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Artisan AI Raises $25M to Rethink HR with “Digital Colleagues”
Black-led startup Artisan AI just closed a $25 million Series A to bring its provocative vision to HR, sales, and operations and spark a national conversation about AI’s role in the workplace. Founded in 2023 by CEO Jaspar Carmichael Jack with co-founder Sam Stallings, Artisan offers “AI agents” dubbed Artisans. These smart bots automate repetitive […]
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The People Are Out There. Now, So Is the Platform
We talk a lot about buying Black. But what about hiring Black? What about building structures inside our businesses that give room for Black talent to grow, contribute, lead, and thrive? You’ve got a vision. You’ve got the grind. Now, it’s time to get the right people on board. Every Black business needs more than […]
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Hiring for Heart
When people ask me how hiring in the not-for-profit (NFP) sector compares to the corporate world, I tell them it’s like comparing apples and heart-shaped oranges. In business, profit drives the mission; in nonprofits, the mission drives everything. That single difference changes how we recruit, retain, and inspire our teams. While corporate hiring often hinges […]
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Onboarding as Risk Prevention
Throughout my career, I have worked in regulated environments. First as a lawyer and then in the capital markets. Both spaces share a central gatekeeping idea: the “fit and proper” person. To be admitted to the bar or registered as a securities dealer, fund manager or investment adviser, regulators must be satisfied you have the […]
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Tech-Ready Teams
Digital transformation often focuses on the tools. But the true differentiator lies in how organizations support their people through the process. As organizations rush to adopt powerful platforms like Salesforce, Oracle, and SAP, one thing becomes clear: even the most advanced tools will underdeliver if teams aren’t equipped to evolve with them. The real challenge […]
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Portrait of a High-Performing Team
A high-performing team is empowered, inspired, and aligned with a shared vision. Members have role clarity, understand expectations, and work toward goals that support the organization’s mission. They trust one another, give and receive feedback, and leverage each other’s strengths. Such teams function like a well-rowed boat with everyone moving in the same direction, or […]
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Cultural Intelligence in Recruitment
The current talent recruitment strategy is outdated. Outdated systems need rewrites, not upgrades. In my work as a cultural strategist across Africa and North America, I’ve watched recruitment processes mirror dominant cultural norms more than the communities organizations claim to serve. That dissonance creates a quiet but significant exclusion. Too often, we say we want […]
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From Vision to Pipeline
Itoju Mentoring was born from the shared experience of navigating life as young African international students in Canada. We remember the isolation, the weight of expectations, and the invisible rules that no one explained. For many of us, even having family nearby didn’t shield us from the gaps; gaps in support, connection, and culturally grounded […]
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