• Celebrity News

by Jameelah Mullen

April 23, 2026

Chef’s Kiss: Draya Michele Reveals That She’s In Culinary School

The former reality star urges fans to embrace the pivot.

---

Former Basketball Wives star Draya Michele has stepped out from in front of the camera and into the kitchen as she embarks upon a new culinary career. 

The influencer revealed on social media that she had been quietly attending culinary school for months. In a series of Instagram photos and videos, Michele shared footage of herself in class, prepping ingredients and executing the French flambé technique, in which a chef adds high-proof alcohol to a hot pan and ignites it to create a burst of flames.

“Becoming a chef was never something on my mood board (until lately),” Michele wrote to over 9 million followers on Instagram. “I’ve enjoyed cooking for my loved ones for years, and now I’m just perfecting it.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Draya Michele (@drayamichele)

Michele described this new chapter in her life as her “Culinair era.” She encouraged her followers to pursue new interests, regardless of age or background. 

“You’re allowed to evolve. You’re allowed to pivot.” Her message said, “You’re allowed to discover new passions you never saw coming. It’s never too late to change your path or start something new. If you’ve been waiting for a sign… this is it.”

Michele has been incorporating cooking content into her social posts for several months, but she hasn’t positioned it as a pivot for her brand. 

Michele founded the swimwear line Mint Swim in 2011, using $12,000 to launch the brand, which offers high-quality swimwear for diverse body types. She also said she wanted to create a product that felt authentic to both herself and her fans.

“I wouldn’t start the company just to make a quick buck or to say I have a business. It’s something that I love, and I live, breathe, and eat it, and I think that my supporters that follow me, they can see that and they can tell. So, Mint Swim is just a genuine company altogether,” the entrepreneur told BLACK ENTERPRISE in 2016.

Also an actress, Michele has starred in nearly a dozen films. In 2022, she costarred with singer Ne-Yo in a BET+ film, The Sound of Christmas. 

RELATED CONTENT: Michael B. Jordan’s Career Before His Oscar Triumph

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 23, 2026

White House Takes Steps To Reimburse $166B In Illegal Tariffs While Trump Focuses On Companies Without Hands Out

After companies like UPS and FedEx were one of the first to seek refunds, major retailers like Levi Strauss and Gap have followed suit.

---

The White House has agreed to reimburse companies for President Donald Trump’s tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled them illegal, but Trump is focused on companies that did not seek a refund, saying he will “remember them,” CNBC reported. 

During a phone interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump talked about the high court’s February ruling, resulting in the administration having to pay back $166 billion, claiming America is “giving money back to countries that hate our country.” 

As the host inquired about his thoughts on companies like Apple and Amazon seemingly not seeking refunds since they are potentially worried about “offending” the president, Trump said it’s “Brilliant if they don’t do that…Actually, if they don’t do that, they’ve got to know me very well. I’m very honored by what you just said,” he said close to 25 minutes into the interview. 

“If they don’t do that, I’ll remember them.” 

Companies seeking refunds can start applying for them, as the administration launched an online portal on April 20 to comply with the Supreme Court. 

After companies like UPS and FedEx were among the first to seek refunds, major retailers like Levi Strauss and Gap have followed suit. Levi’s Chief Financial Officer, Harmit Singh, said the company expects to receive close to $80 million in refunds for tariffs paid on imports of denim and other apparel items. Katrina O’Connell, the chief financial officer of Gap, whose brands include Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta, said,” It’s been clear they want their money back. We’ve been clear that the tariff impact has been significant to our performance. As an importer of record, we’re definitely working on gaining clarity on whether we can recognize a refund,” O’Connell said. “Because the situation is fluid right now as to how, when, or whether any refunds will ultimately be realized.”

Currently, the Trump Administration has imposed at least a 10% tax on all goods imported into the U.S., with higher rates for commodities and products from specific countries, which has massively affected small businesses. “It’s impacted us tremendously, I mean, it’s a conversation with every customer. How’s tariffs gonna affect this, how’s tariffs gonna affect that?” Brian Barkley, sales manager at Poggesi, an outdoor furniture and umbrellas company made in Italy, Vietnam and China, said, according to NBC 6. 

The company estimates it will recoup about $300,000, which it, like others, sees as a huge relief.

“Well, now we can talk about the projects and design, which is the stuff that we enjoy, not how much extra this is gonna cost, depending on where you’re making it,” Barkley said.

RELATED CONTENT: Salt of Salt-N-Pepa Urges Fans To Give TLC’s Chilli Some Grace Amid MAGA Allegations

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 23, 2026

NYC Councilmember Chi Ossé Arrested During Planned Eviction Protest

Ossé and other protesters claim resident Carmella Charrington, who has lived in the brownstone apartment for decades, was being pushed out because of “deed theft,” defined as a form of fraud that disproportionately impacts Black homeowners.

---

New York City Council Member Chi Ossé was among five arrested by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers on April 22 during a planned eviction protest for one of his Brooklyn constituents, Politico reports. 

Ossé posted a video of his arrest on X, calling it a “result of deed theft and the ongoing displacement of Black homeowners in Bed-Stuy. Our office is closely monitoring this situation and will provide updates as this develops,” the elected official said. 

According to AM New York, Ossé and protestors were attempting to block access to a 212 Jefferson Ave property in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, where city marshals were instructed to execute an eviction. Protesters claim resident Carmella Charrington, who has lived in the brownstone apartment for decades, was being pushed out because of “deed theft,” defined as a form of fraud that disproportionately impacts Black homeowners. 

As a result, ownership is illegally transferred to a third party without consent.

Ossé can be heard asking in a video, “What are you doing?” while approaching officers arresting a fellow demonstrator. After a brief back-and-forth exchange, an officer was seen grabbing Ossé’s jacket collar and shoving him to the ground before placing him in cuffs. That’s when a protester stepped in to defend him. “Motherfucker, that’s a Councilmember, what the f*** are you doing?” the protester can be heard shouting. 

“You’re going to be all over the national news tonight.”

The councilman was released from a local precinct after being charged with one count of obstructing governmental administration and two counts of disorderly conduct. Once released, he mentioned being sore and feeling bouts of dizziness after being “manhandled” and “slammed” against the ground by the NYPD’s finest. “I will absolutely be filing a misconduct report against the officers who slammed me on the ground,” he said after being released. 

“I urge the other folks who were taken into captivity to do the same.” 

The video, which State Attorney General Letitia James called “disturbing,” is adding pressure to Gov. Kathy Hochul to pause evictions in suspected deed-theft cases such as the one involving the ongoing Carrington dispute. Reports from The City give a detailed account of the dispute, dating back to 2021, with a company called Brooklyn Gates LLC. 

In 2024, another company, 227 Group LLC, purchased the home for $1.4 million from several alleged family members as part of the estate of the former owner. In a statement from 227 Group LLC, the company called the deed theft allegation “unequivocally false” and said the 2024 purchase was an all-cash transaction with title insurance.

However, after watching the protest and arrest, Carrington said she feels like she’s in Get Out, referring to the 2017 Jordan Peele film. “It’d be devastating. It’s four generations of irreparable harm,” the resident said about the potential eviction from the property.

RELATED CONTENT: DeKalb County Plato’s Closet Eviction Leads To Public Scramble For Designer Merch

• HBCU

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 23, 2026

From The Court To The Classroom: J.R. Smith Set To Receive Bachelor’s Degree From NC A&T

His transition from the NBA to college student-athlete was featured in the Prime Video docuseries Redefined, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

---

Two-time NBA Champion J.R. Smith is winning in education as he is scheduled to graduate with his Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University on May 9, WFMY News 2 reports. 

During the 2026 commencement services in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Grammy-Award-winning artist Queen Latifah is scheduled as the speaker, Smith will receive his Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies–applied cultural thought from the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. While his time in Aggie Land comes to a close, his time as a student was seemingly well spent. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by HBCU CONNECT (@hbcuconnect)

After enrolling as a student, the former New York Knicks player joined the university’s men’s golf program. His transition from the NBA to college student-athlete was featured in the Prime Video docuseries Redefined, all while maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Smith was also named Academic Athlete of the Year for 2021-22.

As an athlete in his early years, the New Jersey native decided to forgo college to enter the 2004 NBA draft, where he was selected by the then-New Orleans Hornets. During his tenure in the NBA, he played for the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers, and was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2013. 

Officials from A&T describe Smith’s educational path as encouragement that it is never too late to pursue higher education, tackle new challenges, and redefine personal goals. Smith has never been shy about expressing his grievances with higher education. 

In an interview with Uproxx, he opened up about being bullied in school after a learning disability diagnosis, causing him to develop a fear of education in elementary and middle school. “I know I was pretty decent athletically compared to everybody else in growth and stuff like that, but just mentally, how I function and how I focused and how I couldn’t read as good or just comprehend as good as the rest of the kids. I think that was the biggest thing for me…,” he said. 

But Smith says that’s all behind him now and that he is grateful for his journey at the HBCU. “It’s really gratifying just knowing that I’m able to continuously accomplish different feats that have overwhelmed me at times in my life,” he continued. 

Smith is added to a list of other Black celebrities and athletes who went back to the classroom after making it big. Four-time NBA Champion Steph Curry returned to his alma mater of Davidson College, also in North Carolina, to receive his bachelor’s in 2022, 13 years after declaring for the draft. 

The “Hot Girl” herself, Megan Thee Stallion, graduated from another HBCU, Texas Southern University, in 2021 with a bachelor’s in health administration after staying committed to graduating in honor of her late mother.

RELATED CONTENT: J.R. Smith Shares His Financial Regrets While Making Millions In The NBA

• HBCU

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 23, 2026

Florida HBCU Marching Band Appoints Originator Of ‘Triple Threat’ Program As New Director

Edward Waters University has brought in its marching band's original architect to carry the program to its next era.

---

One Florida HBCU is regrouping with a new director of bands, returning to the man who helped establish the program.

Edward Waters University has appointed Marques D. Graham as its new director of bands, as confirmed by the Jacksonville institution on April 21. According to HBCU Gameday, Graham has historic ties to the school’s “Triple Threat” marching band.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Edward Waters University (@ewc_tigers)

Graham once led the “Triple Threat” marching band to campus-wide recognition, leading as a founding architect of the organization. In honor of the program’s 25th anniversary, Edward Waters hopes Graham will return the band to the spotlight.

“Returning to Edward Waters University presents a meaningful opportunity to build in alignment with the institution’s academic mission, growth, and commitment to student success,” Graham said in a statement.

He added, “The vision for the ‘Triple Threat’ Marching Band is clear—one rooted in structure, accountability, and excellence—where performance is matched by academic achievement and disciplined execution. I am extremely excited to bridge the gap between current students and generations of students who have participated in the band program throughout the program’s history.

Graham will lead a newly imagined “Triple Threat,” as its next phase intends to create a modern marching band that propels the school’s academic profile. In this phase, new uniforms will feature an emboldened EWU symbol and provide a year-round instructional model.

Band members will also uphold academic accountability as they matriculate through the Florida HBCU, while expanding its music program to other ensembles. With this investment, the school aims to become the latest force in the world of HBCU marching bands.

The school made the appointment after its original Director of Bands selection, Moses Evans, decided not to move forward. Evans opted to forgo the opportunity, leaving Edward Waters to find a fitting replacement to lead its renewed tradition.

Now, Graham will take over the re-envisioned program, bringing his expertise in leading several HBCU marching bands across the Southeast. Furthermore, his storied relationship with the “Triple Threat” program will also serve this purpose, as he helps restore the marching band to national awareness.

Especially at a time when HBCU marching bands have gained a modern spotlight, these symbols of HBCU culture are more prevalent than ever. With this emphasis, EWU and Graham hope to support band members as academic leaders throughout the HBCU’s campus. A part of the university’s mission to foster greater academic excellence, band members and their leadership are expected to fulfill these responsibilities as EWU embarks on a new era.

Edward Waters University, located in Jacksonville, is a private historically Black university established in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church to educate formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants. As Florida’s oldest HBCU and among the state’s first independent institutions of higher education, it has sustained a legacy defined by access, resilience, and community advancement.

Today, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs in fields including business, public health, and cybersecurity, with a strong emphasis on academic rigor and social impact. Edward Waters University remains a vital educational and cultural institution, reflecting its Reconstruction-era foundation while continuing to prepare students for today’s professional landscape.

New members can audition for the HBCU marching band this spring and summer, with scholarship opportunities available for those who make the band.

RELATED CONTENT: Meet Tameka Jackson-Dyer: The Champion For Black Breastfeeding Mamas In Metro Detroit

• BE Global

by Jameelah Mullen

April 23, 2026

Cynthia Shange, South Africa’s First Black Beauty Queen, Dies

Shange competed in the Miss World pageant in 1972, taking home the first‑place title.

---

Cynthia Shange, the first Black woman from South Africa to compete in the Miss World beauty pageant, has died. She was 76. 

The former beauty queen died April 20 in a hospital after an illness, according to reports. Her daughter, Nonhle Thema, announced her mother’s death on Instagram, sharing a photo of Shange.

“A graceful and compassionate soul whose presence brought warmth, dignity, and kindness to all those who knew her,” it read, adding: “We honor her journey, her strength, and the love she shared so generously,” Thema captioned the post.

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Nobuhle Precious Thema 👑🦋Goddess ♎️💫Favored by Jesus 🙏🏽10 🦄🧲🍀🦚🐞 (@nonhle_thema)

Born on July 27, 1949, Cynthia Philisiwe Shange rose to fame in the early 1970s, winning Miss Africa South. The pageant was created for Black women because they were banned from competing in the official Miss South Africa competition due to the country’s racist apartheid system.

She later competed at Miss World in London alongside the white Miss South Africa contestant and finished in fifth place. 

After Miss World, Shange became a popular actress. She starred in Udeliwe, regarded as one of South Africa’s first Black feature films. She also appeared in the award-winning mini-series Shaka Zulu as Mkabi KaSodubo. In 2024, the KZN Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards presented her with the Lifetime Achiever Award.

Thamsanqa Ntuli, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, honored the late actress in a statement.

“Her legacy extends far beyond the stage and screen. She played a vital role in advancing the arts as a vehicle for social reflection, healing and nation-building in a democratic South Africa,” Ntuli wrote. “We have lost not only a cultural icon, but a courageous woman who paved the way for many. May her soul rest in eternal peace, and may her legacy continue to inspire generations to come.”

Shange leaves behind four children: Sihle, Nonhle, Ayanda, and Benele Thema. The family said funeral arrangements will be announced in the coming days.

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia’s New Black Wall Street Market To Close, Ending Venture To Support Black Entrepreneurs

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 23, 2026

RFK Jr. Denies Making ‘Re-Parenting’ Black Children Comments Despite Issuing Apology

After Kennedy seemed confused by the questions, Alsobrooks read the quote out loud and when that didn't work, she suggested playing the clip after Kenendy said he would need to hear it.

---

In a tense exchange between Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Maryland Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Kennedy apologized for recorded comments he made in the past about Black kids being “reparented,” but stood his ground on claims he never said it. 

During an April 22 hearing, Alsobrooks asked the secretary if he could admit to suggesting he had a plan that would send Black children to rural rehabilitation centers to be “reparented” after he failed to do so when Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) brought up the same remarks when appearing before the House Ways and Means Committee last week.

“Now, you’ve had some trouble with the truth, I’ve seen it myself during your appearances in Congress and as we all saw clearly during your exchange with Congresswoman Sewell. Can you admit today that you said that every Black kid can get reparented on a wellness farm?” she asked. 

After Kennedy seemed confused by the questions, Alsobrooks read the quote out loud, and when that didn’t work, she suggested playing the clip after Kennedy said he would need to hear it. Despite having a recording, the HHS leader said “he doesn’t believe it,” but then said, “If I said it, I apologize, but I’d have to see the transcript.” 

He very much did suggest it. While appearing on the High Level Conversations podcast during his 2024 presidential campaign, he claimed “psychiatric drugs, which every black kid is now just standard put on, Adderall, SSRIs, benzos which are known to induce violence and those kids are going to have a chance to go somewhere and get reparented; to live in a community where there’ll be no cell phones no screens you’ll actually have to talk to people.”

This isn’t the only controversial comment Kennedy allegedly made, that Alsobrooks stood firm on, regarding the welfare of Black people. The Hill reported he once suggested that Black individuals shouldn’t follow the same immunization schedule as others since “their immune system is better than ours.” 

In a statement defending the agency leader, a HHS spokesperson said, “Prior to his time as Secretary, he described these communities as spaces where individuals, particularly young people facing alienation, mental health challenges, and rising rates of despair, could undergo a form of ‘reparenting.’” 

In his first appearance before Congress in 2026, the secretary praised the agency’s work, claiming it is changing the nation’s dietary guidelines and reducing waste, fraud, and abuse, according to the New York Amsterdam News.

While Republicans on the committee celebrated Kennedy’s work as “a breath of fresh air,” emphasizing nutrition and overall health, Democrats were focused on the Trump Administration’s plan to cut close to 12% from his department’s 2027 budget, carving over $100 billion from the agency that provides healthcare services to all Americans. 

In addition to cutting $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s leading health and biomedical research organization, the proposed cuts would also terminate a program that provides home heating and energy assistance to millions of households. 

It would also cut budgets for federal programs that assist in feeding low-income families and children.

RELATED CONTENT: Lawmakers Grill Health Secretary RFK Jr. Over Medicaid Cuts, Black Maternal Health

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 23, 2026

‘Rich and Unemployed’ Podcaster Jonathan Dupiton Sentenced To 7 Years In Prison Over Unemployment Scam During Pandemic

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

---

“Rich and Unemployed” podcast host Jonathan Dupiton has been sentenced to seven years in federal prison after being involved in a multimillion-dollar unemployment scam during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, U.S. District Judge Victoria M. Calvert sentenced the 36-year-old Atlanta resident on April 14, and he must serve three years of supervised release after serving his prison term.

Dupiton will be ordered to pay restitution to be determined at a future hearing. On Jan. 13, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

“During the pandemic, while citizens were struggling with job loss and trying to make ends meet, Dupiton stole unemployment benefits by submitting false applications using hundreds of stolen identities,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg in a written statement. “His sentence underscores that anyone who seeks to exploit taxpayer-funded programs will be aggressively prosecuted and face substantial prison time.”

Hertzberg said the scheme took place in 2020, while Dupiton was in a halfway house following a fraud conviction that targeted the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This particular scam targeted California’s Unemployment Insurance (“UI”) benefits program, which he operated from July 2020 through early 2021.

Dupiton obtained hundreds of stolen IDs. He and his conspirators used the IDs to submit fraudulent unemployment benefit applications online via a VPN (virtual private network). After the applications were approved, Dupiton and his conspirators updated the applicants’ information to list mailing addresses in Georgia, including Dupiton’s. Debit cards containing the unemployment benefits were sent to those addresses. When the cards were received, Dupiton and others withdrew funds at various ATMs, mostly in the metro Atlanta area.

The scheme netted Dupiton and his crew approximately $3,800,000 in UI benefits. They withdrew or otherwise spent more than $2 million of the illegally obtained money.

“Jonathan Dupiton stole identities and filed hundreds of fraudulent claims to steal nearly $3 million in unemployment benefits meant for struggling Americans, said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “His sentencing sends a strong message: if you exploit federal programs and steal from taxpayers, my office will relentlessly pursue you. We work hand in hand with our law enforcement partners and have zero tolerance for fraud. We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

RELATED CONTENT: Georgia’s New Black Wall Street Market To Close, Ending Venture To Support Black Entrepreneurs

• Arts and Culture

by Jameelah Mullen

April 23, 2026

Octavia Butler Stopped Republishing This Novel. Four Decades Later, It’s Returning To Bookshelves

Survivor, the third novel in Octavia Butler’s Patternist series, will soon be back on shelves despite Butler’s wishes.

---

Octavia Butler may have been one of her own harshest critics. She held herself to such high standards that she insisted her early novel Survivor remain out of print. Now, decades later, the once‑rare book is making its way back to bookstores this summer.

Alyssa Collins, Huntington’s inaugural Octavia Butler fellow, was skeptical when Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Publishing division asked her to write the introduction to its new edition of the novel. 

“On the one hand, I knew that Butler wasn’t a huge fan of [‘Survivor’] and just let it lapse,” Collins told the LA Times. “On the other hand, I knew she was incredibly critical of her own work,” the assistant professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at Cal State Northridge said.

Collins ultimately chose to write the introduction. She said the Anthropic Copyright Settlement Works List Lookup tool, which lets authors, publishers, and agents check whether their books were used without permission to train Anthropic’s AI models, helped solidify her decision. When she searched Butler’s catalog, she found that nearly all of the author’s novels had been downloaded.

“If AI could read ‘Survivor,’  fans should be able to do the same, and with context that honored Butler’s ambivalence about the work,” Collins told LA Times.

Published in 1978 as part of the science fiction writer’s Patternist series, Survivor follows Alanna, a biracial orphan adopted by religious missionaries, as she flees plague-ravaged Earth in search of a new home and ends up settling on a new planet where she gets caught in the crossfire of two rival native tribes.

Butler’s main critique of the novel was that it had been rushed to publication. According to reports, the author sold the book prematurely to fund a research trip for what would become her book Kindred. She also criticized the book’s themes as cliché. In response, she asked that the book not be republished, making it a rare and expensive collector’s item.

Nana K. Twumasi, vice president and publisher of the balance imprint at Grand Central Publishing, said she paid about $300 for her copy, which is at the lower end of the current price range. Twumasi said she knew the decision to reprint Survivor could be perceived as exploitive, but she maintains it’s more about honoring the late novelist who died in 2006.

“It’s far more about wanting to have a piece of this person that we all respect and want to get her due,” Twumasi told the LA Times.

“I don’t know that we would have pursued this if there were very clear notes that said, ‘Do not ever release this book. I don’t want anyone to see it… as opposed to, ‘I could have made this better, and I didn’t get the opportunity to do it,’” she added.

The new edition of “Survivor” will be published Sept. 1 and will include one of Butler’s short stories, A Necessary Being. Grand Central Publishing will also roll out repackaged, deluxe paperback editions of works from the Patternist series: Patternmaster, Mind of My Mind, Wild Seed, and Clay’s Ark on June 23, the day after Butler’s birthday. A new audio edition of Kindred arrives the same day, with audio versions of Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents, narrated by Anika Noni Rose, dropping July 14.

RELATED CONTENT: Practitioners of African Traditional Religions Stood In Solidarity With Singer Summer Walker After She Was Trolled On Twitter

• Business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 23, 2026

Emma Grede Explains Why She Didn’t Invest In Ami Colé But Hired Its Founder At SKIMS

Emma Grede opens up about why she chose not to invest in Ami Colé and instead hired founder Diarrha N’Diaye at SKIMS.

---

Emma Grede is addressing criticism of her decision to hire Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, founder of Ami Colé, at SKIMS instead of investing in her now-defunct clean beauty company.

The serial entrepreneur and SKIMS cofounder recently appeared on Les Alfred’s “She’s So Lucky” podcast to promote her new book, “Start With Yourself: A New Vision for Work & Life,” where she explained why she passed on investing in Ami Colé early on because she typically avoids backing first-time founders unless she sees something “extraordinary about that founder and about that proposition.”

“To me, I didn’t see that. I was like, ‘It’s okay.’ But I was like, ‘It’s gonna come and go.’ That’s how I felt. So that wasn’t an opportunity that I wanted to invest in at the time, but I kept my eye on it,” Grede said.

Instead of investing financially, Grede said she supported N’Diaye-Mbaye through mentorship and direct access as she worked to grow her Black-owned beauty brand.

“We would talk time to time. And so there was a relationship,” Grede shared around the 50:05 mark. “And to her credit, she always called me. She didn’t say, ‘You didn’t invest in my company. That’s the end of our relationship.’ She was like, ‘What do you see that I don’t see? What is it that I can learn?’ And I’m having this situation, and do you know these people?’ And when she took investments, she would call me. So there was lots to speak about.”

Grede’s foresight about the brand’s longevity proved prescient when, in July 2025, just four years after launch, N’Diaye-Mbaye announced on Instagram that Ami Colé would shut down. In a candid op-ed, the young beauty founder cited business challenges and the shift in investor priorities away from the inclusivity focus that fueled many Black businesses in the wake of racial unrest in 2020.

“Instead of focusing on the healthy, sustainable future of the company and meeting the needs of our loyal fan base,” N’Diaye-Mbaye. “I rode a temperamental wave of appraising investors — some of whom seemed to have an attitude toward equity and ‘betting big on inclusivity’ that changed its tune a lot, to my ears, from what it sounded like in 2020.”

Meanwhile, her relationship with Grede continued to grow, leading to N’Diaye-Mbaye’s hiring at SKIMS just months after announcing Ami Colé’s closure. Grede called it the “perfect opportunity” for the “incredibly talented” executive to refine her ideas and gain experience before launching another brand.

“What she will say herself is that she perhaps lacked the business acumen to start a business,” Grede explained. “Now, if you have an opportunity to go inside a company where you have infrastructure and investment and executives and a bunch of people that can show you how it’s done and make something successful, and you can extrapolate all of the value from that for three years and go, ‘Thank you guys,’ and go off and try it again. Why would you not?”

“I hope the community understands it. If they don’t, then, sorry. Not even, sorry … The point of being in business is to make money. It isn’t to service the community,” she added.

RELATED CONTENT: Skims Cofounder Says ‘Work-life Balance Is Your Problem’