Business

Fanbase Appoints Sheraun Britton-Parris As New Advisor

Fanbase, the subscription-based social platform today announced the appointment of Sheraun Britton- Parris as an Advisor to its team. Founded by Isaac Hayes III, Fanbase’s core mission is to upend the deeply rooted issues Black creators face in the creator economy while providing streamlined monetization capabilities for all users of the platform. Sheraun is a global executive with more than 20 years of corporate marketing experience within the aviation, beauty, consumer packaged goods, financial services, and travel loyalty industries - conceiving, creating, and launching growth strategies and building high-performing teams.

Apple selects 15 Black- and Brown-owned businesses

Apple today unveiled its first class of 15 Black and Brown-owned businesses on the cutting edge of green technology and clean energy, who will join the company’s Impact Accelerator to support equity and opportunity in the environmental sector. Part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, this program will help to combat systemic barriers to opportunity, while also advancing innovative solutions for communities most impacted by climate change.

MX Announces 5-Time Olympian and Gold Medalist Allyson Felix to Keynote Money Experience Summit 2021

MX, the financial data platform and leader in modern connectivity, today announced that 5-time Olympian and Gold Medalist Allyson Felix will keynote Money Experience Summit 2021, September 28-30 at the Snowbird Mountain Resort in Utah. The most decorated U.S. Track & Field Olympian in history, Felix will share her experience at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo and how leaders in the financial industry can push to new heights, challenge the status quo, and use their voice to create change — in their life, community, and organization.

Best Buy Commits up to $10M Investment in Brown Venture Group’s Inaugural Fund

Brown Venture Group LLC, a venture capital firm formed to fund Black, Latino and Indigenous technology entrepreneurs, announced today that Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) has committed up to $10M to its inaugural fund.

Experian North America launches groundbreaking initiative to accelerate financial inclusion in underserved communities

Leading information services company Experian today announced the launch of Inclusion Forward – Experian Empowering Opportunities ™, a first-of-its-kind initiative to help clients identify and directly support underserved and vulnerable communities. Inclusion Forward™ harnesses Experian’s data, analytics and technology to help clients create and provide more affordable credit access.

United Way of Metro Chicago announces United Neighborhoods Equity Fund

United Way of Metro Chicago today opened applications for their new United Neighborhoods Equity Fund (UNEF). UNEF aims to support small, Black and brown-led nonprofits predominantly located on the city’s south and west sides and south suburban region, and connect them to new investment opportunities. Each of the 10 grantees will be awarded $50,000 of unrestricted funds over a two-year cycle to be used according to the needs of each nonprofit.

Registration Open NOW for BBB and SCORE’s Build a Better Business Conference

BBB Serving Northern Indiana and SCORE Northeast Indiana announce that registration is now open for their inaugural Build a Better Business Conference, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 7, at the Parkview Mirro Center in Fort Wayne.

Channing Capital Management Launches Its First Mutual Fund

On July 1, Channing Capital Management, LLC (Channing) launched its first publicly traded mutual fund, the Channing Intrinsic Value Small-Cap Fund (Ticker: OWLLX). The investable universe is primarily domestic small capitalization stocks with a focus on quality companies that the portfolio management team believes to be attractively valued.

Leo Burnett Pilots Creative Boot Camp at Chicago State University

Five students from Chicago State University, Illinois’ sole four-year Predominantly Black Institution for higher education, began summer internships this week across Publicis Groupe, including at Leo Burnett Chicago, Arc Worldwide, and ThePub; and one of their classmates has accepted a full-time position at Publicis Health Media. The connection is the culmination of a decades-long partnership, and pro bono work through the Pencil Project, most recently with a boot camp creative curriculum during the Spring semester, with support from Marcus Graham Project.

Wells Fargo Announces Artist-in-Residence to Join Efforts to Support Diverse- and Women-Owned Small Businesses

Business Wire - Wells Fargo is expanding its existing efforts to support diverse- and women-owned small businesses by welcoming graphic designer and illustrator Sophia Yeshi as the bank’s first-ever artist-in-residence. For her first project as the Wells Fargo Artist in Residence, Yeshi reimagined the “Open” sign as a bold statement to symbolize the perseverance of millions of small business owners through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic – as well as the long road ahead to full recovery. The new “Open” sign is available for download at wellsfargo.com/ together and later this summer, small business owners can pick up a sign at any Wells Fargo branch while supplies last.

VIOLIFE® Teams up with RZA to Launch Grant Program to Promote Plant-Based Eating

Upfield US announced a new grant program, Plant Grants, aimed at promoting plant-based eating through charitable funding, education, and mentorship. This first year is being sponsored by Violife®, an Upfield brand and portfolio of 100 percent vegan cheeses and spreads, in collaboration with legendary hip-hop artist and long-time vegan, RZA. The 2021 Plant Grants program will focus on helping community-based Black-owned restaurants recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic recognizing that these businesses are often the economic and cultural centers of their communities. The program will provide funding to support re-investment in the business, an introduction to plant-based ingredients, and coaching on menu development from two plant-based chef pioneers, Lemel Durrah and Laricia Chandle to inspire Black-owned restaurants to add more plant-based dishes to their menus or convert well-loved recipes to plant-based.

Redfin Reports Pending Sales Continue to Slow--Still Up 29% from 2020

The breakneck pace of the housing market is beginning to slow heading into June, according to a new report from Redfin (redfin.com), the technology-powered real estate brokerage.

Sean Combs Teams Up With Salesforce To Launch SHOP CIRCULATE, An All-In-One Digital Marketplace For Black-Owned Businesses

Combs Enterprises and Salesforce have teamed up to create SHOP CIRCULATE, a curated digital marketplace that allows consumers to discover and buy products exclusively created and sold by Black entrepreneurs.

EEOC Provides Additional Information On Vaccinations

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws.

Allyship is Key to Creating Inclusive Workplaces

Public coverage of systemic racism has challenged businesses to promote cultures of inclusion, often utilizing allies who serve as collaborators to support historically underrepresented individuals and communities.