Business
One woman's mission to 'buy black' on Black Friday
November 26, 2017 -
On Black Friday, Candy Lowe won’t be joining the crowds lining up outside a big department store to grab a deal before dawn. Instead, she will visit a local clothing shop called Curvy Girls, pick up gift cards from Body Temple and purchase oils at African Extravaganza -- all small businesses, all black-owned.
“We have to keep these dollars in our co... Read more
Rosalind “roz” Brewer Tapped As New Starbucks COO
September 7, 2017 -
Starting in October, Brewer will lead the coffee company’s operating businesses across the Americas. Just months after joining the Starbucks board of directors, Rosalind “Roz” Brewer has been appointed as the coffee giant’s new chief operating officer and group president. Her new role takes effect Oct. 2. Kevin Johnson, Starbucks pre... Read more
Natural skin care company grows with help from black business development initiatives
Renee Edwards didn’t set out to start a business. She was a mom with a problem: Her daughter was suffering from acne -- and she wanted to help. So Edwards, who works in clinical research at St. Petersburg’s Hill Top Research, began experimenting with essential oils and exfoliation. Her Skin Kandii products are available in nine retail outlets in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, inclu... Read more
'2nd and Second' bringing 24-hour dining back to St. Petersburg
November 27, 2017 - A new 24-hour diner is set to open next month in St. Petersburg, assuming they can hire enough people to run the place. Although Perrier and co-owners Reno Cowez and Jeremy Declut are no strangers to the downtown restaurant culture, running a 24-hour restaurant is. One of the biggest challenges they’ve discovered is finding enough people to fill the jobs. &ldquo... Read more
Florida consumers haven’t been this confident for more than 15 years, survey says
Floridians are starting 2018 with their sunniest consumer outlook in 16 years, according to research from the University of Florida. Consumer sentiment rose to a score of 99.8 on a scale that tops out at 150. That’s a level not seen since March 2002, when consumer confidence was even a little higher at 102 points. Residents surveyed in January felt slightly better than they did the previous m... Read more
From Prison To Entrepreneurship: How This Woman Created A Platform To Elevate Incarcerated Women
April 6, 2018 -
Jamila T. Davis is an advocate for incarcerated women, a Ph.D. candidate, the co-founder of a nonprofit, and an author of 12 books. But for nine years, Davis served time at Danbury State Federal prison for mortgage fraud. Recently joining 600,000 people who are released from state and federal prisons each year—her story proves that sometimes adversity is ... Read more
Tampa Bay leads state in wage growth among major metros
January 20, 2017 -
TAMPA — Pinellas and Hillsborough counties had the highest year-over-year wage growth of Florida’s metropolitan hubs from 2007 to 2016. According to data released Thursday, Pinellas, which had the highest increase of any major county, jumped about 25 percent from $37,302 in 2007 to $46,496 in 2016. Hillsborough County rose just over 23 percent from $41,216 in 2... Read more
In Just 12 Years, This Black-Owned Company Has Produced 300 Films and TV Specials
September 27, 2017 - Film companies targeting African-American audiences are making a big name for themselves, and at the top of the list is CodeBlack Entertainment. It is the first independent, vertically integrated film studio owned by an African American entrepreneur, producing $750 million in home entertainment revenue. Founded in 2005 by Jeff Clanagan, CodeBlack Entertainment produce... Read more
FAMU Launches Search for Candidates for Five Key Academic Leadership Posts
March 27, 2018 - Florida A&M University (FAMU) is seeking exemplary candidates for several deans’ positions as well as the superintendent of the FAMU Developmental Research School.
A national search is underway for the deans of the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication; College of Education; College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; and College of Science and Technology... Read more
Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg welcomes new trustees
April 23, 2018 - The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg is pleased to announce Imam Askia Muhammad Aquil has joined its Board of Trustees. He, along with Charles Harris, were both elected to the Board on March 21. The board oversees the Foundation in St. Petersburg, which uses mission-based philanthropy to improve conditions and outcomes for underserved communities in southern Pinellas Co... Read more