Beyoncé Backs Lemon Water Company in $31M Series Funding to Help Support ‘Healthier Lifestyle’
Beyoncé is going from ‘Lemonade‘ to lemon water after becoming a “significant” investor in the hydrating lemon water brand Lemon Perfect.
On Thursday, the company announced Beyoncé in its $31 million Series A funding, Forbes reports. Beyoncé’s investment comes two years after she helped the brand go viral by posting a photo with a bottle of Lemon Perfect in the door of her limo.
Beyoncé invested in the company alongside Beechwood Capital, Goat Rodeo Capital, Melitas Ventures, NNS Capital, and Trousdale Ventures. The Grammy Award-winning singer was more than happy to get behind a brand she’s already a fan of.
“I don’t typically enjoy drinks without added sugar, but Lemon Perfect is delicious,” Beyonce said.
“It was an easy decision to invest in something that not only tastes great and is healthy, but also, and most importantly, allows choosing a healthier lifestyle to be affordable and accessible to everyone.”
Lemon Perfect founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel can’t discuss the details of Beyoncé’s investment but notes the amount was “significant” to the closing of its Series A fund, Forbes reports.
“We are honored and humbled that Beyoncé has become a part of the Lemon Perfect family,” Hufnagel said. “She is a worldwide icon whose talent, character, and positivity are unsurpassed.
“Her investment and the energy it sparks will accelerate Lemon Perfect’s rise toward its goal of becoming the No. 1 brand in the multibillion-dollar enhanced water category by market share.”
Hufnagel launched the Atlanta-based company in 2017 after a career as a college basketball coach for the University of Nevada, Reno, and after reading a rough draft of a keto diet book written by a local store owner who had dreams of being a coach.
The company plans to use the funding to grow the brand to over 40,000 points of distribution by the end of 2022. Lemon Perfect projects over 100% revenue growth by the end of the year.
Byrd Is Back! ‘Judge Judy’ Bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrd Will Join Courtroom Series
Although former Judge Judy bailiff Petri Hawkins-Byrdwas not asked to join judge Judith Sheindlin’s new show Judy Justice, which upset fans, he will, however, have his day in court on a new show.
According to Deadline, the fan-favorite bailiff has landed a new show, Tribunal, which will air on Amazon Freevee, the ad-supported streaming platform formerly known as IMDb TV and the home of Sheindlin’s Judy Justice. The Brooklyn judge will also serve as creator and executive producer on Tribunal.
The new series will feature two judges from the Sheindlin-produced syndicated series Hot Bench—Patricia DiMango and Tanya Acker—along with Sheindlin’s son and former district attorney Adam Levy. The panel will collectively adjudicate real cases while also using video-enhanced presentation to allow viewers to follow each case’s events.
Byrd served as Sheindlin’s bailiff since Judge Judy‘s premiere in 1996. The longtime co-star said he was left out of discussions regarding Sheindlin’s Judy Justice, Entertainment Weekly previously reported. Byrd’s name wasn’t included when the show was announced, and he was shocked. He claimed he was left out because he was tending to his wife, who had completed her third round of chemotherapy at the time.
“She informed me I was not being asked to come along on the project,” Byrd told EW. “I didn’t inquire as to why; that’s her choice. But she did inform me that fundamentally, I was priced out as the new bailiff on her new show. My salary would have been too much. I was curious: How would she know? She didn’t ask me. She didn’t give me an opportunity to have accepted a lower salary.”
At the time, Sheindlin released a statement saying that “Byrd is terrific, and we had a great 25-year run. This is a whole new program with a whole new cast and an exciting energy.”
After learning Byrd was not invited to Judy Justice, Byrd remained optimistic about new opportunities to come. He was a guest star on The Bold and the Beautiful and has provided voice work for radio, television, and games.
He told EW, “I just know that God has something else for me.”
A Celebration of Freedom And Black Culture: The Juneteenth Foundation Unveils an Exciting Line-up Of Events for the 2022 Juneteenth Freedom Festival!
The Juneteenth Foundation is delighted to announce that it has lined up an exciting series of events to make this year’s Juneteenth celebration one of the most outstanding and impactful events of 2022.
The Juneteenth holiday achieved federal recognition on June 17, 2021, when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing June 19 as a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. The recognition of the holiday further reaffirmed the nation’s willingness to own up to its transgressions, as well as its desire to chart a new course towards inclusion and freedom for all people.
Over the last decade, racial tensions in the US have become increasingly intense, with several protests and movements springing up to condemn and disavow the mistreatment of Black people across the U.S.
Through its annual Freedom Festival, the nationally recognized foundation creates a safe and welcoming platform for stakeholders and ordinary citizens to interact and develop progressive ways of ensuring lasting peace and an inclusive society where the rights of everyone are protected.
In addition to engaging with corporate entities and Fortune 500 brands, to develop effective methods to foster more inclusive and equitable work environments, The Juneteenth Foundation also runs a scholarship program that supports the academic achievement of brilliant young Black students attending historically Black Colleges or Universities. The Foundation aims to serve as a blueprint for Juneteenth celebrations across America, according to a press release.
The 2021 Juneteenth Freedom Festival was a massive success, attracting over 730,000 viewers across all the Foundation’s platforms — with a total of 23,187 participants signing up for its virtual career fair. The Foundation expects an even bigger celebration in 2022.
Scheduled to begin on June 16, 2022, the second annual Juneteenth Freedom Festival will kick off with the Juneteenth Honors. Juneteenth Honors will be an upscale production which highlights Black excellence, our history and the achievements of African-American luminaries. For these Inaugural Honors, The Juneteenth Foundation will be joined by some of the world’s largest names in entertainment, music and culture.
The four-day event will also feature what will be the nation’s largest diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEandI)-focused career fair. This career fair has already confirmed partnership with major employers such as General Motors, Alaska Airlines, Carhartt, Hilton and T-Mobile just to name a few.
According to chief executive officer and founder, Laquan Austion, “We have been intentional about attracting some of the nation’s largest and most recognizable brands — especially those brands who have taken [diversity, equity and inclusion] seriously. If you are serious about attracting diverse talent this career fair is the place to find it and we appreciate these partners for showing a real commitment in this space for our community.”
The weekend’s events will also include a legislative reception with several members of the U.S. Congress, a Father’s Day event in partnership with The Capitol Youth Empowerment Program at the Smithsonian’s African American Museum of History and Culture and several other activations that are designed to amplify Juneteenth nationwide.
“This is the first year Juneteenth has been recognized as a federal holiday — we want to make sure the nation feels the significance of this moment,” said Austion.
DC Mother Who Said She Threw Out Son’s Body Allegedly Stabbed to Death by Baby’s Father
The mother, who allegedly confessed to putting her infant son’s body in the trash after claiming he died while he was sleeping, was fatally stabbed in Northeast D.C. by her baby’s father.
On Wednesday, members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Carl Jones, 44, in connection with the stabbing of LaDonia Boggs, 39, the mother of the baby who’s been missing since May 2021. Jones was charged with second-degree murder while armed and is being held without bond, Fox 5 FC reports.
Authorities believe Boggs was killed during a domestic dispute. She was found inside a residence suffering from an apparent stab wound around 2:52 a.m. on Wednesday.
Her death comes nearly one year after being arrested for the felony murder of her 2-month-old missing son, Kyon Jones. She wasn’t charged with the murder but was charged with tampering with evidence after admitting to putting her baby’s body in the dumpster, NBC Washington reports.
During an interview, Boggs claimed that she rolled over on the baby while sleeping in bed.
“He was ‘sleep on my chest, and when I woke up, he wasn’t breathing anymore because he was just that small. He was only 2 months old. He was a premature baby,” she said at the time.
Boggs claimed that in a panic, she decided to throw the baby’s body into the trash.
“I came back in the house and got a blanket and his car seat, and wrapped it up and took it outside and just throwed it in the trash,” she said.
Court documents show Boggs admitted to taking PCP before accidentally rolling over on the infant. Surveillance video showed her hauling a car seat, a plastic bag, and a cardboard box to a dumpster at her apartment complex.
Police are investigating if Boggs’ murder had anything to do with her son’s death.
Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Raising Dion’ Canceled by Netflix
It’s official. After just two seasons, Netflix has canceled the series Raising Dion, produced by Michael B. Jordan.
The show, which first premiered in 2019, aired its last episode in February.
Actress Sammi Haney announced the decision on her Instagram account earlier this week.
“Sad to say that Raising Dion is CANCELED 😳😢 Thank you for all of the amazing support we got from all of our wonderful fans! Season 2 was a success, equal to Season 1, even if just looking at how many people watched all of it and wanted a season 3! The only “silver lining” is that this does free me up to pursue other roles. My Netflix contract kept me from accepting other major roles offered to me (1 actually written with me in mind) on other tv shows! So if you work for a major studio, hit me up again, I’m ready!”
Variety reported that Raising Dion was based on the comic book of the same name written by Dennis Liu.
Carol Barbee adapted the show for the screen, and she served as showrunner and executive producer. The other executive producers for the Netflix series included Michael B. Jordan, Kenny Goodman, Liu, Michael Green, Darren Grant, Charles D. King, Marta Fernández, and Poppy Hanks.
Several episodes were directed by Liu and Grant, while Jordan appeared in the show in a recurring role as Nicole’s deceased husband, Mark.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the second season of the series spent four weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 English-language series following its Feb. 1 debut. It peaked at second place for its first week. Nielsen has reported that in the United States, Raising Dion racked up 2.74 billion minutes of viewing time in the four weeks after its premiere.
Black Women’s Health Imperative Launches ‘The Men’s Room’ Program to Improve Health and Wellness of Black Men
The Black Women’s Health Imperative announced the launch of “The Men’s Room,” a lifestyle-change program aimed at improving the health and wellness of Black men and reducing their risk of developing diabetes and other chronic diseases.
“As Black women, we often feel helpless as we watch the Black men in our lives struggle with debilitating — yet preventable — chronic illnesses,” saidLinda Goler Blount, president and chief executive officer of the Black Women’s Health Imperative, as she prepared to speak at a panel on health for young men at the OMBI NFL Draft Luncheon in Las Vegas.
“That’s precisely why we at the Black Women’s Health Imperative have designed this program. By supporting Black men, we can support the Black women who love and care for them.”
Black Americans are twice as likely to develop type two diabetes as white Americans. Nearly 14 percent of Black men, in particular, suffer from the disease, as compared to nine percent of their white counterparts.
Yet, Black men are also less likely to participate in diabetes prevention or self-management programs.
The Black Women’s Health Imperative hopes to change that with “The Men’s Room,” a CDC-sponsored National Diabetes Prevention Program, according to a press release. Using a curriculum developed by Black men, for Black men, the program will feature trained Black male lifestyle coaches that will help participants make practical lifestyle changes to get and stay healthy for life.
“For nearly a decade, the Black Women’s Health Imperative has been a top-performing CDC partner in diabetes prevention,” said William Rowe, senior program manager for “The Men’s Room.”
“We’re excited to put our expertise to work for Black men.”
Viola Davis Responds to Criticism Over Her ‘Distracting’ Portrayal of Michelle Obama
Viola Davis had some strong words regarding the negative criticism of her portrayal of Michelle Obama in the new Showtime series, The First Lady.
The Oscar-winning actress directly addressed the critics in an interview with BBC News.
“Critics absolutely serve no purpose,” she said. “And I’m not saying that to be nasty either.”
“They always feel like they’re telling you something that you don’t know,” Davis continued. “Somehow that you’re living a life that you’re surrounded by people who lie to you and ‘I’m going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth.’ So it gives them an opportunity to be cruel to you.”
Following the show’s premiere, Davis was bombarded with a series of critical tweets about her portrayal of the former first lady—many of which focused on her overly pursed lips and “distracting” facial expressions. Some viewers described Davis’ expression as a “duckface.”
According to the news outlet, one viewer tweeted, “They set Viola Davis up by allowing her keep her mouth that way throughout the filming. It’s so cringey and distracting.”
Even as an actor, Davis said playing someone as familiar and celebrated as Michelle Obama was “almost impossible,” and persistently defended her bold acting choices.
“Either you’re doing too much or not enough,” she noted. “But ultimately I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices. Win or fail, it is my duty to do that.”
Davis is the first Black actress to win a Tony (Fences and King Hedley II), Oscar (Fences) and Emmy (How to Get Away with Murder).
She also released her new memoir, Finding Me, Tuesday via HarperOne, according to Oprah Daily. The raw telling of her traumatic upbringing in North Carolina reveals anything but glamour on her path to fame and glory.
Still, the triple crown winner still believes that not every project of hers will earn awards.
“How do you move on from the hurt, from failure?” asked Davis in the BBC interview. “But you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance.”
Note-Taking Enters The 21St Century With Agenda Premium
If you’re someone who likes to document every aspect of your life – whether for work or pleasure – then you’ve undoubtedly had your battles when deciding on the best way to chronicle these events. While paper notebooks and notepads have long been a staple in many people’s lives, the rise of technology has made note-taking ventures far easier and more manageable.
Agenda Premium 14 has emerged as a leading product in the note-taking space. For a limited time, it’s available for just $9.99. That’s a savings of 71% from its MSRP ($34).
Agenda Premium 14 offers date-focused note-taking in a non-traditional format which allows you to plan and document any projects you might have. It’s compatible with macOS, iPadOS, and iOS devices.
Where this product shines is its emphasis on the passage of time, making it essential whether you’re a business manager who wants to jot down notes during a meeting, or if you’re a teacher who wants to make notes of lesson plans. More than 3,000 people have rated Agenda Premium 14 4.7 stars on its 5-star scale.
Since it’s tech-based, users can link notes to events in your phone’s or computer’s native calendar and reminder apps, sync notes between devices via iCloud or Dropbox, and add attachments, tables, tags, links, and lists to notes.
Finding saved notes is easy, as there’s a powerful search feature search, a project jump bar, and a related notes list. The beauty of Agenda Premium 14 is no matter your need, there’s a feature or function for it. And it does it all in a streamlined process.
Note-taking has been a tried-and-true method that has stood the test of time. It’s a useful process that has made life easier and more manageable for many. Agenda Premium 14 is a great tool to use if you’re into note-taking or are looking to begin. Purchase it today.
Singer Monica Responds to Racist White Man Who Criticized Blacks at Country Music Television Awards
Avengers actor Anthony Mackie co-hosted the recent Country Music Television Awards, where R&B singer Monica also made an appearance.
Although there have been Black people involved in country music for years, which is rooted in Black culture, Patrick Howley, a white nationalist, didn’t appreciate the Black faces he saw at the CMAs.
A video clip was shared of Howley’s racist comments on Twitter. He goes on a mini-rant questioning the purpose of Black people being prominent on a country music awards show.
“I don’t know who this Black guy who’s hosting it. It’s supposed to be country music. No offense, I mean, y’all have hip-hop and basketball. You know what I mean? It’s like, just fly with your flock, bro.”
Then he goes into what is perceived as him imitating a Black man complaining about Blacks creating country music and white people stealing it from them.
“There were so many Black people there, sorry to say, but like, so many Black celebrities who have nothing to do with country music. And it’s like, why? No disrespect to the funky brothers of music. I love Earth, Wind & Fire, Run-DMC, etc. But, I mean, country music is different. It’s not Wakanda.”
White nationalist Patrick Howley is upset because there were too many Black people at the Country Music Awards: “Country music is different. It’s not Wakanda.” pic.twitter.com/PMfO1E22e2
Monica, no doubt, got wind of this video clip and responded via her Instagram account.
“I’ve never been more motivated.. Patrick Howley, although your feelings are likely shared by some, it’s NOT by the masses! I have an all star LEGENDARY team of true country artist that are currently working with me that would beg to differ ! Because of the genuine hearts of @lesliefram1 & @cmt … I shared the stage w/ @jimmieallen & @littlebigtown …This was the first of many times that you will see me! I see You caught that my skin is melanated, but you missed that it was tough! I’m rooted in the word & built to last ! See you soon, or should I say “Welcome to Wakanda” gracefully bows w/ @anthonymackie
“OPEN ROADS COMING SOON” MDA”
The Onyx Advisor Network to Officially Open to the Wealth Management Community
The Onyx Advisor Network (Onyx), a comprehensive entrepreneurial support platform for underrepresented financial advisors, today announces it will officially launch May 9, 2022. Financial advisors of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and anyone who feels marginalized by the financial services industry, is invited to join for a $549 monthly subscription.
Co-founded by financial advisors Dasarte Yarnway and Emlen Miles-Mattingly, Onyx was created to address our country’s wealth gap and provide historically underrepresented advisors with technology tools, custodial access, investment management resources, an inclusive community and coaching support — all key elements for advisors to start, scale and sustain their practices.
“In developing Onyx, Emlen and I are driven to empower underrepresented advisors with the tools, technology and resources needed to build sustainable careers in our profession,” said Yarnway, who has his own financial advisory firm, Berknell Financial Group.
“By breaking down the barriers to entry and providing Onyx advisors with access to some of the best resources our industry has to offer — at an affordable cost — we are addressing the diversity challenge in our industry and forcing systemic change in underserved communities.”
Having both been denied entry into the financial services industry earlier in their careers, Yarnway and Miles-Mattingly founded Onyx to level the playing field for underrepresented advisors and create awareness of the profession among underserved communities.
“According to the CFP® Board’s most recent study, as of the end of last year only 4.5 percent of CFP® professionals in the U.S. are Black and/or Hispanic,” said Miles-Mattingly, who runs his own financial advisory firm, Gen Next Wealth.
“When Dasarte and I hear these numbers, we feel it is the responsibility of all of us to take meaningful action to welcome minority professionals into this space. Creating Onyx is the tangible manifestation of how Dasarte, our partners and I will lead our industry by making financial services a viable career for people of every skin color, gender, sexual orientation, and background.”
“I feel deeply connected to Dasarte and Emlen’s mission with the Onyx Advisor Network: to support and lift up historically excluded communities,” said Miko, who heads her own fee-only planning firm, Equalis Financial.
“After taking part in Onyx’s beta group, I couldn’t be more hopeful about the change that it’s going to force in the industry. I truly believe that any advisor who feels marginalized and made to believe that the financial services industry isn’t for them has a home at Onyx.”
Advisors in the Onyx community will also receive a discounted rate to attend its first ever in-person community gathering at the Future Proof Festival. Taking place on Sept. 11-14, 2022, in Huntington Beach, Calif., Future Proof is designed to usher in a more inclusive future in the wealth management industry. As part of the #RiseTogether campaign, any attendee who registers during Women’s History Month can grant an underrepresented financial advisor or institutional investor a complimentary ticket to the event.
If you’re an advisor interested in joining the Onyx Advisor Network, please visit onyxadvisornetwork.com.
Technology vendors and other service providers in the financial services industry who would like to become Onyx partners, contact us at join@onyxadvisornetwork.com.
