WHAT'S GOING ON?
My heart goes out to the family of Alex Pretti, a VA nurse who was fatally shot 10 times, murdered AFTER being disarmed by ICE outside a donut shop in Minneapolis. This was one day after up to 50,000 people marched in subzero weather to demand ICE leave their city after the fatal shooting of Renee Good.
Let’s be clear about what this is and isn’t., This is not a debate about deportation numbers. Presidents from both parties have overseen large-scale deportations, States like Texas and Florida have significantly higher undocumented populations than Minnesota. If policymakers really wanted to stop illegal immigration, enforcement would start with companies who knowingly hire undocumented workers.
What is happening is more political than procedural. The concentration of enforcement activity in blue cities, the escalation of force, and the rhetoric surrounding it raises real questions about intimidation, messaging and how power is being exercised ahead of midterms.This is a moment that deserves attention. How leaders, individuals and corporations respond now will shape public trust moving forward. Brands in particular should be thoughtful and live their values. Your audience is watching; silence or missteps in moments like this tend to linger far longer than companies expect.
To the Minneapolis companies - I know there are real costs to speaking up in this climate, but you can do better than this for all of your constituents - customers, employees, and global partners. This isn’t going away, anytime soon so sadly there is time for you to do better.
If you’re looking for a great way to Stand with Minnesota I liked this idea to support local and independent journalism, especially those led by people of color.
DAVOS
I had the opportunity to go to Davos last week during the World Economic Forum. For those who may not know know, think of it as the Super Bowl of finance, public policy, and deal-making.
There’s more to unpack than fits here, so I will be writing a separate What's Piqued Pinckney - The Davos Edition.
GO GET YOUR BAG, KHABY
Senegalese TikTok creator Khaby Lame, the most-followed creator on the platform, entered the next phase of creator commerce. He sold a part of his company Step Distinctive Limited to Rich Sparkle Holdings, for about $900 million.
The structure fascinates me. Rich Sparkle, a $56 billon dollar design, printing, and finance reporting company, now holds exclusive rights to Khaby Lane for three years across most categories, while Khaby gains an ownership position in the holding company itself.
His audio-free content works perfectly for a global audience, and with AI and the creation of digital twins, they can localize this content quite easily, but should they? I would tread lightly partnerships, longer-form content, live events and e-commerce feel like a smarter first step.
Either way, I’m curious to see the rollout and I hope it’s a success. It’sgood to see TikTok’s modern-day mime get this payday. Let’s hope Khaby’s legacy is as great and varied as Marcel Marceau’s
UGH…..YAY!
The Patriots are back in the Super Bowl. I hope they lose.
Regardless, Apple Music and the NFL have put together a musical lineup for the ages, with Bad Bunny, Brandi Carlisle, and Green Day amongst others. I can’t help but think they’re flexing the power of the shield in a time where choosing an artist is a political act. The NFL has plenty of issues, but culturally they got this one right.
Listen to the Spotify playlist inspired by this blog post!
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