• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 23, 2023

Undercover Colorado Cop Used By FBI To Infiltrate and Spy on Racial Justice Groups

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The FBI is still up to its old tricks.

In a new expose by The Intercept, the blanket was pulled back on an undercover cop in Colorado Springs, Colorado, hired to infiltrate and spy on racial justice groups during the summer of 2020. Her name was “Chelsie,” and she rocked pink hair. She walked around the city, volunteering in places like the Chinook Center. Although she was undercover, many people, like the center’s co-founder, Samantha Christiansen, claim she was pretty noticeable because of how she dressed.

While she told her fellow volunteers that she was a sex worker, she’s been identified as April Rogers, a detective at the Colorado Springs Police Department.

Rogers was an offset hire during the FBI’s summer of 2020 investigation in Denver. It all started when an FBI informant, Mickey Windecker, became a leader in the racial justice movement, encouraging peaceful activists to become violent. Once Rogers became a trusted volunteer amongst her “peers,” she attempted to set up at least two men for gun charges.

After The Intercept obtained search warrants and body cam audio, it was revealed that the FBI was infiltrating via a program called Social Media Exploitation, which uses federal agents to monitor racial justice activists nationwide. Close to a dozen activists were targeted in the federal probe.

Similar circumstances occurred in Chicago when a Twitter account named “Chicago Against Cop City” was created, sharing information about a campaign brewing hundreds of miles away. The campaign was planned to raise awareness about an urban forest being turned into a police training center in Georgia that activists named “Cop City.” According to the Grist, weeks later, the FBI identified the activists as “Anarchist Violent Extremists” and “Environmental Violent Extremists” who are “opposed to removal of trees and park land.”

As for April Rogers, she refuses to talk about her undercover work. When called as a witness in a state court hearing, she testified that the Justice Department told her not to answer any questions about the FBI investigation.

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 23, 2023

Meet the Black Bartender Turned Pastry Chef Behind the Infamous Cake Martinis

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Teasha Chestnut, the founder and CEO of Sugarholic Desserts, is shaking things up in her business starting with her infamous alcohol-infused caketinis (cake-martinis). She plans to do small batch collection drops of specialty dessert boxes with a limited-time order window. The collections will feature the brand’s popular selection of individual-sized treats stuffed in reusable shakers with a shot glass.

Originally, Sugarholic cakes were made-to-order to guarantee freshness, but this method of ordering will be discontinued this spring. Taking a page from the beauty industry’s well-known brands and how product drops are done, Sugarholic Desserts will be releasing collections for a limited time. This method will allow customers to order small batches through collection releases while preventing food waste. Both collections will feature one flavor, coming with three different flavors in total.

Like many other Black and woman-owned small businesses, Teasha has had to make adjustments to keep the business open. The collection drops are only the first phase in Chestnut’s plans to make cakes exciting once again. One element the company has agreed to keep are the reusable shot glass and martini shakers. Containers can be reused to shake up alcoholic beverages or virgin drinks once washed.

Another unique element not being eliminated during the shake-up is Sugarholic Desserts’ support of Black-owned products and services such as alcohol/spirits, and product sourcing. Teasha states, “I can not compromise on supporting my own community.” In the second collection, named “My Mamma’s Box” releasing April 17th, cake tasters will experience how the dessertender combines two Black-owned liquors to make the featured treat. Uncle Nearest Whiskey and Rivulet Liqueur Pecan are the main ingredients to the sweet potato cake aptly named ‘Dee’s Cake’ to honor the founder’s grandmother. Solidifying Sugarholic’s commitment to championing Black-owned companies.

Teasha’s focus on community drives the future of the Sugarholic brand. Plans to expand into live activations via AirBnB Experiences are in the works for early summer after the dual spring collection launches. The founder has not revealed any class locations and dates, but Teasha will teach attendees how to make the same tipsy treats themselves. “Just like our caketinis available for a limited time purchase, I believe the live classes will be ideal for girl’s nights, bachelor or bachelorette parties, family reunions, weddings, graduation parties, holidays, and as a gift. Cake and experiences can be for everyone.”

Ironically, the creator, Teasha, is not one for heavy drinking. She got her start on the Las Vegas strip as a bartender and pastry chef in hopes of creating a joint venture with her late sister. Pivoting from losing her sister and future business partner, Teasha applied the understanding that every party needed alcohol and desserts and thus decided to infuse the two components into an assortment of classic and unique flavors.

Now, this latest pivot from Teasha will keep seasonally appropriate alcohol-infused treats in one place. Boozy cake lovers will have the opportunity to order the first seasonal collection, ‘Spring Fling’ box, just in time for spring festivities. The box will be live until March 31st and will feature a lemon cake baked with creamy Limon Rumchata layered between fruity strawberry tequila frosting.

This news first appeared on blackbusiness.com

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 23, 2023

Her App Has Recirculated $10M into Black-Owned Businesses, Now She’s Expanding to Ten More Countries

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Meet Mandy Bowman, the founder and CEO of Official Black Wall Street (OBWS), an innovative marketplace app that is now the fastest growing platform for finding and supporting Black-owned businesses in the United States. All in all, Mandy says that her app has already recirculated about $10 million in sales and business services back into Black-owned businesses. Now, she is focused on expanding her services to ten other countries including Canada, South Africa, France, the UK, and the Netherlands.

Since its launch, the OBWS app became a powerful tool for promoting economic growth and equity in Black and brown communities. By providing a platform for local and national Black-owned businesses to reach a wider audience, the OBWS app is helping to level the playing field and create new opportunities for Black entrepreneurs.

“We are thrilled to be able to support Black-owned businesses and help them grow,” says Mandy. “Our app makes it easy for people to find and support Black-owned businesses in their local community and beyond. It’s important that we support these businesses and help to build a more equitable future for all.”

The OBWS app has received several prestigious awards and video features from brands like Google, Mastercard, PayPal and more. And now the app is expanding to 10 countries around the world to enable more people to easily find and support Black-owned businesses no matter where they are on the planet.

“We’re excited to bring our platform to even more people around the world,” Mandy adds. “By expanding to new countries, we can help to promote economic growth and equity in even more communities.”

The OBWS app is available for download on both iOS and Android devices. To learn more about the app and/or to find or list Black-owned businesses in your area, visit OBWS.com

This news first appeared on blackbusiness.com

Glossier’s vision is to change the way the world sees beauty — and the brand aims to do that by helping change the beauty industry itself. As part of Glossier’s continued investment in diversity, equity, and inclusion in beauty (and beyond), the brand announces the launch of its third Grant Program for Black-Owned Beauty Businesses, committing $300,000 and doubling down on mentorship provided by Glossier team members, towards six visionary businesses in the U.S.

Glossier’s Grant Program will provide financial support by way of grant money, access to Glossier’s expertise in areas relevant for the specific grantee such as supply chain or product development, and exclusive access to Glossier’s network including VCs, C-Suite Executives and past Grantees.

In 2022, Black founders raised only 1% of all venture capital funding— a disappointing decrease from the 1.3 percent raised in 2021. Despite the fact that Black consumers make up over 11 percent of the U.S. beauty market – spending over $6.6 billion on beauty annually — Black-owned brands only capture 2.4 percent of revenue in the overall beauty market.

Since the Grant Program’s inception in 2020, Glossier has been honored and humbled to partner with 30+ founders leading 26 innovative beauty brands. There’s a strong track record of success, with Grant Program alumni like Range Beauty, Young King, and Luna Magic appearing on Shark Tank, and Skimdo winning an Allure Best of Beauty Award. Grantees have also gone on to national retail distribution such as Golde and Eadem.

The application window is now open. Submission criteria includes:

• Purpose: The inspiration and purpose behind your business and the impact you hope to achieve both for your customers and the broader community
• Differentiation: What sets your brand and products apart from others in your category
• Business Plan: Your plans for business growth and how Glossier’s Grant Program will help you achieve your goals.

Applicants must be beauty brands with physical beauty products (not service providers, not salons, not spas) who are seeking support and resources, and are available to actively participate in four months of programming.

How it Works
Grantees will be paired with a Glossier executive advisor for mentorship, have access to business programming on topics ranging from supply chain to product development to influencer marketing, and participate in 1:1 meetings with functional experts across the Glossier team, connect with alumni grantees from previous years, and receive support from Glossier’s community of partners like Shopify and Google.

The application window is open now through April 11 at 12 a.m. EDT. Click here to apply. Applicants will be notified in June 2023.

Full Grant Program details available here.

Janelle Monáe teams up with Warner Music Group/ Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund (WMG/BFF SJF) to expand the programs of her non-profit, Fem the Future, whose mission is to build a fem-forward future by creating opportunities for under-resourced girls and non-binary youth of color in music, the arts, and education. The $150,000 grant will serve as a pilot for longer-term collaboration between the two organizations.

“In partnership with the Social Justice Fund, we’re giving girls the chance to own their power – and change the world,” says Janelle Monáe. “The SJF grant will support Fem the Future as it develops programming for girls and non-binary youth and shines light on their talent – helping them build confidence, expand educational opportunities and make informed decisions about their bodies, their lives and their futures. A beautiful future begins with uplifting the next generation of artists, activists and freedom fighters.”

“It is a joy to partner with Janelle Monáe and Fem the Future in their groundbreaking work,” says Lorelei Williams, Executive Director, WMG/BFF SJF. “As a cultural icon and catalyst, Janelle embodies liberation in her music and across all of her creative platforms, including Fem the Future. With the fall of Roe v. Wade and the rise of anti-LGBTQI+ bills, the fight for gender justice is more crucial than ever. Our bodies and our freedom are at stake. This grant will enable Fem the Future to scale up its programming; elevate the power and brilliance of Black girls and non-binary youth; and ensure greater access to life-changing opportunities.”

“On behalf of Fem the Future, we are beyond thrilled to partner with the WMG/BFF SJF,” says Christina Shareef, Fem the Future Board Chair. “This partnership represents a powerful opportunity to increase access and opportunities for women and girls of color in music, entertainment and the creative arts. By giving them the tools to succeed academically and professionally – and amplifying their voices and perspectives – we can spark lasting change in their lives. I am confident that together, we can make a real difference and I am excited for all the incredible things we will achieve.”

• Technology

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 23, 2023

Breaking Barriers: SANS Institute’s HBCU+ Academy Expands to Promote Greater Black American Representation in Cybersecurity

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SANS Institute, the leading provider of cybersecurity training worldwide, proudly announces the expansion of the SANS HBCU+ Academy to serve additional Black American communities in the US. The SANS HBCU+ Academy is a unique opportunity for students and individuals from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Predominately Black Institutions (PBIs), and other Black American college students, to gain hands-on cybersecurity training and real-world experience, free of charge.

The SANS HBCU+ Academy aims to address the underrepresentation in cybersecurity by offering accelerated, full SCHOLARSHIPS for cybersecurity training and GIAC certifications to launch careers in cybersecurity for individuals with no previous experience. This program provides the gold standard in SANS training & GIAC Certifications, making it a highly lucrative and fulfilling career path for those with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Through the SANS HBCU+ Academy, participants will receive in-depth training from top SANS instructors and access to cutting-edge cybersecurity tools and techniques. The program is designed to be flexible, allowing students to complete the training around their academic schedules and gain practical experience in a real-world setting.

“We are proud and excited to see the SANS HBCU+ Academy expand,” said Monisha Bush, SANS Mission Programs and Partnerships Coordinator and a member of the SANS DEIB Task Force. “This program represents a significant investment in the future of the cybersecurity industry and the students who participate in it. By providing free, in-depth training and real-world experience, we are preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and ensuring a diverse and well-rounded workforce.”

The application window for the SANS HBCU+ Academy has been extended to April 14, 2023, and is open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students enrolled at HBCUs, MSIs, and PBIs, as well as alumni who wish to shift careers into cybersecurity and selected Cyber FastTrack participants. SANS Institute is dedicated to supporting the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and helping them achieve their full potential.

“Diversifying the cybersecurity industry requires individuals from various backgrounds, not just those with a computer science background,” says Delisha Hodo, Chair of the SANS Institute HBCU committee. “Expanding the SANS HBCU+ Academy to a broader audience will improve the future of the industry and dispel misconceptions about who can excel in this field.”

For more information on the SANS HBCU+ Academy and to apply, please visit https://www.sans.org/scholarship-academies/hbcu-cyber-academies/

inKind—the innovative restaurant fintech startup with more than 700 restaurants in its expanding national network—held its inaugural Equity Eats Summit last week at its headquarters in Austin, TX, during which they announced their $250 million commitment to fund underrepresented independent restaurant operators by 2025.

This commitment will help to ensure that under-resourced restaurants, which traditionally face significant hurdles to obtain the funding necessary to start or expand their businesses, receive access to much-needed capital. This fund will help level the playing field in an industry in which adequate resources are essential in order to be competitive.

“We created this funding platform to advance systemic change,” said inKind CEO Johann Moonesinghe. “While inKind has a proven track record of supporting underserved restaurant operators, there is more we can do to create pathways to financial sustainability, especially around property ownership.”

In addition to providing vital funding, inKind is also establishing a complementary programmatic component: the Restaurant Operators Alliance. Instead of a funding-only model, inKind recognizes the need to galvanize capital with resources like training, marketing support, and mentorship. Moonesinghe continues, “We are committed to mobilizing resources and welcoming partners in our mission. The Alliance will establish a support structure including access to technological resources, group food purchasing, and a repository of shared business learnings—all key elements that boost the probability of sustained success for these restaurants.”

The Equity Eats Summit, which served as the launch pad for this major announcement, was hosted by inKind CEO Johann Moonesinghe, inKind CMO Joann Jen, and inKind CRO Matt Saeta. Among those in attendance were:

• Industry Titans such as Rob Wilder, Co-Founder of José Andrés Group and World Central Kitchen; Jason Himber, CEO of Mina Group, Laura Rose and Michael Casey, Managing Partners of Storey Hospitality Group; Jack Laschever, Chief Growth Officer, City Winery; Elaine Chon-Baker, Founder & Managing Director at Mokja Ventures and a member of James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Program Advisory Board; Stephen Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer, Wonder; Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer of SpotOn, and more.
• Restaurateurs, Operators, and Chefs such as James Beard Leadership Award winners: Chef Irene Li and Chef Mavis-Jay Sanders; Television Chefs such as Maya-Camille Broussard (Bake Squad), Lana Lagomarsini (Pressure Cooker), Chef Fariyal Abdullahi (Chopped), and Chef D. Brandon Walker (Chopped); James Beard Award nominees such as Chef Cleophus Hethington, Chef Eric See, Chef Erik Bruner-Yang, Chef Jonathan Rhodes, and Chef Shenarri Freeman; Franchise Operators such as Sam Shoja, and Founder of Michelin Star restaurant Camphor, Cyrus Batchan.
• Hospitality Industry Changemakers including Dina Samson, Co-founder of Regarding Her; Nina Oduro, Co-Founder of Dine Diaspora; Filmmaker Joanna James and Founder of MAPP.
• Policy Makers such as the Texas Restaurant Association, Gastro-advocates such as Téa Ivanovic, Chief Operating Officer of Immigrant Food and Lani Halliday, Owner, Brutus Bakeshop; and Food Journalist Andy Wang.

Panel discussions focused on some of the most pressing issues affecting restaurant operators today, such as severe labor shortages, increased operating costs, surging food prices, evolving customer behaviors driven by COVID and inflation, and critical change opportunities for the hospitality industry as a whole.

“Real progress requires diversity of thought and healthy discourse. By creating this forum and bringing different industry voices together, we were able to instigate breakthrough conversations about equity across the food value chain and gather valuable insights needed to address systemic issues and deploy capital responsibly,” said event organizer and inKind CMO Joann Jen.

Executive Chef of Hav & Mar Restaurant, Fariyal Abdullahi, echoed, “When we talk about equity in the restaurant industry, it is important to think about how that translates to the mission and heart of our businesses. For me, that is embodied in our commitment at Hav & Mar to operate with a close-to-zero-waste kitchen and working with and supporting black and brown purveyors that are part of our community.” The depth of content covered across the summit will serve as a foundation for inKind’s purpose-driven capital allocation and inspiration for industry-wide change. Abdullahi continued, “Not only supporting, but providing funding to restaurants and operators that are elevating and giving back to their communities is vital to the success of ecosystems that actively work to champion sustainability, and racial/gender equity.”

To apply to inKind’s ESG fund, restaurants and chefs may visit the following link: https://www.inkind.com/inkind-esg-commitment
New inKind users in select cities, including New York City, Washington D.C., Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, can enjoy a special $50 offer on the inKind app while exploring 700 restaurant options. For updates and exciting announcements, be the first to know by following inKind via Instagram.

The Association of African American Financial Advisors (“AAAA” or the “Association”), a non-profit membership organization for African American financial advisors and other wealth management industry professionals, today announced the inclusion of its website in the Industry Association Web Archive, a collection of historically and culturally significant websites designated for preservation. The Library of Congress or its agent will engage in the collection of content from the Association’s website at regular intervals over time.

Christian Nwasike, MFP®, Chairman of the Board of the Association, said, “We are honored by this acknowledgement of the Association’s significant role in raising the profile of the Black financial advisor community. The Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, and the Library’s Web Archives include carefully selected sites to represent important web-based information on a designated subject. Over the years, the Association’s website has served as a virtual anthology of important events for the Black financial advisor community and its allies. It’s our sincere hope our inclusion in the Web Archive will further enable our ability to create impactful change across financial services.”

In addition to collecting content from the Association’s URL, the Library is expected to archive other portions of the website and public content that the page links to on third-party sites like Twitter, YouTube, and other social media platforms. The archived content may also be added to other relevant collections in the future and made available to researchers at Library facilities and by special arrangement.

“The Library of Congress’s web archiving program recognizes the importance of preserving digital content for future generations. With the internet’s increasing influence in our daily lives, the historical record would be incomplete if websites like [the Association’s] were not preserved and made a part of it,”  the Library of Congress Web Archiving Team said in statement.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Commends Association

The Association was founded in 2001 by LeCount Davis, MBA, CFP®, a widely recognized wealth management industry pioneer and the first African American to earn the Certified Financial Planning designation. Mr. Davis launched his practice in 1970, which he continues to run today, in partnership with his successor.

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, recently joined the Association at a special event in Houstoncommemorating 20 years of “Shaping the Future,” and presented the organization with a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for advancing the cause of diversity and Black advisors.

“On behalf of the constituents of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, I take great pride in recognizing Mr. Christian Nwasike and the Board Members of the Association of African American Financial Advisors,” Congresswoman Lee said in statement.

“We celebrate you and your hard work to empower and support African American financial advisors, while promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the financial advisory industry. Your efforts are most deserving of the respect, admiration, and commendation of the United States Congress.”

In December, the Association announced the appointment of Alex David, CEO of Stifel independent Advisors, as its incoming Chairman Emeritus. In Houston, Mr. David reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to building out a multi-racial Advisory Board of C-suite leaders across wealth management, part of a larger initiative to develop new programs to advocate for additional Black and diverse C-suite leadership while supporting young Black professionals seeking opportunities in the financial advisory space.

Mr. David said, “The Association is gaining widespread visibility in the financial services industry for its pledge to further engage with the Black community to enhance financial education as well as address the racial wealth gap in the United States. I thank Congresswoman Lee for this rare honor, as we begin another year of engagement with our membership, our corporate partners and industry organization to advocate for important causes.”

The 2023 NCAA basketball tournament brought in some big television ratings. According to Sports Business Journal, this year’s men’s tournament was one of the most-watched in recent years. 

“CBS, truTV, TBS and TNT averag[ed] 9.2 million viewers. Friday was the best First Round on record with an average of 9.3 million across the four windows during the day on the four networks,” according to Sports Business Journal.  “In early primetime on Friday, highlighted by No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson’s upset of No. 1 Purdue and the Kentucky-Providence game, the window averaged 11.7 million viewers, which is the best mark yet for that window. Thursday averaged 8.35 million viewers for all windows, the best first day in eight years.” 

It’s not clear what has caused the rise in viewers of the men’s tournament, but the first day of the tournament was up 2% from day one of the tournament in 2022.

“The early afternoon window on Thursday averaged 6.8 million across the combo of TNT, TBS, CBS and truTV, marking the best figure for that window on record and up 15% from last year,” according to Sports Business Journal. “For individual games on Thursday, CBS’ Tennessee-Louisiana was the best matchup in the 9:40 pm ET window, averaging 3.48 million. On cable on Thursday, TNT’s Auburn-Iowa in the 6:42 pm window was tops with 3.44 million.” 

The Sweet 16 begins tomorrow (March 23) with Michigan State (7) vs. Kansas St. (3); FL Atlantic (9) vs. Tennessee (4); San Diego ST .(5) vs. Alabama (1); Arkansas (8) vs. UConn (4); Gonzaga (3) vs. UCLA (2); and Miami (5) vs. Houston (1). 

Every March Madness there are upsets. No. 1 seeds fall short in the first round. This year is no different. Purdue, Arizona, and Virginia, No. 1., No. 2., and No. 4 seeds, respectively, were knocked out of the tournament. 

According to CNN, when Fairleigh Dickinson upset Purdue, it was only the second time in March Madness history that a No.16 seed beat a No. 1 seed. 

Throwing tantrums and continuous interruptions sounds like someone may have needed to excuse themselves.

Simon Ateba, a correspondent for Today News Africa, showed out during Monday’s White House press briefing.

Sources shared that Ateba interrupted the briefing with an outburst of claims that he and other journalists have been discriminated against, insisting he has never been called on to ask his questions. Ateba has been an annoyance to Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in previous situations. Yesterday, as the cast of the comedy series Ted Lasso stood behind her to discuss mental health, she took time to address Ateba’s poor decorum in the room.

“I understand that there’s going to be give-and-take,” Jean-Pierre said. “That’s the way the press briefing has gone for decades before me, and I will always, always respect that, but what I will not, what I will not appreciate is disrespecting your colleagues and disrespecting guests who are here to talk, who were here to talk an incredibly important issue which is mental health. And what has just occurred this last 10, 15 minutes is unacceptable.”

Ateba dragged his excuses to an interview on Fox News’s Tucker Carlson Tonight, where he tried to use the First Amendment to justify his behavior.

“The First Amendment says that I have the right to ask questions—to do my job,” he told Carlson before making further comments about Jean-Pierre.

“[She] doesn’t need to like me, date me, marry me, have two Black children with me. She doesn’t need all that,” Ateba said. “She doesn’t even need to like my accent—doesn’t even need to like what I look like [or] where I come from. They look down on me. They don’t respect the First Amendment.”

Ateba threw race into his spiel, comparing his position to CNN reporter Jim Acosta, who is known for calling out members of the Trump administration. “When it happens to Jim Acosta of CNN—because they respect him, he’s white [and] he works for CNN. I’m Black, I’m African, [and] I don’t have money,” he said. “They don’t treat me the same way.”

Ateba thanked Carlson in a message he posted to Twitter following the interview.

Thank you to the 20 thousand new Twitter followers who joined me after my interview on @TuckerCarlson Tonight yesterday despite attacks. I will not disappoint you. They have told you I'm that bad guy who goes to the briefing room to yell questions. That's false and will perhaps… pic.twitter.com/3eEHf5tLS2

— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) March 21, 2023