We are taking over biotech spaces! A Philadelphia entrepreneur is making history as the first queer Black woman to lead a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company, Face 2 Face Africa reports. Tia Lyles-Williams is the owner of LucasPye Bio, Philly’s first Black-owned biotech manufacturing company. Lyles-Williams said she was initially motivated to move into the industry solely because of lack of representation, desiring to help make bio-drugs cheaper for patients. The company focuses on making biotherapeutic drugs that are affordable while also providing jobs to residents in underserved communities.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black people account for less than 12% of the pharmaceutical or...

Grab your popcorn and get to the theater! A 26-year-old man opened the first Black-owned drive-in-theater in Houston, Texas, Click 2 Houston reports. Khairi Sharif is the owner of Space City Shows, a new drive-in movie theater just east of downtown Houston. Sharif said he first got the idea during quarantine due to the pandemic, boredom pushing him to get creative about a way to see a movie while not sitting by strangers. He eventually began researching how to open a drive-in movie theater, learning about licensing, liabilities, and screen projectors. With the help of his family and friends, he...

This is long overdue. The Florida Panthers hired Brett Peterson as their new assistant general manager, making him the first Black National Hockey League (NHL) executive to hold the title, AP News reports.  Peterson is a former player agent who previously served as vice president of hockey for Wasserman Media Group, working as an NHLPA certified agent for more than a decade. He played five pro seasons in the minors, winning a national title before trading in his skates for a business suit. A Massachusetts native, Peterson attended Boston College and works as a consultant for a nonprofit that focuses on providing...

He's shattering glass ceilings! Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins is making history as the first Black man to lead the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Black Enterprise reports. Wins was named interim superintendent of VMI recently, voted in by the Board of Visitors Executive Committee. Wins graduated from VMI in 1985, playing on the basketball team while there and leading them to the Southern Conference finals his freshman year. He graduated as one of the top five scorers in VMI history. He went on to earn two master’s degrees, one from the Florida Institute of Technology in management and another from the National...

She’s the boss! A veteran firefighter is making history as the first Black woman to be named deputy fire chief in Northern Virginia, NBC 4 Washington reports. Tiffanye Wesley has been with the Arlington County Fire Department for nearly 3 decades, working in a number of fields including the bomb squad. Two years ago, Wesley made history as the first Black woman battalion chief in Northern Virginia. Now, she has doubled back to bring home another historic title, becoming the first Black woman deputy fire chief in the whole of Northern Virginia.  Chief David Povlitz spoke about Wesley’s appointment, saying she...