Distribution deals bring Black-owned whiskey brand ‘Guidance’ to store shelves in 5 states
NASHVILLE—Black-owned brands are suddenly in demand, and serial entrepreneur Jason Ridgel is in high spirits after sales of Guidance, a whiskey brand he owns, skyrocketed in recent months. Guidance is making a name for itself as one of the few black-owned premium craft small-batch whiskey brands available for purchase online and in stores in Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia and California. It’s part of a growing black-owned spirits movement. Since launching in 2018, Guidance Whiskey has made its product available for purchase online in 43 states. The company recently inked a
Wells Fargo announces Gigi Dixon as new head of External Relations
NNPA NEWSWIRE—Georgette “Gigi” Dixon has been named Wells Fargo’s new head of External Relations, which is part of the bank’s Government Relations and Public Policy team. Dixon, who currently serves as senior director of External Relations for National Constituents, has been responsible for leading engagement with major national nonprofits, advocacy organizations and other key stakeholders. She’s also a key adviser to executives for diversity and inclusion issues, according to a Wells Fargo press release. “The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America, especially salutes Wells Fargo
Fifth Third Foundation Empowers Program Black, Women-Owned Entrepreneurs with New Program
Fifth Third announced an exciting new $1.2 million program called Innovation meets Main Street: Boosting Black Women-Owned Businesses, a partnership between AEO and LISC powered by Fifth Third Bank. The program is made possible by grants from the Fifth Third Foundation to Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) and the Association of Enterprise Opportunity’s (AEO) MainStreet RISE program. The funds are part of the $8.75 million Fifth Third pledged to support small businesses and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fifth Third’s Senior Vice President and Chief Enterprise Responsibility Officer Byna Elliott said,
See your lifetime earnings with My Social Security
Did you know you can see your work history online all the way back to your first job? Your earnings history is a record of your progress toward your Social Security benefits. Social Security keeps track of your earnings so they can pay you the benefits you’ve earned over your lifetime. This is why reviewing your Social Security earnings record is so important. If an employer didn’t properly report just one year of your earnings to us, your future benefit payments could be less than they should be.
Accenture Introduces Black Founders Development Program
Accenture has created the Black Founders Development Program to aid Black entrepreneurs, especially Black tech startups. According to a statement released by Accenture, the program is designed to "advance and grow technology businesses through greater, more direct access to venture capital, corporate mentorship, and strategic connections with Accenture’s business partners, clients, and people." They are aiming to increase Black access to wealth and fuel the next great innovators. "Black entrepreneurs continue to innovate but face bias and lack access to capital and opportunity in the venture capital community,
Under Armour Appoints Wes Moore to Board of Directors
Effective October 1, Under Armour announced Wes Moore will serve on its Board of Directors. Moore, 41, is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Robin Hood foundation, a nonprofit that has dispersed more than $3 billion to fight injustices in education, health, housing and expanding career opportunities. “I’m excited to join the extraordinary team at Under Armour. Throughout my career, I have worked at the intersection of business and community helping to drive value for a dynamic and broad base of stakeholders,” said Moore.
The 5 Elements of Branding
It’s time to get down to business and branding is the first step. As with any new venture, crafting the perfect brand requires more than a great idea to succeed. Here are five branding tips to make your brand stand out above the noise. “I define a brand as the secret sauce of business," said Veronica Gibson, owner of CX Branding Agency. “It’s the only thing that differentiates you from everyone else that’s doing what you’re doing.” Have Confidence in Yourself and Your Business Gibson says confidence is key to
Target Names Maurice Cooper New Marketing SVP
Target has named Maurice Cooper its new Marketing Senior Vice President. Cooper's work will focus on inclusive branding to strengthen consumer relationships, strategic promotions, and marketing across media platforms. Effective September 14, he will directly report to Rick Gomez, Target’s EVP and chief marketing, digital and strategy officer. In a statement Gomez said, “Maurice has an incredible passion and curiosity for understanding the consumer, their mindset and their shifting preferences. His extensive experience and leadership will make him a great addition to our marketing team as we continue
BLK App Uses Its Platform to Connect Black Singles and The Black Community
In its third year, BLK’s online dating app has quickly become the largest online dating app for Black singles. With approximately 3.5 million downloads to date, BLK app not only provides a space exclusively for Black singles to connect, but stands out from other dating sites with their three pillars: community, entertainment, and dating and relationships. BLK app’s origins date back to August of 2017 when Jonathan Kirkland, head of BLK, recognized a need for Black representation in the online dating space. After several years of working in
EnJunaya Canton quit six-figure job to start fast-growing Zuhuri Beauty
It’s been an exciting couple of years for EnJunaya Canton, owner of Zuhuri Beauty, a skin care line originally created for African American women. Based out of Los Angeles, Canton has been rapidly growing her company for the past few years and is constantly thinking about how she can take it further. Started in 2006, Zuhuri Beauty was born out of a desire for cleaner, healthier skin care products. After seeing transformative results from starting an organic and vegan diet, Canton realized how much of a difference that