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![[Solidcore] CEO Bryan Myers Is Protecting The Best Parts Of The Business While Embracing Technology To Prepare For Its Future](https://cdn.afrotech.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Bryan-Myers.jpg "[Solidcore] CEO Bryan Myers Is Protecting The Best Parts Of The Business While Embracing Technology To Prepare For Its Future")
Bryan Myers is prioritizing responsible growth at [solidcore]. Before Myers started working for [solidcore], he was a client. He took his first [solidcore] workout class 11 years ago and didn’t initially foresee having a greater presence within the company, which offers high-intensity, low-impact workout classes done on a reformer machine, according to its website. In 2018, he joined as chief operating officer, bringing experience as a project leader at Boston Consulting Group and as a former vice president of strategy and financial planning, as well as new-store development, at sweetgreen, per his LinkedIn. Today, he leads as the president and CEO of [solidcore] — after serving as president and COO — succeeding founder Anne Mahlum. Being a client-first leader is his superpower, he told AFROTECH™ in an interview. He has maintained empathy for the client experience and a deep appreciation for the coaches. Protecting The Culture Of [Solidcore] Myers views his takeover as a unique...
Rev. Jamal Bryant is calling off the Target boycott. Boycott Explained As AFROTECH™ previously told you, in early 2025, Target retracted its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that had been in place for three years. The commitment helped Black- and minority-owned businesses get shelved in Target’s stores and aimed to increase the number of Black employees, USA Today reports. In 2020, the retailer also committed to investing $2 billion in Black-owned businesses by the end of 2025 in response to the murder of George Floyd. After learning of Target’s move to roll back on DEI initiatives, Rev. Jamal Bryant, a senior pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, launched a boycott. As a result of the boycott, Target saw declining foot traffic along with shrinking sales, per AFROTECH™. Target’s market value also declined by more than $12 billion, according to The Root. Some Black business owners were also negatively impacted, such as Lip Bar co-founder Melissa Butler, who...
The long-awaited Obama Presidential Center will officially open to the public on June 19, 2026 — Juneteenth — on Chicago’s South Side. In a press release on Saturday, March 7, the Obama Foundation announced that the center’s dedication will take place on Thursday, June 18, with the campus opening to visitors the following day. Celebrations will run through June 21 with “a series of events that bring together the changemakers, community members, volunteers, and supporters who made the Obama presidency a reality and welcome visitors to celebrate the power of hope and change,” the Foundation said in the release. What Is The Obama Presidential Center? As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the Obama Presidential Center — first announced in 2015 — is an $800 million museum and public gathering space honoring former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. Once completed, it will be the most expensive presidential center in the nation’s history. The 19-acre campus will tell...
Several colleges and universities are withdrawing from a project designed to promote diversity among business faculty members. Founded in 1994, the PhD Project has helped more than 1,500 members earn doctoral degrees, with the goal of them teaching business in classrooms, according to its website. The project has also focused on creating gateways to scholarships and other means to help members cover the cost of pursuing a Ph.D. Many individuals have gone on to leadership roles in higher education as well. CBS News reported that the project helped support people from historically underrepresented groups across the nation. In fact Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans candidates rose from 294 at its inception to 1,700 in 2023, according to information from the project’s annual report . However, the project has been targeted under the Trump administration by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which said it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of...
A trustee at Michigan State University (MSU) is standing firm in her demands for the institution to revisit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and strengthen support for Black students on campus. Rema Vassar, who serves on MSU’s Board of Trustees, has published two opinion pieces outlining her concerns — one on Feb. 2, 2026, in Bridge Michigan and another on Feb. 20 in the Michigan Chronicle. In the most recent op-ed, Vassar pushed back on university officials who said she mischaracterized the state of MSU’s diversity and equity efforts. She said that over multiple years, Black students have recorded the lowest graduation rates, the highest rates of academic probation, the greatest student loan debt , and the lowest sense of belonging on campus. “These are not isolated blips,” Vassar wrote. “They form a pattern in which Black students are consistently positioned at the bottom of nearly every measure of ‘student success.'” Push For Data Transparency At Michigan State...
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...
Five Black designers are redefining denim through a bold collaboration between Gap and Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) that pushes boundaries and celebrates individuality. Launched on Feb. 13, 2026, the 20-piece collection is available on Gap.com and in select Gap store locations, according to a news release. The collection features styles ranging from $98 to $148. The five designers — Daveed Baptiste of Daveed Baptiste, LaTouché of LaTouché, Igdaliah Pickering of IGDALYAH, Waina Chancy of Atelier Ndigo, and Nicole Benefield of Nicole Benefield Portfolio — each present a four-piece capsule. Every collection highlights the designer’s distinct approach to artistry, construction, and material innovation, the news release states. Together, they transform denim into wearable art that merges storytelling, heritage , craft, and individuality, it notes. “Denim has always been central to Gap’s place in culture,” Mark Breitbard, president and CEO of the Gap brand, said in a statement. “This...
As the Trump administration continues to compel public colleges and universities to end diversity, equity, and inclusion ( DEI ) policies and practices, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has called for federal assistance in reviewing higher education institutions in his state. On Feb. 23, 2026, Landry announced via news release that he had formally requested the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to expand its Feb. 13, 2026, inquiry into the Louisiana Board of Regents to include all public colleges and universities statewide. In a letter to Kimberly Richey, assistant secretary at the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, Landry noted that the investigation he wants expanded concerns whether the Louisiana Board of Regents discriminates against white and Asian students in recruitment and enrollment through objectives outlined in its 2019 Master Plan. “Let me be clear: Louisiana is done with woke DEI policies. Discrimination against ANY student will not be...
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ( EEOC ) has filed a lawsuit against Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, alleging sex discrimination against male employees, The Guardian reports . Filed in a New Hampshire federal court on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, the complaint claims the company violated federal law by hosting a workplace event for approximately 250 female employees at a Connecticut casino in September 2024. The EEOC claims that the company excluded male employees from the employer-sponsored gathering. Kirin Holdings, a Japan-based beverage company, owns Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast. The lawsuit does not name The Coca-Cola Co. as a defendant, notes The Guardian. According to The Guardian, Catherine Eschbach, the EEOC’s acting general counsel, said that excluding members of a protected class — including men — from workplace events violates federal anti-discrimination laws . “The EEOC remains committed to ensuring that all employees — men and women alike — enjoy equal...
A federal judge has dismissed the Trump administration’s anti- DEI push in education. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, the administration sent a letter to public schools in February 2025 that discouraged race from being considered in their admissions practices, hiring processes, scholarship programs, and “all other aspects of student, academic, and campus life.” This decision was informed by the administration’s belief that DEI practices discriminate against white and Asian American students. Schools that continued to uphold DEI efforts were asked to verify compliance by signing a certification or risk losing federal funding. The administration’s action was challenged by several institutions across the U.S. for allegedly violating the First Amendment, including a group of New Hampshire school districts, state and national branches of the National Education Association, a teachers’ union, and the American Civil Liberties Union, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. In March 2025,...
Goldman Sachs is updating its requirements for board candidates. The Trump administration set the tone by dismantling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, programs, and roles at the federal level since he entered office in 2025, as AFROTECH™ previously reported. Since then, institutions across sectors have faced mounting pressure to follow suit. This includes Goldman Sachs. A spokesperson for the investment bank said the following in April 2025, according to Fortune, “We strongly believe that organizations benefit from diverse perspectives, and Goldman Sachs is committed to operating our programs and policies in compliance with the law.” However, Goldman Sachs has since shifted its tone about DEI. It plans t o remove diversity factors such as race, gender identity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation from its criteria for board candidates, according to Reuters. The bank’s consideration of board candidates included viewpoints, background, work, and military service, but...
Under the Trump administration, four Democratic-led states are at risk of losing federal public health funding. Bloomberg reported that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plans to cut about $600 million in Public Health Infrastructure Grants that originated from the Biden administration and were allocated through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The grants were to provide billions of dollars across five years to over 100 public health departments, per the outlet. According to The New York Times, HHS plans to cut the grants because they “do not reflect agency priorities.” The decision also comes after nearly $5 billion in public health state funding was paused in January and then restored hours later, per another Bloomberg report. A HHS spokesperson told Bloomberg that the pause was needed to put a new review process in place to “ensure funds are used for their intended purposes.” The $600 million in cuts would affect state and local public...
As AFROTECH™ previously reported, students at Florida A&M University ( FAMU ) have run into difficulties while promoting events for Black History Month, saying the university’s approval process flags certain words, including the word “Black.” Aaliyah Steward, a final-year law student, brought the issue to News 6, which reported the story on Feb. 6, 2026. Steward told News 6 that her organization, the Black Law Students Association, had to abbreviate the language used on Black History Month flyers, noting that they also couldn’t use the words “women” or “affirmative action.” News 6’s report garnered widespread public attention and social media reaction, including from prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump and Grammy Award-winning artist SZA, notes the outlet. On Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, FAMU responded, citing a “staff-level error” that caused the issue. News 9 reported that internal university emails suggested that the words weren’t prohibited, but that the issue stemmed from an...
February is Black History Month , but students at Florida A&M University (FAMU) say promoting events has been challenging because the university’s approval process flags certain words. Aaliyah Steward, a student finishing up her final year at FAMU’s College of Law, says she has faced obstacles while trying to publicize the month’s events for the Black Law Students Association, WKMG News 6 reports . Steward claims that a review of event flyers flagged terms such as “black,” “affirmative action,” and “women,” preventing their broadcast or publication. “We couldn’t use the word ‘black’ in Black History Month. We would have to abbreviate it,” Steward said, per News 6. “I was very angry and baffled because this is a Historically Black College and University ( HBCU ), and for them to say we can’t use the word ‘black’ was kind of insane.” Why FAMU Is Restricting The Word ‘Black’ According to the outlet, Florida’s State Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s 12 public universities —...
There has been a major drop in transparency around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts among Fortune 500 companies, research shows. According to a press release from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF), the political climate and attitudes toward diversity and inclusion have left leaders unsure how to navigate the landscape to meet the expectations of employees, shareholders, and consumers while adhering to regulations. In the release, the HRCF shared the State of the Workplace for LGBTQ+ Americans and Corporate Equality Index 2026. The report is a research-based assessment of workplace protections, policies, and lived experiences nationwide, examining the “current landscape of LGBTQ+ inclusion and the external factors shaping employer effort.” The report found that 39.1% of U.S. workers surveyed said their employers scaled back DEI practices. Additionally, 54.2% of LGBT workers surveyed said they experienced stigma or bias at organizations that scaled back or...