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Quitting isn’t an option for college student and founder Elijah Khasabo. The 22-year-old is currently enrolled at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, studying marketing. His ambition is evident beyond his studies, as he is also a co-founder of Vidovo, a platform that makes it easy for brands to connect with and hire user-generated content (UGC) creators and influencers, according to its website. The platform also improves the content creator experience for its growing network, which will have access to hundreds of brands after onboarding. On LinkedIn, Khasabo shared that he had just $19.12 to his name when he launched Vidovo at age 19 from his bedroom just over two years ago . Vidovo has been bootstrapped, and it was built without any connections. Khasabo wanted to quit various times, but credits his mother for instilling his spirit of perseverance. “It didn’t matter that I had nothing. I had the drive, and honestly that was enough to start. It made sense on paper, brands were...
Dallas Mavericks Point Guard Kyrie Irving has announced a multi-year partnership with Paul Quinn College, bringing new resources to the only HBCU in Dallas, according to HBCU Gameday. The college is one of 14 basketball programs selected to receive a full uniform sponsorship from Irving and sports equipment company, ANTA. The three-year agreement will supply the men’s and women’s teams with ANTA sneakers, warmups, and apparel designed through Irving’s work with the brand, the outlet reports. The sponsorship is part of a wider grassroots effort involving youth, schools, and community teams in regions tied to Irving’s career and personal history. According to HBCU Gameday, the participating programs have been outfitted with pieces from the KAI collection, including popular colorways such as Crown Jewel, Mentality, Retro ’90s, and Klay. Paul Quinn College publicly thanked Irving for the long-term commitment in a post on X on Nov. 24: “This isn’t your ordinary sneaker drop. @NBA legend...
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is dedicated to introducing the youth to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). Abdul-Jabbar was the leading basketball scorer with 38,387 points until LeBron James broke his record in 2023, per NBC News. Now he is working to ensure youth in underserved communities can have a “shot that can’t be blocked” through the Skyhook Foundation, its website mentions . He launched the foundation in 2010 and has reached more than 15,400 youth, per the foundation’s website. Its flagship program is Camp Skyhook, a five-day experience brought to life through a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, UCLA, and NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, to introduce fourth- and fifth-graders to a STEAM-based, immersive, and hands-on curriculum. The camp also emphasizes collaboration and includes activities such as hiking, swimming, skits, and campfires, notes its website. It takes place at Clear Creek Outdoor Education Center...
Hampton University has strengthened its commitment to student success, and it is seeing record enrollment. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Black student enrollment at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and other predominantly white institutions has declined following the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision banning race-conscious college admissions. However, Hampton University, a Carnegie R2-designated research institution, is charting a different course. The university evaluates applicants on technical acumen, leadership potential, and community engagement. It also leverages predictive analytics and personalized engagement strategies, including partnerships with high schools and community colleges, as well as site visits for students and their families. “We’ve never needed policy to define our purpose,” said Dr. Barbara Inman, vice president for student success and enrollment management, according to a news release. “Our approach has always been to find promise and surround it with support....
The Department of Education has updated its qualifications for professional and graduate degrees. According to the Association of American Universities, the Department of Education under Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” (H.R.1) has made changes that will impact student loan borrowers. It has imposed a $100,000 lifetime cap on borrowing for graduate students, who can take out loans of no more than $20,500 per year, while professional students have a $200,000 lifetime cap and cannot borrow more than $50,000. Additionally, the Department of Education has dismantled the Grad PLUS loan program. According to Federal Student Aid, borrowers used the loan for “education expenses not covered by other financial aid.” The Department has also shifted the goal post for what constitutes a professional degree program. It classifies medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, law, veterinary medicine, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, chiropractic, theology, and clinical psychology as professional...
Joulenie Pierre had faith the size of a mustard seed and has watched her bakery grow to new heights. Pierre was a college student double-majoring in economics and political science on a pre-law track in Miami when she ventured into entrepreneurship. To support herself financially, she had a job working 30 hours a week at Lululemon, she shared on TikTok. Feeling stressed, she said she leaned into her passion for baking. “Baking was my way of having my own peace, my own clarity, and being as calm as I possibly can be. It helped keep me grounded. It was like my form of therapy essentially,” Pierre, 20, explained on TikTok. @therollanddough Part 2 out of 5 addressing the concerns ♬ original sound – Roll & Dough Roll and Dough With the help of her business partner, Jovan, she launched Roll and Dough. Pierre had just $100 in her bank account at the time and was waiting on her financial aid to come in to cover her rent. She went two months without being able to pay her rent, but she did...
Your past doesn’t define you, and this doctor is a testament to that. At 14 years old, Dr. Stanley Andrisse, MBA, Ph.D., raised in Ferguson, MO, was arrested. By his 20s, he had accumulated three felony drug convictions, according to The Dig at Howard University (The Dig). Yet, despite this experience, he went from being incarcerated in a maximum-security prison to working as an endocrinologist, scientist, and tenured professor at Howard University College of Medicine. The catalyst for rewriting his story occurred after losing his father to Type 2 diabetes while still incarcerated , according to a separate article from The Dig . That experience inspired him to learn more about the disease, prompting him to read his first scientific article. “ I decided to live differently and honor my father’s life by pursuing science,” he told the outlet. Andrisse applied to various graduate schools after being released from prison and received various rejections. Fortunately, he received an...
MacKenzie Scott is on an HBCU funding tour. Scott has recently made multiple donations to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including two consecutive record-setting donations to Prairie View A&M University ($63 million) and Bowie State University ($50 million). According to press releases, this marked the most significant single contribution in each institution’s history. “Her generosity arrives at a pivotal moment in our 160-year story. It empowers us to expand access, elevate our research and academic excellence, and uplift generations of students who will lead, serve and innovate,” Dr. Aminta H. Breaux, president of Bowie State University, said in a press release. “Higher education is the pathway to upward social mobility for our students and the communities we serve, and, with this gift, their futures are brighter than ever.” Prairie View A&M University President Tomikia P. LeGrande commented: “This gift is more than generous — it is defining and...
These college students had a master plan that helped them land several interviews at the AFROTECH™ Conference 2025. Aishat Balogun is a sophomore at Boston University, studying electrical engineering. She attended the Illinois Math and Science Academy, which validated her interests in STEM. Esther Newton had a passion for people and creativity, which led her to take art classes since she was six years old. She was introduced to STEM through the Pittsburgh Technology Council, and she realized she could still use her creativity in the field and that not all roles were “super technical.” She is currently a sophomore pursuing industrial engineering at The Pennsylvania State University. Balogun and Newton interned at Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle as software development engineers during the summer of 2024. “We were all just super eager to be there and wanting to work together,” Newton expressed. PC: Aishat Balogun The pair were reunited again as attendees at the AFROTECH™ Conference...
Shaquille O’Neal has once again invested in Atlanta’s youth. In 2021, the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation opened the Shaquille O’Neal Boys & Girls Club of Henry County, which included a learning center, computer lab, arts & crafts center, music studio, game room, multipurpose room, and gym, according to its website. Prior to its opening, the foundation invested over $1 million to support renovations with the support of additional partners. According to Empower Atlanta Magazine, staff acknowledged that the club has been helpful to families by providing academic support, mentorship, and after-school programming. “The Boys & Girls Club always provided a safe space for me when I was growing up,” O’Neal said in a 2022 news release. “It shaped who I am today, and I’m proud to help create similar pathways to success for the kids of Henry County.” O’Neal has doubled down on his commitment to the youth at the 2025 Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta Youth of the Year Gala, which recognizes teens...
Another college has followed suit in offering tuition-free education to students. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Emory University announced in September that it would provide tuition-free education to families earning $200,000 or less. This was made possible through the Atlanta-based school’s Emory Advantage Plus program. “We want great students to come here without regard to the cost. And we will do everything in our power to give them a great education without the burden of crushing debt,” Interim President Leah Ward Sears said in a press release. Next in line, Johns Hopkins University will also offer a tuition-free agreement to students with families making up to $200,000, according to a news release. Additionally, it will provide families earning up to $100,000 with additional financial assistance that can be applied to tuition, fees, and living expenses. This will be effective starting the 2026-2027 academic year. “Trying to understand financial aid offers can be...
Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina, has received a major financial boost that university officials say will support key programs and operations. According to a press release, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated $19 million to the historically Black university, marking the largest gift in its 128-year history since its founding in 1897. The funds will support endowment growth, student recruitment and retention, scholarships, and campus maintenance. Since 2020, Voorhees University has reached notable milestones, including its elevation from college to university status and the expansion of its academic offerings to include master’s and doctoral degree programs. As the press release notes, it’s also the only HBCU in the country authorized to approve charter schools, demonstrating its commitment to education from early learning through advanced degrees. “This generous gift from Ms. MacKenzie Scott is a resounding affirmation of the extraordinary work being done at...
“Don’t aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference,” is a mantra from Denzel Washington that informs Joel Murchison’s efforts in technology. The 24-year-old Atlanta native and Jackson State University student has always been fascinated with tech and would often discuss robotics with his stepfather, who entered his life at age 8. As the world continued to evolve, it was no surprise that Murchison would become fascinated with AI. Through its use, he was inspired to create a platform based on several catalysts, including a snowstorm that hit his college campus in 2021, during the spring semester of his freshman year. As a result of the storm, the campus lost access to clean drinking water — an issue that remained for several more semesters leading up to his senior year, according to Murchison. He was also about five to six hours from home, so his family set him up in a motel. “The roads were icy. You couldn’t be able to drive, and there was no access to food and water…,”...
Amber Ivey is finding ways for younger generations to learn about AI without being glued to a screen. The Baltimore-based entrepreneur is behind A iDigiCards’ “ ABCs of AI Activity Deck ,” a screen-free tool designed to teach kids ages 4 through 8 the fundamentals of AI. Its inception can be traced back to an epiphany she had while in her living room, when her niece called out to Alexa, Amazon’s cloud-based voice service. “My niece yelled, ‘Hey, Alexa!’ I answered, thinking she was talking to me, but she wasn’t. She was talking to a smart speaker like it was a real person. That’s when it hit me: this is normal for her,” Ivey said in a description on Kickstarter campaign for the learning tool. The campaign has raised $4,084 at the time of this writing. “She didn’t ask me, she asked Alexa,” Ivey pointed out. “And Alexa didn’t just answer, it taught her. That moment made me realize: If we don’t teach kids how AI works, AI will teach them how it works. “That’s how AiDigiCards began,...
Several prominent Black philanthropists have been investing in HBCUs. Forbes reports that funding to HBCUs has been on the rise amid a significant drop in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts under the Trump administration. Donating to HBCUs is vital because it strengthens representation across industries and fosters innovative and diverse perspectives that drive meaningful change, extending far beyond classroom walls into venture capital, business, technology, entertainment, and beyond. Examples of innovators from HBCUs from this year alone include Morgan State University graduate Peter Iwuh. He’s making waves through Tykoon AI, which is a platform that empowers student-athletes at HBCUs in the name, image, and likeness landscape by helping them find nearby opportunities, create merch, and more, as AFROTECH™ previously told you. Morgan State University is also home to alumni Kiante Bush and Clarevonte “Clay” Williams, who are the co-founders of Venture for T.H.E.M.,...