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The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is quite particular about which small businesses receive lending licenses. However, one Black-owned lending business has cracked the code. As one of the 14 licenses awarded, Lendistry — a CDFI and Fintech organization — has now become the only, Black-led group with a Small Business Lending Company license.
For those struggling to make ends meet this holiday season, Zirtue is here to help. As previously reported by AfroTech, the world’s leading relationship-based lending app has always aimed to drive financial inclusion, and today that mission remains the same. With the launch of their Alternative Payment Solution for businesses, companies will be able to utilize the platform as a payment option for customers allowing them to pay bills directly through the platform. Courtesy of Zirtue With a mission to drive financial inclusion, one relationship at a time, our vision at Zirtue is to prove that friends and family are the largest banks in the world,” said Dennis Cail, CEO and Co-founder of Zirtue, in an official email-exclusive with AfroTech. “Ultimately, we aim to be the modern-day solution for people to access needed funds through relationship-based loans, avoiding payment defaults and predatory lenders, while keeping their personal and creditor relationships intact. We believe this...
Los Angeles-based peer-to-peer lending app SoLo Funds has announced that it’s raised $10 million in its initial funding round. According to TechCrunch, the app — which was initially formed in 2018 by Rodney Williams and Travis Holoway — is set to supplant the place of predatory loans, like payday loans and high-interest rate loans. It also has a type of default insurance product that prevents the lender from defaulting on the loan in the event of an unforeseen tragedy. However, SoLo Funds is more than just something looking to disrupt the payday loan industry. Rather, it’s a peer-based lending app, which allows lenders to make money while helping out their community — and allows borrowers t o set the terms of their loan repayment to something that’s affordable for them. “A majority of [power lenders] are college-educated and the majority of them tend to be white men. Its individuals who you might not think are going to be power lenders… They may make $100,000 to $125,000 per year,”...
Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how we create, problem-solve, and engage with technology. But success with AI doesn’t happen by accident — it happens by design. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini can be powerful creative partners, but only if you know how to guide them. The key lies in crafting prompts that provide direction, clarity, and context. Whether you’re drafting marketing copy, generating ideas, or solving complex problems, understanding how to talk to AI is essential. Let’s explore the strategies that can turn your prompts into powerful tools for smarter, sharper results. Understanding The Art Of AI Prompting AI thrives on clarity and specificity. Great prompts act like roadmaps — clear directions lead to clear destinations. Yet, crafting those directions requires more than guesswork; it demands strategy. Blavity COO Jeff Nelson developed a six-part engineering framework that turns vague requests into actionable responses. Persona: Anchor the AI’s...
Some claim they saw it coming, and others would say that nobody could’ve called it, but Kendrick Lamar turned the 2025 Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show into his moment — a masterclass in artistry, storytelling, and cultural dominance. The Numbers Don’t Lie How’d he do it? He dominated the moment and has the numbers to back it up. According to Yahoo! Entertainment, the 2025 Super Bowl set a new standard in viewership, with Nielsen fast national figures and Tubi/NFL first-party analytics reporting record-breaking numbers. The Philadelphia Eagles secured a decisive victory over the Kansas City Chiefs as an estimated 126 million viewers tuned in. The broadcast reached its highest point, with 137.7 million viewers, just before the halftime show featuring Lamar. According to Roc Nation and Fox Sports, it stands as the most-watched halftime show in history with 133.5 million views during the performance. The NFL highlighted this achievement by sharing the announcement on its official X...
For the third consecutive year, Atlanta, GA , is the leading hub for Black-owned businesses in the United States. According to a LendingTree analysis, the city boasts the highest percentage of Black-owned businesses in the nation, with 11.3% of all businesses in Atlanta — or 13,766 — being Black-owned. The analysis used the 2023 U.S. Census Bureau Annual Business Survey to rank metropolitan areas by the percentage of Black-owned businesses in 2022. Windsor Jones, co-owner of Sweet Auburn Bread Company in the historic Sweet Auburn district, told Atlanta News First that he was not surprised by LendingTree’s findings. “It’s always been the Black mecca for excellence and resilience and entrepreneurship,” Jones told the outlet, describing Atlanta as the best city for Black entrepreneurs to thrive. As for nationwide trends, the LendingTree report revealed that Black-owned businesses in the U.S. grew by 22.2% year-over-year, accounting for 3.3% of all enterprises in 2022, up from 2.7% in...
The number of Black-owned businesses has increased. However, there is still much room for improvement. According to a research study released by the online loan marketplace LendingTree, the data reveals a 22.2% year-over-year increase since 2019. Looking back to 2022, just 3.3% of businesses were Black-owned , and 40% were women-owned. Other trends highlighted in the report show that Atlanta, GA, remains the primary hub for Black-owned businesses. The city has held this distinction for the past three years, with 11.3% of Black-owned businesses traced back to it. Other key cities identified in the report include Fayetteville, NC, Virginia Beach, VA, and Memphis, TN. Conversely, California cities such as San Jose, Oxnard, and San Diego ranked lowest in the number of Black-owned businesses. “When I initially started my entrepreneur journey, there weren’t very many Black founders,” Tiffany Ricks, chief executive of the cybersecurity platform HacWarhe, told Inc. “Now it’s exciting...
Ohio’s only Black-owned bank — and the first established and approved in the U.S. since 2000 — has tripled its assets since inception. Columbus Business Journal reports Adelphi Bank was founded in January 2023 and is led by Chairman and CEO Jordan Miller, who had spent over three decades in business and initially retired in 2019 as Central Ohio president for Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Bank. He returned to the industry to get Adelphi up and running with a mission of dismantling financial inequities and helping customers create streams of income without bias. He is joined by Kevin Boyce, co-founder and vice chairman. Upon its launch, Adelphi received local support from large corporations in central Ohio. “It feels like family,” Miller expressed, according to the outlet. “Banks can be intimidating places.” Columbus-based Adelphi Bank currently offers certificates of deposit, checking and savings accounts, and loans for personal use. It plans to provide home mortgages in 2025. For...
If the workforce were a playlist, 2025 would give “Renaissance” by Beyoncé — a vibe shift, a reset, and a clear signal that the world of work is hitting some new high notes. The game is changing, and whether it’s artificial intelligence (AI) running point, the return of curated travel experiences, or frontline roles making a comeback, one thing is clear: opportunities are out here, but they won’t fall into your lap. For Black professionals, the stakes are high. Job competition is fierce, with 2.5 applicants per role compared to 1.5 in 2022. Confidence is shaky, and hiring managers ghost candidates like they forgot the assignment. However, according to LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise 2025 report , nearly 60% of these roles are fresh on the scene, signaling change and opportunity. “Fields like AI, experiential industries, and frontline jobs are booming, offering fresh opportunities to break into spaces where we’ve historically been underrepresented,” says Andrew McCaskill. AI: The...
Jaden Smith, the son of Hollywood icons Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith , has built his own legacy as an actor, musician, and entrepreneur. While he balked at the idea of public schooling previously, that hasn’t stopped him from making a name for himself both in his family’s industry of entertainment, and in his own business ventures. Currently, he’s using his entrepreneur’s spirit to improve the world as he sees it, painting himself as a philanthropist as well. However, as a businessman, philanthropist and actor at the young age of 26 (and while having famous parents and a just-as-famous sister ), what is Jaden Smith’s net worth? Acting Career Smith made his acting debut alongside his father in the critically acclaimed film, The Pursuit of Happyness in 2006. His role as Christopher Gardner Jr., the son of a struggling salesman, garnered widespread recognition for his acting abilities at a young age. This performance opened doors to other significant acting roles, such as the...
Issa Rae has opened a new restaurant in Los Angeles. The actress and serial entrepreneur , already renowned for the community-focused Hilltop Kitchen + Coffee, is expanding her presence. With the same spirit, she brings a new energy to Los Angeles through her latest venture, Somerville. “Always wanted a neighborhood lounge to complement the special community that is View Park-Windsor Hills. The genius GVO Gentlemen said, how about a restaurant? @somerville.slauson — an ode to the classic, artistic past of Black South Central L.A? And sure, the ambience will be fantastic, but the food and cocktails will keep you coming back,” Rae said in a post shared on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Issa Rae (@issarae) Customers can visit Somerville at Park-Windsor Hills, which GVO describes as a “progressive American dining experience.” According to the restaurant’s website, its extensive menu includes the Somerville burger, pan seared ora king salmon, and Mary’s organic...
The Walt Disney Company, an iconic global leader in entertainment, continues to hold a strong position in the market. Market cap measures a company’s total value on the stock market by multiplying its share price by the number of outstanding shares. This metric provides investors with a straightforward way to assess a company’s size and financial standing. Internationally recognizable and a titan in the entertainment industry, what is Disney’s market cap in 2024? Here, we’ll dig into that number and what factors are at play to support it. Disney’s Diverse Portfolio Disney’s valuation is driven by its vast portfolio of entertainment assets. Its film and TV divisions, which include blockbuster franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, and beloved animated classics, remain consistent revenue generators. The Disney+ streaming platform has established itself as a major industry player, even as it faces fierce competition from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other services. All together, Disney’s...
Aoki Lee Simmons , the youngest daughter of fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons and entrepreneur Russell Simmons, is making her mark in the world of fashion, business, and social activism. A recent graduate of Harvard University, Aoki is uniquely positioned to leverage her prestigious education alongside her family’s entrepreneurial legacy. While many might see her as merely the daughter of two influential figures, Aoki is determined to build her own path, blending her Ivy League knowledge with her passions for fashion and social causes. Background, Education, And More Born in August 2002, Aoki Lee Kyoko Simmons grew up in a household that valued both entrepreneurship and creativity. Simmons was exposed to the world of fashion and business from a young age – her mother, Kimora, is a supermodel and founder of Baby Phat. Her father Russel, meanwhile, is the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings. She began her modeling career early, working with her mother on campaigns for the revived Baby...
AFROTECH™ Fam, the 2024 conference is here, and things are off to an amazing start to build the future we want to live in. As thousands of attendees land in Houston, TX, one of the first orders of business is picking up registration materials, which offer access to various learning sessions, impactful speakers, and limitless opportunities the conference has in store. This year’s convening is pivotal for Black tech innovators and inclusive tech companies. The annual gathering offers attendees a platform to engage in technical deep dives, participate in learning labs, and seize networking opportunities with industry leaders. It also aims to foster a community for Black tech professionals and provide dynamic programming on emerging trends as well as facilitate conversations with top tech recruiters. Wednesday’s opening of the Culture Park Stage, presented by Lexus (Nov. 13) , offers an immersive experience blending music, community, and diverse programming. The unique, inclusive...