Ayana Parson has stepped down as the COO of Fearless Fund. Parsons, who announced she stepped down in April, helped to start the Fearless Fund in 2019 along with Arian Simone and Kiesha Knight-Pulliam. The fund was created to assist Black women-owned businesses which receive less than 1 percent of overall investment funding annually. The Fearless Fund is an Atlanta-based venture capital firm that uses its resources to invests in and fund Black women in business. The fund has invested $26 million into over 40 companies that include Slutty Vegan,

Roderick K. Hawkins (Credit: Powell Creative Services). In 2024, many emerging leaders are paving the way for future generations to follow in their footsteps. Their impact is improving the community in even bigger and better ways. Roderick K. Hawkins, a Southern gentleman at heart, has achieved numerous accolades. His family’s support has shaped him into who he is today: a legendary Black man of excellence who stands for equality for everyone, especially for the LGBTQ community. Southern Roots and Family Values Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on July 30, 1974,

Meet Jeneé Naylor, a former Target employee, who has launched her own clothing line in the retail giant. Starting as a team member in 2012, she climbed the ranks to store director, and now her fashion line is part of Target’s Future Collective brand. “My career at Target taught me some invaluable lessons,” Jeneé said, according to Because of Them We Can. “I learned how to pay attention to the details, mastered the essential art of project management, and transformed into an impactful leader. I honed my ability to strategize

Her Excellency, Ambassador Hajia Alima Mahama of Ghana, recently visited Detroit for a Global Business Summit. The event, themed “Discovering Ghana’s Golden Opportunities,” was organized by Detroit Equity Incorporated. Dr. Adrienne Booth Johnson and Attorney Joe Johnson, both of Infinity Global Connections, helped facilitate the event. The goal of the summit was to connect Detroit businesses with public and private entities in Ghana in need of goods and services. The event was the brainchild of Bishop Edgar Vann, CEO of Detroit Equity Inc., and Ambassador Mahama. The two

Kenyon Bonner, a vice provost at the University of Pittsburgh, will join the University of Virginia as vice president and chief student affairs officer in January 2024. (Photo by Emily Faith Morgan, University of Virginia Communications) Kenyon Bonner, vice provost for student affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and a member of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s “Men of Excellence” Class of 2017, will step down from his position to become vice president and chief student affairs officer at the University of Virginia, the Courier has learned. Joseph J. McCarthy, Pitt’s