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Former college student-turned-rapper Cordae is using his musical influence to reward his fellow peers pursuing higher education. According to a press release, the Grammy-nominated rap star has partnered with the Disney Dreamers Academy and ESPN’s The Undefeated to fund scholarships for youth in underrepresented communities who plan on attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Cordae’s new partnership and noble act partially stems from his participation in the upcoming “Liberated / Music For The Movement Vol. 3 EP” set to release this Friday (June 18) in honor of this year’s Juneteenth celebration. When approached with the opportunity, Cordae expressed his desire to donate proceeds from the album’s release toward a fund for scholarships for HBCU students. As someone who knows the college struggle firsthand, the rapper feels it’s only right that he shares his wealth with others in unfortunate or tough financial situations. “So many people need the money more than...
When franchisor Hakika Wise — founder of Kika Stretch Studios — set out to establish her many stretching studios across the country, she had a mindset of being a boss who also helps build others up to achieve boss status too. As one of the first Black women franchisors in the world, Wise knew she had stumbled across something historic in growing her business. However, she knew the work didn’t stop there. With very few Black and brown franchisors, Wise took it upon herself to use her business as a vessel to encourage others to join her on the path to becoming self-made business-owners. As AfroTech previously reported, Wise’s idea to start her own franchise of stretch studios was fueled by her desire to stand out in the business world with a concept not many others were invested in. Through her unique stretching technique and chain of studios, Wise has been able to prove just how lucrative the fitness and wellness industry is. Not only has she helped thousands of people improve their...
These Black men in business are going the extra mile to create opportunities for their community, all while creating a seat at the table for themselves. André Walters and Derrick Brown — co-founders of Charlotte-based hybrid investment firm Free Fenix — have announced their latest move in the franchise space. The two are partnering with investment firm New Spring Capital to close a deal that makes them part-owners of Duck Donuts — a Mechanicsburg, PA -based chain of donut franchises. As part-owners of the franchise, Walters and Brown also hold board seats at the company, which makes them the one of the first Black men to hold such positions at Duck Donuts. “We believe the world is just getting to know Duck Donuts and when they do, they will notice what we noticed,” they tell AfroTech. “It took many long hours, conversations, compromises and perseverance to get this deal done, but in the end we accomplished the objective we established over a year ago and we think this is a win for...
According to an official news release, Edelman has named Lisa Osborne Ross as CEO of its United States operation. Ross — who currently serves as U.S. COO — will now oversee the firm’s largest region made up of 2,360 people across 13 offices. She will succeed Russell Dubner who has just been named global vice chairman and chair of the Edelman Trust Institute. “In the four years since Lisa joined Edelman, she has made an incredible impact on the firm, particularly through her empathetic leadership during Covid and the tragic aftermath of George Floyd’s murder,” said Global President and COO, Matthew Harrington in a statement. “She is a champion of our people, and expansive in her ability to provide senior counsel to clients and drive operations. Lisa is an exemplary leader for extraordinary times, and her many talents will take the U.S. business forward from a position of strength.” During her tenure as COO, Ross led Edelman’s Covid Task Force and soon became one of the most...
Every entrepreneur has their own unique origin story, and Kika Stretch Studios founder Hakika Wise is no different. When Wise came up with the idea to start her own stretch studio back in 2011, she was down to her last $500 to her name from a tax return, Earn Your Leisure reports. Despite facing financial hardships, the New jersey native took a leap of faith and decided to go into business for herself. During a 2019 interview with Rolling Out, Wise explained the reason why she chose her particular career path, stating “I wanted to do something that others weren’t doing, so I started the stretch studio industry.” At the time, Wise says she realized there were no other stretch studios in existence so she created and patented the heart of her business model, “The Kika Method” — described as “a form of passive stretching in which an external force exerts upon the limb to move it into the new position,” according to Black Enterprise. That allowed her to then expand her business with 12...