Golden Krust Caribbean Restaurants, a family-owned Jamaican food company with more than 100 locations across the United States, has launched a 3 million Jamaican dollar agricultural recovery initiative to support small farmers in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. The first phase of the initiative is being carried out in partnership with the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) and provides direct assistance to 10 farmers across Saint Elizabeth, Clarendon, Saint Catherine, Saint Mary, and Manchester. Each farmer received J$300,000 in seedlings, farming equipment, fertilizer, and essential supplies to replant and restart production after sustaining crop losses, flooding, and damage to farm infrastructure during the storm, notes the release. Golden Krust’s leadership team traveled to Jamaica as part of the rollout. They distributed supplies, assessed damage, and met with farmers who supply the ingredients used in the company’s...

Raymond James is scaling its fintech and wealth management footprint with a new partnership, signaling continued momentum in its Financial Institutions Division. According to a press release, Bank Midwest has selected Raymond James’ Financial Institutions Division (FID) to support its investment program, transitioning approximately $692 million in client assets to Raymond James Financial Services. As part of the move, Bank Midwest’s wealth management unit will rebrand as Midwest Wealth Group. The Spirit Lake, Iowa–based team includes six financial advisors, seven branch professionals, and one program manager, per the press release. The partnership represents another step in Raymond James’ national expansion strategy, particularly as financial institutions seek technology-forward alternatives to traditional third-party investment providers. Stephen Kruchten, president of Raymond James’ Financial Institutions Division (FID), said the division was designed to meet the evolving needs of...

Florida has sued Starbucks Coffee Co. over alleged diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, claiming the coffee chain violated state civil-rights law by favoring minority employees in hiring and pay. Since beginning his second term on Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at dismantling federal DEI initiatives. Following his actions, some companies and universities followed suit, AFROTECH™ previously reported. Attorney General James Uthmeier filed the 21-page lawsuit on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, The Tallahassee Democrat reports. The suit claims Starbucks used racial quotas and hiring goals that discriminated against “non-favored races,” including white, Asian, and multiracial workers. “ Starbucks made DEI more than a slogan,” Uthmeier said in a post on X. “They turned it into a mandatory hiring and promotion system based on race. The coffee empire set numerical racial targets for their workforce, and they tied executive bonuses to...

Michael Johnson’s track and field league, Grand Slam Track, has filed for bankruptcy, according to AP News. Grand Slam Track Promises As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Johnson’s love for the sport, which is reflected in his records in the 200- and 400-meter races, also led him into ownership. He secured “the single largest investment in track and field history,” per Sportico, to launch Grand Slam Track in 2024. Johnson intended to ensure athletes could commercialize their rights and promised never-before-seen payouts of $100,000 for the top winners of four meets. A total of $3 million in funding was allocated as prize money for each meet. What Went Wrong In the end, Johnson was unable to keep his word. The league reportedly fell short in compensating athletes and vendors. “Due to our strong desire to make this right as quickly as possible, we offered dated payment timelines and have been unable to meet them,” Johnson confessed in an August 2025 Instagram post.   View this post on...

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is still on top. ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour The artist has been having quite a year. Her most recent album, “Cowboy Carter,” was released in March 2024 and honored her southern country roots. She earned Grammy awards for “Album of the Year” and “Best Country Album” the following year and began a global tour. “This was born from my love and respect for the rich country genre,” Beyoncé told Pollstar about “Cowboy Carter.” “The overall intention for this tour was to celebrate American resiliency,” she continued. View this post on Instagram The “Cowboy Carter” tour has now become the top-earning world tour in 2025. According to IQ Magazine, the tour generated $407.6 million from 1.57 million ticket sales, across 32 shows. “The impact of the ‘Cowboy Carter’ era on the country genre will only continue to grow. It has reinvigorated a space that now has a new audience. And in ten years, the young girls and boys who saw the show will become adults who believe they can be...

These two Black women leading autonomous vehicle companies are leaders to watch out for in 2026, according to Forbes. Aicha Evans Aicha Evans, who has led Zoox as CEO since 2019, oversaw a major industry milestone when Amazon acquired the self-driving auto startup in 2020 for about $1.2 billion, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. The acquisition aimed to advance ride-hailing while keeping Zoox as a standalone business under Amazon. Evans said the deal “solidifies Zoox’s impact on the industry” and expands opportunities to develop fully driverless vehicles. Before joining Zoox, Evans spent more than a decade at Intel in senior engineering and strategy roles, bringing extensive tech and operational experience to her leadership at the startup. In an interview with Bloomberg, Evans discussed the recent launch of Zoox’s self-driving shuttles in Las Vegas, calling it “more than a decade in the making.” “We finally launched it essentially to the public, which is really nice,” she said. “If...

Bun B always saw the full potential of what has become a beloved burger spot in Houston. The UGK rapper is co-founder of Trill Burgers, which offers smash burgers, lemonade, and fries, and on Tuesdays, smash tacos. Andy Nguyen (creative director) and Nick Scurfield (chief marketing officer), as well as chefs Mike Pham (chief operating officer) and Fernando Valladares (executive chef) are also co-founders in the business. Trill Burgers’ first storefront opened in the Montrose neighborhood of Houston in 2023 and had already secured the accolade of making the best burger in America by “Good Morning America” a year earlier, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. The business has been a fixture at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo since 2023 and also earned its Gold Buckle Foodie Award for Best Classic Fair Food. Additionally, Trill Burgers is a vendor at Texas Dow Employees Credit Union Stadium for University of Houston football games, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. “I’ve...

Deidre Mathis caught the travel bug, and it led her to become an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in graphic communication and broadcast journalism at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University , she studied abroad in the Dominican Republic during her sophomore year, she told AFROTECH™. After graduation, she wasn’t fulfilled in her profession, which prompted her to return to school to earn a master’s degree in corporate communications. Then she moved to Australia, staying in a range of hostels and boutique hotels. “I was living there, and I was just traveling around by myself, and I was staying in a bunch of hostels and a bunch of boutique hotels because those were places that were easy for me to meet people because I was by myself,” she told AFROTECH™. “I always tell people I had my ‘Oprah aha moment’ one day when I was staying in this beautiful hotel, and it was this small, cute hotel. It had 12 rooms, and I said, ‘You know what? I...

DeAndre Brown’s decision to walk away from the corporate world is still paying off. The Morehouse College grad entered corporate life after securing internships at top investment banks such as Goldman Sachs and Citigroup. He went on to land a full-time role at Citigroup in 2021 as a global consumer banking analyst, according to information on his LinkedIn. Brown began leaning into social media, and what would place him on the map was creating content under the moniker “The Corporate Baddie,” which resonated most with Gen Z, who make up the majority of his following. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, his content explores how Gen Z is enforcing work boundaries and prioritizing mental health. @imdrebrown Have you filed your taxes yet? What’s the hold up!? The tax deadline is April 15th and @Intuit TurboTax has you covered! Get started today! #ad #turbotaxpartner ♬ original sound – DeAndre Brown At the time of this writing, Brown has garnered 1.1 million followers and 76.4 million likes...

Beyoncé has another blooming partnership under her belt. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Houston-born singer inked a partnership with Levi’s following the release of her single featuring Post Malone titled “Levii’s Jeans.” The partnership has led to $65 million in media value for the company and a 12% increase in its women’s denim business. “What I can tell you is our partnership has exceeded expectations, both in terms of what it has done to be part of the equation to drive our top-line sales, you know, year to date — our sales are up in the high single digits. And our profit margins are expanding,” Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass shared with CBS News. What’s more, Beyoncé has also been making waves with her partnership with Ulta Beauty, which carries her award-winning, science-backed haircare brand Cécred. This brought the self-funded venture to customers across 1,400 Ulta Beauty locations beginning in April 2025, according to a press release. “Launching Cécred exclusively at...

Coco Gauff, the American tennis player and two-time Grand Slam champion, remains a leading figure in sports and business in 2025. For the third consecutive year, she has been recognized as the highest-paid female athlete, according to Sportico. Gauff, who won her second Grand Slam in women’s singles during this year’s French Open, tops the 2025 ranking with an estimated $31 million in total earnings, ahead of rival tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who earned $30 million. She is also one of only four women to surpass $30 million in a single year, named alongside Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, and Serena Williams, per the outlet. The annual list reflects continued growth in women’s sports. All 15 athletes on the list, which included Caitlin Clark, Osaka, Simone Biles, and Venus Williams, earned at least $10 million, compared to 11 in 2024 and six in 2023, notes Sportico. Tennis continues to dominate, with 10 of the top 15 earners coming from the sport. As the outlet notes, Gauff’s total...

Michael Jordan and other team owners have officially reached a settlement with NASCAR in a federal antitrust case. Jordan made history in 2020 when he joined Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin to launch a NASCAR team with Bubba Wallace as the driver. He became the first Black owner of a full-time team in the league’s premier series since Hall of Famer Wendell Scott, according to a press release. Jordan is no stranger to team ownership, having previously served as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets from 2010 to 2023, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. His interest in NASCAR was planted during his childhood in North Carolina. “Growing up in North Carolina, my parents would take my brothers, sisters, and me to races, and I’ve been a NASCAR fan my whole life,” Jordan said in the news release. “The opportunity to own my own racing team in partnership with my friend, Denny Hamlin, and to have Bubba Wallace driving for us, is very exciting for me. Historically, NASCAR has struggled...

The Walt Disney Co. is making a $1 billion equity investment in OpenAI following a major deal where both companies commit to the responsible use of AI that protects user safety and creator rights. Announced by both companies on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, the three-year licensing deal aims to advance human-centered AI and respectful storytelling by bringing Disney characters into Sora, OpenAI’s text-to-video model that generates realistic, animated videos from text descriptions. “Technological innovation has continually shaped the evolution of entertainment, bringing with it new ways to create and share great stories with the world,” Robert A. Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Co., said in a statement. “The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence marks an important moment for our industry, and through this collaboration with OpenAI , we will thoughtfully and responsibly extend the reach of our storytelling through generative AI , while respecting and protecting creators and their...

A newly founded AI startup is making waves in the tech world with one of the largest seed rounds in recent memory. According to Bloomberg, Unconventional AI, launched just two months ago by former Databricks AI lead Naveen Rao, secured $475 million in seed funding at a $4.5 billion valuation to develop a new generation of energy-efficient computers designed specifically for artificial intelligence. The funding round was co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Lux Capital, DCVC, Databricks, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, per Bloomberg. Rao also invested $10 million of his own funds on the same terms as other investors. The company is exploring a larger funding goal of up to $1 billion, according to TechCrunch. Bloomberg notes that Unconventional AI draws inspiration from biology, where living systems must operate within strict energy limits yet achieve high efficiency. Rao highlighted the human brain as an example, noting it can perform...

NFL legends Marshawn Lynch and Michael Robinson have partnered with Pine Sports, a sports-focused AI startup that has rapidly grown its community of bettors and fantasy players since launching in 2020. A key part of the partnership is Jaxon, Pine’s proprietary large language model — likened to OpenAI’s ChatGPT but built specifically for sports betting and fantasy, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. Beta-launched in 2024, Jaxon is trained exclusively on Pine’s sports data and live markets, blending data , sportsbook integrations, and advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights in seconds. “This is dope, it’s taken me a minute to fully grasp all that AI can do and be, but this right here… is a no brainer,” Lynch said in a statement. “I see what Pine’s doing with Jaxon, and I’m with it, why wouldn’t you use something that helps you play smarter, ya’ know what I mean?” Robinson added, “This tech is real. Fans want quick, smart answers. They want to know what...