The second annual WinterFest is almost here! Join us on Saturday, December 1 at Columbus' Bicentennial Park from 11am-4pm for food, fun and festivities. This years musical acts will include Theo's Loose Hinges, Mistar Anderson and nationally recognized Nashville star Rayland Baxter. In addition to music, there will be food trucks and local beers on tap. A portion of all food and beer sales will be donated to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. For more information on the event, click here. 

Nationwide Children's Hospital is hosting an Emotional Support Toy Drive ending on November 30th for their On Our Sleeves Campaign. On Our Sleeves is a mental health campaign working to break the stigma surrounding children's mental illness. It also is trying to create advocates for children's mental health because we need to be the voice for those children who cannot express their feelings. The campaign has garnered support from Achea Redd, founder of Real Girls F.A.R.T. a mental health advocacy group for women. All toy donations can be dropped off at The Wave, Hai Poke, Pure Pressed in Columbus by November 3oth. 

QuEST Global is a trusted engineering services and solutions partner to some of the world’s most recognize Fortune 500 brands within aero engines, aerospace and defense, automotive, medical devices, oil and gas, hi-tech, industrial and rail with over 10,000 associates. QuEST Global will be demonstrating a host of smart engineering solutions for the consumer electronics, semiconductors and automotive industries at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2019.  The smart engineering solutions are aimed at addressing the increasing consumer demands in the areas of safety, comfort, and an enhanced user experience. During CES, QuEST Global will also be demonstrating how the y engage with customers, showcase a live demo of its latest connected engineering experience, and will exhibit its multi-platform test automation framework, next-gen automotive solutions and augmented reality/mixed reality based training and servicing at Westgate Booth #515. To learn more about QuEST Global click here.

The holiday season is here and what better way to get into the holiday mood than with Columbus' Jingle Bell 5k Run! The run will take place on December 1 at Genoa Park with the festivities beginning at 8 am. The events include a Kid's Snowflake Dash starting at 9:45 and a post race party which goes till 12pm. All participants will recieve a long sleeve shirt, jingle bells, a Jim Bean JBR signature drink and pizza at the finish line! 100% of the money from registration fees and fundraising will go to the Arthritis Foundation in order to help fight this disability. So grab your family and friends and join the Jingle Bell Run! For more information on the event and how to sign up, click here. 

Make this Thanksgiving one to remember by going to Columbus' Annual Turkey Trot. This years event includes a 5 mile, 2 mile walk and 100 yd dash, friendly dogs are more than welcome! Every participant from the 5 mile and 2 mile walk will receive a pumpkin pie, finisher medal and 3/4 long sleeve zip at the finish line. The event will start at the Shops on Lane Ave. with the Tot Trot starting at 8:30. For more information on the event and tickets, click here.

Charlamagne Tha God is a TV personality and a radio host of The Breakfast Club with DJ Envy and Angela Yee. He gained national recognition in the late 2000's due to his unique and upfront questioning style when interviewing many famous hip-hop personalities. Since his rise to fame, Charlamagne has been on Guy Code and Girl Code on MTV and currently hosts Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne Tha God on MTV2. He has also published two books Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It and Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me. 
In his most recent book, Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me, Charlamagne opens up about his personal experiences with anxiety, distrust and fear. He recognizes the fact that while fear can increase motivation, it can also be exhausting and consume you. After being tormented with the fear of failing as dad along with the daily pressures of being a celebrity, Charlamagne turned to people in his life to help him find his way back to a healthy mindset. In Shook One, he talks about how to overcome these fears and the benefits of opening up to those around you and attending therapy. To purchase Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me, click here.

Adiya Dixon Wiggins knows what it is like to balance a busy work and home life, with two children and a practicing attorney she was always busy. Unfortunatly, when life gets busy our self-care takes a back seat but Adiya wanted to change that. Inspired by the need for a product that will work with people's busy schedules, not against Wiggins created Yubi. She created a buff and blend set that slides onto your finger to work as if it is your finger pad. With the soft texture perfect for even the most sensitive skin, Yubi is the makeup tool to use at home or on the go. To learn more about Yubi and why Time magazine rated them one of the best inventions of 2018, click here.

Disney just released the trailer for Dumbo, their latest live film adaptation. The movie will star Michael Keaton, Colin Farrell and Eva Green. Dumbo follows the story of a young circus elephant whose large ears give him the ability to fly. But with the circus heading in a new direction, dark secrets lie beneath the shiny promises of the future as Dumbo and his new friends try to reunite him with his mother. The movie is set to be released on March 29, 2019. Check it out below:

Netflix just released the trailer for their newest movie, Dumplin' starring Jennifer Aniston and Danielle Macdonald. Dumplin' is about Willowdeen (Macdonald) a plus size teenager who is the daughter of former pagent queen, Rosie Dickson (Aniston). Willowdeen enters her mother Miss Teen Bluebonnter beauty pageant as a protest, causing many other girls throughout the area to enter. Willowdeen goes on a journey to help find self-confidence for herself and others as they break from societies traditional beauty standards. The movie will be available to stream on Netflix on December 7. Check out the trailer below:  

Netflix just announced their latest show, 'Rhythm & Flow' which will air in fall 2019. The show will be a ten episode hip-hop competition series, featuring Cardi B, Chance the Rapper and T.I. as the judges. Auditions for the show will begin in the fall, with stops throughout the country including New York, Atlanta and Chicago. 'Rhythm & Flow' is expected to be different from many of the other music competitions currently on television as it will focus soley on hip-hop, a genre that is often underrepresented. 
This show doesn't just have a star studded judges pannel, but also an impressive list of producers. John Legend, Ty Stiklorius and Mike Jackson are currently serving as exective producers. Many hope to see Legend on camera throughout the season, while some speculate he could become the shows host. 
To learn more about 'Rhythm & Flow' auditions, click here. 

Last week, Samsung released their plans for Infinity-branded screens including the Infinity-O screens for its Galaxy phones. This comes as a teaser for many of their phone users as it may be included in their Galaxy A8s and S10, according to different sources. Many people are predicting that the release of the Galaxy S10+ will be an exciting and needed upgrade from the Galaxy S9+. Check out BGR's article, 'This might be our best look yet at the Galaxy S10's stunning design', for more information. 

POKÉMON Detective Pikachu is a brand new movie based off of the popular video game,  starring Justice Smith and Ryan Reynold's who voices Pikachu. The movie follows Tim Goodman (Smith) as he tries to find his missing father, Detective Harry Goodman. Unfortunatly Tim is having trouble finding out more about his fathers disappearance, until he meets Pikachu (Reynolds), a Pokémon who wants to be a detective. Together the unlikely duo set out on an adventure to find Tim's father and form a friendship along the way. 

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, just released her latest memoir, Becoming. This book dives deep into Michelle's personal life, giving detailed accounts of her time in the White House, her public health campaign and her role as a mother. In what some consider her most honest memoir yet, she writes about her past and growing up in America, allowing the public to see what has made Michelle Obama the strong woman that she is today. Becoming is already topping book sales on Amazons best seller list and is predicted to be the biggest book of 2018. To order a copy of the book and learn more about her upcoming book tour, click here. 

COSI After Dark is putting on a new event for adults (21+) on November 15, 2018 from 6pm-10pm. This events theme is Game Show, and will include a scavenger hunt, video games, famous game show competitions and more! There is a ticket option for a buffet that will run from 6pm-8:30pm , if you wish to eat there. Make sure to sign up early as tickets are sure to sell out fast. Remember to bring some friends and a competitive spirit to have an awesome night at COSI! 
Please note that this is a 21+ event, ID will be required. For more information about tickets, click here.

by Manny Larcher

​​There were several moments about my experience in San Francisco and AfroTech '17 that I'll never forget.  Seeing so many bright minds of color, in the same room,  was so inspiring!  My perspective on the opportunity that I had in front of me was renewed.  

Bozoma Saint John was fantastic! Sharing her incredible story, ground-breaking career, she had the entire room in laughter, while dropping knowledge throughout the way.  To never to settle for less or take no for an answer, stuck with me. 

One of the tech's top disruptors happens to be my home state, Ohio, Rodney Williams, CEO of LISNR.  The man's confidence is contagious. He came out in all white outfit with the song 'Glow' by Drake and Kanye. He then went on and shared his vision behind creating one of the most innovative companies, dropping more gems than my writing could keep up with.  

​Then to be able to have a casual conversation with someone that I've loved as a rapper, and now a well-known tech investor, Chamillionaire.  I'm not going to lie, I did most of the taking with here, but not only was Chamillionaire listening, but he also gave me some advice that I needed to hear, and his email, which was cool. 

I can go on and on for days about how special attending AfroTech in San Francisco in 2017 helped my entrepreneurship journey. From Jesse Williams launching his new app, Anwar Bey-Taylor's sharing a glimpse into his creative process and mind, Kehlani and Arlan Hamilton amazing and intimate talk,  to just walks around the beautiful city of San Francisco, AfroTech has everything that you would want in a conference!

In the year since AfroTech in San Francisco, I forged stronger partnerships which led to a major Global partner, re-brand a media platform which now has interns, helped open a minority-owned innovation center in Columbus, and launched a collaborative platform designed to add value to entrepreneurs,  and I can give a significant credit to AfroTech.

I'm unable to attend this year because I'm in Belgrade, Serbia at the Project Management Institute Region 8 Leadership Meeting, but I do have some advice for the attendees who may be in a similar position like I was a year ago.  Listen and absorb the knowledge shared. You have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

I'd love to connect and share tips! Connect with me on Linkedin or email me anytime at [email protected] - cheers!

Starbucks just released their holiday line of cups and flavors for this winter season, they will be in stores starting on November 2. This years specialty flavors include Toasted White Chocolate Mocha, Chestnut Praline Latte, Eggnog Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Caramel Brulée Latte and the Peppermint Mocha. Starbucks is also unveiling new food items and holiday brews, all of these will be available in their United States and Canada stores.
In addition to new menu items, Starbucks is giving out free limted-edition reusable red cups on November 2 in participating stores while supplies last. Customers who bring in their cups will recieve 50 cents off of their handcrafted grande, this offer is available from November 3-January 7, 2019. For more information about Starbucks' holiday season collection, click here. 

This article was originally posted on TechCrunch. 

This December a set of autonomous vehicles will start roaming the streets of Columbus, Ohio, in an effort to turn this bustling Midwestern community into the first smart city. The project, which is part of the Smart Columbus and DriveOhio initiatives, is the first step in launching a fully autonomous shuttle route in the city.
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“We’re proud to have the first self-driving shuttle in Ohio being tested on the streets of Columbus,” said Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. “This pilot will shape future uses of this emerging technology in Columbus and the nation. Residents win when we add more mobility options to our transportation ecosystem – making it easier to get to work, school or local attractions.”

Michigan-based May Mobility provided the shuttles and the team is training the autonomous vehicles to navigate Columbus streets. May Mobility already launched their vehicles in Detroit and this is the second full implementation of the tech.