via thegrio.com
T’yanna Wallace, the daughter of the luminary Notorious B.I.G., has just opened her first brick and mortar clothing store.
Notoriouss, which opened this weekend on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, not only draws from Biggie’s name and branding but from hip-hop as a whole as well as New York City itself, from which Biggie drew a lot of the inspiration for his songs.
On Saturday, people packed the newly opened shop to celebrate not only Wallace’s success but Biggie’s life as family members reminisced about him. Others in attendance included the likes of Jadakiss, Lil Cease, DJ Snuff and DJ Mr. Cee.
“This is a huge, huge, huge monument, huge milestone for her. We’re happy for her, and we’re just excited to be here,” said CJ Wallace, Biggie’s son and T’yanna’s brother.
As for how Wallace is distinguishing herself from her father while still paying tribute to him, CJ Wallace pointed to the spelling of the store: “Two S’s for her individuality. She wanted to do something a little different but still be tied to her father, our father.”
Notoriouss brand clothing has been available online since 2013, but the store in Brooklyn marks the first brick-and-mortar boutique for Wallace.
To see more, go to: https://thegrio.com/2017/12/04/biggies-daughter-opens-brooklyn-boutique-fathers-honor/
Posts published in “Business/Finance”
via nhl.com
NEW YORK – The National Hockey League announced today that Kim Davis has been named Executive Vice President, Social Impact, Growth Initiatives & Legislative Affairs. Ms. Davis will join the NHL on Dec. 4, and will be based in the League’s New York office, reporting to Commissioner Gary Bettman and collaborating across the League’s clubs and stakeholders.
Ms. Davis is a highly respected leader in the corporate and philanthropic community, and joins the NHL from leading CEO advisory firm Teneo. As a Senior Managing Director, she built and ran the firm’s Corporate Responsibility and Inclusive Leadership practice, advising CEOs and Fortune 500 companies daily.
Prior to Teneo, Ms. Davis enjoyed a 20-plus year career at JPMorgan Chase, where she most recently served as Managing Director of Global CSR, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Her responsibilities included leading and managing approximately $300 million in annual giving, employee and civic engagement, and strategic corporate marketing sponsorship programs.
“Kim’s professional experience uniquely qualifies her to ensure that our League is continuing to improve lives and strengthen and build vibrant communities through hockey as well as provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for anyone associated with our League,” said Commissioner Bettman. “We are thrilled to have Kim join the NHL family.”
“The impact of sports on community development can be powerful,” said Ms. Davis. “Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and has the opportunity to drive positive social change. Having had the privilege of advising the NHL on its CSR practices, I’ve experienced an organization that is truly committed to contributing positively to society and fostering inclusiveness. I’m looking forward to advancing the League’s mission and working with Commissioner Bettman and the executive leadership team to help drive the continued growth and success of the NHL.”
Ms. Davis’ passion for equity and leadership led her to build the first women of color affinity group at Chase Manhattan Bank, developing a mentoring program for senior women that became an industry best practice in investment banking, and later developing the initial corporate sponsorship model for Women Moving Millions.
Ms. Davis has been named to The Business Journal’s 100 Most Influential Women and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2012, she was profiled with Michelle Obama in Essence magazine’s “28 Most Influential Black Women in America.”
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/kim-davis-appointed-as-nhl-executive-vice-president/c-293406100
Prior to Teneo, Ms. Davis enjoyed a 20-plus year career at JPMorgan Chase, where she most recently served as Managing Director of Global CSR, President of the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and as a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Her responsibilities included leading and managing approximately $300 million in annual giving, employee and civic engagement, and strategic corporate marketing sponsorship programs.
“Kim’s professional experience uniquely qualifies her to ensure that our League is continuing to improve lives and strengthen and build vibrant communities through hockey as well as provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for anyone associated with our League,” said Commissioner Bettman. “We are thrilled to have Kim join the NHL family.”
“The impact of sports on community development can be powerful,” said Ms. Davis. “Sport can, and does, make a profound and positive impact on individuals, communities and has the opportunity to drive positive social change. Having had the privilege of advising the NHL on its CSR practices, I’ve experienced an organization that is truly committed to contributing positively to society and fostering inclusiveness. I’m looking forward to advancing the League’s mission and working with Commissioner Bettman and the executive leadership team to help drive the continued growth and success of the NHL.”
Ms. Davis’ passion for equity and leadership led her to build the first women of color affinity group at Chase Manhattan Bank, developing a mentoring program for senior women that became an industry best practice in investment banking, and later developing the initial corporate sponsorship model for Women Moving Millions.
Ms. Davis has been named to The Business Journal’s 100 Most Influential Women and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2012, she was profiled with Michelle Obama in Essence magazine’s “28 Most Influential Black Women in America.”
Source: https://www.nhl.com/news/kim-davis-appointed-as-nhl-executive-vice-president/c-293406100
via jbhe.com
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) released a new report on the economic impact historically Black colleges and universities have on the nation’s economy. The study prepared by the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, found that the nation’s HBCUs contribute nearly $15 billion to the nation’s economy.
Among the other findings in the report are:
- Every dollar spent by a HBCU and its students generates $1.44 in initial and subsequent spending for the institution’s local and regional economies.
- HBCUs generate roughly 134,000 jobs for their local and regional economies.
- HBCU graduates, over 50,000 in 2014, can expect work-life earnings of $130 billion — an additional $927,000 per graduate — 56 percent more than they could expect to earn without their HBCU degrees or certificates.
Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of the UNCF, stated that “HBCUs not only provide a college education for 300,000 students every year, but they are a powerful economic engine: locally, through the jobs they create and the expenditures they make in the cities where they are located, and nationally, through the students they educate and prepare for an information-age workforce. The study demonstrates conclusively that HBCUs are not only relevant to the country’s economic health and vigor, they are necessary.”
The full report, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, may be downloaded here.
Source: https://www.jbhe.com/2017/11/united-negro-college-fund-analysis-show-the-economic-impact-of-the-nations-hbcus/
If you’re doing that Black Friday thing, consider supporting these and other black-owned businesses with your dollars!
by Jeffrey McKinney via blackenterprise.com
African American real estate developers in Detroit will get financing and training opportunities to grow their businesses courtesy of a $5 million program being offered by Capital Impact Partners. JPMorgan Chase & Co. is investing $500,000 into Capital Impact Partner’s Equitable Development Initiative to increase the number of minority developers in Detroit.
The pilot program is part of a larger move to encourage small diverse developers to work on larger products and give them the resources to be successful. The two-year initiative will allow black developers to take part in Detroit’s economic recovery by providing them flexible capital, one-on-one mentorships with local experts, and formalized training to support real estate companies they own and operate.
Capital Impact Partners is an Arlington, Virginia-based nonprofit community development financial institution that offers loans, grants, and other financial services to underserved U.S. cities. It also has offices in Detroit and Oakland. The program is geared to spur the development of small-and mid-sized mixed-use, multifamily residential projects in the city’s mixed-use corridors.
Capital Impact Partners stated in a news release that of the $152 million loaned in Detroit between 2006 and 2015, projects led by minority developers received only 10% of the financing. Detroit has nearly 50,000 minority-owned small businesses, making it the nation’s fourth-largest city for minority entrepreneurship.
Melinda Clemons, Detroit Market Lead at Capital Impact Partners, says stumbling blocks for African American real estate developers are experience, knowledge of upcoming developments, and access to financing. She says Capital Impact Partners is in the process of raising $5 million to support the program. “We’re trying to remove the barriers that have hindered African American developers in Detroit from participating in the city’s revitalization.”
Officials hope the Detroit initiative will mirror successful efforts in other areas. “We’ve seen success in the implementation of similar type programs in other cities like Milwaukee and Los Angeles and are confident this new effort will ensure that the brick-and-mortar development component of Detroit’s economic growth continues to be inclusive,” Clemons said in a press release.
To be eligible, program participants must be developers of color from the Detroit area with some real estate development experience. Developers planning to build a 6 to 20 residential unit, multifamily or mixed-use development in Detroit’s targeted redevelopment areas will be given priority. Developers that don’t have a planned project will also be considered for the program. Participants will get help in several areas, including project budgeting, real estate finance, project and contractor management, legal services, and community engagement.Applications must be completed by the end of November.
For more details and where to apply visit: www.capitalimpact.org/focus/place-based-revitalization/detroit-program/equitable-development-initiative.
To read full article, go to: New $5 Million Program Helps Black Developers Rebuild Detroit – Black Enterprise
via tvone.tv
Former New York Yankee Derek Jeter has officially become the first African-American CEO of a Major League Baseball team. The 43-year-old, is also part owner of the Miami Marlins, joining only one other African-American in that specific role (Magic Johnson‘s Los Angeles Dodgers).
And if you wonder where the five-time World Series champion stands on athletes kneeling during the national anthem, he’s totally on board, telling the New York Daily News, “Everyone should be fine with that. They’re focused so much on the fact that they are kneeling as opposed to what they’re kneeling for. Peaceful protests are fine. You have your right to voice your opinion. As long as it’s a peaceful protest, everyone should be fine with that.”
Source: Derek Jeter Becomes First Black CEO Of Major League Baseball Team, Is ‘Okay’ With Players Kneeling
by
Kendrick Lamar will be Forbes’ keynote speaker at their fourth annual Forbes Under 30 Summit. The four-day gathering will take place at Boston’s City Hall Plaza and feature several addresses by young artists, entrepreneurs and activists, including Skylar Grey, Tyler Oakley and DeRay Mckesson. Lamar’s keynote, which will include a conversation with Forbes Senior Editor Media and Entertainment Zack O’Malley Greenburg, will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 1:00 p.m.
“Kendrick Lamar is the voice of the under-30 generation, and we can’t wait to hear more from him,“ says Greenburg in a statement. “Not only does he write and record groundbreaking songs, but he also embodies the same sort of spirit, drive and thoughtful passion of his peers across science, tech, the arts and beyond. Forbes is honored to host him in Boston.”
Source: Kendrick Lamar to Be Keynote Speaker at Forbes Under 30 Summit: Exclusive | Billboard
via blavity.com
The Illinois Service Federal and Loan Association (ISF) is the last black-owned bank in Chicago. According to CBS Chicago, Kurt Summers, the city’s treasurer, has decided to make a momentous investment in the bank. Summers announced Monday that the city will be depositing $20 million into the black-owned institution.
At the announcement, the treasurer called this investment his department’s first step towards addressing the city’s history of segregation, something that he claims is one of the root causes of the city’s current violence. So, what will this investment mean for the city? According to Summers, the contribution will increase the number of successful black-owned businesses in Chicago.”If we’re going to be serious about supporting those communities and supporting community banks and what they do for small businesses, we have to look for opportunities like this,” he said, Business Day reports.
When going to large, national banks, Chicago’s black business owners only receive the full amount of their loan requests 47 percent of the time. White business owners receive all the money they ask for 76 percent of the time. Summers hopes that this investment will give black small business owners some place to go to find funding for their endeavors. “The community banks are often more capable of evaluating the risks of local borrowers than large remote financial institutions,” said Summers.
This is only one of the changes Chicago politicians are anticipating following the deposit. Alderman Roderick Sawyer told CBS that he believes that this investment will help resolve the issue of economic disparity in Chicago, and, ultimately, even violence. Papa Kwesi Nduom, the chairperson of the Illinois Service Federal and Loan Association, agrees with him. Nduom said the deposit will give his bank a “much-needed boost to our financial foundation, ensuring that we can strengthen the economic base of our communities and help people fulfill their dreams.”
The black-owned bank has been providing services to the black communities of the South Side of Chicago for more than 80 years.
To read more: Chicago Deposits $20M In City’s Last Black-Owned Bank | BLAVITY
via thegrio.com
Rosalind Brewer, the former president and CEO of Sam’s Club, was announced as the new head of Starbucks on Wednesday and will continue to serve on the board of directors. “Starbucks is a culture-first company focused on performance and Roz is a world class operator and executive who embodies the values of Starbucks,” Kevin Johnson, Starbucks’ president and COO, said in a statement.
Johnson added that Brewer has been a “trusted strategic counselor” ever since she joined the board of directors in January. “Ms. Brewer has a wealth of experience in retailing, consumers and [consumer packaged goods] markets,” Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, told CNBC via email. “She is also used to running large, complex organization with a global focus.”
The move comes as Starbucks is experiencing lower retail sales than usual, a problem that Brewer will have to face during her tenure. “[Brewer] was instrumental in making changes at Sam’s Club to bring the retailer more in line with trends around health and wellness,” Saunders said. “She also did a lot in terms of e-commerce and multichannel, and this experience will be valuable for Starbucks.”
Source: Starbucks names Rosalind Brewer as new President, COO | theGrio
via blavity.com
“We all want and need a seat at the table, and then we want to run the table and then we want to have our own table. Coding is the ticket to that,” says Christina Lewis Halpern, the founder of All Star Code, a six-week initiative for high school boys of color to discover innovative career opportunities through a computer science based curriculum.
According to Atlanta Black Star, the New York activist is the daughter of the late Reginald F. Lewis, a Wall Street attorney who became the first African-American to build a billion-dollar company. Her father, a Harvard graduate before dying of brain cancer in 1993, operated TLC Beatrice International, a grocery, beverage and household products distributor.
The month before he passed, Lewis named Halpern, who was only 12-years-old at the time, to the board of his foundation. “My family foundation is committed to social justice and believes in the power of entrepreneurship and investing in our community,” Halpern said. Two decades into the future and Halpern, a professional business journalist, created the All Star Code program “to help the next generation of youth catch the next wave of opportunity.”
So how did she do it? “We seeded this initiative and provided an anchor grant. About 20 percent of the money invested in All Star Code last year was from the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, or Lewis family personal funds,” Halpern explained. Other donors included Bond Collective, Cisco, Comcast, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Chase, MLB Advanced Media and Yahoo!. These corporations in addition to operational support gave $350,000 in funding.
Because of the lack of opportunities in STEM for men and women of color, Halpern’s All Star Code is designed to change that. The nonprofit raised more than $740,000 in 2016 at the annual All Star Code fundraiser in the Hamptons. Due to the generous contributions of the donors, the organization, which started in New York City and has stretched to Pittsburgh, has expanded and continues to grow rapidly.
The number of boys that participated in the Summer initiative skyrocketed from only 20 in 2014 to 160 this year. Halpern says that their goal is to have at least 1,000 high schoolers in 2020.
To read full article, go to: Daughter Of The First African-American To Build A Billion-Dollar Company Exposes Boys Of Color To STEM Opportunities | BLAVITY