Chris Paul’s plant-based venture is making its way into another major retailer. In 2019, the NBA player, who was in his 15th season at the time, made the decision to adopt a plant-based diet, GQ reports. While the initial switch was performance-driven, he made the change indefinite after noticing a reduction in routine inflammation and body aches, along with improved stats on the court. “It’s been a good lifestyle change for me,” he told the outlet. Paul, who according to Spotrac has reached $400.9 million in career earnings, has also made plant-based living a central part of his business strategy. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, he invested in Black-owned plant-based brand Misha’s, which is also backed by Jay-Z. In 2021, Paul also struck a deal with digital delivery service GoPuff to expand its “Better For You” product category in the interest of making plant-based products more accessible. A year later, this led to Good Eat’n being introduced with offerings such as chips,...

NFL player Sauce Gardner has partnered with a company that is improving player safety. According to a press release shared with AFROTECH™, New York Jets cornerback Gardner is teaming up with Q30 Innovations, a company within the medical equipment manufacturing industry that has released Q-Collar, “the first and only FDA-cleared device to reduce traumatic brain injury.” This followed more than a decade of work, which included 25 pre-clinical and clinical studies with design and production occurring alongside neuroscientists, physicians, independent researchers, and engineers before it was cleared by the FDA in 2021, its website mentions. Photo Credit: Q30 Innovations The device creates light pressure to the neck to increase the blood volume inside the head, which helps reduce the brain’s movement if it receives a direct blow. That movement is often the main cause of brain injury, per the company’s website. Gardner purchased the device because he was in search of preventative measures...

Goodr will be bringing its free grocery store to the windy city. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Goodr — the brainchild of Jasmine Crowe-Houston — is a sustainable food waste management company based in Atlanta, GA. Since its inception in 2017, the company has launched various initiatives, including a free grocery and clothing store at Atlanta’s McNair Middle School in partnership with rapper Gunna (2021). More recently, it introduced the Goodr Community Market at iVillage @ MLK (2024), which features a free grocery store and health clinic, with a goal of serving 600 families by 2026. “I have a lot of crazy good ideas to help people and I am so blessed when partners and my team join me to bring them to life,” Crowe-Houston said at the time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jasmine Crowe Houston (@jasminecrowe) First P ermanent Location In Chicago Now, Goodr is scaling its mission to the south side of Chicago, IL, opening its grocery store model in a hospital. This will...

House Republicans have introduced a new Medicaid bill aimed at cutting federal healthcare spending without dismantling the program. What’s Inside The GOP Medicaid Bill? According to the Associated Press, the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced the Medicaid bill as a central piece of the Republican plan to secure $1.5 trillion in savings. Much of the savings would go toward extending the 2017 Trump-era $4.5 trillion tax cuts, which are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. To help reach that target, the committee proposed $880 billion in cuts, most of which come from changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It is important to note that the Affordable Care Act, signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010, was a landmark healthcare reform aimed at expanding coverage, reducing costs, and improving care delivery. Though it significantly increased access through subsidies and Medicaid expansion, many Republicans have long opposed the law, using it...

Seven African healthtech startups have been selected for the latest cohort of the Investing in Innovation Africa (i3) program . Each will receive up to $225,000 in grant funding and tailored support to scale solutions that improve medicine access. Backed by the Gates Foundation, Merck & Co. Inc. (MSD), Sanofi, and others, i3 supports growth-stage startups working to close critical health care gaps. This cohort emphasizes pharmacy-related solutions, a vital part of health care in many African countries , where pharmacies handle up to 70% of initial patient visits, according to Urban Geekz. The selected startups, which are dedicated to developing a range of scalable, tech-enabled solutions, include: mPharma Chefaa Dawa Mkononi Meditect myDawa RxAll Sproxil Their offerings include AI-powered prescription refills, last-mile medicine delivery, cloud-based pharmacy systems, embedded financing, inventory management, and product authentication to reduce fraud and improve drug safety. “It is...

About 7.4 million Americans who depend on social security benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will see two payments hit their accounts in May. It’s not extra money, but it is a significant shift to understand. The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) calendar is the reason for the double deposit, with June’s payment arriving early because the first of the month falls on a Sunday. According to USA Today, the first payment is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, and the second will follow on Friday, May 30. Even though two payments will land in the same month, beneficiaries need to know that the second check is an advance for June. Knowing how and why this happens can help millions who rely on social security benefits plan ahead and avoid gaps in their income. Why Two SSI Payments Are Coming In May Every so often, the SSA’s calendar shifts when regular payment dates fall on weekends or holidays. Instead of delaying deposits, the agency sends payments early....

Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is mobilizing support for Black maternal health. Black Maternal Health Week April 11–17 is Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), an initiative created by the Black women-led, cross-sectoral consortium Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), with the intent of raising awareness and fostering community around the experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, according to information shared with AFROTECH™. Atlanta-GA-based BMMA traces its origins to 2013 when the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective (SisterSong) began constructive research on the obstacles Black mothers face in accessing health care. Once it had become its own independent entity in 2018, BMMA established Black Maternal Health Week and began working with up to 18 community-based organizations. That number has since grown to nearly 50. Black Maternal Health Week also intentionally coincides with National Minority Health Month,...

Chief Administrative Officer Corenza Townsend has opened a hospital in Louisville, KY. According to CBS News’ “Eye On America,” the idea was first planted eight years ago when Townsend was working as a nurse manager at a hospital in the Norton Healthcare system. She boldly pitched the concept of opening a hospital in Louisville’s majority-Black West End neighborhood to Norton Healthcare’s CEO. “We had this plan,” Townsend explained, according to the outlet. “It wasn’t in writing yet. We happened to see Russ Cox, our CEO, walking to the bathroom. So we stalked him outside the bathroom… Nobody thought he would actually say yes. He said, yes. He just listened to us and he said, ‘Let’s do it. What do you need?'” In late 2024, the Norton West Louisville Hospital reached the finish line after a two-year-long process. Its opening is especially timely, as the area had been without a hospital for over 150 years. “The life expectancy in West Louisville is about 12-and-a-half to 15 years...