Black Genius

Faith Crittenden is a Medical Student at UConn, a Yale MPH and the host of the ‘Coloring Health Policy’ podcast, through which she addresses how health policy impacts minority communities. A Gates Millennium Scholar, Faith has co-authored several health polices within the American Medical Association-Medical Student Section, including Racism is a Public Health Issue, Combating Natural Hair Discrimination in Medicine and Medical Professionalism, and Addressing Minority Maternal Morbidity and Mortality.

Dr. Jennifer C. Pierre is a licensed Naturopathic physician, public health professional and Chief Medical Officer at Revive Wellness Center in New Haven, CT. Dr. Pierre is an alumna of Cornell University, University at Albany, and Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences.

Prior to becoming a physician, she received certifications in prenatal and Kundalini yoga, which she emphatically integrates into her patient care protocols. Her love of patient care has expanded into global health initiatives, participating in medical missions in Haiti, Mexico and Kenya.

When she is not seeing patients, Dr. Pierre enjoys prayer and meditation, traveling, fashion, reading, and cooking. She is also the host of Seeking Wellness, a leading health talk radio show on WPKN 89.5FM in Bridgeport, CT.

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Black Geniuses are changing the world, from policy to culture to tech to art. Are you a Black Genius? Send us your story/profile at [email protected]

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Kevin Beckford is Co-Founder of the Hustler's Guild, where he's dismantling white supremacy by providing youth from the most disadvantaged areas of Washington, D.C. with coding and workforce enrichment opportunities at companies like Facebook, Google, Sony Music, and Roc Nation. In response to the Covid lockdown, the Hustler's Guild pivoted to Zoom events and has hosted moguls like Anthony Anderson, Snoop Dogg and Rickey Smiley on virtual events with Black youth to provide them with inspiration and leadership skills. He founded the Hustlers Guild with Yasmin Salina Rana and Jason Spear, two colleagues with whom he developed a close bond while working for the Obama administration at the White House.

From 2014-2016, Kevin was the Domestic Policy Portfolio Lead in the White House Presidential Correspondence Office and as a Special Advisor to Secretary Julian Castro. While there, Kevin successfully advocated for more inclusive and responsive communication practices concerning race relations and police brutality.

Kevin received his B.A. in African American Studies and Political Science from Yale, his MPhil in African Studies from the University of Cambridge, and his MSc. in Education from UPenn. Kevin has contributed to the Washington Post, the New York Amsterdam News, The Washington Informer, and others. Kevin also enjoys bodybuilding, fitness, and mentoring young people.

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Black Geniuses are those who are delivering the Cross Continental Black Nation through genius innovation, whether they are doing so from the Continent or in the Diaspora. Are you a Black Genius? Send us your story at [email protected]

Join the noirpress movement on IG, Twitter and Facebook. For our newsletter curating the best in Black news and films, join our mailing list.

Alex Tsado is the founder of Alliance for Africa's Intelligence (Alliance4AI), through which he is mobilizing African youth to collectively tap into the vast possibilities of Artificial Intelligence to solve once-endemic challenges in food security, healthcare, governance and much more. He founded Alliance4AI to ensure that African innovations reach billions across the globe, and that the Continent is never again left behind during industrial revolutions. Alex is also the Product Lead on NVIDIA's fastest-growing business channel, Cloud AI Computing.

In this episode, we discuss his journey from Benin to Columbia University, his life-changing encounter with NYPD while at Goldman Sachs, and the solutions the AI community is deploying across Africa to save millions of lives.

Our true first episode, Alex is responsible for the name of our podcast, inspiring Lolade to rename the show from Black Glory to Black Genius. Stay connected to Alex on Twitter at @xelatsads and learn more about Alliance4AI at their website.

Exemplars of Black Glory, the Black Genius community are those who are delivering the Cross Continental Black Nation, whether they are doing so from the Continent or in the Diaspora. Are you a Black Genius? Send us your story/profile at [email protected]

Join the noirpress movement on IG, Twitter and Facebook. For our newsletter curating the best in Black news and films, join our mailing list.

In today’s episode, we speak to Wunmi Olaiya, one of the most talented fashion designers of our generation. Wunmi’s line, Wow Wow is handmade in Nigeria, employing local talent, from the hand-dying to the tailoring, producing timeless, culturally rich, luxury clothing sure to be passed down from generation to generation. Wunmi demonstrates that with a carefully designed fashion education infrastructure, Nigeria can secure its place as a leading destination for global fashion production.

“I feel like it would be irresponsible to hold on to my story.”

It's the first episode of Black Genius! In this one, I share my vision for NOIR Labs, why I believe art and technology together can accelerate Black Liberation, and the journey that brought me to founding this social enterprise. Learn more about the community behind NOIR Labs, the geniuses I'll be bringing onto the show and how you can join our movement! 

To join the Black Genius community, follow @noirpress_ on facebook, instagram and twitter. Drop your thoughts on our posts about each episode, and connect with other geniuses like yourself. If you have questions or just want to get in touch, you can always email [email protected]