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Lost somewhere behind the battle between the two quarterbacks, there will be another that may do more to define the outcome of Super Bowl LIV: Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Todd Bowles is charged with the task of trying to slow down the Kansas City Chiefs offense coordinated by Eric Bienemy.

It may be the least discussed matchup in the battle for this year’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Both coordinators were highly respected candidates for the seven vacant head coaching jobs when the regular season concluded in January. But neither was hired. Instead, despite a shift in hiring practices in the NFL over the years, nepotism and the “good old boys” network continued to put up barriers to the head coaching role.

In fact, in a league where approximately 70 percent of players are black, the NFL’s 32 teams opened the 2020 season in September with only three black head coaches. By the end of the regular season, there were seven openings — but only two minority coaches were hired. Bowles and Bienemy were left on the outside looking in.

Having Bowles and Bienemy as coordinators on the NFL’s biggest show serves to illuminate the plight of African-American coaches today: Despite their success as the two most important assistant coaches for championship and contending teams, they continue to be overlooked for head coaching vacancies throughout the league.

Bienemy is still waiting for his chance after being labeled a candidate who “doesn’t interview well,” while Bowles hopes a second chance for redemption will allow him to prove he learned from previous experience.

“It’s never going to change until you have an African American as one of the 32 [team] owners,” said Rick “Doc” Walker, who won Super Bowl XVII with the Washington Football Team.

“You can’t fix a problem when the heads of state turn their noses up at them,” he said. “It’s a joke.”

The two coordinators are not short of credentials.

Bienemy’s offense has won three consecutive AFC West Division titles and back-to-back conference championships, and he is now on the precipice of a second-straight Super Bowl victory. Meanwhile, Bowles had to return to the sidelines as a defensive coordinator for Bruce Arians in Tampa to rebuild his credibility following his tenure with the New York Jets, which has become a wasteland for head coaches of any color.

“I would tell [Bienemy] to stay in Kansas City and create something we’ve never seen before since the job he gets will have bad ownership and no talent,” Walker said.

“It’s like going to the movies where the black character is the first to die.”

The stigma of either “not interviewing well” or underachieving against perilous odds continues to be the undoing of coaches like Bienemy and Bowles.

For instance, current Tampa offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich wasn’t even offered an interview during the most recent hiring cycle — though he was preoccupied with helping construct the offense that Tom Brady led to the NFL Championship game.

“If you took someone out of their white privilege environment and brought them into an urban environment how would they interview?” asked Walker. “It’s not about black versus white, its right versus wrong.”

Coaches with experience navigating the dysfunction of unsuccessful franchises, such as Bowles with the Jets, often find it difficult to gain a second opportunity like their white counterparts. Bowles, for instance, finished with a 26–41 record in New York and now can only hope that if he wins the Super Bowl he might be the next addition to the island of recycled coaches.

Previous success also doesn’t seem to matter when trying to make the second-chance list.

Jim Caldwell was the last coach to lead the Detroit Lions to the postseason.

Caldwell, who succeeded Tony Dungy with the Indianapolis Colts and led them back to the Super Bowl XLIII, is 62–50 overall with two losing seasons in seven years. He was fired by the Detroit Lions after finishing with a 9–7 record. He had one losing season in Motown and made two playoff appearances, leaving with a 29–19 mark after four years. His replacement Matt Patricia won just 13 total games in two and a half seasons.

He was fired 11 games into the 2020 season at 4–7.

After producing sub-.500 records, few are recycled through the system of network familiarity, where friends often look out for compatriots who get quick chances to rebuild their brand with immediate coordinator positions, allowing them to fast-track for second or third chances at being head coaches.

According to an Arizona State University study, the number of head coaches of color has fluctuated since the Rooney Rule was implemented in 2003. The Rooney Rule, named after Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney, mandates all teams must interview at least one candidate of color for any head coach or front office position.

“I’d like to see them do away with the Rooney Rule,” said Walker. “It’s embarrassing. You shouldn’t have to force people to routinely make bad decisions to have to make one.”

The ASU report, “Field Studies: A 10-Year Snapshot of NFL Coaching Hires”, analyzed hiring trends and looked for patterns over ten years, from the 2009–10 NFL season through the 2018–19 season.

The findings were damning.

It concluded: “Head coaches of color are hired at older ages, have more significant and relevant playing experience and do not receive equivalent ‘second chances.’ Specifically, when African American head coaches have been fired in the NFL, it has been more difficult for them, as compared to white coaches, to obtain another head coaching position at the same level.”

(Edited by Kristen Butler and Alex Patrick)

The post Struggle For Black Head Coaching Opportunities Continues In NFL appeared first on Zenger News.

As an immigrant from Ethiopia, Washington, D.C., businessman Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa is living the American Dream, having built a personal wealth estimated at $100 million. Now at a time when COVID-19 has struck nearly 38,000 residents of the District and killed more than 900, Kalifa is paying back to the community that helped him build his fortune.

At the urging of a friend with connections to Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office, one of Kalifa’s companies, Capital Medical Supply Inc., donated 30,000 pieces of personal protection equipment to a Howard University virus testing center.

The friend was Armstrong Williams, political commentator and chief executive officer of Howard Stirk Holdings.

“It’s really sad what’s going on, so I really wanted to do something for the community that’s given so much to me,” said Kalifa, 53. “So, Armstrong called me and said, ‘Let’s buy these masks.’ He reached out to the city, which reached out to Howard’s Unity Clinic, and that’s how it happened.”

With a $1 million grant awarded in 2020, Howard University launched a testing site in the impoverished neighborhood of Benning Road Northeast, whose residents are disproportionately affected by pre-existing health conditions that make them susceptible to the novel coronavirus.

The site, which offers free testing four days a week to walk-ins, was impacted by a citywide shortage of personal protective equipment.

“The donation was very helpful at a time when the use of masks was critical to helping to curb the spread of the virus, especially in the minority community,” said Hugh E. Mighty, M.D., dean of the Howard University College of Medicine and vice president for clinical affairs. “We are grateful to Mr. Kalifa and Mr. Williams for their generous donations and support of the community.”

The site is now providing COVID-19 vaccinations, and will extend the program as more vaccine doses become available, Mighty said. Citywide, 83,125 doses have been delivered, with 62,219 administered as of the end of January, according to a monthly COVID-19 situational report released by Bowser’s office.

An additional 10,975 doses are expected to be delivered this week.

Although he incurred a personal cost of about $100,000, Kalifa said it was Williams’ connection to the mayor that made the personal protective equipment donation possible.

“I don’t have her cellphone number; he does,” Kalifa said. “So, he definitely gets credit for that.”

Building his empire

A self-described serial entrepreneur, Kalifa entered the business world in 2006, traveling to more than 20 states opening branches of a home health care company owned by three doctors and based in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles.

“On one trip, I went to Allentown, Pennsylvania, when the property owner offered to sell me the whole building for $30,000,” Kalifa said. “Coming from LA, that was a great price. That was the first property I purchased. But, from that point, in every state that I purchased a property, I leased it back to the three doctors. It was a lot of work starting out on my own, but that was the start of Capital View General Construction Inc.”

CVGC (doing business as Mitchell Heating and Cooling) is now a multimillion-dollar company specializing in commercial construction, road construction, residential construction and renovation projects in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.

CVGC and Mechanical Solutions Inc., a Denver-based heating, ventilation and air conditioning company, make up the bulk of Kalifa’s business portfolio. He also operates Capitol Medical Supply Inc., a durable medical equipment company in the District, and Source Cuisine, which, in 2019, outbid the former owner of Taylor Gourmet in a bankruptcy auction to reopen four locations of the popular D.C. sandwich shop.

Opposites attract

Williams, 59, a black conservative commentator and owner of several television stations through his company, is known for a brand of rhetoric that often runs counter to voices on the American left. He met Kalifa about 10 years ago at the Congressional Black Caucus dinner. He acknowledges that he and Kalifa agree on little besides a mutual interest in building their respective business holdings.

“We have opposing views, but we have a civil discourse,” said Williams. “We agree on business, and we learn from each other. But, if everybody agreed with everybody, somebody’s not necessary.

“My first impression on meeting Steve was that he is very free, he’s truly free. We can agree on legal, moral and ethical things; I respect that. He’s built the $100 million health care and real estate portfolio around the world that he always wanted to. Steve’s a great guy; he’s my brother.”

(Edited by Jameson O’Neal and Alex Patrick)

The post D.C. Businessman, Yimaj “Steve” Kalifa, Helps Howard University Fight The Pandemic appeared first on Zenger News.

The Chinese video app TikTok has exploded in popularity since the pandemic began.

With hours of extra time on their hands, many users have turned to the app for diversion, recording 60-second dances to tracks by their favorite artists. Others have used it as a form of expression, whether to vent or to perform music of their own. New York’s Baby Storme at first found TikTok to be somewhat of an escape from real life. It was a place where she was unknown and so could be herself.

What she didn’t anticipate was using the app to launch a career. The very place where she retreated to be unknown was now making her popular — and allowing her music to take center stage. Her unique look — colorful hair, several face piercings, catchy contact lenses — captures as much attention as her soothing voice and her keyboarding talents. She is the perfect mixture of confidence and complexity.

Her new single, “Jackson,” holds the No. 1 Featured Spot on the app. The single became highly anticipated when Baby Storme released a snippet on TikTok and Lil Nas X, whose “Old Town Road” spent a record 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart after finding an audience on TikTok, left a comment: “Sounds really good.” Those three simple words catapulted “Jackson” to the top of the TikTok Emerging Artists Playlist on Spotify.

In an interview with Zenger News, Baby Storme reveals why she contemplated suicide just a month ago, how music saved her life, and what we can expect from her in the near future.

Percy Crawford interviewed Baby Storme for Zenger News.

Zenger News: What’s up, Storme? How’s it going?

Baby Storme: I’m good. Thank you.

Zenger: I’m very glad to hear that you are good, because in late December you made a post about being suicidal and seemingly checked into a hospital. How did you hit rock bottom? You were in a very dark spot; how did you end up there?

Storme: I was in a very toxic relationship, and basically, I just got to a point where everything was terrible. And when the relationship ended, I felt like I had exhausted all of my energy into it, and I had nothing left. I was living alone. It was just a really bad place. It was a bad time for me.

Zenger: Did you seek help to get you through those times? And are you in a mentally stable place right now?

Storme: I didn’t seek out help. I actually didn’t need help. I don’t have a mental problem. I never had a history of mental issues. It’s a really crazy story of how I ended up being put in there in the first place. It was involuntary. But I did not seek out the help. And I would say, to be honest, what really helped me was focusing on music and focusing on myself. That’s the only thing that moved me past it. You can go to a hospital, you can go to as many hospitals as you want, the only thing that’s going to fix you is you. Me focusing on my music and me focusing on what I was supposed to do, and starting to see that progress, that’s the only thing that helped me, to be honest.

Zenger: And now you have completely dived into your music headfirst. I’m sure that is your happy place, and where your focus needs to be right now.

Storme: Yes, because I don’t dwell on the past at all. If anyone asks me, I have no exes, no past relationships or nothing like that. So, yeah … my music is my comfortable space.

Zenger: You have a unique look that I love. Is it inspired by someone or something, or is that all you?

Storme: No, it’s 100% me. For me, it was just like, I wanted to come up with something that I felt was unique. And I wanted to have a look that I felt like no one else had. My look is all over the place — the crazy hair, the piercings, the eyes, and this and that, so thank you for acknowledging that.

Zenger: Definitely! Is it a conscious thought process behind your appearance, or do you get a look for the day, walk out of the door and that’s just your look for that day?

Storme: It’s both. Literally both. Totally. I like both. Some things I plan, and then some things I am just totally spontaneous and just for fun. Out of nowhere. 

Zenger: What was your TikTok takeoff moment where you realized that this thing could turn into something?

Storme: That was a year ago. This time a year ago. Literally this exact time, because I had hopped on TikTok and I got on it because I wanted to get on a platform where no one knew me. At that time, that was before TikTok was like it is now. That was pre-quarantine. Because now everybody’s on TikTok. Before, people were just talking about it and they knew about it, but it wasn’t as big. I wanted to get on a platform where no one knew me, and that was just what started it. Then I started making videos about music, my personality videos and blogs and stuff, and the numbers started going up. So, when that happened, I was like, “OK, this could actually be a real thing.” So, I just went harder, and I ran with it, and now I’m here now.

Zenger: Over 6.5 million likes, more than 400,000 followers on TikTok. I understand that you had a moment where you felt it could be a thing, but did you even expect this level of success and popularity?

Storme: I wasn’t shocked at all because I think it’s going to be even bigger. I think that I’m just starting off right now. I’m not in shock at all. I’m just really grateful for people that care about me enough to support me. You’ll see that this is just the beginning for me — the very-very beginning— so I’m not shocked at all. I don’t really think about the numbers. I don’t see myself as this big person. I feel like I’m just starting out.

Zenger: Your new single, “Jackson,” hit the No. 1 Featured Spot on TikTok. You made a very interesting video for that song. Give us the concept of “Jackson.”

Storme: The concept behind it is, it is a song about me being a stalker and following around the person who I am interested in. And I just take it to the next level. I just find a way to turn that craziness into a song. Because I feel like everyone has that inner crazy, especially nowadays with social media. I can be like an FBI detective at this point. Just watching. And so many people can relate, so I just wanted to turn that into a song. It’s just something that people can relate to and understand. It’s a catchy song, even though it’s about me being a stalker, which is also catchy. You don’t really realize what you’re saying while you’re singing it.

Zenger: It’s crazy because in the video, the guy doesn’t even know he’s being stalked, and in the social media era, that’s very possible. I thought it was a dope concept.

Storme: And you don’t even know it. That’s the craziest part because that’s actually true. You cannot even know. The whole story is fictional, by the way. I don’t know anyone named Jackson. I never stalked anyone, but just the idea of it I think is so realistic. Especially now with social media, you can really find anyone and follow their lives for as long as you want. You really can. It’s crazy.

Zenger: “Jackson” is so big and popular. Where do you go from “Jackson,” musically?

Storme: I want to make it bigger [laughing]. But other than that, I have a single that I’m dropping on Valentine’s Day. And it is a completely different vibe from “Jackson,” but it is just as strong of a single. It’s a low vibe. It’s very, very calm. It’s a very chill track, but it’s a vibe. But it’s very different than “Jackson.”

Zenger: You are a self-taught pianist. Can we expect more of that from you in the future?

Storme: Yes, 110%. A lot of the tracks that will eventually be heard from me are going to be strictly me on the keyboard. I actually have a song out right now called “Men,” which is my favorite song that I’ve ever put out. It’s just all me. Just on the piano, saying what I have to say. For the future moving forward, you will hear a lot more piano tracks. A lot of piano, a lot of violin, just very, very sad, but also very good.

Zenger: I understand you saying you don’t feel like you’re that big of a person, but the reality is, you are. How did you transition from being a “regular” person to 400,000 followers with an audience?

Storme: I just don’t think about it. I really just don’t. You’re right, there is a transition, but it happened over a course of time. If it was to happen overnight, that’s a little bit different. But for me, it was a gradual growth over the years. Let’s just say, this time last year I was maybe not at 10K followers yet. I maybe had a few thousand then. You go from like 10K, 20K to 30K, and you just kind of grow slowly. It just keeps growing gradually, so it’s like, after a certain point, you don’t really feel the growth, because it just happens so slow. It’s like when you go to the gym and you work out 30 minutes a day, you don’t really feel the progress until you look back at an old picture of yourself, and it’s like, oh my God, I used to look different. You don’t even realize it because you have been doing a little every single day, and it just adds up. So, I don’t feel… I feel totally the same. I don’t feel any different at all.

Zenger: It does have to feel good to know that so many people are invested in what you’re doing and the things you have going on and promoting.

Storme: It’s a great feeling because for me it’s like, I was so nervous for a long time. I wanted to see my music career go somewhere. Obviously, I believed in myself enough to know that it would go somewhere. But still, without that recognition, it’s a little bit hard to be taken seriously by people around you, and to be taken seriously by yourself, if anything. So, for me, starting to see the progress and starting to see people listen to my music… I remember this time last year when I was putting out music; I remember thinking, “Is the music even good?” I knew it was good, but no one was really listening. When I started seeing people listen to it, it was like, “Oh, OK, people actually really listen to it because they want to.” And that’s what made me get to the point where it was like, “OK, the music is good, it’s good.” And just started creating more and more, because without that recognition, it’s hard to really go anywhere. I feel like you just need that. I’m just grateful. Super grateful, but I try not to think about it too much.

Zenger: What you are saying is so true, because I’m sure for you, it seemed as if other people’s music was taking off overnight, although that may not have been the case. I understand feeling like people who came in around the same time as you are quickly moving, and you are in slow motion.

Storme: Oh, yeah! It’s easy to compare yourself to people on the internet, but in reality, you have no idea what they’re going through. It’s so easy to be like … someone like Lil Nas X. He blew up overnight with that song [Old Town Road], but he put out like 14 songs before that. He was sleeping on his sister’s couch; his family disowned him. The whole thing is like, you don’t really know what people are going through before they have their breakthrough. I already know that nothing on the internet is really what it seems. I know enough now about the industry to know that there are so many inside jobs. People working to make something happen for a person. I know it’s not overnight. I 100% know that now.

Zenger: I wish you continued success. Keep doing your thing, and I’m sure we will be talking again in the near future. Is there anything else you would like to add?

Storme: Thank you for taking the time out to talk to me. I appreciate it.

(Edited by Jameson O’Neal and Alex Patrick.)

The post Seeking A Place ‘Where No One Knew Me,’ Baby Storme Became A Star appeared first on Zenger News.

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, Christian Okoye punished defenses while playing running back for the Kansas City Chiefs. Teammate Irv Eatman appropriately labeled him “The Nigerian Nightmare” — a nickname that rang true for opposing defenses. Okoye was a big back who could run around you or through you; he led the NFL in rushing yards in 1989.

He was hard to bring down, and seldom was he tackled by a single defender.

Breaking arm tackles while scurrying into the end zone became his forte. The Nigerian-born Okoye didn’t pick up the sport until he was in college, but he was a quick study. In the course of his career, he was selected to two NFL Pro Bowls and won an AFC Offensive Player of the Year Award. He was inducted into the Ring of Honor at the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.

Even approaching 60, Okoye looks like a man who could get a first down in a pinch, but the once imposing and feared runner has turned gentle giant. Since leaving the field, Okoye has focused his attention on young people. His philanthropy and outreach to troubled youth is well-documented. He is spreading the message about the importance of education and extracurricular activities. Through the Christian Okoye Foundation, he has expanded his services and free summer sports camps to his homeland. Okoye’s passion to uplift makes him one of the most beloved Chiefs in the franchise’s storied history.

Zenger News did what many defenders couldn’t: We tackled the Nigerian Nightmare to get his thoughts on Super Bowl LV, Sunday’s showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Okoye also opens up about his playing days and his foundation.

Percy Crawford interviewed Christian Okoye for Zenger News.

Zenger News: How are you doing?

Christian Okoye: I’m doing well. I have no complaints.

Zenger: I will say this: You still look like you could give some linebackers a hard time.

Okoye: [Laughing] Ah, looks are deceiving, man.

Zenger: [Laughing] I can tell you take your health and physical fitness very serious. That’s always a good thing.

Okoye: I try to. After you leave the game, it’s important to stay in some kind of physical condition. Because after years of having accidents, running into guys, it puts a toll on your body.

Zenger: To see the Kansas City Chiefs organization have so much success recently, as a former Chief, that has to be a great feeling.

Okoye: It is a good feeling, of course. Anytime your team is doing well… especially for me, because I didn’t play for any other team. I played for the Chiefs, so they are like family. Every time they do well, I’m jumping up and down like a brother or sister is doing something good. They are a part of my family.

Zenger: How does it feel to see people still sporting that No. 35 Christian Okoye Chiefs jersey?

Okoye: Well, it takes me that I left enough of a mark that people still remember me. Of course, it makes me feel good. That’s why when I speak to kids these days, I tell them, “Hey, you gotta do something to be remembered. You have to work extremely hard to make your mark.” If you leave your mark, later on in your years, you will be thankful. You will be proud of yourself.

Zenger: What do you think of this Kansas City team, when you watch them from a keen eye? You understand the intricacies of football better than the average eye. What are your thoughts when watching this team?

Okoye: Well, what I see is, the team is well-coached. They have coached them in such a way that they don’t worry about the past. When they make a mistake, they just bounce back. You see in the AFC Championship, the punt returner [Mecole Hardman] fumbled the ball, and Buffalo scored off of that. We came right back and scored and still won the game. The guys are young, but they still listen to [Chiefs head coach] Andy Reid, who is the driver out there — the coach and the father figure.

Zenger: Their ability to have short-term memory for such a young team is incredible. They forget the last play and move on to the next one. Not to mention in this year’s playoffs and last year, they went down on points early and just rally back.

Okoye: That’s right. That’s a great quality to have as a football player. When you’re playing in a team sport, even in a single sport, as long as you’re still in it, never give up. Keep trying and things will turn around.

Zenger: What do you feel are the keys of victory for the Chiefs to win consecutive Super Bowls?

Okoye: Keep doing what they’re doing. [Quarterback Patrick] Mahomes is the engineer right there. Whatever you’re doing, keep doing that — running the ball and throwing it accurately, and not giving the ball up. Because you can’t give [Tampa Bay quarterback] Tom Brady any chance at all.

Zenger: How impressive is it to see Tom Brady not only still play at a very high level, but still have the ability to lead a team to a Super Bowl at 43 years of age?

Okoye: That means that he’s taken care of himself. He’s a different human being. He takes care of himself very, very well. And he takes the game of football very seriously, and he loves the game. So, when you put those three things together, you will be just like him.

Zenger: Mahomes seems to have all the intangibles and the three factors you just named about Brady as well. We see so many players say football just isn’t fun to them anymore. Mahomes seems to have fun while doing his thing on the football field. How important is it to still enjoy the game while learning and getting better?

Okoye: Yes! He’s having a great deal of fun. And that’s very, very important, because if you’re having fun, you have the hunger to improve at any stage of your game. Patrick Mahomes is having a lot of fun. People always ask me, “What do you think when you’re watching Patrick Mahomes?” And I say, “Well, when I watch him, it reminds me of playing in your backyard with your friends — just having a great deal of fun.” It’s not work, it’s a game.

Zenger: [Chiefs running back] Clyde Edwards-Helaire — Louisiana guy, my neck of the woods. He’s had a dynamic rookie year at the running back position. You even joked about people calling him your “Mini Me.” Have you had the opportunity to meet him and speak with him yet?

Okoye: [Laughing] I haven’t talked to him because of COVID. They try to keep people away from the players. He just got to the team this last year — it was during the pandemic, so you can’t really chance anything. You want to keep your players pure. Hopefully, in a couple of months, I will get to meet him. But from what I see, he’s a great player. I love the way he runs. He’s closer to the ground. He’s very close to the ground, very strong legs, and I’m hoping that he bounces back in this game and does well.

Zenger: When you watch offenses now, particularly the Chiefs, things are so spread out and wide open. Much different from the days when you played, and it was about having a great front five and pounding the ball down defenses’ throats. If you can, just speak a little bit about the different style of play nowadays.

Okoye: I think football is healthier now for the players. It’s a passing league more than a running league. It’s one of those pluses that accompanies the game, and it’s keeping the guys healthier today long-term than when we played. Pounding the ball is a good strategy, but it benefits you to have somebody in the backfield who can throw the ball. And the Chiefs have that with Mahomes, and so does Tampa with Tom Brady. If you have that guy in your backfield, then you can do that. You can spread everyone out and throw the ball all over the field.

Zenger: I’m almost sure I know who you are going to pick, but can I get a prediction with a score as well?

Okoye: You know exactly what I’m going to say [laughing]. But the Chiefs are going to win by a score of 34-27.

Zenger: You do a great deal of philanthropy work through your foundation, the Christian Okoye Foundation. I wanted to give you the opportunity to speak about the foundation and the things you do for Nigeria.

Okoye: Yeah, my foundation has been going since 1990. I’ve been working with kids in the summertime, putting on free sports camps. Trying to motivate kids to stay in school and focus on their education and set goals for themselves. I’m trying to bring the kids out of their neighborhoods and show them what’s out there, so they can better set goals for themselves. In Nigeria — I took part of my foundation back to Nigeria four years ago, so I can do the same for the kids in Nigeria. That’s going really, really well.

Zenger: Focusing on school is very important, but that time away from school can equally be important. For kids to get involved in sports and after-school activities is so important, and I know that’s something your foundation encourages as well.

Okoye: It’s very important because when kids stay idle, then they start to get in trouble. You gotta keep them occupied. When you keep them occupied doing something positive, they don’t have any opportunity to get in trouble at all.

Zenger: You said being drafted into the NFL was one of the best days of your life, and you have said in the past that football essentially saved your life. Why was finding football essential for you?

Okoye: Football gave me the opportunity to do a lot of things. It provided a lot of opportunities by meeting some of the people that I met along the way. It gave me the vehicle to do what I do with my foundation. Without football, I wasn’t going to be able to do what I did and reach the kids that I reached. I did a lot with kids in Kansas City, California and Hawaii through my foundation.

Zenger: Has COVID slowed down some of the things you had planned with the foundation?

Okoye: COVID has stopped some things. We didn’t do any events at all last year. Well, in January we did our race to raise money. Other than that, we didn’t do anything else because of COVID. COVID suspended everything. So, I’m hoping this summer things will open up.

Zenger: It’s been an honor and a pleasure speaking to you. Good luck to your Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. And a special thank you to Miss Cynthia Busby and Busby Promotions for linking us together. She is awesome. Is there anything else you want to add before I let you go?

Okoye: She is a great person. I just want to tell everyone to watch the game and watch my man Patrick Mahomes do his thing. We’re excited that the Chiefs got back to the Super Bowl. Go, Chiefs!

(Edited by Jameson O’Neal and Alex Patrick)

The post ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’: The Chiefs Can Go Back-To-Back At Super Bowl LV appeared first on Zenger News.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It all started because she wanted to claim her seat at the table.

Deryl McKissack had worked hard in the construction business for years but was always told to put her head down, work harder and not ask any questions.

When her new boss wanted to demote her simply because she was a woman, McKissack said, “I quit.”

With a thousand dollars and a business plan drafted using a book purchased at Barnes & Noble, she launched McKissack & McKissack.

“I just think it was my passion that got me through, and my determination of, I’m just not going to let anybody define me,” she said. “No one can stop me from getting the work that I’m supposed to get. And whatever I get, I’m going to make sure that we do a great job.”

McKissack, president and CEO of McKissack & McKissack, is one of the nation’s foremost African American female engineers. She leads an architectural, engineering, program and construction management firm that today oversees more than $15 billion in projects nationwide.

Some of the nation’s most stunning and significant architectural projects of the 21st century were designed, managed or built by McKissack & McKissack.

McKissack & McKissack has overseen renovations at Washington, D.C., landmarks such as the Lincoln, Jefferson and Martin Luther King Jr. memorials — and they are just a small fraction of the company’s national footprint.

Under McKissack’s leadership, the company has worked in the energy, education, aviation, infrastructure, culture and commercial real estate sectors on noteworthy projects such as the O’Hare International Airport Modernization Program, the DC Waters Clean River Project and Nationals Park, the home stadium of the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball team.

The company is an outgrowth of the oldest minority-owned architecture/engineering firm in the United States. Its roots predate the Civil War, when a slave named Moses McKissack learned the building trade. It was his grandson, Moses III (Deryl McKissack’s great-great-grandfather), who launched the first McKissack & McKissack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Since launching the newer McKissack & McKissack 30 years ago, Deryl McKissack has grown her company to include more than 150 employees and offices in Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and Washington, D.C.

But building the billion-dollar company in an industry dominated by white men wasn’t easy.

The Howard University alum recalls making a presentation at a university to a room full of men in one of her first attempts to gain business for the company in 1990.

When the presentation was done, the man in charge looked at McKissack and said, “Little lady, there is nothing that you can do for us.”

“I looked him in the eye, I grabbed his hand, and I was shaking it really hard, and I said, ‘Thank you so much for taking your time to listen to my presentation, and I look forward to working with you,’” McKissack said. “Then I went out on that campus for two hours and I just looked at every job I was going to be working on. I mean, I just walked through the campus and I started thanking God for the work that I was going to be doing on this campus. I believe in planting seeds.”

That seed sprang up about six months later.

The only African American man seated at the table on the fateful day of McKissack’s presentation was promoted to boss. Impressed with McKissack’s gracious response to the way she was treated, the new boss reached out to McKissack and offered her a small job worth $5,000. Within a year, McKissack had acquired $1 million worth of business with that university.

“I just never take no,” McKissack said. “I stare down the barrel of no so much, but I keep looking until I find my yes. I have won a lot of jobs at debriefings where they’re sitting there and telling me how I don’t add up, and then I get to tell them how I do.”

Even with her record of success, McKissack said she still encounters racism in the construction industry. She continues to experience “microaggressions,” which she explained as covert expressions from clients who, despite her expansive portfolio, continue to openly question her company’s ability to do the job.

“To be so successful [on previous projects] but yet get questioned over and over again on the next project — that’s what we’ve had to deal with,” McKissack said. “I’ve had to deal with it for 30 years now. … We’re achieving excellence, but at the same time you get slapped in the face every time you try to do something. There’s always resistance. There’s an undercurrent of, are you good enough? Or, can you do it? And extra questions. I’m still on calls that I’m in amazement on what I’m hearing.”

“I just hope that it gets better,” she said.

True to her character, McKissack is not one to just sit back and ignore these issues in the industry she loves; she’s addressing them head-on. She launched a 7-Step Plan to Confront Racism in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction Industry.

Her plan calls for industry leaders to acknowledge that racism is a serious problem in the industry and commit to fixing it through actions such as hiring minority- and women-owned firms as prime contractors and procuring goods and services from minority- and women-owned suppliers.

Blacks are significantly underrepresented in architecture, engineering and construction.

African Americans make up 12.3 percent of the workforce but represent only 6.4 percent of construction workers and 6.1 percent of architecture and engineering professionals, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By contrast, whites make up 78 percent of the total workforce but 84 percent of all architecture and engineering professionals.

McKissack said some companies have already adopted elements of her plan, but in 2021 she hopes to bring more of the industry’s major players on board.

“I’m going to be forming a group of companies that are huge companies that can really make a difference,” she said. “Because I know their CEOs really well, I’ve started small conversations with them, but we’re going to make it a little more formal in 2021.”

Keith Foxx has watched McKissack’s career over the past 20 years and believes her to be not only a visionary, but one of the industry’s foremost advocates for diversity.

As a program manager at RK&K, Foxx worked with McKissack on the D.C. Power Line Undergrounding program. When Foxx voiced his intention to start his own business, McKissack helped him secure his first government contract. Foxx is launching his engineering and construction management firm, FOXXSTEM, this month. He is grateful for McKissack’s support.

“Starting your own business, there are a lot of unknowns,” Foxx said. “She found a way to help me get my first contract. I will never forget that.”

Foxx said McKissack wields extraordinary influence in the industry.

“If she talks, everyone is listening, and she has the ears of some very important people,” Foxx said. “She’s legendary — a powerhouse and an icon — because she’s blazed a trail that I’m going to walk in.”

Beyond helping minority businesses get their foot in the door, McKissack helps them sustain success in the industry.

Christine Merdon, chief operating officer of McKissack & McKissack, said McKissack often speaks with pride about a minority contractor who was hired to work on the Washington D.C. Convention Center project managed by the firm.

“The contractor began the project with one truck, but by the time the project was over, he owned five trucks,” Merdon said. “When we bring minority- and women-owned firms on projects, it’s not only that they show up, but they are sustainable and have increased capacity.”

McKissack celebrated her company’s 30-year anniversary in 2020. That year the company received Inc. magazine’s 2020 Best in Business Award for its workforce diversity plan. Also in 2020, McKissack was elected to the National Academy of Construction. In bestowing the honor, the academy described her as “a visionary leader and entrepreneur with significant contributions in architecture, engineering, construction, and program management and a mentor to the next generation of industry leaders.”

She shows no signs of slowing down in 2021.

The coronavirus pandemic has been a boon for McKissack’s area of the construction industry; clients have taken advantage of reduced traffic to launch school and infrastructure projects. McKissack’s company won bids for more than 40 projects, and more are expected.

She said her company is emerging from the challenges of 2020 even stronger. By slowing down, and spending less time traveling and more time interacting with employees, McKissack was able to see her business in a new light.

“I know now what we do good and what we do great,” McKissack said. “I know the people in the company, and what their strengths are, and I like to build on people’s strengths.”

Merdon said McKissack’s visionary leadership, political savvy and compassion for her employees has enabled the company to lead “mega projects” while also creating opportunities for minorities in the industry.

“Her leadership inspires people and draws really good people to the firm,” Merdon said. “Everybody has to work through tough days, but if you have a leader that believes in you, you can get it done.”

(Edited by Jameson O’Neal and Alex Patrick)

The post Pioneering Engineer Leverages Success To Boost Minority Contractors appeared first on Zenger News.

Despite rising demand for cultured meat and other cellular agriculture products, scaling up production and gaining public acceptance remain challenges, according to industry experts.

Cellular agriculture refers to the bio-technology — such as tissue engineering and synthetic biology — to create products that would otherwise be produced using traditional agriculture methods. In the case of cultured meat, products are creating using in vitro cultivation of animal cells, rather than the meat of slaughtered animals.

Globally, cultured meat products have quickly risen in popularity over the last several years.

The global cultured meat market accounted for $72.6 million in 2018 and is expected to reach $291.4 million by 2027, growing at 16.7 percent per year, according to ResearchAndMarkets.com.

“Recently, we’ve seen a major trend toward consumers’ interest in how food is brought to their table, and food’s impact on themselves, their community and the planet,” said David Kay, director of communications for Memphis Meats, a U.S.-based food technology company.

“Meat is universal, and we’ve found an appetite for cell-based meat products exists across the globe,” Kay said. “Research indicates that roughly two-thirds of Americans would eat cell-based meat, and the more familiar people become with this innovation, the more enthusiastic they become.”

Market gets boost during COVID-19

Despite the rising popularity of cultured meat products, the market still pales in comparison to demand for processed meat, estimated at $519 billion in 2019, according to Fortune Business Insights. In the U.S., the revenue of the top 100 meat and poultry processors totaled nearly $228 billion in 2018, per the National Provisioner.

Proponents of cultured meat believe the sector will become popular with visibility.

Among those at the forefront of investment in cultured meats is Saudi Arabia’s Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal Al Saud, the founder-CEO of KBW Ventures. To date, KBW Ventures has invested in six cellular agriculture companies, including Memphis Meats and BlueNalu, a California-based company that recently closed a $60 million financing deal that will allow it to take their first product — lab-grown Mahi Mahi — to market by the end of 2021.

“The science and the demand are finally catching up to one another, and it’s going to be a tipping point in the way we source protein for the world,” Khaled told Zenger in an interview. “In five years, I see the lab-grown everything industry as highly lucrative and thriving on an explosion in demand.”

The COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about climate change contributed significantly to a change in attitudes toward cultured meat products, he said.

“People were thrown into shock by the pandemic. Suddenly, clean meat didn’t sound so futuristic after learning about the potential for zoonotic diseases to proliferate and eventually end up in the food chain,” Khaled said.

“People are also shocked by our extreme weather events; the frequency and the severity are ever-increasing, and the climate crisis has now become real,” he said. “The climate crisis will also play a big role in turning more customers onto clean meats, seafoods and milks, as who wants to play a role in needless emissions?”

Cell-based beef is also hormone, antibiotic and microplastic-free, which makes it better for the environment.

The Good Food Institute’s 2018 State of the Industry report estimated that lab-grown beef reduces land use by more than 95%. “For climate change emissions, it ranges from 74% to 87%, and the often-ignored nutrient pollution by 94%,” he added.

Remaining Challenges 

Despite the rise of lab-grown products as a source of meat, a number of problems remain.

Some potential consumers are still unconvinced by what cultured meat products offer, said Megan Rogalski, a meat, seafood and deli retail specialist at KeHe, a leading national wholesale food distributor.

“The main challenge of the alternative meat category is to get more meat-focused individuals to try the product,” she said. “The biggest issue we hear from customers is the taste, texture and quality is not what they expect. However, once they try it, most consumers enjoy the product and feel better about what they are eating.”

Cultured products are still lagging behind plant-based products, the other form of alternative meat products, she noted.

“Plant-based products are continuing to evolve, and a majority of retailers are seeing sales growth. With the growth of these products, retailers expand their assortment,” she said. “As for the lab-grown meats, consumers need more education and need to better understand the benefits of lab-grown meat before they are willing to try it.”

“The biggest challenge for the entire industry will be scaling a high-quality, low-cost product,” said Kay.

While Khaled acknowledged that scale “is a challenge,” he said it is “very manageable” and expressed optimism about cultured meat’s future.

“By 2025, I think cell-based meat will have a good market share, and that’s one reason venture capital-backed companies are moving forward rapidly. These companies have the funds to work on scaling the solution, thereby making it affordable and accessible” he said.

“Public perception has come pretty far, pretty rapidly,” he added. “Some of the world’s biggest markets are favoring clean alternatives. Once these population hubs are onboarded, it will be so much better for everyone.”

(Edited by Fern Siegel and Matthew B. Hall)

The post Researchers: No-Kill, Lab-Grown Meat Will Be $291 Million Industry In Five Years appeared first on Zenger News.