Roderick Batson is brillantly proving that ability not disability defines the workforce.Houston-based CEO, serial entrepreneur, and philanthropist Roderick Batson is building more than businesses he’s building bridges. Through ventures like Howdy Homemade Ice Cream and Helping Heroes Staffing, Batson has made inclusive hiring for people with special needs the centerpiece of his entrepreneurial identity. Inspired…
Black entrepreneurs
Exciting new chapter begins for ‘Belle Collective’
A new chapter is unfolding for the popular reality series Belle Collective as it prepares to return with a refreshed focus and a new setting in Birmingham, Alabama. Known for highlighting the lives of ambitious women balancing entrepreneurship and personal relationships, the show continues to build on its unique blend of southern lifestyle and business-driven…
Black Excellence, Big Impact. Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala Honors Tina Knowles, Awards $100K Grant + more
Photo Credit: Hunter Abrams for Fifteen Percent Pledge The Fifteen Percent Pledge hosted its annual fundraising gala on February 7 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, marking a standout moment in the organization’s ongoing work to advance economic opportunity for Black-owned businesses. Held during the 15th Street Block Party Weekend, the event blended culture, fashion…
OWN launches 1st Belle Collective spinoff in 2026
The Belle Collective franchise is growing in a major way as OWN announced the network’s first-ever spinoff of the hit series alongside the return of the original show. Belle Collective: Birmingham will introduce viewers to a new group of ambitious southern women led by beauty mogul Stormi Steele, while the original Belle Collective…