Get Inspired

"Chat GPT"
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Their mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. The company was started in 2015 by Sam Altman and Elon Musk. In 2018, Musk offered to take charge of OpenAI to lead it himself, but when Altman and other co-founders said no, Musk stepped down from the board.GPT-3.5 is a language model created by OpenAI. GPT stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer". It has been pre-trained on a vast amount of internet text data to understand and generate human-like... Read more...
“Godfather of Jordan brand”
You don't always have to be the face of the operation to win. When you play your role and execute at the highest level, we can all get the bag.In 1978, Howard "H" White was hired by Nike as a field marketing representative, trusted with covering the east coast. This marked the beginning of his career with the company. He is the longest tenured African American executive in Nike's history. He is currently the Senior Vice President for Jordan Brand.Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Howard's upbringing influenced his approach... Read more...
"Crenshaw Mixtape"
F*** The Middleman.Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, authored the book "Contagious: Why Things Catch On." In the book, he tells the story of a Philadelphia restaurant that sold a $120 cheesesteak. The restaurant owner faced a lot of criticism, but the marketing campaign ultimately drew massive attention and was successful.After being introduced to this book, Ermias Joseph Asghedom, professionally known as Nipsey Hussle, was inspired by the story and created the "Proud 2 Pay" campaign. Hussle aimed to empower artists and... Read more...
"The Spook Who Sat By The Door"
A free black mind is a concealed weapon.Sam Greenlee's 1969 book, which depicted a world not far from reality, faced significant challenges. It was rejected by nearly 40 American publishers before finding a home with British house Allison and Busby in 1969. The title, "The Spook Who Sat by the Door," carries a double meaning, referring to both a racial slur and a slang term for a spy, with the notion of being seated "by the door" suggesting a person hired for show.The fiction movie tells the story of an... Read more...
"The Rich Paul Rule"
When you win on your terms, you redefine the rules.Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Rich Paul began his entrepreneurial path after graduating from high school. He started out his trunk selling vintage jerseys. At the airport, 21-year-old Paul crossed paths with 18-year-old LeBron James. Their initial conversation sparked by the Warren Moon jersey Paul was wearing laid the foundation for a lasting friendship.As LeBron James rose to stardom and became the number one draft pick in the NBA, he recognized Paul's potential and hired him as his personal assistant, offering an... Read more...
"Black People are not darkskinned white people"
Take control of your own narrative.Tom Burrell, born in 1939, grew up on the south side of Chicago. In 1961, he became the first Black person in the entire city of Chicago to work in advertising, breaking barriers and paving the way for others to follow.After spending a decade gaining experience and climbing the ranks at various ad agencies, Burrell decided to establish his own firm, Burrell McBain Advertising (now known as Burrell Communications Group).One of Burrell's notable accomplishments was challenging prevailing perceptions and stereotypes. He had to convince clients... Read more...
“Immersive Technology”
In June 2023, Apple unveiled the Apple Vision Pro, a wearable computer that utilizes spatial computing. Spatial computing eliminates the need for a physical screen and instead directly produces output into the user's eyes. The interface relies on eye tracking and gestures instead of a traditional keyboard. With a price point of $3,500, the Apple Vision Pro has the potential to replace traditional devices like TVs, laptops, and even cell phones, offering a new paradigm in computing and personal technology.Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have different capabilities. AR... Read more...
“The Art of a Movement”
Emory Douglas was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1943 and raised in the Bay Area of California. In his early teenage years, he found himself at the youth training school in Ontario, California, a youth detention center that would unexpectedly introduce him to the world of art. Following his release, Douglas pursued his passion at the Community College of San Francisco, where he immersed himself in the study of commercial art, honing his skills in design techniques, print publications, and art critique.It was in January 1967 that Douglas's path... Read more...
"Good Job Larry"
Larry Eugene Hendricks III, widely known as Larry June, was born in 1991 in San Francisco, California. He moved to Atlanta at the age of 5 and later relocated back to the Bay Area during his teenage years. Larry's venture into the world of rap began at the young age of 15.In 2010, Larry June and his business partner Sean Kelly founded the Free Minded record label and lifestyle brand. Larry June sought to integrate a focus on health into the culture, prioritizing trips to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's... Read more...
“The residual impact of redlining”
The wealth gap between the black and white communty is not an accident but rather the result of centuries of federal and state policies that have systematically facilitated the deprivation of resources for Black Americans. The median Black household in America has around $24,000 in savings, investments, home equity, and other elements of wealth. The median White household has around $189,000, a disparity that has worsened in recent decades.The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), established in 1934, implemented a policy known as "redlining." The FHA refused to insure mortgages for properties... Read more...
“Shattering the glass ceiling”
Sheila Johnson is the first Black woman BILLIONARE.Born on January 25, 1949, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Her father, one of the only 11 Black neurosurgeons in the entire country, faced tremendous adversity during that time. The family had to move frequently because he was denied practice in white hospitals. She pursued her passion for music at the University of Illinois, where she studied and became a trained violinist. In college she met her future husband, Robert Johnson, they got married in 1963.While working as a private violin instructor and traveling the... Read more...
“Investing in where we’re going, not where we came from”
In January 2023, Cake Ventures announced a $17 million fund specifically focused on the demographic changes that are influencing technology.Its Founder and Managing Director, Monique Woodard has made a significant impact in the tech industry. A political science major from the University of Miami, She relocated to San Francisco in 2008. Monique fully immersed herself in the Silicon Valley startup culture. Over a 15 year grind, she wore many hats as an entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, operator, and investor, gaining invaluable experience along the way.In describing the experience of raising a... Read more...