Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor are back with a fresh Rich Takes covering the Oscars, the Target boycott drama (over or no?), and a food city ranking that has New Orleans sitting exactly where it belongs.

First up: the 2026 Oscars. Sinners took home wins, but was it enough? Sevetri breaks down why she woke up the next morning still processing how the night played out, why Sean Baker's Best Supporting Actor win made sense, and a shoutout to prior Rich Lessons guest Takema Robinson and the team behind The Perfect Neighbor documentary for their Oscar nomination.

Then, Jamal Bryant declared the Target boycott over. The internet said absolutely not. Sheena and Sevetri unpack who actually started the boycott, why his announcement backfired immediately, whether Black consumers are still holding the line, and the moment Sheena almost broke for a limited Target fashion drop.

To close it out: viral food personality Walter Johnson, known as Mr. Tendernism, ranked his top cities for food — and New Orleans came in at number one. Sheena and Sevetri react to the full list, let the secret out about the Delta Mississippi food scene, weigh in on the Kansas City surprise, and Sheena shares her 2026 mission to find the best gumbo in New Orleans.

Topics covered:

• 2026 Oscars reactions | Sinners | Best Supporting Actor
• The Perfect Neighbor documentary | Oscar nomination
• Target boycott | Jamal Bryant | Black consumer activism
• Mr. Tendernism | Walter Johnson top food cities
• New Orleans food scene | Delta Mississippi | Kansas City BBQ
• Best gumbo in New Orleans | Keith Lee New Orleans festival

🎙️ Rich Takes is a quick-hit mini episode from the Rich Lessons podcast, hosted by Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor. Available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor are back with another rapid-fire Rich Takes — and they're not holding back.

This week, the co-hosts break down the Essence Fest 2026 headliner announcement (Brandy, Monica, and Cardi B), what it signals about the festival's comeback, and why Essence still holds cultural power for Black artists. Then the conversation shifts to rising gas prices, the Middle East conflict, and whether Western media is giving Americans the full story.

From there, Sheena and Sevetri dig into the February jobs report — 92,000 jobs lost, unemployment climbing to 4.4% — and why the economic pain people are feeling isn't showing up loud enough in the headlines. They get into billionaire tax avoidance, the accelerating wealth gap, and what it's going to take to close it.

And to close it out: the raw truth about Black women in venture capital. Why the funding gap feels different right now, why capital is the deciding factor between a good idea and a billion-dollar company, and what Sheena believes is happening to Black women entrepreneurs in the current investment climate.

Topics covered:

• Essence Fest 2026 | Brandy & Monica | Cardi B
• Gas prices & Middle East conflict
• U.S. unemployment rate | February jobs report
• Billionaire tax avoidance | Wealth gap
• Black women entrepreneurs | Venture capital funding gap
• Financial inclusion & AI
• Western media censorship

🎙️ Rich Takes is a quick-hit segment from the Rich Lessons podcast, hosted by Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson Taylor.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Black female founders are breaking their silence, and the internet has opinions.

This week on Rich Takes, Sheena Allen and Sevetri Wilson break down Hanifa's viral post about supply chain struggles and customer complaints, and ask the harder question: when does grace run out? Plus, is Anthropic actually the "good guy" in the AI wars against OpenAI and the government, or are we all just picking sides in an evil vs. evil match? They also get into Block's massive 4,000-person layoff, why Jack Dorsey likely saw this coming, and whether Big Tech's record-breaking profits while millions get laid off is a crisis that only universal basic income can fix. And yes, March Madness predictions are in. South Carolina Gamecocks, anyone?

Topics covered:

• Hanifa, supply chain issues & the grace we don't often give Black-owned businesses
• Anthropic's refusal to drop AI safety guardrails for the government
• OpenAI vs. Anthropic: growth at all costs vs. responsible AI
• Block's 4,000 layoffs & Jack Dorsey's "overhiring" memo
• AI regulation, tech running for Congress & UBI
• March Madness women's basketball picks

Rich Takes drops every Thursday — your weekly dose of business, tech, and culture.

On this week's Rich Takes — the quick-hit current events segment from the Rich Lessons Podcast — Sheena and Sevetri break down the biggest stories you need to know about right now.

First up: the Supreme Court ruled Trump's tariffs illegal, but before the ink dried, he doubled down with a 50% global tariff. The hosts debate whether corporations should be suing for billions when they already passed those costs onto consumers, and what this all means heading into the midterms.

Then the ladies weigh in on the Susan Rice and Netflix controversy — should she step down from the board to protect Netflix's bid to acquire Warner Brothers before it falls into pro-Trump hands? The answer might surprise you.

Plus, a massive shoutout to The Perfect Neighbor, the Netflix documentary nominated for an Oscar this year, and the team celebrates Sinners earning the most Oscar nominations of the year. But first, they can't avoid addressing the racial slur Tourette's incident at a recent awards show and what accountability should look like even when something is uncontrolled.

Wrapping up with prayers for everyone stuck in Mexico amid the violent cartel retaliation following the killing of a cartel leader.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Trump tariffs Supreme Court ruling 2025
• Trump 50% global tariff response
• Susan Rice Netflix board controversy
• Netflix Warner Brothers acquisition
• Paramount Trump connection
• The Perfect Neighbor Netflix Oscar nomination
• Sinners Ryan Coogler Oscar nominations 2025
• Tourette's racial slur awards show Michael B. Jordan
• Mexico cartel violence travel warning

New Rich Takes drops weekly. Subscribe, leave a review, and follow @richlessionspodcast for more.

Is AI actually changing the world, or are we living in a hype bubble? This week on Rich Takes, Sheena and Sevetri are breaking down the headlines that have everyone talking.

First, they dive deep into the AI debate that's taken over the internet from the viral article (“Something Big Is Happening” by Matt Shumer) comparing AI's impact to COVID, to the growing backlash from tech insiders calling it overblown. Plus, the dark side of AI no one wants to address: deepfakes, AI-generated personas fooling major blogs, and why regulation can't come fast enough.

Then, the Essence Festival crisis hits different. With $1.5 million in debt to the New Orleans Convention Center and vendors, is this the beginning of the end for the most iconic Black cultural event in America? Sheena and Sevetri unpack the ego, the misaligned strategy, and what it would actually take to save it.

And finally, why is anyone criticizing McKenzie Scott for giving away her money? They're setting the record straight on unrestricted grants, HBCU funding gaps, and the double standard nobody wants to call out.

No fluff. No filters. Just Rich Takes.

🎙️ Listen to the full Rich Lessons podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

Subscribe to Rich Lessons on Substack for Exclusive Business Insights and Resources. richlessons.substack.com

We're on a brief hiatus from our full-length, guest episodes, but we couldn’t stay quiet with everything happening in business, tech, and culture. In this Hot Takes edition, we break down the biggest headlines of the week — from our Super Bowl recap to the inside story on Khaby Lame’s reported $900M deal, MrBeast acquiring a new company, and what the tech bros are obsessing over in AI right now.

It’s sharp, unfiltered, and real-time commentary on the moves shaping money, media, and power.

We may be on hiatus, but the conversations don’t stop.

Subscribe to our Substack, Rich Lessons, and be sure to follow us here and wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a drop.

Subscribe to Rich Lessons on Substack for Exclusive Business Insights and Resources. richlessons.substack.com

Welcome to 2026, where AI is reshaping the workforce and VCs are changing the fundraising game. In this episode of Rich Takes, Sheena and Sevetri break down the biggest business trends impacting entrepreneurs right now, from widespread layoffs across industries to shifts in VC funding for startups (and beyond) to the must-attend tech conferences for maximum ROI.

We’re diving deep into the headlines shaping our world and our wallets, including:

• The 2026 Funding Reality: Why venture capitalists are prioritizing profitability and revenue over growth-at-all-costs.
• AI vs. The Workforce: How artificial intelligence is impacting jobs from Fortune 1000 companies (Saks, Washington Post, Universal) to small businesses—and what it means for founders
• Conference Strategy: How to get a real return on investment at events like South by Southwest (SXSW), AfroTech, and Tech Week.
• GovTech & Pop Culture: The impact of shrinking government and why Y Combinator is prioritizing AI for government , plus why cultural icons are speaking out on current headlines.

Topics Covered: startup fundraising, venture capital trends, pre-seed funding, seed rounds, AI impact on jobs, business conferences 2026, entrepreneur networking, alternative funding, GovTech, unicorn companies, revenue expectations

Subscribe to Rich Lessons on Substack for exclusive conference guides, funding pathways, and insider tips from two founders who’ve been in tech for 15+ years.

Rich Takes: Our weekly Thursday segment delivering unfiltered hot takes on the biggest headlines shaping culture, business, and your wallet in 15 minutes or less. Fast, sharp, and straight to the point.

Episode 44 | Sevetri Wilson Taylor (Instagram.com/sevetriwilson) and Sheena Allen (Instagram.com/whoisSheena) dive into a candid conversation on what it means to be a career-driven woman navigating love, marriage, and modern expectations.With women now outpacing men in education and marrying later than ever, Sevetri and Sheena unpack how ambition, earning power, and shifting gender roles are reshaping relationships. From the ego dynamics of out-earning a partner to why some women choose career stability before marriage or kids, they explore how today’s choices differ from the generations before them.Sheena shares how she went from imagining kids and marriage by 25 to building tech companies in her 20s, while Sevetri opens up about marrying in her mid-30s and being raised by strong, independent women. Together, they break down the double standards, societal pressures, and the real factors influencing why successful women are partnering later—or differently—than expected._______Show Notes:
(00:00) Intro — career-driven women & relationships(01:09) Women surpassing men in education(03:07) Why the average marriage age is now 32(04:12) Cost of living, kids & delaying family(05:17) The Tracy Ellis Ross “singlehood” narrative(06:17) Sheena’s childhood vision vs. entrepreneurial reality(07:42) Generational expectations around marriage & dependence(11:21) Divorce stigma then vs. now(13:19) Are men intimidated by successful women?(18:43) The dating pool for high-achieving women_______Rich Lessons Podcast // hosted by Sevetri Wilson Taylor and Sheena Allen• Subscribe to Rich Lessons on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-lessons/id1787798124) and Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/40jGSUvVrMbxKcJ1ghE8kl)• Watch and subscribe to Rich Lessons on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@RichLessonsPodcast)• Follow Rich Lessons on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/richlessonspodcast/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@richlessonspodcast)• Subscribe to the Rich Lessons Substack (richlessons.substack.com)