I beat trauma of blindness to build £1m company! (UK)

A Londoner who suddenly went blind has overcome his disability and built a £1 million catering business.

John Charles, 37, lost his sight over three weeks in 1996 after suffering severe headaches. Now he runs a firm based in Bermondsey that has won catering contracts for the Olympic Delivery Authority and employs other blind people.

Mr Charles experienced the traumatic deterioration in his vision shortly after graduating in business and finance from the University of East London. Despite a good degree, the only job he was offered was as a factory worker.

He said his friends and family avoided him as they struggled to come to terms with his disability but he was determined to set up his own company.

More here.

Birdman’s Birthday Bash In Miami (Video)!

BIRDMAN's BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AT LIV ON SOUTH BEACH from DERICK G on Vimeo.

‘There’s more to us than ghetto stories’

Wil Johnson personally financed his new comedy drama, in a bid to add another dimension to black British filmmaking

THIS week marks the release of the new film Disoriented Generation.

Independently financed by British actor Wil Johnson – who also stars in the film – along with writer/director Christian Ashaiku, the film follows the life of Ishmael; a young Nigerian man living in London.

The film explores Ishmael’s journey through three very different relationships, in his quest to find the perfect relationship and start a family. Described as a comedy drama, Disoriented Generation is a far cry from the street-based films of recent years that have offered representations of the black British experience. Tired of that continued trend of ghetto-based flicks, Johnson and Ashaiku put their hands in their own pockets to finance a film that would tell a different story.

More here.

Tech Guru With a Social Vision

Omar Wasow knew that the transition from Internet executive to graduate student at the age of 35 would be a dramatic one, and so in a symbolic break from his old life, he lopped off the two feet of dreadlocks he had been growing since he was a teenager.

That was 2005, when Mr. Wasow was the executive director of BlackPlanet.com, a social networking site that he founded seven years earlier and turned into the most popular African-American Web site at the time. Previously, he had developed Web sites for the New Yorker and Consumer Reports magazines.

His hair, good looks and penchant for Italian suits helped him stand out in the New York's Silicon Alley from the late 1990s until he left in 2005. He appeared frequently on television as a technology pundit, most famously on the Oprah Winfrey Show when he taught the talk-show host how to use the Internet in 2000. That same year, People magazine named him the "Sexiest Internet Executive." Mr. Wasow's business acumen and ability to translate complex ideas to a general audience earned him quasi-celebrity status and an annual six-figure income.

So it surprised many in the technology world when he decided to resign his leadership position at Community Connect Inc., BlackPlanet's parent company (which was later sold for $38 million in 2008), and move to Cambridge, Mass., to pursue a Ph.D. in African-American studies and government at Harvard University.

More here.

Will Smith to do two sequels to 'Independence Day'

Actor Will Smith, who was last seen in 'Seven Pounds', is all set to play Captain Steve Hiller Will in the sequels to hit sci-fi film 'Independence Day'.

Contactmusic.com reports the two sequels will be shot back-to-back in 2011 and director Roland Emmerich and writer Dean Devlin already have a story for the first sequel.

Fox co-chairman Tom Rothman has previously confirmed he wants to make a sequel to the sci-fi movie, which grossed over $800 million at the box office when it was released in 1996.

Source.

White Zimbabwe farmers in South Africa compensation bid!

A group of white farmers who had their land seized in Zimbabwe are attempting to claim property owned by the Zimbabwean government in South Africa.

The farmers want the four properties in Cape Town, worth millions of dollars, as compensation for the loss of farms.

Last week, a South African court agreed with a regional court ruling that President Robert Mugabe's violent land reform programme was unlawful.

Almost all white-owned land has been seized in the past 10 years.

More here.

Crazy Art, 12 Plasmas and a Cool Gym – Singer Craig David’s North London Penthouse has got it All!

Take a look inside, UK RnB Singer, Craig David's Penthouse.

Pictures of scantily clad models adorn the walls, scented candles flicker in every room and sexy R'n'B videos play on the 12 plasma screens dotted around. No, it's not some X-rated movie set, but the home of singer Craig David.

This £6million four-bed penthouse in London's Hampstead is the ultimate bachelor pad, so you'd imagine the owner might be lining up the ladies here every night, but no. The singer, who first shot to fame in 1999 with a string of R'n'B hits, quickly became as famous for his lovelife (and a certain Bo' Selecta! caricature) as he did for his music, but these days Craig says he's 100 per cent single.

More here.

One-on-One with Music SuperStar Usher!

Fox Picks up Sketch-Comedy Pilot From Jamie Foxx

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Almost two decades after his breakout stint on "In Living Color," Oscar winner Jamie Foxx is back at Fox with another sketch-comedy show.

The network has ordered a pilot for an untitled project executive produced by Foxx and two of his fellow "Color" writers, "MadTV" creators Fax Bahr and Adam Small, with "Wild 'N Out" alumnus Affion Crockett attached as one of the stars.

The pilot is the result of merging two projects. Foxx wanted to do a sketch-comedy series with an urban twist and paired with Bahr and Small to pitch the idea to Fox.

Separately, Sony TV-based production company Tantamount was working on a sketch-comedy project starring Crockett, probably best known for his spoofs of Russell Simmons, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Drake and Jay-Z. Crockett was to co-write the project with Carl Jones, a producer of Sony's animated comedy "The Boondocks," on which Jones voiced characters alongside Crockett and also served as a producer.

More here.

Teaching South African Girls to Report on the World Cup

For the nearly 50 million people of South Africa, the 2010 World Cup represents an opportunity to show the world its progress through sports. But for a new nonprofit organization, soccer’s biggest stage also offers an opportunity to publicize young women who tend to go unheard.
Global Girl Media, an educational nonprofit founded in January 2009, aims to use the games to empower young women by teaching them about digital media.
Its first project, called “Kick It Up!” will teach about 20 disadvantaged South African teenagers to report on the Cup, and will also encourage them to tell stories about their lives.

More here.

Diddy Sparks Vodka War!

Where are all the African Coaches?

Algeria's Rabah Saadane will be the only African coach at the World Cup

Ever since South Africa was awarded the 2010 World Cup, the organisers' oft-repeated desire has been for a pan-African World Cup.

On the coaching front, they are going to be disappointed because Algerian Rabah Saadanewill stick out like a sore thumb in June as the only African coach among the continent's six finalists.

It would have been two but Nigeria's Shaibu Amodu was forced out after the Nations Cup earlier this year. You can also safely predict that the Ivory Coast's new coach won't be African, with Mark Hughes, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Bernd Schuster apparently the three main contenders.

A look at Africa's World Cup history, not to mention tradition, should have prepared us for such a reality.

Of the 34 African teams that will have contested the World Cup come June, 24 will have been led by a foreigner.

Read on here.

From Nigeria to The UK: The Designer Dentist

Dr. Uchenna Okoye knows what it takes to make you look ten years younger— a beautiful smile.

Vogue magazine described Dr. Uchenna Okoye as the dentist whose surgery is also a beauty parlour. Harper's Bazaar said her dentistry is almost as relaxing as a spa treatment. At 39, Dr. Okoye is definitely at the peak of her profession.

Originally from Anambra State (Nigeria), Dr. Okoye moved to the United Kingdom when she was eight years old. "My dad did not want me to become too English, so we moved back when I was 11 and I was sent to attend FGGC Gboko. It was a total shock. I still remember helping kill a snake." She moved back to the U.K. after secondary school.

Realising that dentistry offered her the opportunity to combine her desire for business and healthcare, Dr. Okoye enrolled in Guys Dental School, University of London, and took her career further by specialising in cosmetic dentistry. "Cosmetic dentistry is the crème de la crème, as it elevates things to the next level. I practice comprehensive dentistry to ensure that the foundations are healthy, then by changing their smiles, I get to change my patients' lives."

More here.

One CEO’s Formula for Doing Business in South Africa: Detroit native Christopher Whitfield shares key challenges for entrepreneurs

Batswadi Pharmaceuticals CEO Christoper Whitfield

Detroit native Christopher Whitfield’s typical day is not unlike any other entrepreneur. He gets up for work early every day, battles traffic during the morning commute and looks for new business opportunities and ways to grow his company while struggling to maintain a work-life balance that will enable him to take his children on an occasional weekend camping trip.

Sound familiar? Of course. But what sets Whitfield apart from most African American entrepreneurs is that he and his company are located in Bryanston, South Africa. The CEO of Batswadi Pharmaceuticals (www.batswadi.com) also has interests in a biotechnology firm and a clinical research company, African Clinical Research Organization (ACRO) (www.acro.co.za). When I got to meet the Duke University graduate in Johannesburg, my first question was simple, “Why start a business in South Africa?” After all, before he started the company, he was CEO of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly’s Southern Africa business. He was in charge of 22 sub-Saharan countries, his family was comfortable and he was entrenched in an emerging market.

His response was profound, yet simple. “I always wanted to come up with my own business. Quite frankly, I was limited within the Lilly framework in terms of making significant change. I wanted to find a way to find ways to allow innovative products that we knew could save lives – allow them to come here and to be used by South Africans regardless of their socio-economic status. So we started Batswadi.”

More here.

ELAN PERSONALITY: Hakeem Kae-Kazim (VIDEO)

A video follow up of to the previous article we had on Hakeem Kae-Kazim.

The Today Show - Jill Scott

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Meet Hollywood's Hottest Barber -- Jacki Brown!

Jacki Brown is no novice in the game. She has been in the business for over 10 years, exclusively working in the city of Los Angeles for nine.

And although her career path began with cosmetology and the usual, she found herself excelling in a certain field, and gravitating towards a certain clientele. Although Jacki Brown can cut and style anyone's hair, "I just preferred working with men -- they are easier to work with, and more loyal," she explained in a recent phone interview.

Today Jacki's main client base consists of African American men, many of whom are instantly recognizable to us all. Check out her site, HairByJackiBrown.com for photos of Fonzworth Bentley, Morgan Freeman, Derek Fisher, and Sean "Diddy" Combs.

More here.

Black Models Take Over Vogue And Allure Magazine: Chanel Iman Vs. Liya Kebede

More pictures here.

LeBron Likely to Renew Million Dollar Contract with Nike

Back in 2003, just before the NBA draft,LeBron James signed a $100 million, 7-year deal with Nike to be one of their top pitchmen next to Tiger Woods. Over the years, there have been numerous campaigns promoting the Nike brand along with LeBron's collection of signature shoes. The deal expires in the next couple of months, but according to LeBron, not much will be changing.

"I don't plan on going anywhere, maybe I already have an agreement," James told the Cleveland Plains-Dealer. "I take care of my business on and off the court."

There may be a formal announcement coming, but there wasn't much doubt about his relationship with Nike. LeBron has a say on the campaigns he's involved in along with the designs of his shoes.

More here.

Marketing to Affluent African Americans: A New Book on the Black and Wealthy

Marketing companies usually segment their target audience into various categories. The categorizations may be according to race, age, income, education, gender and a host of other factors. One thing that is not always taken into account is that not everyone of the same race has the same preferences. African Americans may all be black, but they too vary in terms of income levels, education and a host of other factors that make us all different.

A new book has been written to try to address that point. "Black is the New Green: Marketing to Affluent African Americans," is a book written by Uptown Media Group CEO Leonard E. Burnett Jr. and marketing consultant Andrea Hoffman. In their book the authors make the point that affluent African Americans are often ignored by advertising companies because companies mix these groups in with other segments of the black community. They argue that Affluent African Americans (also known as AAAs) can be sorted by age, income and cultural tastes. AAAs are often confused with the urban hip hop crowd, where black pop stars and athletes are used for marketing. Burnett and Hoffman explain that the AAA segment is strong and growing, with buying power estimated at $87 billion dollars per year.

More here.

The magnificent seven (UK)

EARLIER this month, the Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP) announced their first Women To Watch List. The list was made up of 50 female leaders, directors, producers and curators from across the UK, who are already making a huge contribution to the rich cultural life of the UK, and have the potential to rise to the very top.

The 50 women were selected by a high profile judging panel, chaired by Jenni Murray OBE, and the list celebrates the rich diversity of women in the sector, highlighting talent from a variety of backgrounds.

The UK Voice Newspaper spoke to the seven black women who were tipped for the top.

More here.

Axed show costs Prince $3M

Prince's decision to cancel a 2008 concert in Ireland just days before the event will cost him a massive $3 million, it has been revealed.

The musician was hit with a lawsuit from bosses at Irish promotions company MCD after he reportedly pulled out of a show at Dublin's Croke Park in June 2008 just 10 days beforehand.

The star's legal team agreed to settle the case out of court at a hearing in Dublin, Ireland last month, with details of the agreement kept private.

Source.

Raymone Bain: Former Michael Jackson Rep Launches Internet Radio Show

Michael Jackson's long-time spokesperson Raymone Bain has jump-started her own radio show.

Last year, Bain sued the King of Pop for $44 million in unpaid business earnings, mostly from Jackson's London concert tour deal, which Bain was cut out of.

'The Raymone Bain Show,' which kicked off March 24, follows the Washington, D.C. based P.R. exec's slant on politics and issues of the day as well as conversations with celebrities and interviews with newsmakers and entertainment figures. The show will air exclusively on the Web at www.BDIGIX.com.

More here.

Ditch Your Bad Financial Habits: Straight talk and business tips from personal finance guru Ramit Sethi.

Ramit Sethi

Before you can flesh out your big idea intelligently, you must fully understand, deconstruct and modify your financial life so you can make smart fiscal decisions. Proper evaluation of your financial history can be eye-opening and help you to locate funds you didn't know were available.

To help avoid personal finance hell young and aspiring entrepreneurs need to ditch their poor financial habits and overcome their business & financial fears. Read an interview Scott Gerber (entrepreneur.com) carried out with Ramit Sethi, here, for advice on how to do this.

Welcome to the World of NDAMBI!

Harlem's New Political Elite?

Among the new political elite: Rodney Capel, left, and Basil Smikle, both 38. They were drawn to the storied tradition of Harlem politics but have developed their own alliances with political activists.(Jennifer S. Altman / For The Times / March 10, 2010)

With old-guard figures such as Gov. David Paterson and Rep. Charles B. Rangel under fire, the time seems right for the next generation to step in. But they aren't as interested in running for office.

Read more here.

Betting on Zimbabwe

With global risk aversion decreasing there has been renewed interest in frontier markets.

They don’t come much more frontier than Zimbabwe, which is where Investec Asset Management is looking to make one of its newest investments – buying into a supermarket chain – and then for other potential opportunities.

Despite the continued political troubles since President Robert Mugabe and old rival Morgan Tsvangirai put together a power sharing government just over a year ago, Zimbabwe’s economy grew last year for the first time after a decade of debilitating decline. Growth was estimated at nearly 5 percent.

Returns on the stock market have been even better, although trading remains thin.

More here.

HHWired Exclusive: Cash Money CEO "Slim" Breaks Down His Secret To Success

PICTURES: Pharrell Showcases Furniture Piece, and Limited Lotion

Further details here.

Antoine Walker Talks About Squandering Over $100 Million [Video]

Meet The Mastermind Behind the Air Jordan Empire!

Anybody in their late 20s and early 30s more than likely remembers the catchphrase and commercials with an Air Jordan sneaker-clad Spike Lee touting in disbelief, “It’s the shoes. It’s got to be the shoes!” Meet the guerilla marketing genius behind the ever-prevalent Jordan brand, Erin O. Patton. From behind the scenes, Patton was a trailblazer in the fusion of urban niche marketing and pop culture and paved the way for Shaq to “have your back” on behalf of Comcast today.

In his new book, “Under the Influence: Tracing the Hip-Hop Generation’s Impact on Brands, Sports & Pop Culture”, Patton uses his experience as the Jordan brand marketing director for Nike and as CEO of his brand marketing and managent firm, The Mastermind Group, to discuss how consumer demands, particularly within the urban segment, have shaped the core of pop-culture today. And that’s certainly not a one way street. Here, Patton talks to TAP about his rise through the advertising and marketing ranks, why Air Jordans will continue to sell and how barbers represent important conduits for urban marketing. Examine the engine behind the working machine, as it were, called “ Air Jordan.”

More here.

Diggy, son of Run-DMC rapper Rev. Run, inks deal with Atlantic Records - without dad's help!

He's the teen son of a rap pioneer, but Diggy Simmons wants the world to know he's gonna blow up big on his own.

Diggy, son of Run-DMC legend Rev. Run, is working hard to follow in his dad's famous Adidas.

He inked with Atlantic Records Monday, a day after turning 15.

And while there's no doubt he's proud of his father, he knows it's important that he prove himself.

"It feels great. It's almost surreal," he told the Daily News Tuesday of his deal with Atlantic.

"I worked for it all. My dad didn't shop me around at a label or anything."

Diggy, born Daniel Simmons, credits using the Internet - specifically, his blog and his Twitter account - for helping to generate buzz over his music.

More here.

Janet Jackson & Tyler Perry on the Today Show [Video]

Conversations With Michael Jordan [Videos]

Two great interviews with new Bobcats owner - Michael Jordan!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Botswana Cuts Into the Diamond Business

Black entrepreneurs in Richmond face new challenges (USA)

Lester Johnson Jr. (left) and Jonathan Mayo (right) represent a new generation of entrepreneurs in Jackson Ward. The pair, along with Johnson’s mother, Velma (front), opened Mama J’s restaurant last year.

On April 3, 1889, -- 24 years to the day after Richmond fell to Union troops -- the first chartered black bank in the nation opened in the Jackson Ward residence of former slave William Washington Browne.

The following year, Browne's organization, Grand Fountain of the United Order of True Reformers, moved the bank out of his home into a new three-story edifice on Second Street.

"Four millions cut loose from bondage and sent upon the world absolute paupers, without one cent of money, now the owners of a great building and directors of a bank," a Browne biographer wrote. "What a marvelous change! One of the mottoes well said, '1865, Slaves; 1890, Bankers.'"

Jackson Ward, referred to locally as "The Cradle of Black Capitalism," would give birth to six black-owned banks during its zenith.

Today, Richmond has none.

Black enterprise -- a proud symbol of self-sufficiency after emancipation -- has struggled in Richmond and beyond since its segregation-era heyday.

The reasons offered include lingering racism, barriers to raising capital, lack of business experience, high unemployment, limited networking and desegregation: Black consumers now have the option to shop places previously off-limits.

"There was a circulation of the dollar within the African-American community before it left," says developer Kelvin Hanson, who is working to revitalize Jackson Ward and other neighborhoods.

More here.

Rumour: Jay-Z to Invest in UK Soccer Club, Arsenal!

Jay-Z in mock Arsenal Shirt (left), and former Arsenal 'Hitman' Thierry Henry (right).

Jay-Z has revealed he may be interested in investing some of his estimated $500million (£333m) fortune in Arsenal. The American rapper, married to fellow superstar Beyonce, insisted he fell Crazy in Love with the Gunners during ex-Emirates favourite Thierry Henry's spell in North London, and has remained a fan ever since.

Read more here.

EVENT PICTURES: WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO? - NYC PREMIERE

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Color Me Bold: Jewelry designer paints a daring sense of style

India Arie is a Fan!

Sabrina Thompson has a long history of putting contrasting things together and somehow making them work. The 32-year-old first began freestyle painting on nails and T-shirt designs when she was 11, inspired by her track idol, Florence Griffith Joyner. “A lot of my pieces are sort of contradicting when it comes to color. I’ll put blue with purple and green and yellow—something that people won’t really expect, but they end up liking it.”

Since 2005, Thompson has been bringing her colorful ideas to life through her line of handcrafted and hand-painted jewelry, named beanpYe (www.beanpye.com). The designs are inspired by music, her travels, and her love of ethnic fabrics. Earrings, bracelets, and necklaces range from $20 to $120. Thompson also does custom work, which costs more, and her clients include Alicia Keys and India Arie.

More here.

Forest Whitaker: The Actor’s Actor

As certain actors grow in stature and critical acclaim, they are typically not inclined to lend their larger-than life personas to less visible projects or smaller entertainment outlets for fear that a small screen appearance might curse their success or signal the dalliance as the beginning of a fall from grace, or worse still, a precursor of something more permanent. Something even more dramatic happens when they join the ultra-exclusive club of Academy Award winners — they self-impose rigorous role restrictions and limit themselves only to projects that will net them another of those coveted gold statues. But there is an exception to every rule, and Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker is that exception. He doesn’t succumb to the pressure to do what’s popular and his frequent forays into television and independent films have only endeared him to his legion of fans.

Whitaker, who is currently working on a spin-off of the television crime drama “Criminal Minds,” proves that great actors are just that — great, regardless of how widely distributed the project may or may not be.

More.

ELAN PERSONALITY: Hakeem Kae-Kazim

By Lola Okusami

March 13, 2010 06:11PM

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/ArtsandCulture/Elan/index.csp

Hakeem Kae-Kazim bristles playfully when I express my surprise at his desire to eventually settle down in Nigeria.

“He likes us,” I joke to the camerawoman who is setting up.

“What do you mean ‘he likes us’?” Hakeem asks. “I am one of ‘us’!”

This is no lip service. This Nigerian-born, United Kingdom-trained actor has certainly represented ‘us’ on the big screen big time. The actor’s breakout role was his portrayal of villain, George Rutaganda, in 2004’s Oscar-nominated Hotel Rwanda. Hakeem has since played, among others, characters with names like Awolowa Odusami in the movie The Fourth Kind (directed by Nigerian-American filmmaker, Olatunde Osunsanmi) and Emeka, in television series, Lost. In 2008, he had a recurring role as Colonel Ike Dubaku in TV hit series 24. In the past year, he has made a couple of trips back to Nigeria, first, to film Inale, a story set in Idomaland, and now he’s back to make another movie.

More here.