Dawn Staley has made history yet again. The University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball coach continues to leave an indelible mark on the sport. Known for her trailblazing accomplishments, Staley first made headlines in 2021 when she became the highest-paid Black coach in NCAA women’s basketball, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. Her leadership has propelled the Gamecocks to remarkable success, including appearances in six NCAA Final Fours and securing the school’s first national title in 2017, Reuters reports. Since then, Staley has only strengthened her legacy. In 2024, under her guidance, the team celebrated an undefeated 38-0 season, culminating in their third national championship, according to Sports Illustrated. Notably, all three titles have been achieved during her tenure. A Historic New Contract Staley’s transformative impact on the University of South Carolina’s basketball program has earned her another groundbreaking contract. Per a university press release,...

Amazon has updated its company policy and a section of its website that provides employment information, removing language that ensures protection for Black and LGBTQ+ employees. In late December 2024, the company removed statements supporting and advocating for transgender rights protections as well as expressing “solidarity” with Black employees and customers, according to The Washington Post. Amazon also removed language supporting laws to address misconduct and racial bias in policing, initiatives to protect and expand voting rights , and efforts to promote better health and educational opportunities for Black people. The sections titled “Equity for Black People” and “LGBTQ+ Rights” no longer exist in the company’s policy, along with all references to the term “transgender.” The “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” section now states that “inequitable treatment of anyone — including Black people, LGBTQ+ people, Asians, women, and others — is unacceptable.” A page once titled...

As American social media users brace for the Jan. 19 TikTok ban , thousands have begun searching for alternative apps to satiate their doom scrolling fix. While many American-based tech CEO’s such as Mark Zuckerberg had hoped that the TikTok ban would encourage users to flock to other short-form video players such as Instagram or YouTube Shorts, it seems that the masses have stumbled onto an unknown gem called Xiaohongshu instead. The app, which translates to RedNote in English, is owned by a Shanghai-based company known as Xingyin Information Technology, and touts itself as a lifestyle, social networking and e-commerce service . Given that RedNote primarily serves a Chinese audience, it defaults to Mandarin upon download, and exposes new users to an audience of hundreds of millions of overseas subscribers. The sudden influx of so-called “TikTok refugees” has caused RedNote to skyrocket in popularity, taking it to the number one position among the free apps chart on both the Apple...

Charlamagne tha God has been inspired by his father’s entrepreneurial spirit for as long as he can remember. His father, who owned a fish market and a construction business, told him long ago, “When you get a business, don’t put your name on it. Because people [will] hate on it for no reason.” He’s kept that advice in mind on his journey. Born Lenard McKelvey, Charlamagne has established himself as a radio host, television personality, comedian, and businessman. One of his latest ventures involves expanding Krystal Restaurants. In an interview with AFROTECH™ , Charlamagne said franchising has always been a goal of his, and partnering with Krystal, a beloved Southern staple, was a great opportunity. “It just became one of those things that me and my wife wanted to do,” he told AFROTECH™. “This is one of those situations that just happened pretty organically. And I was with it. My wife was with it. You know, my financial team was with it. And we made it happen.” Charlamagne and his...

Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC, marking a significant transition just days before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House . USA Today reports that she will remain in an advisory role until March. Rebecca Kutler, a Jones recruit from CNN and MSNBC’s senior vice president of content strategy, will serve as the interim president. “I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team,” Jones shared in an internal memo to staff, per USA Today. “This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you.” Jones was the first Black woman to head a major television news network when appointed in December 2020, AFROTECH™ previously reported. She succeeded Phil Griffin, officially stepping into the role in Feb. 1, 2021. Jones previously served as senior vice...

LeBron James’ business partner and Klutch Sports Group Founder Maverick Carter is looking to own an international league. Since 2006, Carter has been working alongside James within the business world. The pair had been playing basketball together in high school, and Carter was a trusted figure in James’ life. For that reason he was tapped by the NBA superstar to assist him on the business side as his sports career was taking off. “He betted on me at a time I didn’t know what I was doing,” Carter recalled during an interview on the “ UNINTERRUPTED” podcast . “And, you know, I’m still learning every day. But he really gave me a shot and was like, ‘I’m gonna empower you.'” Since that time, Carter has been a pivotal player in James’ journey to becoming a billion-dollar athlete today. Carter has served as his manager , and they have launched several business together, including SpringHill Entertainment, which merged with British television, film, and music production company Fulwell 73...

LeBron James has revealed why he turned down a $10 million shoe deal at 18. The Los Angeles Lakers player appeared on the “New Heights” podcast to reflect on the array of shoe deals he considered during his early days in the league. While currently signed with Nike, James once weighed different options. At a young age, James was inspired by Michael Jordan and Penny Hardaway, who were both signed to Nike. When he began playing for AAU, he grew fond of Adidas, Nike’s retail competitor. “It was Adidas from seventh, eighth grade to pretty much my junior senior year. They sponsored us. Every year, we played in all the Adidas tournaments,” he said on the podcast. At one point, a wave of companies approached James, but he felt that Reebok had delivered the most compelling pitch. “I’m sitting across from the table. I’m a senior in high school…I’m going back to class the next day. They flew me in. I’m going back to St. Vince St Mary the next day, my senior year, and the guy slides over a...

Meta is set to lay off over 3,600 employees, or roughly 5% of its “lowest performers.” In an internal memo posted on the company’s Workplace forum on Tuesday, Jan. 14, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 2025 will be an “intense year” for Meta, and he wants to “make sure we have the best people on our teams,” according to CNBC. “Meta is working on building some of the most important technologies of the world,” Zuckerberg wrote. “AI, glasses as the next computing platform and the future of social media .” He said those affected by the layoffs will be notified by Feb. 10, 2025, or later for individuals outside the United States. “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low performers faster,” Zuckerberg said. “We typically manage out people who aren’t meeting expectations over the course of a year, but now we’re going to do more extensive performance-based cuts during this cycle, with the intention of back filling these roles in 2025.” He added, “We won’t manage out...

Pryce Yebesi has raised new funding in his next era as a founder. Yebesi co-founded Utopia Labs at the age of 21 alongside Kaito Cunningham (CEO), Jason Chong, and Alexander Wu. The venture offered crypto payments and crypto treasury management, and was “trusted by leading DAOs (decentralized autonomous organizations) and crypto companies to streamline operations, manage payroll, and consolidate financial reporting,” as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Yebesi also dropped out of college to focus on Utopia Labs, which had been supported by a $1.5 million raise in 2021 and was later acquired by Coinbase in November 2024. According to information shared with AFROTECH™, Yebesi then began working as an entrepreneur-in-residence at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and through his observations he recognized small business owners were challenged by accounting software. This prompted the launch of a new brainchild in the fintech space, Open Ledger, which was established with the help of...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Venture capital has transformed over the last 15 years from a little-known industry to one of the most sought-after fields, thanks to the rise of iconic tech companies and the media spotlight on their stories. Movies, television, and digital media have brought the narratives of this once-obscure sector to screens worldwide. The first major story to captivate global attention was “ The Social Network” in 2010, chronicling Mark Zuckerberg’s journey from founding Facebook (now Meta) in his Harvard dorm room to building one of the world’s largest companies, with a market cap of $1.5 trillion. The allure of startups also made its way to the small screen with the hit HBO series “ Silicon Valley ”. Over six seasons, the show followed Richard Hendricks and his fictional startup , Pied Piper, portraying the highs and lows of launching, scaling, and exiting a startup. Each week, viewers gained insights into...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Remember when teachers used to warn us not to let one bad apple spoil the bunch? Now, amplify that idea by millions. Imagine the impact of that spoiled apple hitting some groups harder than others. That’s exactly what Black creators face with the looming TikTok in the United States. Like most things in the United States, when things go south, they disproportionately impact the Black community. And with Black creators having a history of overcoming barrier after barrier to have their content seen and valued, the removal of a major social platform will be catastrophic for some. TikTok: A Stage For The Unseen For Black creators, TikTok has been a platform that provided opportunities for visibility and reach that many creators couldn’t find elsewhere. It’s where viral dances, cultural commentary, and grassroots movements can exist side by side. It’s where creators like Khaby Lame, who broke barriers...

HBCU graduates Terry Comer and Khalil Thompson have secured new funding for their work in the NIL space. In 2021, the pair, who had an interest in college sports, united to launch NIL FanBox, marketed as the only “university-approved, player-endorsed recurring collectibles platform.” It works by sending sports fans 100% authenticated collectibles from their favorite college athletes. Its website mentions that the curated box includes three to five signed collectibles, a “Golden Ticket,” exclusive player merchandise, and digital authentication. One of its partnerships, with The University of Texas at Austin, resulted in the Longhorn FanBox, which is valued at $199 each football season and energizes fans by including “ultra-rare” collectibles and “behind the moment” interviews. Photo Credit: NIL FanBox While NIL FanBox certainly benefits fans, it also supports athletes by allocating a portion of its revenue back to them. NIL FanBox returns more than 30% of its revenue to participating...

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Meta came under fire after users rediscovered AI-generated accounts on Instagram and Facebook with AI-generated photos of Black people. Launched in 2023, these accounts introduced a lineup of celebrity AI characters, featuring the likenesses of Snoop Dogg, Kendall Jenner, MrBeast, and others.  They were created to boost advertisers’ engagement. But since their launch, the accounts hadn’t garnered much attention. In the summer of 2024, Meta scrapped the celebrity AI accounts, leaving the non-celebrities up and allowing Meta users to create their own AI characters. But now that AI has become a hot-button topic as we enter 2025, Meta has expressed an interest in integrating user-generated AI profiles into its social media platforms. In December, during an interview with the Financial Times, Meta executive Connor Hayes stated, “We expect these AIs to actually, over time, exist on our platforms, kind...

The AFROTECH™ 2024 Conference took Houston, TX, by storm from Nov. 15 to Nov. 17, uniting Black innovators worldwide to connect, discuss trends, and network with industry leaders and recruiters. A highlight of the conference was the Women in Tech Luncheon, presented by Yahoo. This event brought together an inspiring group of pioneering Black women in technology for an empowering and supportive celebration. Celebrity wellness and lifestyle expert and birth doula Latham Thomas, known as Glow Maven, opened the luncheon with welcoming remarks. She has been recognized as one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100 and named one of Mindbodygreen’s “Top 100 Women to Watch in Wellness,” according to her Instagram profile. Notable speakers included Giselle Battley, head of global emerging careers and learning & development at Yahoo. According to her LinkedIn profile, Battley was recognized as one of Women We Admire’s Top 50 Women in Business for 2024. The luncheon opened the door for Black women...

Kevin Garnett broke away from the status quo with his financial decisions during his first decade in the NBA, opting for an unconventional approach that set him apart from his peers. The South Carolina native was drafted into the NBA in 1995 as the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, notes ESPN. The power forward signed a three-year rookie contract worth $5,397,120, according to Sportico. He remained with the team for 13 years before being traded to the Boston Celtics. For the majority of his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett had an unconventional way of keeping track of his paychecks, which he attributes to a lack of financial literacy. “I was kind of raised with a certain pedigree and mindset so I wasn’t introduced to wires or just fintech. I wasn’t financially savvy. I didn’t know about direct deposit. I didn’t know none of this,” Garnett admitted during an interview on “Jimmy Kimmel Live.” Garnett opted to cash his earnings and store it under his...