Get The Scoop On How The Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 Showcases A Dream Team Of Medical and Business Moguls

The Black Health & Wealth
Virtual Summit 2.0 Showcases a
Dream Team of Medical and
Entrepreneurial Powerhouses

Feb. 25th and Feb. 26th
7 pm - 9 pm ET

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Feb. 25th and Feb. 26th
7pm - 9pm ET

The Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 isn’t just another online event — it’s a strategic gathering of culture, capital, and community.  Curator Kamau Austin shares his overview "this year’s summit is already bringing together a Dream Team of medical innovators, wealth builders, business architects, and movement leaders who are flipping the script on what health and economic empowerment looks like in Black America."

"In a period when over 1.1 million Black people have lost their jobs and Black unemployment hit over 7.2 percent, since the last election cycle, the Black Health and Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 is a timely and relevant event to jump start an economic reset in our community," adds Austin.   This year's line up of presenters for the virtual summit are impressive to say the least and state the obvious. 

On the wealth side, financier and investor Gary Smith will break down how he has helped Black communities move from being shoppers in the mall to owners of the mall — making major corporations cut the rent check to us.  Gary also has extensive experience in helping Blacks and other entrepreneurs buy and sell viable businesses.

Financier, Business & Commercial Real Estate
Investor and business broker Gary Smith 

Tech titan and multimillionaire Chuck Starks, author of Get Rich While Black!, will share how he scaled an Inc. 500 company and turned distressed properties in our communities into high-value community assets.

Self-Made Millionaire Chuck Starks

The health and innovation lane is just as powerful. Medical researcher Renee Williams is using AI to help Black women achieve better health outcomes, proving that technology can be both culturally competent, enhancing health, and life-saving.

Medical Researcher and
AI and App Innovator Renee Williams 

Afi S. Okon, MPA, founder of the American Obesity Foundation, continues to push solutions and policy conversations around one of the most urgent health crises impacting our community.  Ms. Okon is a Solutions provider with focus on wellness and community empowerment.

Afi is the Creator of Let’s Make Healthy Our New Happy, a nationwide campaign designed to reframe health as joyful, doable and family-centered journey that meet families where they are – at home, school, places of worship and in their neighborhoods. With over a decade of expertise in nonprofit leadership and deep-rooted passion for community well-being, Ms. Okon has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities through education, advocacy and empowerment.

Pierre Clark is a Harvard-trained entrepreneur and will deliver high-level strategies on creative business development and smart investments.  He is the Founder-Editor of The Entrepreneur’s Corner™, Homefree, NuFutures Development Ventures LLC, and NuMillennium Opportunity Capital Ltd.

Pierre is also a well respected writer and publisher on entrepreneurial and business operations.

From Kitchen Tables to
State Contracts:
Dr. Jamila Simon’s Blueprint for
Community-Driven Wealth

Dr. Jamila Simon, PhD, is a visionary entrepreneur, researcher, and systems strategist who operates four purpose-driven enterprises across housing education, business consulting, food innovation, and community development. As the SHEO of Radical Mama Housing, Conscious Connections Consulting, Health is Wealth Housing, and Groton Ghost Kitchen, she is building models that turn relationships into revenue and community knowledge into scalable economic power.

A Cornell University PhD in Global Development, Dr. Simon specializes in community-driven translation research — transforming kitchen-table conversations into funded programs, state contracts, and measurable impact. Her work amplifies youth voice, strengthens Black agricultural networks, and expands access to urban agriculture through her leadership as Principal Investigator for the national 4-H CYFAR LEGACY initiative.

At the Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0, Dr. Simon will reveal how entrepreneurs and community leaders can enter new business markets using relational capital, strategic partnerships, and government contracting — creating sustainable pathways to generational wealth and community ownership.

AI Film Superstar Eric Hamilton: Directing the Future

"The Architect of AI Hollywood Joins the

Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 to

Break Down the Next Era of Tech, Media & Ownership"

Eric Hamilton is an award-winning AI filmmaker, technology leader, and President & Executive Producer of EHAMX Studios, a next-generation AI film company pioneering cinematic storytelling through generative artificial intelligence. With over 30 years of experience across Google, Yahoo!, Cisco, and Dow Jones, he blends executive leadership with creative innovation to redefine how stories are made and distributed.

His feature film EHAM Classified won Best Sci-Fi Film at the New York International Film Festival, and his AI-generated music work has been featured on CBS News. Through his signature “Machine-Perspective Cinema” style, Hamilton explores the intersection of artificial intelligence, culture, and human instinct—shaping the future of film in the AI era.

Checkout Eric Hamilton's Electrifying
Movie Trailer Below

Get the Scoop On Black Women Refusing to Become a Statistic (Part 1) By Renee Williams

“I Refuse to Become a Statistic (Part 1): Why Black Women Need More Than Apologies — We Need Power”

By Renee Williams

Nia Robinson is a 31-year-old coordinator in Atlanta who is done feeling powerless in the doctor’s office.

“I’m not just ‘another patient’ in a gown; I am a woman who refuses to become a statistic because a doctor wouldn’t listen.”

Her words hit even harder when we look at what’s happening in hospitals today.

Recently, more than 500 women filed a lawsuit against Chesapeake Regional Medical Center in Virginia. They say a former doctor there performed unnecessary surgeries, including hysterectomies and other major procedures, that they didn’t truly need.

One attorney called this case:

“Perhaps the single largest case involving civil rights violations of humans in our lifetime.”

Think about that.

Hundreds of women. Their bodies were cut open. Life-changing surgeries they may not have needed. All inside a system that was supposed to protect them.

This isn’t just about one bad doctor. It’s about power.

• Who has it?

• Who doesn’t?

• And what happens when we walk into exam rooms with no tools, no proof, and no backup?

The Problem: When We’re Not Heard, We Become “Cases”

Black women have carried stories of dismissal, disrespect, and danger in healthcare for generations. Now those stories are showing up in courtrooms and headlines.

The truth:

• Black women are about three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

• Our pain is more likely to be ignored, minimized, or misdiagnosed.

• Our concerns about periods, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause are often brushed aside with “you’re fine” or “it’s in your head.”

The Chesapeake Regional case is one extreme example, but many of us know smaller — and still life-threatening — versions.

And this doesn’t just happen to women without money, status, or fame.

Season's Blessings

Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Happy Holidays - Be Blessed in 2026

As we close out a powerful year of telling our stories and uplifting our communities, we’re sending love, light, and gratitude to everyone who rocked with us. ❤️🖤💚

Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa & Happy Holidays — prayerfully wishing you a Blessed, Prosperous, and Uplifting 2026 from Kamau, nZinga, & the Media Team. ✨📣

NY Attorney General Letitia James: Standing Up for Workers, Consumers, and Families

NY Attorney General Letitia James: Standing Up for Workers, Consumers, and Families

In the face of political attacks and dismissed cases tied to mortgage-fraud claims pushed by the Trump administration, New York Attorney General Letitia James continues to do the job New Yorkers elected her to do: protect consumers, workers, and families. Affectionally referred to as Tish James, she continues to take decisive action to protect working families, immigrants, and consumers across the state. In a series of recent moves, AG James has pushed back against federal policies that threaten essential services, secured major restitution for consumers harmed by corporate misconduct, and defended food assistance for New York’s most vulnerable residents.

Defending Immigrant Workers and Essential Services

Attorney General James recently joined a coalition of 18 other attorneys general to sue the Trump administration over a proposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications—an unprecedented increase that would effectively dismantle the program for public institutions and nonprofits. The H-1B visa program allows highly skilled immigrants to work temporarily in the U.S., filling critical roles as doctors, nurses, teachers, researchers, engineers, and other professionals.

New York is home to more than 13,000 H-1B workers, many of whom are employed in health care, education, technology, finance, and the arts. AG James warned that the fee hike would worsen existing labor shortages, particularly in underserved and rural communities already facing severe shortages of doctors, nurses, and educators. The lawsuit argues the administration’s action is unlawful, bypassed required rulemaking, and violates federal law. If blocked, it would protect access to health care, education, and essential services for millions of New Yorkers.

Get The Scoop On Legendary Black and Ethnic Skincare Pioneer Pamela R. Springer Winning the Prestigious ASCP Icon Award

Pamela R. Springer Makes History as ASCP’s 2025 Industry Icon – And Redefines Skin Care for a Multi-Ethnic World

In an industry that has too often overlooked the needs of diverse skin tones, Pamela R. Springer has spent decades doing the opposite—putting skin of color at the center of the conversation. Now, her life’s work is being recognized at the highest level.

Pamela R. Springer, Founder and CEO of Global Skincare Products, has been named the 2025 recipient of the prestigious ASCP Industry Icon Award. ASCP (Associated Skin Care Professionals), the leading national association supporting licensed estheticians, represents more than 35,000 members nationwide and is the only organization offering estheticians comprehensive, industry-specific benefits throughout every stage of their careers.

With this honor, Pamela makes history as the first African American woman—and only the second person ever—to receive the ASCP Industry Icon title, underscoring the magnitude of her contribution to professional skin care, education, and inclusivity.

Elevating Skin of Color to Center Stage

The ASCP Industry Icon Award is reserved for visionaries who have made lasting contributions to professional skin care through education, innovation, and leadership. Pamela’s nomination through ASCP’s Skin Deep Readers’ Choice Awards is a testament to the respect she commands among peers and professionals across the country.

Her groundbreaking focus on ethnic skin care and pigmentation disorders has transformed how estheticians and medical providers approach treatment in today’s multicultural market. At a time when many textbooks and training programs barely mentioned skin of color, Pamela was building an evidence-based, culturally rooted framework for treating it properly, safely, and effectively.

Her career spans decades of transformative teaching, hands-on mentoring, and clinical insight, helping professionals move beyond fear, guesswork, and outdated myths about pigmented skin. Checkout her video below...

Elevating Skin of Color to Center Stage

The ASCP Industry Icon Award is reserved for visionaries who have made lasting contributions to professional skin care through education, innovation, and leadership. Pamela’s nomination through ASCP’s Skin Deep Readers’ Choice Awards is a testament to the respect she commands among peers and professionals across the country.

Her groundbreaking focus on ethnic skin care and pigmentation disorders has transformed how estheticians and medical providers approach treatment in today’s multicultural market. At a time when many textbooks and training programs barely mentioned skin of color, Pamela was building an evidence-based, culturally rooted framework for treating it properly, safely, and effectively.

Her career spans decades of transformative teaching, hands-on mentoring, and clinical insight, helping professionals move beyond fear, guesswork, and outdated myths about pigmented skin. Ms. Springer's outstanding contribution to the medical field of ethnic skincare is featured in the renowned Doctor Bob Lee's book PEOPLE TO KNOW IN BLACK HISTORY & BEYOND.

Get The Scoop On Bridging the Capital Gap: African American Small Business Foundation Donors Drive Local Economic Resilience Amid National Funding Disparity

Bridging the Capital Gap: African American Small Business Foundation Donors Drive Local Economic Resilience Amid National Funding Disparity

 

Photo Above: Phil Andrews, President of the African American Small Business Foundation, Inc. addresses donors at the Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Networking Event and Holiday Fundraiser.

New York, New York – As national conversations continue regarding the persistent capital access issues faced by minority-owned enterprises, the African American Small Business Foundation (AASBF) is highlighting the critical, immediate impact of its local initiatives. The AASBF operates as a vital local antidote to a systemic national challenge, ensuring that dedicated, high-potential African American entrepreneurs in Downstate, New York receive the funding and resources necessary to thrive and stabilize the local economy.

Recent economic reports confirm that despite heightened visibility, Black-owned businesses still receive a disproportionately small share of small business loans and venture capital. This disparity—a major headwind against national equitable economic recovery—underscores the irreplaceable value of localized, mission-driven organizations like the AASBF.

The Importance of the Foundation: A Local Solution to a National Problem

The AASBF is more than a funding source; it is an economic accelerator. By providing tailored mentorship, technical assistance, and direct grants and loans, the Foundation tackles the core barriers to scaling Black-owned businesses. These businesses often serve as cultural hubs, major employers of local talent, and key drivers of neighborhood revitalization.

"While discussions about multi-billion-dollar funding disparities happen in boardrooms across the country, the reality for our local entrepreneurs is far more immediate," said Phil Andrews, President of the African American Small Business Foundation. "Every dollar we raise translates directly into inventory, technology, new hires, and community stability. We are not waiting for the national tide to turn; we are building our own local economic engine."

Why Support Matters: The Donor's Strategic Investment

For individuals, corporations, and philanthropic partners, supporting the AASBF is a strategic investment that yields clear, measurable returns beyond simple charity. Donors are not just funding businesses; they are funding economic resilience and civic stability.

What Donor Support Means:

• Closing the Equity Gap: Donors become immediate partners in challenging the national narrative of funding disparity, providing capital where traditional institutions hesitate.

• Direct Job Creation: Every dollar raised by the AASBF translates into an average of several hundred new jobs created or retained in Downstate, New York.

• Anchor Investments: Funding helps convert small businesses into neighborhood anchors, fostering community stability and increasing the tax base.

• Legacy Building: Donors help secure the economic future of African American families, creating generational wealth pathways that mentorship alone cannot achieve.

Get The Scoop On How Pretty Young Autistic Visionary Aaliyah Alicia Thompson Transformed Adversity Into Beauty, Business, and Community Empowerment

Young and Pretty Autistic Visionary
Aaliyah Alicia Thompson Transformed Adversity Into Beauty, Business, and Community Empowerment

When Aaliyah Alicia Thompson was diagnosed with autism at just five years old, many would have assumed her future would be limited. But for Aaliyah, autism was never an obstacle — it was a different path, one that shaped her resilience, sharpened her creativity, and fueled a purpose that now inspires thousands.

Today, Aaliyah a pretty 24 year old young woman, is not only a rising entrepreneur in the haircare industry — she is the first woman with autism in the United States to open her own beauty bar, the CEO of the Aaliyah Alicia Thompson School of Nails & Cosmetology, and a nationally recognized changemaker who uses her platform to uplift others with autism.

Her story is one of determination, faith, and family support — but most importantly, it’s the story of a young Black autistic woman who refused to let delays or adversity define her limits.

From Early Delays to Early Honors

Aaliyah’s journey began with a childhood marked by communication delays and the challenges that come with an autism diagnosis. But her mother, Patricia Terry, saw possibility where others saw barriers. She nurtured Aaliyah’s confidence, encouraged her curiosity, and helped her develop the discipline she would need to excel.

And excel she did.

Aaliyah grew into an outstanding student, graduating from high school with honors, proving early that her autism was not a limitation but a strength.

Discovering Her Passion for Beauty and Haircare

Her life changed when she began working at a beauty school and salon. Something clicked. The rhythms of hairstyling, the creativity of nails, the satisfaction of transforming someone’s confidence — it became Aaliyah’s calling.

She wasn’t just good — she had a gift.

Her mother believed in that gift so much that she encouraged Aaliyah to open her own beauty bar. At just 21 years old, also a fitness advocate, Aaliyah made national history, becoming the first autistic woman in America to launch her own beauty business.

Her brand, Aaliyah Beauty Bar, quickly became known not only for quality styling but for its powerful mission: beauty with purpose.