S.E.E.K. Foundation, Inc. has announced the launch of the groundbreaking SMART Tech Health Hub project in Opa-Locka, Florida, which aims to provide residents, children, and families with access to high-quality STEM education.

About the SMART Tech Health Hub

With $4,000,000 in funding from the state of Florida, this innovative initiative is the first of its kind in the city, aiming to provide residents, children, and families with access to high-quality STEM education, re-entry pathways to the STEM workforce, broadband width, and basic essential health services.

S.E.E.K. Foundation, Inc founder Anike Sakariyawo

“The partnership with the Miami Foundation’s Digital Equity Collective program has been pivotal in advancing this initiative,” says Founder of SEEK Foundation, Inc., Anike Sakariyawo.  “We are looking to provide Opa-Locka community members of all ages access to educational resources and pathways to STEM careers to children and adults, and a space to innovate and follow individual curiosity.”

Beacon of opportunity and advancement

The Smart Tech Health Hub is looking to fill a void that has long been felt in the community as the City of Opa-Locka has no high school or technical facility.

Anticipated to be fully operational by December 2026, the SMART Tech Health Hub will serve as a beacon of opportunity and advancement for the local community, empowering individuals with the tools and resources needed to thrive in today’s technology-driven world.

The SMART Tech Health Hub will be a multifaceted building, serving a purpose for each level.

The first and second floors are designed for children and staff members of S.E.E.K foundation to conduct everyday operations for educational programs in STEM. This will include a pipeline program to create academic access to a specific industry (e.g. USDA – food, agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI) learning deployment and integration, cybersecurity, coding program, robotics, UI/UX Design, etc.).

The third floor will allow children and families to have access to basic health needs, such as annual shots/vaccinations, back to school boosters, telehealth, as additional sites for the community.

1st Annual Youth STEM Summit

This Summer,  S.E.E.K. Foundation, Inc. hosted their 1st Annual Youth STEM Summit, which inspired 500 young students about the opportunities and importance of STEM education. Through hands-on activities, interactive workshops, and informative presentations, they ignited curiosity and nurtured students’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

For more information, please visit: https://seekedu.org

Higher Collective, the cannabis retail brand committed to fostering a new business model that champions social equity, opened its third location in Connecticut on Thursday, November 2, 2023.

Higher Collective New London

The new store, located at 595 Bank Street, New London, CT 06320, promises to bring a fresh and inclusive cannabis experience to the heart of the Whaling City.

A Revolutionary Retail Concept

Higher Collective New London states that they are not just another retail shop; but a beacon of community, diversity, and innovation within the cannabis industry.

With a strong commitment to social equity, Higher Collective aims to redefine the cannabis retail experience by offering a wide range of high-quality products and services, bringing a new level of inclusivity to the local cannabis community.

“We’re thrilled to continue our journey of transforming the cannabis industry with the opening of Higher Collective New London,” said Patrik Jonsson, Founder of Higher Collective. “From our partnership with Angie Lewis, Dispensary Owner in Killingly, to collaborating with Yanira Wolfgang-Pinto, Dispensary Owner in Willington, and now Tori Garrett, the owner of Higher Collective New London, we’ve had the privilege of kicking off the Higher Collective brand with a remarkable group of women. Each of them brings a unique and compelling perspective on the power of cannabis and is uniquely committed to enriching the communities they serve.”

Offerings

The Higher Collective Group is proud to offer a variety of cannabis products, including flowers, edibles, pre-rolls, and vape cartridges, all with varying levels of THC and onset times, ensuring that every customer can find the right product for their individual preferences.

Higher Collective New London will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

For more information, visit their website.

BeautyNBrushes has announced the launch of the world’s largest Black beauty booking directory.

The site offers women of color access to a comprehensive listing of over 2000 professional stylists in 20 cities.

BeautyNBrushes Fills A Market Need

BeautyNBrushes creators say the site fills a market need to consolidate experts in the beauty and styling space who specialize in Black and brown communities.

“We have created a platform that puts our ethnic beauty first in an industry that has historically deemed our beauty needs to be an afterthought,” said Ruth Kusi Asare, CEO and Co-Founder of BeautyNBrushes.

“With my cofounder, Kwaku Watson, I have spent the last two years building a presence in the beauty industry, holding events in Toronto and LA, and curating connections among Black beauty professionals, beauty influencers, beauty businesses and clients.”

Asare and Watson’s work in building an online presence proves the success of the concept: They amassed 167,000 followers on their Instagram page before launching the directory.

The directory showcases pictures and videos of a stylist’s work—far outpacing the typical directories that simply list existing salons.

A solution to a distinct problem

The website offers a unique solution to a distinct problem.

“At this point, it should be no secret that people of color compared to other ethnicities have a more unique set of needs when it comes to beauty, yet other platforms continue to disregard them.”

The creators of BeautyNBrushes says the platform ensures that clients of color are being paired with the right beauty experts, enabling women of color to identify beauty professionals who can best meet their needs.

BeautyNBrushes users can:

• • • search for stylists in their city based on pictures and videos of the professionals work before booking an appointment.
    • save the looks and beauty inspirations they love to their profiles on the site and share them with their friends and allow other members to comment and like.
    • In addition to, having the ability to search for specific categories and find a look they love based on service, location, price and style.

The website offers services from hairstylists, makeup artists, nail technicians, lash professionals and brow experts.

Asare explained, “For our clients, we offer experts in beauty who specialize in black and brown aesthetics. In addition, the platform serves and supports the beauty professionals, connecting them with clients and assisting with the management of the appointments they receive..”

Website

BeautyNBrushes also mentors professionals, helping them find their target markets, providing online tools that help them effectively schedule and manage their businesses.

Visit the website.