Baldwin Richardson Foods Announces Significant Expansion Into Aseptic Beverage Manufacturing
Baldwin Richardson Foods, a leading custom ingredients manufacturer for the food and beverage industry, today announced that it has completed an asset acquisition of Aseptic Solutions USA Ventures, LLC, in Corona, California. This transaction expands the company’s manufacturing capabilities to include high-demand aseptic products and accelerates its commercial strategy to be a full-portfolio liquid product supplier across the food and beverage industry.
“Baldwin Richardson Foods strives to meet consumers where they are and to partner with our customers to achieve their vision for long-term growth,” said Erin Tolefree, President of Baldwin Richardson Foods. “In addition to expanding our product offerings, this acquisition will expand our geographical footprint and the agility of our supply chain, best positioning us to help our customers build for the future.”
Baldwin Richardson Foods is one of the largest African American family-owned businesses in the food industry and a partner of choice to iconic brands as a producer of sauces, syrups, and fillings. The acquisition of aseptic capabilities and expertise will enable Baldwin Richardson Foods to leverage its leadership position through manufacturing a wide range of beverage products such as plant-based milk alternatives, fruit juices, concentrates and purees, teas, bar cocktail mixes, smoothies and coffee creamers, in a variety of bottle, carton and pouch sizes. Aseptic manufacturing solutions make safe, shelf-stable, preservative-free products while maintaining maximum freshness, flavor, texture and nutritional value.
“Baldwin Richardson Foods is known for its culture of innovation which makes us an ‘easy button’ for our customers,” said Cara Hughes, Vice President of Customer and Community at Baldwin Richardson Foods. “In our 25 years of operation, we have earned a reputation for delivering with excellence, listening to our customers, and providing the products they need to be successful with their customers in a competitive and rapidly changing industry. This new expansion is a demonstration of our culture and a commitment to delivering on our customers’ needs.”
Baldwin Richardson Foods’ West Coast entry will enable it to service new markets and also broaden the reach of its extensive community impact. In the areas in which Baldwin Richardson Foods operates, the company and its employees devote resources to supporting education, partnering with philanthropic institutions and maintaining committed, long-term partnerships with local organizations.
African Market Intelligence Startup Rwazi Scores $4 Million In Seed Funding Round
Data is the key to success and one startup has figured out how to assist brands with sourcing data that’s important to their growth.
TechCrunch reportsRwazi, an African market intelligence startup, has racked up $4 million in a seed funding round. Supported by Bonfire Ventures, the round also received investments from Newfund Capital and Alumni Ventures. The money will assist the startup, founded by Eric Sewankambo and Joseph Rutakangwa, with expansion and planned product launches.
So what does Rwazi do? Using an app, the startup collects data directly from users by logging all of their purchases. After a verification process, the users are then paid. The data is based on the customers’ needs, ranging from product usage to household budgets and income. The two founders started the business after trying to grab timely market insights in their previous jobs. It helped them understand how frustrating the process could get and, more importantly, how valuable that information could be.
To date, the app is available in 40 African countries, as well as South Asia and Latin America. With the new funding, Rutakangwa said they can address language barriers. “We are rolling out new products this year that support different languages because this has been a barrier to our growth in these regions,” the founder said.
Currently, Rwazi has 50,000 consumers, including more than 15 multinational corporations in numerous industries. While that may look impressive, Rutakangwa said there is more work to be done.
“Looking back at 2022, it was indeed a difficult year for investing in emerging markets, with widespread inflation and supply chain disruptions affecting many of these markets,” the CEO told Grit Daily.
“However, many analysts are optimistic that 2023 will be a better year for investing in emerging markets,” he added. “This is due to several factors, including the expectation that central banks in developed markets will relax their monetary policies, which could ease some of the tensions experienced by emerging market currencies.”
New Data Show Autism Diagnosis More Common In Black Children
There seems to be more and more cases of autism in children, especially when it comes to Black kids.
The Associated Press reports that for the first time autism is being recognized more frequently in Black children than white kids in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, particularly in children around eight years old, one in 36 had autism in 2020, which is more than what it was two years earlier, with the numbers being one in 44.
Some of the numbers can be blamed on the pandemic. As Todayreports, the earlier stages of COVID pushed back early autism detection. Normally, the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network finds data amongst 4-year-old children.
In a press release, the CDC, said the numbers add up: “This coincides with the interruptions in child care and health care services during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
New estimates show almost 3% of Black, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander children have received autism diagnoses. That’s not too much bigger than the 2% of white kids diagnosed. But why is that? Past reports claim autism was more commonly diagnosed in white kids, particularly coming from middle- or upper-class families, meaning they have the means to afford specialists.
Experts, like psychiatry professor David Mandell, feel the increased numbers are due to more Black and Hispanic families being aware of this condition. “The increase is from this rush to catch up,” Mandell said.
While these same families are talking more about autism, that doesn’t mean they’re receiving the help needed.
Autism is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. Noticeable symptoms include speech and learning delay, social and emotional withdrawal, and an unusual sense of routine. Researchers also believe genetics play a role. Nothing explains why its more common in some ethnic group than others.
Experts encourage parents to learn about the CDC’s “Learn the signs, act early” program, an app that assists parents in recognizing the signs of autism. It also tracks development milestones as early as 2 months old.
Bob Kendrick, President Of The Negro League Baseball Museum, Keeps League’s Legacy Alive
No player or team in Negro League has played a game in more than six decades, but Bob Kendrick and others at Kansas City’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) are keeping its legacy alive.
Kendrick served as the museum’s first Director of Marketing in 1998 and was named Vice President of Marketing in 2009. He’s served as NLBM president since 2011, responsible for the museum’s day-to-day operations, and has helped orchestrate a nearly $20 million turnaround at the NLBM.
The Georgia native told BLACK ENTERPRISE that the Negro Leagues was as much about Black entrepreneurship as it was about baseball, “because wherever you had successful Black baseball, you had thriving Black economies.”
“When Black children walk into this museum they’re seeing people who look just like them play this game as well as anyone who has ever played this game and not only did they play but they owned teams, they were managers, coaches, secretaries, and team physicians, they fulfilled every role that could be filled in the business of baseball,” Kendrick tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “So, yes, we want our children to be introduced to this game, grow and be nurtured in this game and hope to create an opportunity for them to play this game at the major league level.
“It’s very important that the legacy of the Negro Leagues continue to play on both from a historical and educational standpoint but I truly believe the inspirational aspect of this story of triumph over adversity is what resonates with a lot of people,” Kendrick says.
Kendrick has been behind several moves inside and outside the NLBM to increase exposure and highlight the league as well as its incredible stories and players.
Last year, the NLBM unveiled its “Barrier Breakers” touring exhibit, which chronicles the players who broke their major league teams’ respective color barrier starting with Jackie Robinson in 1947 through 1959 when the Boston Red Sox signed Pumpsie Green.
“It surprises a lot of people that it took 12 years before every major league team had at least one Black player,” says Kendrick. “But that can also help you understand why the Negro League was able to operate 13 years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.”
The NLBM is also building a brand new exhibit celebrating the 75th anniversary of the legendary pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige joining the Cleveland Indians (now known as the Guardians). Paige, along with outfielder Larry Doby, who broke the color barrier in the American League, helped the Guardians win its last World Series title in 1948. (That season is chronicled in Luke Epplin’s acclaimed book, Our Team.)
The exhibit will debut at the NLBM May 20. The display celebrates Paige, as well as the Black and Hispanic pitchers of the Negro Leagues who didn’t get an opportunity to play in Major League Baseball..
“We’ve done a tremendous amount of work to raise awareness and hopefully a better understanding and an appreciation for what this story represents in its entirety,” Kendrick says. “Baseball is merely a premise for a far more grandiose story. This is a story about the importance of economic empowerment; this is a story about an unprecedented level of leadership that emerged in the African American community and ultimately this is the story of the soulful advancement of America.”
The MLB and NLBM teamed up for the Undeniable animated series, which debuted in February. It featured three short stories from the historic era of the Negro Leagues, narrated by Kendrick.
Negro League players and teams including Robinson, Paige, Doby, and John “Buck” O’Neil, who founded the NLBM and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame last summer, will also be featured in the video game MLB The Show 23, which will be released on PlayStation 4 and 5 on March 28.
Kendrick, who called O’Neil a friend and mentor, said he’d given up on seeing O’Neil being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame when he missed out in 2006 by one vote.
‘I’m still smiling, I’ve been smiling now for about a year since he was inducted last July because it was so improbable,” Kendrick said.
O’Neil’s contribution to baseball is still celebrated today with a bronze statue at the Baseball Hall of Fame and with the creation of The Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award.
Kendrick NLBM will continue its mission to celebrate and educate younger Black generations about the history of the Negro League and its legacy.
“It can’t just be history for history’s sake so I have to find ways in which I can help people engage around the story,” he says. “So if it’s through an animated series or this video game, they’re going to be millions of young people—and particularly African-American kids—who are now going to learn about the Negro Leagues through a video game and so that’s what we have to do.”
Spelman Partners With OceanX To Advance Diversity in the Marine Sciences
Statistics show that Black and brown researchers only account for six percent of America’s life science workforce, and there is a growing increase in the significance of resources that offer students of color direct opportunities in the STEM workforce.
Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX announced its partnership with Spelman College, a historically black liberal arts college for women, to increase diversity in STEM education and bridge existing gaps in the marine sciences. To equip Spelman students and faculty with resources and opportunities, the partnership will focus on four core areas: OceanX’s Young Explorers program, employment opportunities, research and curriculum development, and partnership building.
Co-Director of the Spelman Innovation Lab, Dr. Jerry Volcy, and OceanX Science Lead Mattie Rodrigue provided BLACK ENTERPRISE with more insight on the signature Young Explorers program and its cutting-edge research and media production vessel, the OceanXplorer.
Global ocean exploration nonprofit, @OceanX, has announced a historic partnership with Spelman College to offer students an in-depth experience with ocean exploration and marine science and operations. Read more here: https://t.co/u0gdkEyoIbpic.twitter.com/F47YRjQKoc
“OceanX’s partnership with Spelman College is rooted in our organization’s long-standing efforts to increase diversity in STEM education and transform the marine sciences into a diverse and inclusive field,” Rodrigue says, mentoring many of the incoming Spelman students. “Our signature Young Explorers program, which launched in 2021, has made STEM career paths more accessible to diverse communities, providing students with hands-on experience in media production, science communication, state-of-the-art technology and research methods, and bolstering career development in the ocean exploration trade.”
According to Dr. Volcy, a pivotal partner in the project, each year, approximately 14 select students travel on OceanX’s state-of-the-art scientific research vessel, OceanXplorer, for two weeks during the summer months, appointing one of those spots to a Spelman student.
Rodrigue says she will work closely with Spelman faculty to ensure a hands-on experience with the ocean science process through curriculum development, livestream sessions, or in-person visits to the campus.
“We believe that when students see people like themselves carrying out cutting-edge research, working in advanced labs, and offering themselves up as mentors, a world of formerly inconceivable opportunities opens up to them,” Rodrigue adds.
Curricula
Students who have the benefit of traveling with OceanX as part of the Young Explorers program will be immersed in hands-on research in marine biology and oceanography in a scientific lab at sea and under the supervision and guidance of diverse professionals already practicing in ocean exploration and media.
“OceanX plans to engage partners, including Spelman and Howard, by providing curricular content around media production, marine vessel operations, science (introductory classes and hands-on programs), and science communication. We hope to work in collaboration with our partners to develop options that complement the exceptional experience already available at the college,” Rodrigue says.
Young Explorers provides students with enriching insight into ocean science as they board the OceanXplorer for an introduction to ocean research, science, exploration, and media, as they focus on angles that include scientific research, technology, digital media, and ship operations.
The OceanX–Spelman partnership also extends opportunities for faculty members to participate. A key component of the partnership includes working closely with faculty members to develop a curriculum that offers live classroom opportunities that will be incorporated into biology courses for Spelman students. “Space permitting, OceanX will allow one faculty member from Spelman to sail this summer,” Dr. Volcy says.
“Both professors and students will have opportunities to participate in ocean research projects in the classroom and aboard the OceanXplorer,” Rodrigue adds. Additionally, “there is already some discussion about leveraging the experience for course credits in the future,” Dr. Volcy notes.
Professional opportunities
The partnership between OceanX and Spelman aims to benefit students interested in a future in marine biology, marine research, engineering, media production, and filmmaking. The program extends beyond academia, granting students and faculty access to mentors and potential work opportunities through OceanX’s esteemed network of partners and sponsors.
“All students are supported with recommendations and connections to various internship opportunities,” Rodrigue says. “We are in the process of building an alumni network/program so that students and faculty who participate can stay connected and involved, and we can continue to support the Young Explorers as they transition into new career opportunities.”
OceanX’s partner network includes leaders from organizations such as Black in Marine Science, Coral Vita, Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, NOAA, and others.
Impacting researchers of color in America’s STEM workforce
“Diversity in all disciplines is important. In the case of the STEM disciplines, it is a matter of national security that we grow the U.S. STEM workforce if we mean to maintain our global preeminence in science and technology. Failing to fully tap into the potential of women (50% of the population) or people of color (a growing demographic) is no way to do this. In both cases, the evidence is clear: what has been historically lacking is exposure and access. The collaboration with OceanX is one more step in redressing this history,” Dr. Volcy says.
The Spelman partnership addresses this equity gap head-on by offering women of color direct opportunities in the STEM workforce through OceanX’s innovative programming.
“Last year, we announced our collaboration with Black in Marine Science—a partnership that bolsters our efforts to elevate the work of Black marine biologists and connects participants of our programming with their rich oceanic research. Black in Marine Science is one of our many partners who will be mentoring, supporting, and inspiring the next generation of researchers,” Rodrigue says.
OceanX looks forward to the partnership, ensuring that the face of marine science is representative of the people impacted by the ocean, aiming to cultivate the students and scientists that represent the communities most affected by climate change.
TMCF And Hennessy Unveil Fifth Cohort Of Black Students To Help Prepare Them For Executive Roles
Ten HBCU students have been chosen for the fifth cohort of the Hennessy Fellows Program, an initiative between the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and giant cognac producer Hennessey.
The program provides backing that includes financial aid, training, and professional development to help students become the next generation of Black leaders. It too is aimed to help build and diversify executive leadership roles in corporate America. The 10-year program is being financed by an approximate $14 million commitment from Hennessy to TMCF.
The effort comes as pressure is increasing on large U.S. companies to boost Black representation in executive and boardroom roles. While Blacks make up 14% of all U.S. employees, that workforce at the managerial level is only 7%, according to McKinsey.
For vice president and senior vice president roles, the figures fall to 5% and 4%.
Further, some of the nation’s most powerful and prosperous companies have vowed to hire Black talent and boost minority representation in the C-suite as part of their racial equity efforts. Observers contend that Black institutions like HBCUs can offer a talent pool.
The Hennessy Fellows Program is geared to help address diversity gaps and build a more diverse workforce. Cohort participants this year come from several historically black colleges and universities, including Morgan State University, Howard University, Clark Atlanta University, and Florida A&M University.
So far, some 30 Black students have completed the program since it started in 2019. Many now work for large companies, including Warner, AbbVie, Accenture, and John Deere
Based on a new release, the fellows spent a weekend in Charlotte to launch the latest cohort, where they participated in leadership, communication, and media relations workshops over three days. They will be in New York City later this year for an executive boot camp that will focus on competency areas like executive presence, finance, and operations among the offerings.
The fellows were chosen after a comprehensive application process. Each fellow will get executive coaching, a scholarship of up to $20,000 per academic year, and a $10,000 annual stipend for other educational costs. They can pitch for a community-related project grant up to $10,000, as well get access to online training and networking events.
Jasmin Allen, senior vice president of Hennessy U.S., said, “By providing them with the necessary resources, investment, and development opportunities that can help them reach their goals, we continue to ensure HBCU students are positioned for success during their undergraduate years and beyond.”
“We are proud to announce this next cohort of Black student leaders who will define and disrupt Corporate America,” said Harry L. Williams, president and CEO at TMCF. “Each presents a unique set of leadership and communication skills that positioned them as top candidates for the Hennessy Fellows program.”
The 2023 Hennessy Fellows are:
Tia Pope – North Carolina A&T State University; Ph. D, Information Technology
William Gaspard, Jr. – Southern University Law Center; JD Candidate
Morgan Newton – Morgan State University; MBA Candidate
Hannah Bruns – Howard University School of Law; JD Candidate
Erika Tribble – Howard University; MBA Candidate
Giordan Rose – Savannah State University; MBA Candidate
Latia Boney – Howard University; MBA Candidate
Brandon Moise – Clark Atlanta University; MBA Candidate
Karmyn Tatum – Florida A&M University; MBA Candidate
Cierra Robinson – Morgan State University; Ph. D, Higher Education Administration
Jay-Z Fades to Black Big Time: Net Worth Now at $2.5B
Kanye who?
When Shawn Carter recited the lyrics, I’m a “business, man….” he wasn’t kidding. Jay-Zas a business is now worth $2.5 billion, according toForbes.
Amazingly, with that amount, he comes in at number 1209 on the list of the world’s wealthiest people.
The magazine listed the 53-year-old as the third highest-paid entertainer of 2022. After years of other hip-hop players vying to become the first in the field to grab that title, Jay-Z took it in 2019. He has kept that solid grip even as Ye and most recently, Sean “Diddy”Combs, were breathing down his neck. Although a list hasn’t been produced for the previous year’s hip-hop list, we can assume that at $2.5 billion he can keep that top spot for another year.
Forbes listed Jay-Z as having a net worth of $1.4 billion in the past two years.
Zack O’Malley Greenburg, the former Forbes writer behind the previous year’s wealthiest hip-hop lists for the magazine, reported on his blog last year that Diddy had cracked the billionaire status as Ye fell off it. Previously, Ye and Jay were the only hip-hop artists to make the billionaires’ club. Then Diddy came crashing through at $1 billion last year after Ye started to crash and burn and started to lose endorsements based on his antics.
No telling how high Hov will continue to rise as he keeps making business deals that add to his portfolio.
Last month, it was reported that after having a disagreement with Bacardi, he emerged with a different arrangement to continue producing the popular cognac, D’Usse, with the company. The two parties announced they had reached a long-term agreement to continue. Instead of purchasing the 50% stake that Jay-Z owns, Bacardi has acquired a majority interest in D’Usse.
There are ways to make money. Some clips. Others work out deals for their cognac brand. Same difference.
Ex-Drug Dealer Corey ‘Ghost’ Holland Sues Lionsgate For $300 Million, Claims 50 Cent Was Allowed To Intimidate Him
A former drug dealer is suing Lionsgate Entertainment for $300 million.
According to AllHipHop, Corey “Ghost” Holland, a former hustler who was involved in the illegal drug trade in his younger days, is accusing the company of enabling 50 Cent to set off a vicious and sustained intimidation campaign against him.
Holland claims the company knew what 50 Cent was doing but did nothing to stop or interrupt the BMF executive producer and Power producer.
in the paperwork filed, Holland is requesting $300 million in damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence in hiring and retention, among other charges. He is also suing to disallow Lionsgate Entertainment from using his life story in any future work without his expressed consent and compensation.
Holland has a litigious relationship with 50 Cent.
Several weeks ago, Holland accused the Many Men rapper of “pulling up” on him because he sued him, alleging that the rapper based his Power series on him.
According to court documents obtained by AllHipHop, Holland claimed that the Get Rich or Die Trying recording artist came to his place of residence, not once, but twice in 2021. Holland accused 50 of retaliating against him for filing the lawsuit.
AllHipHop previously reported that in 2021 Holland filed a billion-dollar lawsuit against 50 Cent, Courtney Kemp, and cable network Starz, claiming that the seven acts in a CD he released, Blasphemy, are identical to the seven seasons of the Starz television series, as well as the first two seasons of Power Book II: Ghost.
He also claimed that back in 2007, the former drug dealer mailed a copy of that CD to Kemp’s father. The album had an autobiographical song where he raps about being a “drug lord.” He fell in love with his “teen crush” who was Puerto Rican and found out from his drug trafficking partner, who happened to be white, that she now worked in law enforcement. Basically this was the premise of the hit show that starred Omari Hardwick.
Heavy Is The Head: 25% of Black Women Say They Were Denied Jobs Because Of Their Hair
Dove and LinkedIn have continued their commitment to demystifying the very real struggles Black women face regarding their hair in the workplace.
In a recent survey conducted by the companies, a majority of Black women say they feel they have to change their hair to be taken seriously for job opportunities and to be viewed as professionals. A whopping 66% of them said they had intentionally changed their hair before job interviews not to be passed over due to discriminatory practices. Twenty-five percent of the Black women surveyed said they believed they were denied a job interview because of their hair.
When looking at the data, said Andrew McCaskill, a senior director of global communications and career expert for LinkedIn, workplaces need “to work better” for women in general, but especially Black women. As more Black women have begun opting to wear their natural hair over the past few years instead of straightening their hair with chemical relaxers, which reportedly can increase the risk of developing uterine cancer, these types of studies are of far greater importance.
After landing their jobs, Black women with textured hair are twice as likely to experience microaggressions in the workplace than those with straight hair. And 25% of Black women ages 25 to 34 surveyed said they were sent home from work because of their hair. Through Dove’s #BlackHairIsProfessional campaign, Black women and young professionals have found a safe place to share their hair journey and stories. In one shared post, LinkedIn user Kristi Kennebrew revealed a message sent to her inbox criticizing her natural hair and encouraging her to “tone it down and make it flat” before calling her hair “scary.”
Experiencing hair discrimination early on in a Black professional’s career can cause a “disconnect of belonging” and a loss of confidence in their skills, McCaskill said. One example he cited is a young Black worker not getting the anticipated reaction for their work because the manager “is focused on something like their hair,” he said.
“What we know is that, as you get more mature in your career, you’re typically also more confident in your skills that you have and what you bring to the table,” McCaskill said. “For younger folks, these types of aggressions and microaggressions can cause real angst for them in terms of even to the point of doubting their skills and saying, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’”
The House passed the Crown Act last March to ban hair-based discrimination, but there is still so much work to be done on more intimate levels that affect the quality of life that Black women can have in spaces they’re forced to show up in.
Summer Walker Defends Daughter Hitting Her In Birthday Video: ‘She Don’t Like Loud Noises’
Summer Walker is clapping back at anyone who took issue with the short video clip that showed her 2-year-old daughter hitting her upside the head.
The Grammy-nominated singer was on social media this week sharing highlights from her daughter Bubbles’ birthday party. In one video, the mother of three, who welcomed twins in January, sings “Happy Birthday” to her eldest child
But the video drew criticism after viewers noticed saw Bubble hitting her mother during the birthday party she threw for her. Once Walker caught wind of the shady remarks about her child, she decided to address the spectators.
“SHE DON’T LIKE LOUD NOISES, she aint hit me till 50 people started singing happy birthday,” Summer wrote on The Shade Room.
“& the last video she hit me we was singing loud af as well lol y’all can stfu on my baby birthday.”
Fans were quick to pass judgment on Walker’s tolerance of her toddler daughter’s behavior.
“It doesn’t matter what she doesn’t like. That behavior is unacceptable and her making excuses for it is worse,” one user wrote. “Correct her now or pay for it later 🤷🏾♀️. These new age parents 😩”
“Oh nah… that would have been her last lash out, I promise you that,” another viewer quipped. “I’m the mama and there will be no confusion about that ‼️‼️‼️‼️”
The “Girls Need Love” singer faced more criticism about her daughter’s behavior after a previously posted Instagram Story video resurfaced that showed Bubbles saying “no” and hitting her mother while she sang “Wade In The Water,” as noted by Essence.
“This baby stay beating my a–, she wrong af,” Walker captioned the post.
Walker shares Bubbles with ex-boyfriend and producer London On Da track. They welcomed her in March 2021 after their break up. She had twins, whose names remain unknown, with her ex-boyfriend, Larry. The two parted ways shortly after.
