Media + Social Change
Articles by Emmanuel Nyame
Cuba Un Colectivo: Tres Miradas Gallery Underway at La Peña Austin
A gallery portraying life in Cuba, which kicked off at La Peña Restaurant featuring three photographers, Ayash Basu, Nick Berard, and Rodolfo Gonzalez, continues until October 3. All three photographers showcased forty photographs, bringing the life and culture of Cuba to participants. The reception event enlightened attendees on the beauty of Cuba, and the photographers, while excited about the exhibit, encouraged the audience to visit the country to get a feel of its culture.
New 4,000-Capacity Music Venue, United Heritage Hall, To Open In Spring 2027
AEG Presents, the developers behind Austin’s new music venue, has announced it will open to the public in 2027. The 4,000-capacity, state-of-the-art venue was named in partnership with United Heritage Credit Union, and will primarily provide much-needed space to boost the entertainment economy, while also serving as an anchor for River Park, the 109-acre mixed-use development.
Estani Frizell Wins Best Mexican Ranchera/Mariachi at the Intercontinental Music Awards
Austin-based singer Estani Frizell has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Intercontinental Music Awards in the Best Mexican Ranchera/Mariachi category. The Intercontinental Music Awards honor artists from diverse backgrounds, giving them a global voice and stage to showcase their talent while helping them gain the exposure they need. Artists are rigorously vetted through a panel of judges who review and score their impact on the music industry within the year under review.
All You Need to Know About Austin FC Goalkeeper, Damian Las
Damian Las has quietly established himself as a promising goalkeeper in Major League Soccer. From his early days in European youth academies to earning top placement in domestic leagues, the Illinois native represents an important pillar in Austin FC’s long-term defense. Curious to know more about Damian/ Find out below: Early Career and European Development Damian was born in Des Plaines, Illinois.
CookUnity, PNC Bank, Central Health, and SOW Foundation Team up for 'First Give Back Day'
In a major community push, CookUnity, PNC Bank, and Central Health joined forces with the SOW Family Foundation for the inaugural “First Give Back Day,” providing food directly to unhoused residents in Austin’s Red River District. The new event expands on an ongoing partnership that has already seen more than 3,700 meals delivered to the SOW Resource Hub since June.
Spotify Announces Fresh Finds Forward Program To Support Independent Artists
Spotify has announced a new initiative, Fresh Finds Forward, to provide independent artists with essential tools, resources, and free studio access. The program serves as an extension of Spotify’s curated Fresh Finds playlist, which has helped breakout acts including Laufey, Clairo, ROLE MODEL, Ethel Cain, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Royel Otis, and Omar Apollo, reach global audiences over the past decade.
Hecha De Oro Performance Brings Awareness To Fertility, Beauty & Love
Oro Dance Company delivered a spectacular performance at the 2026 edition of their signature event, Hecha De Oro, celebrating Oshun, the Yoruba deity of fertility, beauty, and love. The production brought Oshun’s world to life, illuminating the power, passion, and generosity of an Orisha often dismissed for her soft, feminine nature, yet revered as one of the most resilient figures in the Yoruba pantheon.
ConnectHER Announces Toronto Showcase This Fall
ConnectHER has announced its maiden Toronto Showcase taking place on October 29. The showcase will be made up of short films produced by women and girls around the world and aims to amplify social issues as well as bring awareness to the positive potential of women and girls around the world. ConnectHER’s Austin presence has grown to become the powerhouse for amplifying the voices of girls and women around the world through stories, films and showcases that address social issues.
Milwaukee's LJ The Messenger Brings Soul to Austin's Music Showcase
Milwaukee-based rapper LJ The Messenger engaged Austin audiences with a live performance during the Los Santos Music Showcase. He performed tracks from his albums Sunday Notes and Sunday Notes 2, taking turns between songs to share motivational words with the crowd, who responded with passion and dance to the multi-talented artist’s tunes.
FIESTA Community Marks Five-Year Milestone in Austin With Elevator Pitches From Founders
Austin-based entrepreneurship community FIESTA celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 21 at Capital Factory. Founded by Cherie and Jon Werner, FIESTA, an acronym for Founders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Techies, Adventurers, is a growing Austin community dedicated to giving startups a platform to network, connect, and pitch, all happening once a month during the community’s meetup sessions. The anniversary edition was no different.
15 Startups Solving Real Problems in Austin
Fifteen startups gave elevator pitches at FIESTA Community’s fifth-anniversary event, held at Capital Factory. The startups are working on innovative projects spanning healthcare, tech, and artificial intelligence. The founders’ goals were twofold: to share the progress they’ve made on their respective businesses, and to gain visibility that could attract investors and funders.
Early Peruvian Independence Day Festival Draws Austin Crowd to Llama Queen.
Llama Queen, an Austin-based Peruvian restaurant, hosted an early Independence Day festival on July 25 to celebrate Peruvian culture and bring Austinites together. The festival, held on the restaurant’s premises, brought together local artists, singers, and bands who performed original songs as well as renditions of popular Peruvian classics. Among them was Sabor a Perú, who thrilled the crowd with an energetic live performance.
Austin-based Singer Estani Frizell Announces Concert in Hollywood
Austin-based singer Estani Frizell has announced her upcoming show in Hollywood, California, taking place at Catalina Jazz Club on August 27th. Known in the music scene as Estani, the popular songwriter has carved out a name for herself as a multi-faceted singer whose versatility ranges across latin jazz, neo soul, tejano/cumbia, and other latin genres.
3 Austin Restaurants Earn Spots On OpenTable's Top 100 Hotel Restaurants List
Three hotel restaurants in Austin, Texas have earned spots on the 2026 edition of OpenTable’s Top 100 Hotel Restaurants in America list. The list, compiled annually based on consumer research and dining data, aims to help diners identify favorite places to get their favorite meals while making it easy to book reservations at hotels in their destinations.
$23 Million In Grant Funding Launched To Empower Austin's Creative Community
City of Austin has announced funding opportunities to empower creatives in the city. Through its Arts, Culture, Music and Entertainment office (ACME), $23 million has been allocated for this purpose through the city’s Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) revenues. Funding will be awarded to qualified applicants through four (4) distinct programs, the Austin Live Music Fund, Elevate, Heritage Preservation Grant, and Thrive, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $250,000.
City of Austin Announces 4th Annual Small Business Conference
The City of Austin has announced its annual conference for small businesses, set to take place on August 19 at the Palmer Events Center. The event, organized in partnership with Austin Economic Development and Austin Financial Services, aims to support entrepreneurs and business owners across the Austin area. This year’s conference will feature expert-led sessions on topics ranging from finance to permits and licenses, alongside a resource expo bringing together vendors from across the city.
Ras Mundi Band Thrills Fans at Reggae-Themed Music Concert
Reggae band Ras Mundi thrilled fans at the Purple Jam music concert held at Cuba512. They performed songs from their album alongside renditions of popular reggae classics. As the only artists billed to perform, the two-hour concert brought great energy and live entertainment to an audience that came purposely to see their favorite act. Ras Mundi is a nine-piece international reggae fusion band out of Austin, blending reggae, hip-hop, and funk into a massive, conscious vibe.
Qubika Hosts Post-Summit Recap at Austin HQ
Qubika organized its annual Data + AI Summit in San Francisco, bringing together Data Engineers, Analytics Engineers, Data Architects, Data Scientists, and ML Engineers to connect and share updates on the state of the data world. For those who could not make the trip to San Francisco, Qubika hosted a recap at its Austin office.
SXSW Announces PanelPicker Applications For 2027
SXSW has officially opened a call for creatives, speakers, and leaders to submit their panel ideas for consideration in its community-sourced PanelPicker selection process. The festival made its official announcement on June 23, allowing submissions until July 26. A household name in music and innovation, PanelPicker is a carefully curated application process where aspiring speakers submit their session ideas, topics, and proposed speakers.
SOW Foundation Opens Community Resource Hub in Downtown Austin
The SOW Family Foundation has this morning launched the SOW Resource Center in downtown Austin. The initiative, aimed at providing shelter and support for homeless people in the city, will also include case management, housing navigation, workforce opportunities, and medical, dental and vision services to those in need.
Riches Art Gallery Marks Five Years in Austin
Riches Art Gallery celebrated its fifth anniversary during Juneteenth weekend, hosting a multi-day series of events at the gallery’s East Austin home. Under the theme Beating the Odds, the milestone opened with a reception that drew more than 30 artists, who displayed mental health-themed works and installations while engaging in conversation with the community. The weekend continued with a fashion show, live DJ sets, and a boat cruise.
Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams, Keke Palmer, and other big names who showed up at SXSW 2026
SXSW 2026 is almost over but our team here have already had a blast. From movie premieres to innovation conferences and music showcases, we met some big names in the industry and captured exciting moments with them. SXSW this year has been very intense. Unlike previous years, there has been twice the number of attendees, panels, and programs.
How To Create A Budget Template For Your Small Business
A customized budget template helps you make better business decisions. You can use free spreadsheet tools or paid accounting software to create your template. Budgets allow you to track monthly, quarterly, and annual changes to your income and expenses. Make sure you regularly review this document so it’s accurate, and you can monitor your progress. Every business needs a budget. This valuable document lets you track revenue and expenses, and it can lead to better decisions.
How To Create A Successful Financial Plan For Small Businesses
A business financial plan helps small businesses track revenue, expenses and growth opportunities. Key components typically include cash flow forecasting, budgeting and financial projections. A solid financial plan promotes sustainability and can attract investors or lenders. A strong financial plan is essential for any small business. It provides a structured approach to managing revenue, controlling expenses and preparing for growth.
Impact of Aging Vehicles on Car Financing
Consumers are holding on to their cars longer due to rising new car prices, increased vehicle reliability and personal finance goals like avoiding monthly payments. Older cars are harder to finance due to lender restrictions around age and mileage. Borrowers may face higher interest rates, shorter loan terms or even loan denials when trying to finance aging vehicles.
What Is A Cash Balance Plan And How Does It Work? Original
There are many different types of retirement plans, but one of the lesser known is the cash balance plan. These plans have grown in popularity in recent decades and are often used by high earners in smaller businesses to set aside more for retirement than they could in traditional plans such as a 401(k) or IRA. Here’s what investors should know about cash balance plans. What is a cash balance plan?
Cost Segregation Study: What It Is, How It Works
A cost segregation study is an approach real estate investors can leverage to maximize their savings on income-generating properties. They are conducted by highly skilled teams of professionals, which may include tax accountants, attorneys, engineers and more. These studies have downsides to keep in mind as well, including an upfront cost and a risk of audit when employing the findings.
Which Credit Score Do Mortgage Lenders Use? | Original
Mortgage lenders typically evaluate a borrower’s creditworthiness using FICO Scores 2, 4, and 5. These scores are the ones used by Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — the three major credit bureaus. While newer versions of the FICO score have been introduced, the mortgage industry largely relies on these older versions due to regulation. Which credit score do mortgage lenders use?
How To Choose The Best Credit Union: 6 Things To Consider Original
Unlike banks, many credit unions often limit membership to eligible individuals on the basis of belonging to the same community, workplace or organization (though there are credit unions with unrestricted membership rules). Credit unions tend to offer lower fees compared to banks, but you should still compare fees and account minimums to find the best account options for you. Look for credit unions that pay out generous dividends, which is the credit union term for interest.
How To Get A Debit Card
To use a debit card, you’ll need to open a checking account and may need to provide valid identification and a form of payment to do so. Debit cards are linked to checking accounts, so it’s important to keep track of your balance and avoid overspending. Credit cards can offer more fraud liability protection than debit cards, and cash can help you avoid overspending. Once upon a time, cash was king. These days, however, many prefer the convenience of using a debit card to make purchases.
Will A Bank Failure Affect My Mortgage? Original
If you have an existing mortgage, and your mortgage company goes bankrupt, your loan will be sold to another company. If your loan has been sold, continue to make your mortgage payments. The terms of your loan will remain the same. If you’re in the midst of closing a loan, and the lender goes bankrupt, any escrow funds should be safe, but you’ll have to find a new lender.
How To Compare Mortgage Offers Original
Because a mortgage is one of the most substantial financial commitments you’ll make in a lifetime, it’s important to do your due diligence and ensure you’ve investigated all of your options thoroughly. Before you choose a mortgage lender, though, you must shop around and compare multiple offers to get the best deal. Regular payments on the same sized loan can vary by $100 a month, according to a survey by the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau.
Credit Card Rewards Vs. Debt Consolidation: Which Saves More Money? Original
72 percent of credit card debt holders make at least some effort to earn credit card rewards, according to data from a recent Bankrate survey. More than half (54 percent) of credit card debtors say it’s gotten harder to pay off their credit card debt in the past year. 41 percent of Americans who maxed out or came close to maxing out their cards saw their credit scores decline. 33 percent of U.S. adults have more credit card debt than emergency savings.
What Is The 28/36 Rule For Home Affordability?
“How much can I afford to pay for a house?” It’s a question all hopeful homebuyers ask themselves. Coming up with a monthly payment that works for you might be easy — simply subtract your monthly expenses from your gross monthly income. Unfortunately, that number might not align with the amount of money a bank will lend you. That’s because banks and other lending institutions have a formula they often use to determine what you can afford: the 28/36 rule. What is the 28/36 rule?
Should You Lease Or Buy An Electric Vehicle?
Leasing an electric vehicle (EV) allows you to test out the driving experience without committing to full ownership. A lease will often have a lower monthly payment than an auto loan, and some leasing companies will offer an upfront discount that covers the federal tax rebate. Buying an electric car can be a better option for drivers who want full ownership and the ability to modify their vehicle, but it may come with a higher upfront cost and potentially steep depreciation.
How To Use Student Loans For Living Expenses Original
Student loans can be used to cover certain living expenses, but borrowers should use caution in doing so. Creating a budget and discerning wants from needs can help students to minimize debt and comply with borrowing guidelines. Misuse of student loan funds can result in serious consequences, including the future inability to borrow. Part-time employment, scholarships and grant opportunities can help cover expenses in place of student loans and won’t require repayment down the line.
How To Put Your House In A Trust Original
Putting your home in a trust can protect your assets while you’re alive and make the ownership transfer easier after your death. The trustee is often an adult child of the homeowner, who will ultimately inherit the property. Benefits of putting a home in a trust can include tax savings and avoiding probate court. When you purchase a home, your name is on the title to the property, indicating ownership.
How Many Personal Loans Can You Have? Original
It is possible to have multiple personal loans as long as you have the income and credit score to qualify. Lenders typically limit how many personal loans you can have with them at the same time. Having multiple personal loans could become unaffordable if you experience a sudden drop in income. Consider alternatives before taking on additional debt. A personal loan is a type of installment loan, and it’s possible to borrow more than one at a time if you qualify.
6 Tips For Buying A New Car & Common Mistakes To Avoid
When considering buying a new car, it’s important to consider the monthly payments and other costs such as insurance, maintenance and registration fees. Researching and comparing different financing options, such as bank loans and credit unions, may help you score a competitive interest rate. Negotiation is key when buying a car, so be prepared with preapproval and don’t be afraid to walk away if the deal doesn’t work for you.
Money Market Accounts vs. Savings Accounts vs. CDs Original
Money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit (CDs) can give your savings a boost by earning interest, all while keeping your money safe. Understanding how these interest-bearing deposit accounts work, and the differences among them, can help you make the best choice about where to save, and grow, your cash. What is a money market account? A money market account is an interest-bearing savings account available at most banks and credit unions.
What Happens If a Check Bounces? Steps to Take And How To Avoid It Original
Our writers and editors used an in-house natural language generation platform to assist with portions of this article, allowing them to focus on adding information that is uniquely helpful. The article was reviewed, fact-checked and edited by our editorial staff prior to publication. Paper checks may not be as common as they once were, but there are still times when they’re a practical form of payment — that is, until they bounce.
What Happens When a Bank Buys Another Bank? Your Options and Next Steps
Finding out that your bank is being bought by another bank, especially one you’ve never heard of, can cause apprehension and raise a lot of questions. Banks typically strive for a seamless merger process for customers. But integrating the assets, data, technology and customer service of two banks can cause some rough bumps.
How And Where To Sell Your Things Online
An online marketplace is a type of website or app where people go to buy and sell items, both new and used. Selling used items online can be an easy way to make extra money to boost your savings. If you’re looking to make extra money — while also clearing up some clutter — an online marketplace can be a good place to sell your stuff. However, you want to understand the nuances of each online marketplace to determine which is the best place to sell your items.
Do's And Don'ts Of Saving During A Recession Original
Recessions are economically challenging times with a lot of uncertainty. A recession could lead to a reduction in your income or even job loss. Strategies to build your savings during a recession may involve adjusting your savings goals and cutting expenses, while paying down loans and avoiding additional debt. Getting into the habit of saving money takes discipline and can be challenging even during non-recessionary times. What is a recession and how does it affect your savings?
What Happens When A Bank Is Liquidated?
Most bank failures end in a sale. When a bank fails, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. will take on the bank’s troubled assets and healthy banks may buy the rest. Customer accounts may be closed when a bank fails and checks distributed for the account balances or the accounts may be transferred to another institution with little to no interruption to funds access.
How To Choose A Bank That Agrees With Your Values
How is this page expert verified? At Bankrate, we take the accuracy of our content seriously. “Expert verified” means that our Financial Review Board thoroughly evaluated the article for accuracy and clarity. The Review Board comprises a panel of financial experts whose objective is to ensure that our content is always objective and balanced. Their reviews hold us accountable for publishing high-quality and trustworthy content.
Is There Still Such a Thing as a 5% CD?
Currently, you can lock in annual percentage yields (APYs) on certificates of deposit (CDs) above 4 percent on many nationally available CDs, while a select few financial institutions offer promotional CDs that earn a 5 percent APY or greater. As a reporter who tracks CD rates daily, I take notice anytime I see such higher-than-normal rates — several of which I’ve listed below. The big caveat is all of these CDs carry pretty significant restrictions, such as limited memberships to a credit union.
Are Government Mortgages Easier To Get?
Government-backed loans like FHA, VA, and USDA loans, often touted easier to get, actually have higher denial rates than conventional loans. Government loans do offer lower down payment and credit score criteria. However, lender-imposed overlays, lengthy applications and more rigorous inspections or appraisals can make actually closing on a government-backed loan harder.
What Is A Buyer’s Agent, And Do I Need One?
A buyer’s agent is a real estate agent who specializes in helping buyers navigate the homebuying process. Buyer’s agents are different from listing agents, who represent the seller in a real estate transaction. While no one is required to hire an agent to buy real estate, most house-hunters do use their expertise to navigate the process. Are you hoping to purchase a home soon?
Why Is College So Expensive? 3 Reasons Why Original
Decreased enrollment, increased student services and increased administrative and operating costs have contributed to higher college education costs. Students can seek alternative funding sources such as scholarships, work study and student loans. Earning a college degree is still worth it for many, giving graduates a higher earning potential, as well as more skills and experience in their fields.
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