article by Mark Lelinwalla via bet.com
For the second straight year, Michael Jordan was named to Forbes‘ World’s Billionaires list, with a net worth valued at $1.14 billion.
The value makes MJ the 1,577th richest person in the world and 486th richest in the United States. That’s up nearly 200 spots from the 1,741st worldwide ranking that Jordan had on last year’s list, which marked his debut on Forbes‘ World’s Billionaires list in 2015. What makes his place all the more special is Jordan is the lone current or former athlete on the prestigious list.
Jordan’s 90 percent ownership share of the Charlotte Hornets accounts for about $500 million of his assets, while his Air Jordan line with Nike continues to thrive in the sneaker market with 32 years in the game.
Carmelo Anthony, whose sneakers are designed by the Jordan Brand, couldn’t be prouder of his mentor.
“It makes me proud. Yeah, it does,” Melo told ESPN. “I remember getting there and seeing where the business was then. I remember sitting in the airport in 2006, coming from the world championship, and I remember when the brand had just hit a billion, and to see where it’s at right now — [nearly $3 billion in sales] — that’s a lot. That’s a lot of growth to be a part of.”
To read more, go to: http://www.bet.com/news/sports/2016/3/03/michael-jordan-makes-forbes–prestigious-list-again.html
Posts published in “Business/Finance”
article by Hope King via money.cnn.com
Mark Zuckerberg has always encouraged Facebook employees to think for themselves, but one issue is trying his patience.
People have been crossing out “black lives matter” on the walls of Facebook‘s headquarters and writing “all lives matter.”
The founder and CEO addressed the issue at a company-wide Q&A session last week. But it didn’t stop. Zuckerberg wrote a strongly worded memo to employees earlier this week about “several recent instances.”
In his note, the Facebook (FB, Tech30) CEO seemed frustrated by the fact that the act has continued, despite making it clear in the past that it was “unacceptable.”
“I was already very disappointed by this disrespectful behavior before,” Zuckerberg wrote. “But after my communication I now consider this malicious as well …This has been a deeply hurtful and tiresome experience for the black community and really the entire Facebook community.”
#BlackLivesMatter sprung to life as a hashtag in 2012 after the death of Trayvon Martin. The phrase went viral on social media, drawing people into a conversation about police brutality and inequality, and unifying thousands across the country on these issues. Some people pushed back with the slogan “all lives matter.”
“But when someone says ALL lives matter, it can sound like that person is dismissing the specific pain behind the slogan,” CNN’s Donna Brazile wrote last year. “Those who are experiencing the pain and trauma of the black experience in this country don’t want their rallying cry to be watered down with a generic feel-good catchphrase.”
Zuckerberg gave his own interpretation of the movement: “‘Black lives matter’ doesn’t mean other lives don’t — it’s simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve.”
Some walls of Facebook’s offices are covered in whiteboards in chalkboards. Usually adorned with signs reading, “write something,” they’re covered in layers of messages, doodles and signatures from employees and visitors.
“Crossing out something means silencing speech, or that one person’s speech is more important than another’s,” Zuckerberg admonished.
A Facebook spokeswoman confirmed that the memo had been sent but would not tell CNNMoney if those responsible for the acts had been identified or disciplined.
Here’s the full text of the memo, obtained by Gizmodo:
“There have been several recent instances of people crossing out ‘black lives matter’ and writing ‘all lives matter’ on the walls at MPK.
Despite my clear communication at Q&A last week that this was unacceptable, and messages from several other leaders from across the company, this has happened again. I was already very disappointed by this disrespectful behavior before, but after my communication I now consider this malicious as well.
There are specific issues affecting the black community in the United States, coming from a history of oppression and racism. ‘Black lives matter’ doesn’t mean other lives don’t — it’s simply asking that the black community also achieves the justice they deserve.
We’ve never had rules around what people can write on our walls — we expect everybody to treat each other with respect. Regardless of the content or location, crossing out something means silencing speech, or that one person’s speech is more important than another’s. Facebook should be a service and a community where everyone is treated with respect.
This has been a deeply hurtful and tiresome experience for the black community and really the entire Facebook community, and we are now investigating the current incidents.
I hope and encourage people to participate in the Black@ town hall on 3/4 to educate themselves about what the Black Lives Matter movement is about.”
To read more, go to: http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/25/technology/mark-zuckerberg-black-lives-matter/
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)
In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, Ernst and Young LLP will be hosting a Black History Month Executive Roundtable event in Los Angeles tonight that focuses on stories of cultivating and leveraging diverse teams and achievements of successful black professionals.
Ernst and Young partner Gracelyn Hodge will be moderating the panel. Panelists will be Dr. Robert Cherry, Chief Medical and Quality Officer at UCLA Health, Cookie Johnson, President of CJ by Cookie Johnson, Beverly Kuykendall, President of American Medical Depot and Guy Primus, CEO and Co-Founder of The Virtual Reality Company.
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Reception/Networking
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Program/Panel Discussion/Q&A
WHERE:
The L.A. Hotel Downtown, 333 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90071
RSVP:
http://bit.ly/1S6PKDi
UrbanGeekz has joined forces with Atlanta Tech Village to offer women and underrepresented minorities the chance to be part of a thriving technology innovation hub in the heart of Atlanta.
We have teamed up to offer an exciting opportunity for a talented tech entrepreneur to gain around the clock access to Atlanta Tech Village’s flourishing startup community in the Buckhead district.
To help foster inclusion and engagement of underserved communities in the technology space, we are launching a competition where one lucky winner will win six months of free co-working space at Atlanta Tech Village’s state-of-the-art facility. The competition is open to women of any background and underrepresented minorities.
This is an amazing chance for one fortunate entrepreneur to kick-start their startup without having to worry about the cost of office space. It is also an invaluable opportunity to network, exchange ideas, access curated mentors, and much-needed resources.
To participate applicants should apply here and submit a video up to 60 seconds introducing themselves and their startup. Each submission will be judged based on the mission, viability, and the long-term impact of the company.
“UrbanGeekz is less than a year old and in a short time we have had a lot of success, including partnerships with the likes of AT&T and 20th Century Fox,” says Kunbi Tinuoye, founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, whose editorial team is based at Atlanta Tech Village (the Village). “But this collaboration is by far the most rewarding on both a personal and professional level. We’re thrilled to partner with Tech Village to support an ambitious entrepreneur.”
“Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint-hearted, “she adds. “You need a huge amount of faith, self-belief, and dogged determination. Having access to a supportive community, resources, mentorship, business coaching, and guidance on raising capital in a space like Tech Village can give entrepreneurs a tremendous boost to scale their startup.”
Atlanta Tech Village, a thriving ecosystem for tech firms, is the Southeast’s largest co-working and office environment for emerging technology companies and tech startups. There are nearly 300 companies and 900 plus members based in the Village. As one of the fastest-growing technology startup centers, the Village is dedicated to fostering innovation, encouraging collaboration, and driving economic development in Atlanta community and beyond.
“Atlanta Tech Village is proud to partner with UrbanGeekz to support entrepreneurship and empower women and minorities on their quest to change the world through technology,” says Karen Houghton, director of Atlanta Tech Village. “We are a community of innovators that becomes greater with ever increasing diversity. We understand that startups are hard, and having a community of positive, supportive people around you can be inspiring.”
“The Village offers an abundance of resources from work space to meet-ups and networking events, to mentors and advisors for advice. We look forward to growing our community and supporting entrepreneurs on their startup journey.”
Atlanta Tech Village is an incredible place for new startups to land. It’s so much more than an office space,” says Aliceson Y. King, whose company Center for Excellence in Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance (CEDSPV) is based at the Village. “It is a community that provides amazingly talented colleagues in a diverse array of areas and super knowledgeable mentors who can assist in guiding you and your business to success from the start. Being at ATV for the last year has made all the difference in moving my startup to the next level.”
Since its inception in 2013, the Village has been home to some of the most successful startups in Atlanta, such as Yik Yak, BitPay, and Insightpool. Three years in, it is one of the top 10 tech hubs in the U.S. The technology hub also boasts a competitive accelerator, Atlanta Ventures, where startups receive mentor support and up to $120,000 in investment capital.
Applicants must…
– Submit a video (up to 60 seconds) introducing themselves and their startup.
– Be over 18 years old.
– Be a woman (any demographic) or male/female underrepresented minority.
We will consider entrepreneurs from any field but our focus is on tech startups and technology related companies. The application deadline is March 13th at 11:59 pm EST.
We have teamed up to offer an exciting opportunity for a talented tech entrepreneur to gain around the clock access to Atlanta Tech Village’s flourishing startup community in the Buckhead district.
To help foster inclusion and engagement of underserved communities in the technology space, we are launching a competition where one lucky winner will win six months of free co-working space at Atlanta Tech Village’s state-of-the-art facility. The competition is open to women of any background and underrepresented minorities.
This is an amazing chance for one fortunate entrepreneur to kick-start their startup without having to worry about the cost of office space. It is also an invaluable opportunity to network, exchange ideas, access curated mentors, and much-needed resources.
To participate applicants should apply here and submit a video up to 60 seconds introducing themselves and their startup. Each submission will be judged based on the mission, viability, and the long-term impact of the company.
“UrbanGeekz is less than a year old and in a short time we have had a lot of success, including partnerships with the likes of AT&T and 20th Century Fox,” says Kunbi Tinuoye, founder and CEO of UrbanGeekz, whose editorial team is based at Atlanta Tech Village (the Village). “But this collaboration is by far the most rewarding on both a personal and professional level. We’re thrilled to partner with Tech Village to support an ambitious entrepreneur.”
“Being an entrepreneur isn’t for the faint-hearted, “she adds. “You need a huge amount of faith, self-belief, and dogged determination. Having access to a supportive community, resources, mentorship, business coaching, and guidance on raising capital in a space like Tech Village can give entrepreneurs a tremendous boost to scale their startup.”
Atlanta Tech Village, a thriving ecosystem for tech firms, is the Southeast’s largest co-working and office environment for emerging technology companies and tech startups. There are nearly 300 companies and 900 plus members based in the Village. As one of the fastest-growing technology startup centers, the Village is dedicated to fostering innovation, encouraging collaboration, and driving economic development in Atlanta community and beyond.
“Atlanta Tech Village is proud to partner with UrbanGeekz to support entrepreneurship and empower women and minorities on their quest to change the world through technology,” says Karen Houghton, director of Atlanta Tech Village. “We are a community of innovators that becomes greater with ever increasing diversity. We understand that startups are hard, and having a community of positive, supportive people around you can be inspiring.”
“The Village offers an abundance of resources from work space to meet-ups and networking events, to mentors and advisors for advice. We look forward to growing our community and supporting entrepreneurs on their startup journey.”
Atlanta Tech Village is an incredible place for new startups to land. It’s so much more than an office space,” says Aliceson Y. King, whose company Center for Excellence in Drug Safety and Pharmacovigilance (CEDSPV) is based at the Village. “It is a community that provides amazingly talented colleagues in a diverse array of areas and super knowledgeable mentors who can assist in guiding you and your business to success from the start. Being at ATV for the last year has made all the difference in moving my startup to the next level.”
Since its inception in 2013, the Village has been home to some of the most successful startups in Atlanta, such as Yik Yak, BitPay, and Insightpool. Three years in, it is one of the top 10 tech hubs in the U.S. The technology hub also boasts a competitive accelerator, Atlanta Ventures, where startups receive mentor support and up to $120,000 in investment capital.
Applicants must…
– Submit a video (up to 60 seconds) introducing themselves and their startup.
– Be over 18 years old.
– Be a woman (any demographic) or male/female underrepresented minority.
We will consider entrepreneurs from any field but our focus is on tech startups and technology related companies. The application deadline is March 13th at 11:59 pm EST.
article via clutchmagonline.com
She started out as a cashier in 1985 but now Ann-Marie Campbell is at the top of the ladder at Home Depot. On Feb. 1, Campbell became the executive vice president of all of the company’s stores in the United States.
Campbell, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, graduated from Georgia State University and has a degree in philosophy and an MBA. As executive VP, Campbell will serve as president of the southern division, and is in charge of 2,000 stores and most of the company’s nearly 400,000 employees.
Campbell has received accolades from Black Enterprise and was named one of the 75 Most Powerful Women in Business by Black Enterprise, in 2010. She was also named one of Atlanta’s 100 Top Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League in 2012 and in 2014 she was ranked #38 on Fortune‘s list of 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Congrats to Campbell!
She started out as a cashier in 1985 but now Ann-Marie Campbell is at the top of the ladder at Home Depot. On Feb. 1, Campbell became the executive vice president of all of the company’s stores in the United States.
Campbell, who was born in Kingston, Jamaica, graduated from Georgia State University and has a degree in philosophy and an MBA. As executive VP, Campbell will serve as president of the southern division, and is in charge of 2,000 stores and most of the company’s nearly 400,000 employees.
Campbell has received accolades from Black Enterprise and was named one of the 75 Most Powerful Women in Business by Black Enterprise, in 2010. She was also named one of Atlanta’s 100 Top Black Women of Influence by the Atlanta Business League in 2012 and in 2014 she was ranked #38 on Fortune‘s list of 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Congrats to Campbell!
article via clutchmagonline.com
The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday announced a settlement resolving allegations that Torrance-based Toyota Motor Credit Corp. discriminated against black and Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers in auto lending.
Toyota has agreed that it will not increase rates it quotes to car dealers as well as limiting the discretion of its dealers to charge interest rate markups.
The $20 million settlement will provide compensation to those who took out loans from Jan. 2011 up until last month. In addition, the company will also pay $2 million to black and asian borrowers with markup disparities.
“TMCC does not tolerate discrimination of any kind, even perceived or unintentional, from its employees or business partners — this principle extends to fair lending practices,” according to the company.
“While TMCC respectfully disagrees with the agencies’ methodologies to determine whether industry lending practices have been discriminatory, the company shares the agencies’ commitment to ensuring that consumers can count on competitive and fair auto financing options,” the statement continued. “The actions TMCC will take under this agreement are intended to further that commitment.”
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits such discrimination in all forms of lending, including auto lending.
article by Hadassah Egbedi via venturesafrica.com
“No worry yourself”, “Bigz boyz”, “E make brain”, “Any better?” These are common slangs in West Africa, particularly used by Nigerians. Slangs keep conversations fun, easy and real, one of the major reasons behind the creation of Afro Emoji. “We, as Africans, definitely have a distinctive way of communicating with one another and Afro Emoji is a fun, graphic depiction of that,” say the creators.
Afro Emojis are African-themed stickers or “modern African hieroglyph” as described by the creators, a Washington D.C based company, iManagement Consulting. This unique range of emojis was launched a day ago on google play and iOS and is available for free download. What’s more? They are customizable and can be used on any social media platform, Blackberry Messenger, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Google hangout and Skype.
With the increased conversation around inclusivity and diversity, coupled with the fact that emojis have become a standard part of social conversations especially among younger mobile consumers, major brands and social media platforms like Apple and WhatsApp have made efforts to introduce emojis with a variation of skin tones.
“Diversity is not about skin color. It’s about embracing the multiple cultures out there that have no digital representation,” – Alpesh Patel
Although these are steps in the right direction, the mere introduction of different skin tones won’t do, as people are more drawn towards characters that are relatable. In this case, iManagement Consulting is making the necessary efforts to bridge this cultural gap in digital representation by introducing characters that represent Africans, with the hope that they will become “part of Africa’s conversation currency.”
Afro Emojis are not about the characters alone, but also the language. The traditionally decked characters come with common captions including “Abeg no vex’, “My Oga at the top”, and “See Linda tinz.” Afro Emoji launched on Google Play Store and the App Store with 50 free characters, and in-app sticker purchases at $1.99 for over 300 stickers.
To read more, go to: http://venturesafrica.com/afro-emoji-the-latest-innovation-for-africans-to-express-themselves-on-social-media/
article by Hadassah Egbedi via venturesafrica.com:
The growth of Africa’s comic culture has given rise to the likes of Comic Republic with superhero characters and lifestyles that Africans can finally relate with and the reception so far has been incredible. However, a young Cameroonian may just have taken this initiative to the next level. Madiba Olivier, who has always enjoyed video games, is now pioneering his own brand of games with African content and characters in central Africa by incorporating African folklore.
Olivier decided to invest in his passion by establishing Kiro’o Games, central Africa’s first video game studio that is creating a new narrative and visual benchmark for the gaming industry. With their latest project, Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan, an action-RPG (Role Playing Game), the studio intends to unify and transmit African culture by combining various myths, tales and traditional values into the gaming experience.
“The history of our continent is rich … we took inspiration from local Cameroonian traditions, like the Ngondo festival celebrated by the Sawa people, and we also incorporated symbolism adapted from that of the Akan people of Ghana, specifically the Adinkra writing style,” said Olivier.
“Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan” is set in a world of elemental energies and ancestral powers, where players assume the role of a traditional ruler, Enzo Kori-Odan, rightful ruler of the Zama kingdom, who uses the Aurion power granted him by his ancestors to regain control of his kingdom.
Initially named Madibao Corporation Studio, Kiro’o Games was established in 2003 by Olivier Madiba with two of his friends, Yakan Dominique and Waffo Hugues. The name Kiro’o is derived from “kiroho maonno” Swahili for “spiritual vision.” However, establishing and pioneering one of Central Africa’s first indigenous video games was not easy. Aside tackling daily power outages, the company’s business director, Boyogueno Roland, said it was quite difficult to get initial funding because investors were sceptical of the project.
“We started the project in 2003 but it was very difficult for us to find funding in the first place,” he said. But with the support of Cameroon’s ministry of arts and culture, Kiro’o Games got the much needed credibility it sought.
The project also got a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter gaining $50,000 in support from backers. And regarding power cuts, the company has resorted to the use of solar energy for future projects. However, the company would like to gain more trust and support from local investors. According to Roland, the business can be profitable, and its success would encourage other Africans to delve into the gaming industry.
To read more, go to: http://venturesafrica.com/kiroo-games-central-africas-first-gaming-studio-is-creating-games-with-a-combination-of-african-myths-tales-and-traditional-values/
Most beauty pageants claim they’re about celebrating brains and beauty. But the beauty (and body) part often gets a majority of the shine while the brains get whittled to one or two questions on stage.
That’s what best friends Maureen A. Ochola and Jessica E. Boyd hope to change. The two created the Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina pageant, a natural hair celebration also focused on business that’s been disrupting the Southern pageant scene since its 2013 debut in their hometown of Columbia, S.C. It has proven to be a success, so much so that they’re putting on their third exhibition on April 16.
“I had a high-level overview of pageants when we started, and they all seemed to be focused on the just physical aspect,” Ochola said. “What I like about what we’re doing is we’re highlighting natural hair. We take that confidence and add on the business element because that’s really what you need to be successful in business. Confidence.”
The pageant focuses on the beauty of natural hair and the beauty of Black female business owners. Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina started as a program to grow interest and a customer base for the co-founders’ original business idea: a brick-and-mortar natural haircare beauty supply store. They started social media accounts to test their idea first, and the accounts gained popularity.
“The money that it takes to start a store, we really didn’t have,” Boyd said. “We thought: How can we stay relevant and make people continue to be excited until we can get the store open?”
The two chose to think outside the box and celebrate two things they love: natural hair and business. “We thought about a pageant,” Boyd said. “In December of 2013, we announced we would have it.”
The organic success of the pageant was a pleasant surprise to Boyd and Ochola. It gave them the initiative to explore the pageant as a legitimate extension of their original idea. It was clear that such celebrations were needed and gaining quite the following.
“After the first pageant, it kind of took off. We sold out of tickets,” Boyd said. “The impact it had on the girls and the community, in general, took on a life of its own. It wasn’t a question. We had to bring it back and do it bigger and better.”
It’s not a surprise that creativity in business is also one of the pageant’s key themes. Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina contestants learn firsthand about entrepreneurship and small business.
“Last year we added a twist: a business pitch idea because that’s essentially what we’re doing,” Ochola said. “Why not introduce that to these girls as well?”
Fox Searchlight, the specialty films division of 21st Century Fox, is closing a $17.5 million deal to acquire worldwide rights to “The Birth of a Nation,” a drama about the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner, that had an electrifying premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
The Weinstein Company, Netflix, Paramount, and Sony were among the companies making offers on the picture. Bidding lasted through the night, with one company, believed to be Netflix, offering $20 million for the picture. The deal is the richest in Sundance history.
The film was written and directed by Nate Parker, who also stars as Turner and invested his own money in the production. Parker is best known for his work in “The Great Debaters” and “Beyond the Lights.” The response to the picture was seismic and the Oscar buzz erupted as soon as the lights went up following the picture’s debut at the Eccles Theatre.
In a rave review, Variety critic Justin Chang wrote, “‘The Birth of a Nation’ exists to provoke a serious debate about the necessity and limitations of empathy, the morality of retaliatory violence, and the ongoing black struggle for justice and equality in this country. It earns that debate and then some.”
The cast includes Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley and Mark Boone Junior.
article by Brent Lang and Ramin Setoodeh via Variety.com
The Weinstein Company, Netflix, Paramount, and Sony were among the companies making offers on the picture. Bidding lasted through the night, with one company, believed to be Netflix, offering $20 million for the picture. The deal is the richest in Sundance history.
The film was written and directed by Nate Parker, who also stars as Turner and invested his own money in the production. Parker is best known for his work in “The Great Debaters” and “Beyond the Lights.” The response to the picture was seismic and the Oscar buzz erupted as soon as the lights went up following the picture’s debut at the Eccles Theatre.
In a rave review, Variety critic Justin Chang wrote, “‘The Birth of a Nation’ exists to provoke a serious debate about the necessity and limitations of empathy, the morality of retaliatory violence, and the ongoing black struggle for justice and equality in this country. It earns that debate and then some.”
The cast includes Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller, Jackie Earle Haley and Mark Boone Junior.
article by Brent Lang and Ramin Setoodeh via Variety.com