Stephie Rockwell

Caribbean Venture Collective — founded by Daniel Smith, MBA Daniel Smith (Keepingly) and Mita Carriman(Adventurely), both Techstars alumni of Caribbean descent — has launched to help founders realize their full potential, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. Entrepreneurs will be supported across eight impact verticals: travel/hospitality tech, logistics and supply chain, proptech, agritech, climate tech, fintech, healthtech, and edtech. The move will also help to improve a region that spans over 30 countries and territories, with a combined population of more than 40 million. #afrotech https://lnkd.in/dnqbSX2g

31

8 Comments

29-Year-Old Black Entrepreneur Wants to Buy Spirit Airlines to Make it America’s First Black-Owned Commercial Airline 29-year-old entrepreneur Hashim Walters from New Orleans, Louisiana, has officially launched The Latimer Group, an ownership consortium focused on acquiring Spirit Airlines, an iconic brand facing critical financial distress. He says that his mission is to empower African American economic leaders, creating the only Black-owned commercial airline in the United States.

333

34 Comments

When we talk about Black-owned businesses and Black economic power, franchising often gets left out of the conversation, even though it’s one of the clearest paths to business ownership in America. 💰There are an estimated 831,000 franchise establishments in the US, providing an economic output of $897 billion and 8.8 million direct jobs. 📊 About 30.8% of all U.S. franchises are minority-owned — but just about 6% are Black-owned. 📈 Black-owned franchises generate 2.2x the revenue of Black-owned independent businesses on average. The Black Dollar Index's mission is to create a more equitable relationship between corporate America and Black communities, so I created a new tool for the platform -- the Black Franchise Index. Franchise systems offer scale, but often Black-owned businesses get lost in the shuffle — that’s where the Black Franchise Index comes in. The Index is a curated, growing directory of Black-owned franchise businesses across the U.S. It was built to increase visibility, equity, and support for Black franchise owners — and to empower consumers to shop more intentionally. Where you shop, eat, and get services directly affects economic power in Black communities. Supporting a Black-owned franchise: 👩🏽‍💼 Helps create local jobs 🏦 Promotes fairer financing for important purchases like cars, insurance, and homes. 🪴 Channels dollars into long-term generational growth and community reinvestment, not extractive business models The Black Franchise Index currently features over 100 Black-owned franchisees across the United States, including auto dealerships, restaurants, rental car companies, and more. I wanted to create a utility and a public benefit with the Black Dollar Index, so if you or someone you know is a Black franchisee, I want to add those locations (it’s free)! Check it out, SHARE it, and please let me know what you think 🖤💚 https://lnkd.in/e6TCdya8

15

Black Enterprise Magazine, a black-owned multimedia company founded in 1970 that supports African American entrepreneurs and aspiring business owners with inspirational content, has launched a new FAST channel and engaged VideoElephant to manage it.   #Media #Partnership #ProductLaunch #TV https://lnkd.in/eiGe4Rdk

11

Black entrepreneurs need ways to build wealth to support both business and personal financial health. Helping them navigate the stock market is one promising path. Stackwell’s Small Business Investment Program provided 200 small business owners with investment education, an investing platform, and funded investment accounts to encourage stock market participation. The early results were powerful: engaged participants, growing balances, and high trust in the platform. As we celebrate #BlackEntrepreneursMonth, identifying asset-building strategies like these can help close the racial wealth gap and set up more Black Business owners for long-term success. Read the full report: https://hubs.li/Q03D9YhH0 This research was developed in collaboration with Stackwell , Prudential Financial, and the Michigan Black Business Alliance. #WealthBuilding #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #RacialWealthGap #BlackEntrepreneursMonth #FinHealth

18

Every young person should have easy access to mental health support. That conviction led Pinterest and the Schultz Family Foundation to launch the Youth Mental Health Corps last year. With support from Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin, the Corps is now live in Virginia – bringing its reach to 11 states for the 2025-26 school year. In just one year, trained near-peer mentors have already helped nearly 10,000 students, and early research shows fewer behavior referrals, better attendance, and, most importantly, more teens asking for help. Youth-led, community-rooted, results-driven. This is real momentum we can keep growing, together.

172

11 Comments

Are you a marketer trying to achieve more with less? We got you covered! On this week's #contentmarketingengineered, Karlaa V. Gregory of Sumitomo Drive Technologies USA shares her digital marketing investments that are paying off right now, the SOSTAC methodology for planning and prioritization, and how she collaborates with company spokespeople to bring personality and expertise to social channels. #industrialmarketing #manufacturingmarketing #engineeringmarketing

25

2 Comments

Part handsome, part branding expert. I got to sit down with my very tall friend Paul Kiesche, President of Aviate Creative, for a new podcast episode (https://lnkd.in/eDPFW7Ek). We discuss how niching down transformed his agency, why branding is more than just a logo, and how manufacturers can stay relevant even in the age of AI.

19

2 Comments

Networking is more than just exchanging business cards, it’s the foundation of business growth. Whether you're looking for new clients, mentorship, funding opportunities, or partners, relationships matter. Here are 3 easy ways to strengthen your network: 🔹 Join professional associations (like the National Black Business Council) 🔹 Attend industry events: conferences, panels, workshops 🔹 Engage in online communities:LinkedIn is a great place to start! Start showing up in the right rooms, both online and off and watch what opens up. #networking #businessgrowth #professionalassociations #industryevents #onlinecommunities #mentorship #partnerships #blackbusiness

26

3 Comments