Black Girl Who Hit Six Figures By the 6th Grade Shares Her Story With Millions on QVC, HSN, and Zulily

Confidence by GaBBY Goodwin has been selected for Qurate Retail Group’s Small Business Spotlight, a collaboration with the NRF Foundation to help small businesses navigate today’s challenging retail environment. This phase of the program is highlighting 20 Black-owned businesses as part of Qurate Retail Group’s commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion within its company and in society at large.

Qurate Retail Group, a multi-platform retailer that includes QVC, HSN, Zulily, and several other brands, is using its production resources, television broadcasts, and digital platforms to help GaBBY share her story with millions of consumers nationwide. GaBBY’s story began appearing on QVC’s and HSN’s websites and social pages in August and the company was highlighted on air in early October on QVC and on HSN. Click here to watch a replay.

Zulily is promoting the campaign on its website, email, and social, and Confidence by GaBBY Goodwin can also tap Qurate Retail Group team members for advice on solving a business issue through a virtual mentoring initiative.

“I am super excited to showcase my business and inspire girls around the world to follow their dreams and walk in confidence,” GaBBY Goodwin shared.

At the age of seven, GaBBY and her mom Rozalynn solved the age-old problem of disappearing hair barrettes by inventing GaBBY Bows, and non-slip Double-Face Double-Snap Barrette. GaBBY Bows, along with their line of girls’ hair styling products help remove stress from the styling process so moms, dads and girls can cherish this precious time together. The company’s online hair care tutorials and hair tool organizer also save time and frustration, while GaBBY’s children’s book, virtual entrepreneurship academy for girls and keynote presentations inspire confidence and creativity.

Qurate Retail Group has a long tradition of helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow their brands through the incredible power of storytelling and shopping discovery. QVC, HSN, and Zulily provide compelling platforms, with unmatched reach, that enable small businesses to speak directly to millions of consumers in their homes.

Earlier this spring, Qurate Retail Group and the NRF Foundation launched the Small Business Spotlight with 20 small businesses across America that have been impacted by COVID-19. The current focus on Black-owned businesses is part of several initiatives announced by Qurate Retail Group to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We’re proud to stand with the Black community by sharing the stories of these extraordinary businesses, including their innovation, their triumphs, the challenges they face, and their remarkable resilience,” said Mike George, President and CEO, Qurate Retail, Inc. “In these important times, we want to be part of the solution and help build inclusive communities where all people are treated with equity.”

This phase of the Small Business Spotlight runs from August 12th through October 16th.

“Retailers serve every community across the country and support one out of every four jobs. Diversity and inclusion have always been at the heart of our industry, but we know there is so much more work to be done,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the National Retail Federation. “By amplifying Black voices and businesses through programs like the Small Business Spotlight, we are taking an important step to ensure our industry remains a catalyst for promoting equity and opportunity in America today.”

For additional information on Confidence by GaBBY Goodwin, visit GabbyBows.com

This article was originally published by BlackBusiness.com.

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College president steps down after 700 students test positive for virus

At State University of New York at Oneonta, President Barbara Jean Morris has stepped down after hundreds of students test positive for COVID-19.

The president of State University of New York at Oneonta, has stepped down from the role after a coronavirus outbreak on campus.

Read More: US colleges struggle to salvage semester amid outbreaks

According to The New York Times, the COVID-19 outbreak at SUNY Oneonta was the worst at any public university in the entire state. University president Barbara Jean Morris resigned after over 700 students contracted the coronavirus, causing in-person classes to be shut down. A special virus control crew was sent to the campus to try to contain the virus and avoid spreading the illness to the rest of the upstate New York area, the report detailed.

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At SUNY Oneonta the outbreak began with two cases in late August which quickly spread among students. The university initially zeroed in on contact tracing, attributing the cases to parties near campus, which resulted in five suspensions, the Times reported. Students said group gatherings off-campus were also common. After the first cases were revealed on Aug. 25, and the number rose to 105 students on campus with coronavirus by Aug. 30.

On social media, students chronicled their exodus from contaminated dorm rooms into separate quarantine locations by officials wearing hazmat suits. The outlet revealed students were also seen on social media partying in the designated quarantine dormitories.

The outbreak at the university resulted in a state review and a revamp of coronavirus guidelines across the SUNY system. According to the NYT, Morris’ resignation was not directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. Dennis Craig was named as a temporary replacement as the process to find a new president continues. He recently served as interim president at SUNY Purchase, where a comprehensive coronavirus re-opening plan held the campus of 4000 students to only seven positive cases.

“SUNY Purchase has one of the best plans out of the SUNY system,” the system chancellor, Jim Malatras, said at the news conference. “They brought back about 25 percent of their students and they have had regular testing and a very low positivity rate. President Craig led the way on that.”

The Oneonta community welcomed the change in leadership, according to the report.

Read More: Historically Black colleges work to help students amid virus

“I think that we all recognize that this was a time where change was needed. It’s a time for a new start,” Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig told The Times. “There had been some loss of trust here amongst both the college community and the city community. Trust is everything. Sometimes you need to make changes in order to rebuild trust.”

The post College president steps down after 700 students test positive for virus appeared first on TheGrio.

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This Black Woman Has a Company That Mentors Over 1,000 Prisoners

During these challenging times, Lynda Monroe is inspiring over 2 million people monthly with her story of resilience and life coaching for success. When she was born, her doctor said she would not live past 10 years of age due to her congenital heart defect. She successfully defied the odds when she became a mother at 17-years old. However, as an unwed mother, this caused her to be ostracized by her church family and forced her to mature quickly. These experiences and more motivated her to reach deep inside herself to get her feet on solid ground.

Now, she is the CEO of a multi-media empire that touches millions through her activism to help prisoners integrate successfully back into society. Her business includes her podcast: The Lynda Monroe Show (with over 2 million streams monthly), her web sites, social media, and public speaking.

Over her career to date she has been able to get 50 inmates released from prison, giving them a second chance at life. In addition, she has successfully mentored over 1,000 prisoners. She is an extraordinary multimedia mogul who continues to take the world by storm.

Lynda wants to inspire the world, and has a special place in her heart for the current and formerly incarcerated. She says, “The prisons are filled to the brim with untapped potential that deserves a second chance.” She doesn’t just talk the talk, but she walks the walk and has five strategies to beat the odds:

1. Practice Gratitude: Be grateful for your life, health, and strength. Do not take anything for granted.

2. Make Education and Self Improvement a Priority: No matter how long it takes, expand your mindset. You only have one mind and one life and cultivating it to its fullest potential is key.

3. Nurture Your Creativity: Life will throw you curveballs. When she was born she was thrown the ultimate curveball of endangered health, and with the help of family and God she was able to overcome her death sentence.

4. Have a Spirit of Service: When faced with the realities of how inmates live in prison, Lynda Monroe was filled with compassion. This compassion created the idea for a prison ministry to help inmates reach their fullest potential.

5. Put God First: Without faith, Lynda believes that it is impossible to please God. This is why it is important for everyone to have faith in themselves; faith in the fruits of your labor; and faith that in the end, everything will work out fine.

Lynda is a change agent that helps the forgotten in society obtain second chances through her prison activism, her podcast, and her public speaking.

Learn more about at LyndaMonroe.com

Or subscribe to her podcast at BshaniRadio.com/lynda-monroe

This article was originally published by BlackNews.com.

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