing™ strategy. She also pioneered the firm’s inaugural scout program. On the Zeal Capital website, Thomas-Martin says she joined the team to “continue backing exceptional teams with a mission orientation towards delivering value for underserved communities.” Stefanie Thomas-Martin makes partner “Stefanie has consistently demonstrated a commitment to our mission and
Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s privately funded space venture, announced its next flight into space with an all-female crew. In a press release on Thursday, the firm shared that Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez will take a 10-minute flight to space from a West Texas launchpad this spring. This mission will be the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 that an all-female crew will be on a human-crewed spaceflight leaving Earth, according to Blue Origin. The all-female crew
Actress Kerry Washington joined Equip Health, a startup that supports people with eating disorders, as an investor and advisor, Fortune reports. Equip Health has raised $110 million from other angel investors, including Katie Couric and soccer celeb Alex Morgan. Equip provides users with virtual appointments with experts, including therapists, doctors, dietitians, family, and peer mentors. Washington opened up about her eating disorder in her memoir Thicker Than Water. She spoke about her struggles with binge eating and severe food restriction, often not consuming food for several days or obsessively exercising.
Ulu Ventures, reportedly the largest Latina-led fund in the US, has raised $208 million for its fourth fund. The fund supports seed-stage tech startups in the US using an inclusive, data-based approach that seeks to limit cognitive bias without shutting out any demographic group. This strategy has led to a more diverse portfolio than traditional venture investments. “Ulu is a beacon for the most talented entrepreneurial teams because we reduce bias by applying impartial methods of assessing risk and the same criteria to all people,” CEO, Co-founder, and Managing Director
We know that Black businesses are underrepresented in the business world; however, the number of Black-owned businesses in the US has spiked, according to a study by LendingTree. The study also found that Black-owned businesses are more likely to be led by women. While women run one-fifth (22.3%) of all US businesses, they lead two-fifths (39.1%) of Black-owned businesses—nearly twice the national average. Additionally, it found that Atlanta is the hub for Black-owned businesses for the third year running. The percentage of Black businesses is growing in the US. The
