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PRESS ROOM: Natnael Belay ’20: Ethiopia’s New Bright Technology Star

NNPA NEWSWIRE — At Eastern, Belay studied Computer Science and Business Information Systems, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA in both majors! He also assisted with the development of the University’s web page. In addition to his academic achievements, Belay is also a great photographer.
The post PRESS ROOM: Natnael Belay ’20: Ethiopia’s New Bright Technology Star first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

November 2, 2023

Oakland Post

By Dwight Bachman

An Ethiopian proverb fits Natnael Belay ‘20 like a glove. It reads, “One who learns will eventually teach.” The proverb speaks to Belay’s personality, creativity, happiness, love, and zest for life. More importantly, it references his inquiring mind and love for education, and his strong sense of social responsibility. Belay’s life journey began in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, where he was born and raised. He fondly recalls viewing himself as a “nerd” in elementary and high school. Today, he is a widely respected and well-loved, leading Technology Program Manager for Google’s Android Jetpack Program in Cambridge, MA, where he shares his wisdom and keen knowledge of one of Google’s most significant products with colleagues and people across the nation.

“As a youngster, I spent most of my time in the library. I had a deep question about what reality is, and how our planet and universe came about. I wanted to become an astronomer. People made fun of me because they did not even know what an astronomer was. Nonetheless, I spent all of my time in the library reading, university-level physics and astronomy books.” Belay also credits his success in becoming the highest version of himself to date, to the emotional support of Mom and Dad. “My parents have instilled in me a deep sense of integrity and taught me to do everything that I do with passion. They have also been my biggest supporters with whatever endeavor caught my imagination.” Belay recalls a time when his mother would print research papers at her work and bring them home for him to read.

“We did not have an internet or a computer at home, so I would ask my mother to use her work computer at the Ethiopian Civil Service Agency to print articles discussing topics such as the theory of special relativity coined by Albert Einstein. On the weekends, my father would take me to one of the bookshops in a town called 4 Kilo, which was a prominent destination for books due to its proximity to Addis Ababa University. I firmly believe that experience of reading and inquiring gave me the framework to digest extremely complex topics and contribute to the advancement of those topics.” In 2015, Belay’s parents sent him to the United States, where he enrolled as an international student at Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, CT. “All the odds were against me—a new country, new language, and new culture. I felt isolated and homesick for Ethiopia. It took me a while to come out of my shell and get involved on campus. When I finally did, I met some amazing colleagues and friends.”

Belay got accepted into the University Honors Program, which enabled him to receive a full tuition scholarship. “The program is reserved for a small number of students, and I was the only international student in the program at the time. In the Honors Program, I authored a technical thesis, titled, “Network and Sentiment Analysis on Enron Emails.” The thesis used Python and Network Science Concepts to examine the public emails of Enron to perform Sentiment and Network Analysis. The research built a social network of Enron and helped understand the change in the flow and characteristics of information through time. Belay presented his research at the 2018 Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).

At Eastern, Belay studied Computer Science and Business Information Systems, and graduated Summa Cum Laude with a 4.0 GPA in both majors! He also assisted with the development of the University’s web page. In addition to his academic achievements, Belay is also a great photographer. Belay always gave back to his fellow students, serving as a Mathematics tutor, mentor, and resident hall assistant. He won numerous awards at Eastern and was a member of prestigious honor societies, including the International Computing Honor Society and the National Leadership Honor Society. Belay had so many job offers from high-tech companies across the nation that he didn’t know which one to take. In April 2020, he settled in Boston, where, after a competitive process, he secured a position as a program manager at PTC, Inc., a company with $1.93 billion annual revenue growing in the industrial CAD, IOT, and PLM segments.

Belay was hired as the lead program manager for the team among numerous candidates due to his program management and deep technical skills. He provided end-to-end support to the enterprise architecture team to define, initiate, scope, and deliver all software architecture programs early in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). “The architecture team was responsible for designing critical software that is used as part of the software supply to produce physical items that are part of the physical goods supply chain,” said Belay. “We were also responsible for innovating next-generation architectural improvements critical to client enterprises.”

In May of last year, Belay moved on, landing his current position across town at Cambridge-based Google Inc., a company with $256.7 billion annual revenue operating in the internet software industry. He is the lead Technical Program Manager of Google’s Android Jetpack program. Android Jetpack provides tools to allow Android app developers to write attractive, performant, and quality applications. Due to the criticality of Jetpack libraries in the mobile ecosystem, Google expanded to invest in creating more Jetpack libraries aimed at solving critical pain points experienced by developers. As part of the scaling, an experienced program manager with deep technical expertise was required to lead the Jetpack program end to end. Belay was chosen after a rigorous interview process that had 10 stages, where more than 20 other candidates were interviewed.

“I am responsible for spearheading the critical end-to-end pipeline of more than 200 Android Jetpack libraries to both internal teams (e.g Google Search, Youtube, GMail, and Google PlayStore), and millions of external developers (e.g Whatsapp) to build mobile applications that reach billions of end users.” As Jetpack’s lead Technical Program Manager, Belay has introduced numerous process improvements through automation. Among them, the most impactful is the mapping of Jetpack library releases with critical bug fixes included in them. The Python script Belay wrote analyzed all the changes submitted in the code base and mapped them to the issue ticket they correspond to. The script made that mapping easily discoverable, where developers can know what library version fixes their pain point with only one click.

Belay demonstrates deep technical and process innovation, along with superior communication management skills by effectively conveying the progress to 50+ senior leads, and devising risk mitigation plans accordingly. Of the more than 180,000 Google and Alphabet employees, only 5.3 percent are Black. Belay is breaking barriers in the tech industry and inspiring the next generation to do the same. He shares his opinions on different prestigious forums such as Dzone, and on podcasts like the InfoQ podcast (click on links), to discuss how to improve technology organizational efficiency and have a supportive and inclusive culture.

https://www.infoq.com/podcasts/organisation-open-source-community/?itm_source=infoq&itm_campaign=user_page&itm_medium=link

https://dzone.com/articles/building-and-sustaining-an-open-source-community-i

https://dzone.com/articles/streamlining-business-processes-with-google-apps-s

“At Google, I leveraged my native Amharic language skills to make Google’s Text-to-speech technology for Amharic more accurate, inclusive, and relevant. My goal is to continue to be a thought leader in my community, sharing and teaching others about certain best practices. In addition, I hope that my story and achievement inspire black youth to enter the tech industry.” Belay, an Eastern alumnus’20, has been invited back to campus twice to be a guest speaker on technical best practices. On Dec. 15, courtesy of an invitation from Patricia Reed, a leader in the Agile Project Management area, he will speak with UC Berkeley students about his experience, background, and how to lead transformational change in organizations.

“These interactions are rewarding experiences for me,” said Belay. “I learn from the challenges of students, and they, likewise, learn from me about my background, challenges, and crucial tips on how to make a positive impact on the world despite roadblocks. It is crucial to guide and mentor the upcoming generation of professionals and entrepreneurs, especially coming from someone who was in their shoes not too long ago.”

The post PRESS ROOM: Natnael Belay ’20: Ethiopia’s New Bright Technology Star first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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