TikTok and Issa Rae’s HOORAE are launching a new micro-series of content available on TikTok and PineDrama. HOORAE Digital has produced the first series, Screen Time, which launches later this month, according to a press release. This collaboration marks a return to Rae’s digital roots, she said at TheWrap’s Creator x Hollywood Summit. She added that her team created Screen Time for today’s content audience, with the series launching across TikTok and PineDrama. Issa Rae launching a series on TikTok Screen Time opens with a couple on a double date, only to be
This Married Couple Built a $38M Haircare Brand. And They Just Raised Capital while Keeping Control.
The Doux, a Black-owned hair care brand, has received a minority investment from VMG Partners, according to WWD. Maya Smith and Brian Smith launched the brand in 2011 as a salon in Germany, where Brian was stationed as a US Air Force veteran. “I opened a salon because at the time, there weren’t really any hair spaces overseas that really focused on curly hair. I started developing [the product line] in 2010, but we launched in 2012, and then when we came back to the States, our official mass launch was
White Influencer Lauren Blake Boultier used AI to place her face on a photo of Black influencer Tatiana Elizabeth, according to People Magazine. The image was a 2-year-old photo of Elizabeth at the US Open. Boultier shared the image to her 1.6 million followers last month, leading them to believe she attended the Miami Open. Social media users started to notice that the image belonged to Elizabeth. On March 30, Elizabeth posted a screenshot of Bouliter’s photo next to her original on threads. The image showed that Boultier was wearing the
Fenty Beauty has launched Rose Amber,” an AI-powered beauty advisor built for WhatsApp, as reported by Glossy. Users can get reviews, product recommendations, and tutorials through the chat. This marks the brand’s first partnership with Meta in the US. “We’ve always wanted to partner with Meta more deeply,” Nanette Wong, global VP of marketing and communications at Fenty, told Glossy. “WhatsApp is so widely used all over the world, and our community and accessibility are important to us. So, we’re always thinking of new ways to connect with them.” What
A judge has granted two Black women permission to proceed with their lawsuit against McDonald’s, Reuters reported. In the lawsuit, Victoria Guster-Hines and Domineca, two former McDonald’s VPs, claim that they faced discrimination because they were Black women and forced to leave after speaking up. The lawsuit is filed against McDonald’s USA, LLC; McDonald’s Corp.; Steven Easterbrook; Christopher Kempczinski; and Charles Strong. In a 2020 lawsuit, a regional president critiqued “Black woman attitude” and said that one of the plaintiffs and other McDonald’s employees were “angry Black women,” according to
Farm Credit is accusing Uncle Nearest of fraud, which includes an attempt to conceal a $20 million loan from Jay-Z, as stated by the Lexington Herald Leader. Nearest Green Distillery and the flagship Uncle Nearest whiskey brand have been under the management of a receiver since September, after lender Farm Credit Mid-America claimed the Weavers defaulted on more than $108 million in loans. Farm Credit Mid-America claims that Fawn and Keith Weaver have “egregiously mischaracterized” a $20 million loan from Jay-Z’s venture capital firm, MarcyPen. Jay-Z loan to Uncle Nearest being questioned
Anifa Mvuemba, founder of the fashion brand Hanifa, has announced that the brand will pause production. “I don’t want to rush just to prove resilience. I don’t want to pretend everything is fine just to keep momentum,” Mvuemba said in an interview with The Cut. “Right now, I’m reflecting. I’m protecting what matters to me in this season. And I’m allowing myself to be human in the process. I don’t know exactly what the future of Hanifa looks like at this very moment. And for the first time in 14
Pat McGrath Labs is being marketed to prospective buyers through bankruptcy proceedings, only days after GDA Luma said it had secured a controlling stake, The Business of Beauty reports. A bankruptcy judge chose Gordian Group as Pat McGrath Labs’ investment bank, which is seeking an “investment and acquisition opportunity” for the brand, as stated in a presentation viewed by BoF. Pat Mcgrath looking for a new investment During the presentation, prospective buyers were told that any transaction must repay debtor-in-possession claims totalling over $60 million, with an additional estimated $70 to
Makeup artist label Pat McGrath Labs has secured a $30 million financing package from the financial firm GDA Luma, according to Business of Fashion. The company filed for bankruptcy in a Miami court earlier this year to restructure its debts. The debt came from a loan obtained in April 2025 from GDA, according to the filings. The package was approved by a Miami, Florida bankruptcy court, which approved $10 million in new debtor-in-possession financing for the makeup brand, plus an additional $20 million in post-emergence working capital, according to a
Black-owned investment firm Fearless Fund is launching a microfinance fund in Ghana. This, after, comes the American Alliance (AAER), which sued Fearless Fund, claiming that the Strivers Grant, sponsored by Mastercard, violated the Civil Rights Act of 1866 by excluding white founders. The Fearless Fund launched a new initiative one year after settling a lawsuit with the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER). Now the venture capital firm has set its sights on Africa. It’s launching a microfinance fund in Ghana on March 21 and awarding GHS 100,000 to female entrepreneurs, according to
