Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has announced the rebrand of an initiative to employ youth. According to a press release, the city’s youth employment initiative, One Summer Chicago, is being rebranded as Chicago Youth Works. Mayor Johnson has worked to grow funding and partnership opportunities for the employment initiative. In 2025, his efforts led to summer jobs for 31,119 young people who earned a collective wage of more than $30.9 million, per the release. The rebranded Chicago Youth Works is partnering with the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) . The new program name comes from input from the young people it serves, and is launching with a new tagline: “Get Paid. Get Skilled. Get Ahead.” Chicago Youth Works will employ youth aged 14 to 24, with support from local businesses, nonprofits, and city agencies, notes the release. These opportunities may include summer positions, year-round roles, or paid career exploration programming for 14- and 15-year-olds....

Goldman Sachs’ top diversity executive, Megan Hogan, is stepping down, according to Business Insider. Hogan has been with the firm for nearly 12 years, onboarding as its head of Americas talent management, rising through the ranks to its chief diversity officer, and, in recent months, to its co-head of global co-head of talent. She will be joining Morgan Stanley after receiving “ an amazing opportunity ” in talent development, the outlet reported. Lauren Uranker will soon be named the new head of talent development, engagement, and management at Goldman Sachs. She served as global co-head of talent alongside Hogan since 2025. Uranker will be tasked with AI -supported work, team growth, and employee retention and engagement. Her work will also still consider workplace inclusion, although DEI is not directly listed as a priority. Hogan’s departure from Goldman Sachs comes as the firm has scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. As AFROTECH™ previously told...

Dr. Willie Underwood III is the president-elect of the American Medical Association (AMA). The Buffalo, NY, native is a Morehouse College alum who earned a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1988, according to his LinkedIn profile. This was a dream for his family and simultaneously a reality check for an education system that attempted to write him off during his adolescent years and hold him back from realizing his potential, according to the National Press Foundation. “I went from a private Catholic school that was all-Black that believed in educating me to make me the best person I could be, to a school that was predominantly white, and the teachers had a policy, ‘We’re not educating them,’” Dr. Underwood said, per the outlet. “So they took all of us, all the Black males in the school, in that third-grade class where I started, and put us in remedial classes where I’m now in kindergarten. And I was there under the guise that I had a learning disability.” Underwood went on to obtain...

History is being made at Johns Hopkins Hospital . ABC News reported the hospital’s flagship Halsted Service in trauma and acute care surgery is now led by an all-Black team of senior residents and fellows, marking a first for the institution. The history-making team is composed of doctors Valentine S. Alia, M.D. (second-year resident); Lawrence B. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (seventh-year resident); Ivy Mannoh, M.D. (third-year resident); Zachary Obinna Enumah, M.D., Ph.D., M.A. (ninth-year and critical care fellow); and Ifeoluwa “ Ife ” Shoyombo, M.D., M.P.H., M.S. (third-year resident). This is significant because while 13.4% of the U.S. population is Black, only 5.6% of surgeons in training are Black, according t o the National Institutes of Health. “Between us, there are five MDs, two PhDs, and six master’s degrees —but more importantly, a shared commitment to serving the people of Baltimore,” Alia and Brown said in a joint post on Instagram . “We are Black history. We are our...

The 2026 tax season officially opened on Jan. 26, just days before a partial government shutdown raised new concerns for millions of Americans waiting on their tax refund. With approximately 164 million taxpayers expected to file this year, according to The Economic Times, questions around processing timelines, staffing, and payment delays have quickly taken center stage. How The Shutdown Could Affect Your Tax Refund Timeline Historically, shutdowns have impacted the disbursement of tax refunds, according to The Economic Times. Some refunds continue flowing through automated systems, while others stall due to staffing limits or manual review requirements. Per The Economic Times, the IRS typically issues most refunds within 21 days when returns are accurate and filed electronically. However, funding lapses can restrict certain services and slow processing if the shutdown extends. The IRS has previously scaled back operations during shutdown periods, limiting phone support and...

As housing affordability continues to strain workers across income levels, a growing number of employers are being pushed to rethink what meaningful benefits look like. A new funding announcement signals that housing support may be moving from the margins to the center of employee wellness strategies. According to the press release, Oro, a social fintech company focused on housing and homeownership as employee benefits, has raised $3 million and officially launched its housing wellness platform for employers. A New Category In Employee Benefits The funding round was led by Slauson & Co., with participation from Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures and Bronze Valley, the press release confirms. The investment comes as companies face increased pressure around employee retention and engagement, while workers struggle with rising rents, higher interest rates, and elevated home prices, according to the release. “We believe housing is the next frontier in employee benefits,” said Austin...

Daymond John wants entrepreneurs to reframe the narrative around working a 9-to-5. John, an investor, founder, and judge on “Shark Tank,” has invested in dozens of businesses, including Bombas Socks, which has been his most lucrative investment to date, according to Parade. FUBU In addition to investing in other businesses, John also started one of his own. He is the founder of FUBU (For Us, By Us), a streetwear brand launched in 1992 in Hollis, Queens, NY. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, John received $100,000 in support from his mother, who took a loan out on her mortgage to support the business. Mindset Around A 9-to-5 Prior to his mother’s support, John worked at Red Lobster for years to fund FUBU. In a tweet shared on X, he stated that the experience prepared him for his entrepreneurial pursuits and investments. “I worked at Red Lobster for years while building FUBU. Not because I didn’t believe in my dreams. Because it was smart. That job: Taught me sales and inventory, paid...

Veteran media executive Michele Ghee is stepping into a new leadership role. Ghee has worn various hats in the media industry and has managed more than $1 billion in revenue throughout her career, according to Deadline. Her resume includes roles at CNN (director of multicultural sales); BET (vice president of national ad sales and later senior vice president); Ebony & Jet (CEO); and TheGrio (president), per her LinkedIn. Most recently, she served as chief content officer at Essence Communications and is founder of the tech and content agency Expectant Media. Ghee has now officially left her post at Essence as Expectant Media has been acquired by PlayersTV, the first athlete-owned media network and content provider, per Deadline. PlayersTV is backed by more than 70 athlete investors, including Chris Paul, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Ghee will also assume the role of president of PlayersTV, effective immediately, Deadline reports. She had been serving on the PlayersTV board for...

Kevin James will return to his post at Morris Brown College as president. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, James was removed from his post by the college’s Board of Trustees just over a week ago “without providing specific cause or substantive explanation,” he shared on LinkedIn. Trustee Nzinga Shaw was appointed interim president. James became the 19th president of Morris Brown College on March 1, 2019, and brought 24 years of experience as an educator to the role, notes Fox5Atlanta. Under his leadership, James helped Morris Brown College regain accreditation in 2021 after losing it in 2002 due to debt and financial mismanagement, per a separate AFROTECH™ article. James also restored access to federal financial aid, grew enrollment from 20 to over 540 students, and established long-term financial stability, among other accomplishments, per his LinkedIn post. He described the timing of his departure as “troubling” in the post, stating that the university was nearing an...

Latriece Watkins is among the newly elected leaders who are expected to drive Walmart Inc.’s next phase in retail. According t o a press release, Walmart is looking to improve in innovation, operations, and global enterprise platforms. As part of that strategy, the company announced several key leadership appointments, including Watkins, who was formerly the executive vice president (EVP) and chief merchandising officer for Walmart U.S. Watkins joined Walmart in 1997 as an intern and rose through the ranks to hold various leadership roles across Sam’s Club, Walmart U.S. merchandising, People, and U.S. store operations, the press release notes. She is credited with transforming the assortment strategy for Walmart U.S. Watkins has now been appointed as President and CEO of Sam’s Club U.S. “What I love about Walmart is simple—it’s a place where people matter and opportunity lives. It’s a company built on serving others and creating impact in communities every single day,” she said in a...

Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett says one of the most important lessons he has learned as a leader came not from a resume filled with credentials but from a moment many employers may overlook entirely. According to a recent Fortune article, Bartlett, founder and host of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, hired a candidate whose CV was just two lines long and listed virtually no formal experience. What ultimately set the applicant apart was not her background but her character and awareness during the interview process. “Much of the reason why I gave her the job was because: She thanked the security guard by name on the way into the building,” Bartlett explained. For him, that small interaction signaled humility, respect, and cultural awareness, traits he believes are far more complex to teach than technical skills. A Hiring Decision Based On Character, Not Credentials Bartlett said the candidate continued to demonstrate those values throughout the interview. When she did not know the answer...

HealthStack Virtual Summit, powered by AFROTECH™, will take place on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. The event brings together physicians, nurses , and healthcare leaders for candid conversations about the healthcare industry. What Is HealthStack? HealthStack is a B2B platform for clinicians, health executives, and innovators committed to advancing equitable health care through credible reporting, industry news, and professional development opportunities — all in one centralized hub. What To Expect At HealthStack’s Virtual Summit The summit is designed for early- to mid-career professionals. They’ll be able to learn from industry leaders and gain a clearer sense of the future of health care — and their place within it. The summit will kick off at 10 a.m. PST with a welcome from Blavity Co-founder and CEO Morgan DeBaun , followed by an “AI for Nurses” workshop led by Anika Gardenhire, AdventHealth’s chief digital and transformation officer. Programming will continue with a fireside panel...

Former President Barack Obama is looking to fill more than 150 roles for his presidential center, opening soon on the South Side of Chicago. Obama Presidential Center As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Obama Presidential Center, first announced in 2015, is expected to open in June 2026 and is an $800 million project, making it the most expensive presidential center in the nation’s history. The 19-acre center is intended to serve as a “global center for change,” providing space for leadership development and civic engagement, particularly for young adults already driving positive change in their communities. The center will feature a fruit and vegetable garden, a world-class museum, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, an athletic facility, and more, offering community events, exhibits, music, movies, and workshops, according to its website. “I could not be more excited because I know people here on the Southside of Chicago, and visitors from all around the world are going to...

An AI-powered solution was launched for displaced workers and recent college graduates in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area. Talent Capital Talent Capital, a regional career services initiative of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, was launched in Washington, D.C., by Mayor Muriel Bowser and partners in October 2025, according to a press release. The new program comes after over 317,000 federal employees lost their jobs in 2025, with defense, agriculture, and treasury departments taking the hardest hits, per Federal News Network. In the DMV area, 34,100 federal employees lost their jobs from January to September 2025, according to Bethesda Magazine. Furthermore, college graduates have also been challenged in the job market with fewer entry-level positions available, CNBC mentions. Youth unemployment is sometimes an “early indicator that the economy is slowing down or maybe even heading towards a recession,” according to Anders Humlum,...

Dwayne Tucker’s leadership is steering Tennessee State University (TSU) in a positive direction. Tucker is an alum of the school, having earned a bachelor’s in business management in 1980, according to a press release. He assumed the role of interim president at the university in December 2024, succeeding Ronald Johnson, who was forced to resign. WKRN News 2 reports he also previously led a network of charter schools in the metropolitan area. Tucker brings experience in human resources and profit and loss for small businesses and Fortune 500 companies, notes the press release. He has also established board of director and compensation committee strategy, governance, and compliance-related programs. “It’s my pleasure to accept appointment of interim president for our beloved Tennessee State University,” Tucker expressed in the news release. “I also want to thank our board of trustees for their confidence in me as well as the bigger big blue community in terms of their support and...