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Innovation

Black Girl Sunscreen Partners with University of Southern California Athletics to Make Sure Athletes Embrace Proper Sun Care

In February, Black Girl Sunscreen (BGS) announced a partnership with USC Athletics, which was fully revealed during Women’s History Month in March. The sponsorship will benefit both the corporation and the USC program in a variety of ways. This is a significant step forward not only for black-owned businesses receiving partnerships with the NCAA and a respected university like USC, but also for women-owned businesses. Black Girl Sunscreen is an animal cruelty-free, vegan, reef-safe, and natural sun protection product aimed at creating a product that individuals with darker complexion will want to use.

The partnership between Black Girl Sunscreen and USC Athletics, which concentrates on the women’s track and field team, appears to be a match made in heaven for both the company and the program. “Partnering with such an established and loved institution like USC, Black Girl Sunscreen is trailblazing a path for other Black-owned and female-led brands to partner with schools, foundations, and companies to make a difference in the lives of young women and further the conversation around sun safety for people of color,” stated Shontay Lundy, Owner of BGS. The company will contribute significantly to USC Athletics and their athletes, serve as a role model for other businesses, and educate people about the importance of skin protection for those with darker skin.

For starters, as part of the sponsorship, Black Girl Sunscreen and USC Athletics will grant scholarships to the program. One of the most important aspects of this cooperation will be to assist people who are scholarship-worthy inside USC Athletics. Although Black Girl Sunscreen is now a profitable company, one of its key goals is to give back to the community. These scholarships are a fantastic way to reward dedicated athletes.

Black Girl Sunscreen is on a mission to educate as many people as possible about the significance of taking care of their skin and protecting it from the sun, in addition to giving back to the community through scholarships. There wasn’t a fantastic product on the market for folks with darker complexion before Black Girl Sunscreen.

Lundy spoke further on this, stating,  “Our goal in partnering with USC is to educate athletes of all skin tones about preventing and avoiding sun damage as they are still susceptible to skin cancer, hyperpigmentation, sunspots, and premature wrinkles. Education about wellness and skincare for people of color has lagged for decades.”

The product intends to provide people with a clear, non-whitening sunscreen that is geared to those with darker complexion, as opposed to the thousands of other sunscreen brands available that are designed for those with light skin.

If all of that is not enough, Black Girl Sunscreen will be a role model for other black and women-owned businesses showing that it is possible for them to get a sponsorship from a big-time college athletics program such as USC. Furthermore, this cooperation paves the way for additional black and women-owned businesses to form similar alliances and deals.

Black Girl Sunscreen has accomplished a ton already. This sponsorship of USC Athletics is just another outstanding achievement that should encourage others to begin or expand their businesses. In the future, expect a lot more from Black Girl Sunscreen as they continue to pave the way for black and women-owned businesses.

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Innovation

The Ashley Marie Collection – Natural Hair Care for Gen Z by Gen Z

As a new generation of beauty consumers emerges, the beauty industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Gen Z consumers, in particular, are highly conscious about the ingredients in their beauty products. With a population that accounts for almost 30% of the world, Gen Z (born roughly between 1996 and 2012) are a major focus for several brands.

The desire to be  environmentally and socially aware, has led to a change  in this generation’s values and spearheaded the movement, urging companies to take action on the climate crisis. This is not merely rhetoric. Based on a survey conducted by Capgemini, in 2021, approximately 69 percent of surveyed participants belonging to Generation Z stated that they were willing to spend more on health and beauty products that contain natural and clean ingredients.This trend has led to the rise of natural beauty products, and the Ashley Marie Collection is at the forefront of this movement.

Created by 17-year-old entrepreneur Ashley Marie Gibson, the Ashley Marie Collection features a range of natural hair care products that cater specifically to the evolving needs of Gen Z consumers. Don’t be fooled by her young age – Ashley is a total boss. As a Gen-Z entrepreneur, Ashley is passionate about creating products that use natural ingredients and prioritize health and well-being. The Ashley Marie Collection reflects Gen Z’s preference for natural and eco-friendly products with its commitment to using only the cleanest, ethically sourced ingredients. All products are cruelty-free, color-safe, paraben-free, sulfate-free, and formulated with natural ingredients.


If being clean wasn’t enough, this brand checks off another box – being diverse and inclusive!  The Ashley Marie Collection is an entire hair care line specifically for 4C hair, a hair type that is often overlooked in the beauty industry. The line features a range of uniquely formulated products, including a Clarifying Shampoo, Moisturizing Shampoo, Hydrating Conditioner, Protein Conditioner, Leave-in Conditioner, Coil Cream, and Curly Coil Styling Gel. All of which work wonders for kinky, thick coils and will leave strands feeling and looking even better!

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Innovation

It’s your last day to apply to speak at TC Disrupt

Today’s your last chance to apply to speak at TechCrunch 2023
Why should you drop everything to get that application in by 11:59 p.m. PDT today? Not only will you help inform and educate the next generation of startups — and potential unicorns — but you’ll also establish or enhance your reputation as a valued thought leader and partner. Around here we call that a win-win situation.

How to apply to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
When you apply, you’ll choose one of the two formats below and submit a title and description of your topic:

Breakout Session: Up to two people (including moderator) lead a 30-minute presentation followed by a 20-minute Q&A from an audience of up to 100 attendees. You’ll be able to display a presentation and have limited AV capabilities. You’ll present one breakout during Disrupt.
Roundtable Discussion: One person leads a 30-minute interactive conversation for an audience of up to 25 attendees. There is no presentation or AV — it’s all about organic conversation. You may potentially repeat this roundtable twice during Disrupt.
TechCrunch vets every application and then selects the finalists who will participate in the Audience Choice voting round. We’ll post the topics, descriptions and speakers online, and then TechCrunch readers will vote for the sessions they would like to see at the event. The top vote-getters will present live at Disrupt.

These are the important dates you need to know:

Application deadline: Today, April 21, by 11:59 p.m. PDT
Finalists notified: April 27
Audience Choice voting: May 1–12
Winners notified: May 15
Once more — a little louder this time: It’s your last opportunity to submit your application to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt on September 19–21! The application window slams shut today, April 21, at 11:59 p.m. PDT. One more reminder: Save up to $825 with an early-bird ticket. Buy your Disrupt pass, and join us in San Francisco!

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Innovation

TechCrunch+ roundup: Deep tech tips for SaaS VCs, toxic fundraising, student visa startup options

If someone said “startup” while we were playing a word association game, I’d respond with “fundraising.” (I bet you would, too.)

Asking people for money is a key aspect of every founder’s journey, but Techstars Managing Director Collin Wallace says it can also “accelerate your demise.”

For example, raising a round to rev up engineering, sales and marketing sounds positive — but what if the business itself has negative unit economics?.

“Most of the time, what stands between a company and its ability to achieve scale is not a lack of money,” writes Wallace in TC+.

“It’s better to ask: Do we have hustle problems? Product problems? Process problems? People problems? Is my business model fundamentally flawed?”

In this article, he examines four scenarios that often lead entrepreneurs to seek out new cash and explains why getting “a clear picture of what is fueling losses” is much more important.

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