"It's about embracing the things that make you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable."
Musician, actor, and activist Janelle Monáe joined Cheddar on Monday to talk about an ad campaign she's working on with Belvedere Vodka that emphasizes inclusion and diversity.
"We have a shared vision about making this world much better. Inclusion is at the top of my list. Inclusion for women, minorities, and my brothers and sisters in the LGBTQIA+ communities," said Monáe.
The venture, which began last year, is called "A Beautiful Future," and involves a coordinated limited edition bottle, a social media campaign, and a video series led by female directors.
The bottle is available beginning this month.
"It's the whole idea that inclusiveness is really the mainstream now," said Rodney Williams, the president and CEO of the vodka brand.
The campaign began at a 2018 brunch co-hosted by Monáe and Belvedere. The event was in support of Monáe's Fem the Future movement, which aims to encourage those who identify as women working in the media, cinema, and arts fields.
"It's really to highlight women's voices, and to say — hey — we're noticing that there is a gender gap. And there's not a lot of women who are behind the cameras. I'm in front of them, where are the producers? Where are the engineers? Where are we?" said Monáe.
"We're here. And we can compete at a high level, but we have to be given those opportunities."
With just under a month left to file taxes, Cheddar News is keying in on freelance workers and wants to provide some tips so those Americans maximize either their refunds or what they have to pay back to the IRS.
Meal-delivery startup Entrée raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed round. Jon Bell, co-founder and co-CEO of Entrée, joined Cheddar News to discuss the company's offerings that are prepared by Michelin-trained culinary teams.
Laxman Narasimhan took over as CEO of Starbucks about two weeks earlier than expected and will speak at the company's annual shareholder meeting on Thursday.
Stocks rose on Wall Street Monday after regulators pushed together two huge banks over the weekend and made other moves to build confidence in the struggling industry.
Two weeks earlier than expected, Howard Schultz stepped down as chief executive officer of Starbucks, and Laxman Narasimhan is taking over the global coffee chain.
The U.S. Federal Reserve is working with other central banks around the world to ensure dollars are available to stop any liquidity issues related to the ongoing crisis in the banking sector.
