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Amen Rahh Led A South LA High School To A 100% Graduation Rate, Now He's Using Fintech To Fight Absenteeism And Build Black Wealth

Amen Rahh, widely known as “Principal Rahh,” is a nationally recognized educator and best-selling author from Compton, CA, who first gained attention after leading a South Los Angeles high school to a 100% graduation rate. However, his mission took an unexpected turn. One of his students, Keon — an unhoused teen in foster care — had been accepted to Tuskegee University but couldn’t afford the final $480 he needed to attend. “He thought, ‘If I can get this $400, I can get out,'” Rahh told AFROTECH™. “Tragically, he lost his life before he could.” Rahh learned the news while working on his doctorate at UCLA and says the loss changed everything. “At [age] 34, I left my job and started a tech company to transform education,” Rahh said. The company — Knowlej — is using fintech innovation to reimagine what’s possible for underserved students nationwide. The Classroom To Real Life Since its 2023 launch, the fintech app Knowlej has reached more than 30,000 students, according to Rahh. He...

Jul 23, 2025

3 Black Women Entrepreneurs Launch Community-Driven Business Schools For And By Detroiters In An Aim To Bridge The Wealth Gap

Three Black women aim to close the racial wealth gap by building the access they want to see, launching culturally grounded, community-owned business schools by and for Detroiters. According to The Michigan Chronicle, Racheal Allen, Ebony Cochran, and Jessie Hayes are determined to build lasting infrastructure for the city’s overlooked entrepreneurs — proving that real business education isn’t just about profits; it’s about economic justice, shared knowledge, and long-term change. Ebony Cochran In June, Cochran — Michigan’s first Black woman to own a Little Caesars franchise, as AFROTECH™ r eported in 2022 — founded the Detroit Wealth Club, a 7,300-square-foot community business school on the city’s east side focused on entrepreneurship, credit literacy, financial planning, and real estate, The Michigan Chronicle reports. Offering educational programming, mentorship, peer accountability, and expert networks, Cochran calls it a movement — one she’s backed with $155,000 of her own...

Jul 18, 2025

With $65M In Assets, Redemption Bank Becomes First Black-Owned In The West

Salt Lake City, UT-based Holladay Bank & Trust — located in a community with a Black population of less than 3% — is now Redemption Bank, following its acquisition by Redemption Holding Co. (RHC). Initially announced in 2023, the deal marks the first time a Black-led investment group has owned a bank in the Western U.S., according to The Associated Press. Redemption Holding Co. Chairman and CEO Ashley D. Bell, former White House policy advisor, cited the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023 for the acquisition delay. “This process has undoubtedly taken longer than any of us anticipated,” Bell said. “However, we are grateful for the diligence of the staff at the FDIC, the leadership of the (American Bankers Association), and the renewed sense of urgency from the new administration this year, all of which helped bring everything together.” Redemption Bank is now the first Black-owned bank in U.S. history in the Rocky Mountain region and the only one in the “Black-banking desert,”...

Jun 20, 2025

Goodr, A Black Woman-Owned Sustainable Food Waste Startup, Heads To Chicago With Its First Free Grocery Store Located In A Hospital

Goodr will be bringing its free grocery store to the windy city. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Goodr — the brainchild of Jasmine Crowe-Houston — is a sustainable food waste management company based in Atlanta, GA. Since its inception in 2017, the company has launched various initiatives, including a free grocery and clothing store at Atlanta’s McNair Middle School in partnership with rapper Gunna (2021). More recently, it introduced the Goodr Community Market at iVillage @ MLK (2024), which features a free grocery store and health clinic, with a goal of serving 600 families by 2026. “I have a lot of crazy good ideas to help people and I am so blessed when partners and my team join me to bring them to life,” Crowe-Houston said at the time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jasmine Crowe Houston (@jasminecrowe) First P ermanent Location In Chicago Now, Goodr is scaling its mission to the south side of Chicago, IL, opening its grocery store model in a hospital. This will...

Jun 13, 2025

Brookings Metro Launches Dashboard To Bridge The Racial Wealth And Black Business Ownership Gaps

Cities across the U.S. have a clear opportunity to boost their economies by increasing the number of Black-owned businesses that serve as employers. Recognizing this potential, The Brookings Institution’s Metro Center for Community Uplift initiative is on a mission to help communities, policymakers, and grassroots organizers understand the crucial role of Black entrepreneurship. In June 2025, Brookings launched the Black Business Parity Dashboard. The dashboard shows the number of businesses and jobs, as well as the potential revenue and payroll generated if Black business ownership were to match the Black population in metro areas, according to a Brookings news release. Brookings’ research indicates that Black Americans outperform the national average in entrepreneurial traits tied to business success. However, systemic financial barriers — such as limited access to credit and the long-standing denial of wealth-building opportunities — have hindered growth. Centuries of denying...

Jun 13, 2025

Marsai Martin Sets Out To Help 10,000 Young Women Build Wealth Over The Next 3 Years

Actress and trailblazing producer Marsai Martin is taking her commitment to youth empowerment to the next level. Through her nonprofit, Marsai’s Way Foundation , the young mogul has partnered with Seeds of Fortune Inc. to reach 10,000 young women over the next three years with financial education, mentorship, and access to wealth-building resources, according to a press release. The partnership officially kicked off June 6 at the Seed Forum: Women of Color Creating Wealth Summit, an event designed to offer young women a rare opportunity to connect with financial leaders and gain insight into how they can grow into economic powerhouses of their own. “At Seeds of Fortune, we believe education is the foundation of economic equity,” Nitiya Walker, founder and executive director of Seeds of Fortune Inc., said in a statement. “Our partnership with Marsai’s Way Foundation allows us to scale this mission and deliver financial literacy, mentorship, and career access to thousands of young...

Jun 12, 2025

Watch Now: Maryland Governor Wes Moore Shares Insights On Building A Future Rooted in Work, Wages, And Wealth At AFROTECH™ 2024

No matter who occupies the White House, Maryland Governor Wes Moore remains steadfast in his commitment to three core pillars for his state’s 6.2 million residents: work, wages, and wealth — and creating pathways for all three. At AFROTECH™ Conference 2024, Moore — Maryland’s 63rd and first Black governor — joined Blavity Inc. Co-Founder and COO Jeff Nelson for a powerful fireside chat focused on economic empowerment, youth engagement, public safety, and sustainable community development. The governor shared insights on building resilient, self-sufficient communities, equipping the conference room of innovators, entrepreneurs, and changemakers with tangible steps to create a lasting impact. Buy your AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 ticket now! Reflecting on his personal journey into public service, Moore shared that he didn’t come from a political dynasty — far from it. Now, he says he sees the world in two categories: Marylanders and future Marylanders. “I had to convince members of my...

May 16, 2025

Why Some Social Security Benefits Recipients Will Get Double Payments In May

About 7.4 million Americans who depend on social security benefits through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program will see two payments hit their accounts in May. It’s not extra money, but it is a significant shift to understand. The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) calendar is the reason for the double deposit, with June’s payment arriving early because the first of the month falls on a Sunday. According to USA Today, the first payment is scheduled for Thursday, May 1, and the second will follow on Friday, May 30. Even though two payments will land in the same month, beneficiaries need to know that the second check is an advance for June. Knowing how and why this happens can help millions who rely on social security benefits plan ahead and avoid gaps in their income. Why Two SSI Payments Are Coming In May Every so often, the SSA’s calendar shifts when regular payment dates fall on weekends or holidays. Instead of delaying deposits, the agency sends payments early....

Apr 28, 2025

Op-Ed: Why Rebuilding American Manufacturing Could Rebuild The Black Middle Class

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The turmoil over tariffs has taken center stage since President Donald Trump has started to make good on his campaign promise to Make America Great Again. His latest move is leveraging the tactic of tariffs to help bring back manufacturing jobs that he believes have been outsourced to other countries and should be available to people in the United States. However, having the goal of quickly bringing industrialization to a country has been tried elsewhere before. Mao Zedong of China, who formed the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and ran it until his death in 1976, tried what Trump is doing in the U.S. in China. It was called The Great Leap Forward and started in 1958. It aimed to change China from a country that relied on agriculture as its economic center to one that relied on industrialization instead. Similar to Donald Trump’s vision for industrialization, it included a focus on increasing...

Apr 17, 2025

Flau'jae Johnson Partners With Experian To Help Clear $5M In Debt For Louisiana Families

Flau’jae Johnson is making a difference off the court by helping wipe out $5 million of debt for 5,000 Louisiana families. On March 14, 2025, global data and technology company Experian announced that the Louisiana State University women’s basketball guard would serve as spokesperson for its initiative to help relieve impoverished families following reports of record-high consumer debt. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Louisiana has one of the highest poverty percentages in the country. Johnson will promote financial literacy and share her experiences managing finances as one of the leading college athletes with a name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal , per a news release. “You know what’s bigger than basketball? Financial empowerment,” Johnson said in an Experian commercial. “Finances are tough, and Experian is helping the next generation pursue their dreams. … Money isn’t everything, but you need it to live a good life. The Experian app can help you save time and money, build...

Mar 17, 2025

Op-Ed: Donald Trump's 'Gold Card' Visa Scheme Hurts Americans

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Last week, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would sell “gold card” visas for over $5 million to wealthy foreigners to alleviate the country’s trillion dollars in debt. As he continues to align himself with billionaire oligarchs, sycophants like Vladimir Putin—it’s clear that Trump has never cared for ordinary people. In his statement, he claimed that this new initiative had never been done before. But as always, he is mistaken. Investing large sums of money in citizenship has been in place in various countries across Europe and the Caribbean. The incentive of citizenship for pay—with advantages like limited restrictions and more flexibility—can open the door for wealthy yet dubious individuals to perform illicit activities. While no one can assume that every person who pays upwards of millions of dollars for foreign citizenship is a criminal, the lack of regulations opens up the EU,...

Mar 6, 2025

Black Unicorn Factory, Which Allows Individuals To Secure Stock In A Company Without Traditional Cash Investment, Reaches New Heights

Black Unicorn Factory has set a historic precedent in equity crowdfunding. Black Unicorn Factory (BUF) is a business development accelerator and equity crowdsourcing platform established by Johnny Stewart in 2012. Through BUF’s Follow Me for Equity app, it uniquely allows individuals to secure stock in pre-IPO companies by simply becoming a follower of a company through the app. “Stop following for free and earn equity,” actor Anthony Anderson said in a promotional video for the company. BUF’s target audience is underserved communities who are being left out of opportunities in the venture capital space. “It is disheartening to observe that the venture capital industry only allocates funds to a mere 1% of businesses led by individuals from underrepresented communities. At BUF, we firmly believe that this disparity cannot persist, and we are committed to providing an alternative to the discriminatory practices prevalent in the traditional venture capital landscape,” a statement on...

Feb 19, 2025

Mastercard Agrees To Settle $26M Discrimination Lawsuit That Accused It Of Underpaying Female, Black, And Hispanic Employees

Mastercard has agreed to settle a discrimination lawsuit impacting its minority employees. According to a press release, the fintech company had allegedly been underpaying its female, Black, and Hispanic employees. T he class-action lawsuit — which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — claims 7,500 employees in job levels 4-10 across the United States dating back to September 2016 were impacted. Details in the lawsuit share that the women and people of color received less compensation for conducting equivalent work to their male and white counterparts, the New York Times reports. The major fintech company had agreed to pay a $26 million settlement prior to the lawsuits filing on Jan. 14, 2025. The settlement now awaits approval from the court. “We are very pleased to have reached this nationwide settlement with Mastercard, which we believe represents a fair compromise,” Cara E. Greene, partner at Outten & Golden LLP and lead counsel for the...

Jan 30, 2025

Op Ed: Mark Zuckerberg's Moderation Changes At Meta Aren't About Free Speech, But They Are About Politics

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta —the company that owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook, which collectively have a combined daily active user base of 3.3 billion—will be implementing sweeping changes to content moderation. The announcement was made via a Reel on Zuckerberg’s Instagram . Anyone on the internet knows that, over the last five years, content has often taken precedence over real connection. Considering the incoming presidential administration and the immense influence platforms like Facebook and Instagram have on what content is seen or suppressed, it’s unsurprising that Meta is overhauling its approach ahead of this political transition. This is especially relevant given the strained relationship Donald Trump has had with social media companies like Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter) over the years. Content moderation has become a highly polarizing issue in the United States, especially due to the political nature of our cultural spaces and the increasing...

Jan 8, 2025

Operation HOPE Inc. Receives Nearly $100M In Pledges During Its Hope Global Forum's Annual Meeting To Advance Financial Equity

Equity-focused work may be a point of contention in today’s political environment, but it has not stopped the commitment of those dedicated to ensuring justice. Recently, Operation HOPE Inc. hosted its Hope Global Forums Annual Meeting. This convening brought together community stakeholders and influencers to discuss how to move into the future through economic, technological, and cultural advancements. During the meeting in Atlanta, GA, Hope Global Forum leader and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant, announced one of his goals to raise $100 million to fund the organization’s work of providing financial literacy and economic growth tools for individuals and small businesses. While providing his final remarks, Bryant confirmed that he is well on his way to receiving that fundraising amount through partners and corporations including Delta, Shopify, Truist, and Bishop T.D. Jakes. “Shopify, they’re ready for $60 million,” Bryant said. “Why did they do this? They are good people,...

Dec 17, 2024

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