Chanelle Hayes

Amen Rahh, widely known as “Principal Rahh,” is a nationally recognized educator and best-selling author from Compton, CA, who first gained attention after leading a South Los Angeles high school to a 100% graduation rate. However, his mission took an unexpected turn. One of his students, Keon — an unhoused teen in foster care — had been accepted to Tuskegee University but couldn’t afford the final $480 he needed to attend. “He thought, ‘If I can get this $400, I can get out,'” Rahh told AFROTECH™. “Tragically, he lost his life before he could.” Rahh learned the news while working on his doctorate at UCLA and says the loss changed everything. “At [age] 34, I left my job and started a tech company to transform education,” Rahh said. The company — Knowlej — is using fintech innovation to reimagine what’s possible for underserved students nationwide. The Classroom To Real Life Since its 2023 launch, the fintech app Knowlej has reached more than 30,000 students, according to Rahh. He...

Joe Budden might have gone from chart-topping rapper to podcast host, but today, he’s building a business on his own terms. The 44-year-old podcaster recently gave The New York Times a rare look into the numbers behind his booming podcast network. According to Ian Schwartzman, CEO of the Joe Budden Network, the company is projected to generate more than $20 million in 2025, the outlet reports. When A Flex Turns Into A Teachable Moment In June, Budden posted a screenshot on Instagram showing his Patreon traffic — Patreon being the fan-funded platform where his most loyal supporters subscribe for exclusive content. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the image accidentally revealed he made just over $900,000 in earnings that month, sparking headlines and internet buzz. The image showed more than 30 million visits in 30 days, per The New York Times. Budden confirmed to The New York Times that his podcast network brings in an average of $1.04 million per month through Patreon alone, based...

In the latest twist to the nation’s student debt crisis, the U.S. Department of Education has quietly suspended student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) plan, Forbes reports. According to the outlet, the department confirmed earlier this month that it paused processing student loan discharges for IBR borrowers. This includes those who’ve already reached their 20- or 25-year forgiveness milestone. IBR Is Not Part of the Court Battle — So Why the Pause? IBR forgiveness is not affected by the current lawsuits challenging other federal student loan programs, though it does — like them —  determine a borrower’s monthly payment based on that person’s income and family size. According to Forbes, last year, several Republican-led states sued the Biden administration to block the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan, a newer income-driven repayment option. Federal courts responded by halting SAVE and forgiveness under two older plans, Income-Contingent Repayment...

When Jo Opot was just 13 years old, she spent her school holidays managing her family’s small roadside food shack in Nairobi, Kenya. She’d start her days before sunrise cleaning vegetables and end them late, balancing the books and paying workers. “I have never worked so hard and earned so little,” she said in an interview with AFROTECH™. Those early days taught her about grit, resilience, and the struggles that small business owners face, especially women trying to make ends meet with limited support. Fast forward to today, and Opot is Founding Director of Gather Ventures, an impact fund with a mission close to her heart: investing in “ventures that both create climate resilience and drive asset creation for women and girls across Africa.” With a background that spans the United Nations, social innovation fellowships, and roles at TerraCycle and Acumen, she’s combining global experience with deep local understanding to make a difference. Why Climate Action And Women’s Empowerment...

Culture Wireless is on a mission to bring affordable internet, better coverage, and community ownership to places that need it most. When the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) rescinded millions in federal broadband funds, it threatened to leave Georgia’s underserved communities further behind, according to The Current. For Culture Wireless, a Black-owned internet provider co-founded by William “Bam” Sparks (chief marketing officer), the impact was deeply personal. “Personally, it affects me because it hinders people in my community from having access,” Sparks told AFROTECH™ in an interview. “The government doesn’t understand how deeply it impacts certain neighborhoods, especially on the west side of Atlanta, where there’s a digital red line and limited access to basic tools.” For Sparks, the funding cuts weren’t just setbacks — they sparked a renewed drive to build solutions beyond traditional telecom and government efforts. Culture Wireless was created to close this...

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is facing growing backlash, as the NAACP, along with several environmental groups, recently filed a legal appeal. They’re challenging a permit that allows xAI to run gas-burning turbines at its massive supercomputer facility in Memphis, TN, according to CNBC. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed the complaint on behalf of the NAACP and the youth-led group Young, Gifted & Green. At the core of the dispute: air pollution concerns. When xAI arrived in Memphis in June 2024, it said the turbines at the data center were temporary and small enough to not require permits. But over time, residents, many from majority-Black neighborhoods, began reporting foul odors and worsening air quality, CNBC reports. Despite the outcry, the Shelby County Health Department issued a permit on July 2. It allows xAI to operate up to 15 turbines. The department agreed with xAI’s claim that these are “nonroad engines,” a category that lowers its restrictions. In its...

After four years, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye, founder of the clean beauty brand Ami Colé, announced on Instagram on Thursday (July 17) that she’s winding down the company. What began as a mission to create makeup that truly works for melanin-rich skin, grew into much more. It became a movement and a metaphorical home for many, just like the salon her mother once built, she noted. In the heartfelt post, N’Diaye-Mbaye called this moment “another love letter, not a goodbye.”   View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ami Colé (@byamicole) “We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are,” she wrote. “Let’s not forget bomb ass products!” From the earliest sketches in her Brooklyn, NY, apartment to seeing Ami Colé’s products on Sephora shelves across North America, she noted, N’Diaye-Mbaye turned a vision into reality. “This moment is bittersweet… Thank you for everything you’ve taught me about living your dreams out loud,” she wrote. She also...

President Donald Trump is going all in on key crypto bills. His goal: to pass the first major cryptocurrency regulations in U.S. history and establish the country as the global leader in crypto. But political infighting and ethical concerns are slowing momentum. Several House Republicans have pushed back against the bills, casting doubt on what was expected to be a major legislative win, according to ABC News. GOP Infighting Halts ‘Crypto Week’ This week, House Republicans tried to move forward on several crypto-related bills, including the GENIUS Act, CLARITY Act, and Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act. The measures would define regulatory authority, set rules for stablecoins, and block a central bank digital currency. Trump backs all three and has made them a legislative priority, per ABC News. But a group of 13 hardline Republicans staged a last-minute revolt, joining some Democrats. Their protest froze House floor activity and forced leadership to cancel key votes. According to...

Goldman Sachs is turning to AI to level up its developer workforce — and its latest team member isn’t even human. The global investment bank is testing an AI-powered software engineer from startup Cognition that can handle everything from writing code to fixing bugs and building full applications, with minimal human support, CNBC reports. Chief Information Officer Marco Argenti said the bank sees this as the beginning of a new kind of collaboration between people and machines. “We’re going to start augmenting our workforce with… our new employee who’s going to start doing stuff on behalf of our developers,” Argenti told CNBC. Goldman Sachs is the first major bank to use the tool and believes this tech has the potential to significantly boost productivity across its 12,000-person developer team. And if it proves successful, the firm may roll out thousands of AI engineers across the organization. What Makes The Goldman Sachs AI Engineer Different This isn’t your average AI assistant...

Don Lemon’s lawsuit against Elon Musk and his platform, X, is officially heading to trial. According to CNBC, a San Francisco judge ruled that the case accusing Musk and X of breach of contract and fraud can move forward. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Lemon filed the suit in 2024, claiming X pulled out of a $1.5 million content deal just hours after he recorded a tense, on-camera interview with Musk. That interview was meant to launch “The Don Lemon Show” exclusively on the platform. Lemon’s team had already started production, and both parties had publicly announced the show. The journalist had also reportedly “incurred hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses” in preparation. But before the first episode could air, X canceled the deal, sparking allegations of retaliation and broken promises. Judge Backs Don Lemon Lawsuit In Court The courtroom developments mark a major step forward for Lemon’s legal claims. Judge Harold Kahn rejected Musk’s motion to dismiss the case or...

Despite growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the corporate world, shareholder support for these efforts remains strong. Shareholders at 30 of the largest U.S. companies just delivered a powerful counterpunch to the anti-DEI movement. During the 2025 proxy season, every single one of the anti-DEI proposals filed at these corporations’ shareholder meetings was rejected, according to a news release. The companies represent over $13 trillion in market value and include prominent names such as Apple, Costco, Mastercard, Levi Strauss, McDonald’s, Walmart, and Coca-Cola, per Impactivize data. According to the nonprofit, most of the proposals failed by wide margins, with 98% to 99% of votes against cutting DEI initiatives. “Shareholder voting margins send a clear message: Investors understand that diversity is good for business,” Impactivize Founder Nancy Levine Stearns said in the news release. “The overwhelming tallies are significant, corporate...

President Donald Trump’s administration is moving to overhaul the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. The proposed changes, according to ABC News, could block debt relief for thousands of public and nonprofit workers, including those who work for organizations supporting immigrant communities, transgender youth, and diversity and inclusion efforts. The Department of Education’s draft rule would allow officials to disqualify entire organizations from PSLF if they’re involved in so-called “illegal activities” the department has defined. Critics argue that the vague language used could become a political tool, particularly against groups focused on equity, identity, or civil rights. “That’s definitely an indicator for me that this is politically motivated and perhaps will be used as a tool for political punishment,” Betsy Mayotte, president of the Institute of Student Loan Advisors and reviewer of the rule, said in an interview with ABC News. What PSLF Was Designed To Do...

Target is once again under fire — this time not just from consumers but from activists within the Black community. The backlash follows a $300,000 donation Target made to the National Baptist Convention USA Inc. (NBCUSA), as USA Today reports. Target says the gift is part of its ongoing investment in community development, but leaders behind two major boycotts are calling for the funds to be returned. Backlash Over Strategy And Solidarity Minnesota-based civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong launched a boycott of Target in early 2025. Months later, Pastor Jamal Bryant, senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, GA, called for a 40-day boycott, and then urged permanent disengagement from the retailer unless it made major changes, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Now, both leaders say Target’s donation to NBCUSA undermines their push for meaningful corporate accountability. “This $300,000 payment does not heal—it deepens the wound,” wrote...

After months of political pressure and headlines about companies cutting diversity programs, it looked like corporate America was backing away from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Some businesses walked back hiring goals or closed departments. Others changed job titles or removed DEI language from their websites altogether. It felt like a full-on retreat. But now, a new study, according to USA Today, shows that corporate DEI rollbacks in 2025 might be slowing down. And the reason goes beyond politics. A Slowdown After The Backlash When former President Donald Trump returned to the White House, his administration quickly went after DEI. One executive order even threatened to pull federal contracts from companies that kept DEI programs in place. That caused a scramble. According to Gravity Research — a group that provides insights on how companies can anticipate risk and respond to political and social pressure — about 80% of DEI-related changes happened right after Trump took...

Recently, more than 125 students graduated from Detroit’s Apple Developer Academy, a one-of-a-kind, free 10-month program launched in 2021 through a partnership between Apple and Michigan State University (MSU), according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. But the Apple Developer Academy is about more than just coding. It equips Detroiters with real-world skills and the confidence to thrive in app development, business, and today’s ever-evolving tech landscape, per the release. A Pipeline For Real-World Innovation What makes Detroit’s Apple Developer Academy truly unique is its approach. Beyond mastering Swift coding, students dive into AI, UX design, marketing, and project management. The program is also backed by the Gilbert Family Foundation, which helps connect graduates with internships, mentors, and career opportunities across Detroit. “As Detroit continues to emerge as a national hub for technology, the Apple Developer Academy is creating pathways for Detroiters of all...