This article is sponsored by TripleTen. For many, the path to a successful tech career is anything but linear. Colburn Sanders, now a Senior Software Engineer at New Balance, knows this all too well. From film student to software engineer Before becoming a software engineer, Sanders studied film, balancing creativity with the struggle for financial stability. That all changed when a programming elective shifted his focus. While Sanders had been fascinated by computers since childhood, “from the early days of AOL dial-up to tinkering with Myspace and experimenting with HTML
Y Combinator-backed startup DryMerge has raised $2.2 million in seed funding to bring automation to non-technical users through plain English chat. Expanding Automation Beyond Programmers Founded just a year ago, DryMerge initially focused on using AI to automate API integrations for developers. Now, the company aims to simplify repetitive tasks for users without coding experience. DryMerge allows users to automate workflows via plain English chat, bypassing the complexities of traditional no-code tools like Zapier or Make, which are still primarily used by people with coding experience. “We’re making the process
Every year, MIT highlights young leaders worldwide who are making a difference through research and entrepreneurship. This year’s innovators are tackling issues in biotechnology, the climate sector, robotics, and more. Chosen from hundreds of nominees by expert judges and the MIT Technology Review editorial team, these trailblazers are changing the future of science and technology. Here, we’ve highlighted some of the Black and Brown innovators featured on the MIT 2024 Under 35 List. Mireille Kamariza, University of California, Los Angeles Mireille Kamariza, 35, developed a groundbreaking test that detects tuberculosis
Intuit is hiring on POCIT. Dishanta Kpatrick is a Full Stack Software Engineer at Intuit Mailchimp with an unconventional career journey. When she’s not at work, she’s learning to roller skate, renovating her house, and finishing her Cybersecurity degree at Kennesaw State University. Dishanta first discovered her computing talent in high school but explored other paths before returning to it in 2012. She taught herself web design and development online, starting in Intuit’s tech support team and working her way up to an engineer. Now, she balances her job with
Wray & Nephew held their Wray Forward Pitch Night this week featuring a number of Black-owned businesses from AI music sampling to the world’s first Nigerian tapas restaurant in London. Wray Forward The Wray Forward Pitch Night saw six Black founders take to the stage to showcase their businesses and pitch to a panel of expert judges to secure grants to help their businesses grow. Part of the brand’s ongoing Wray Forward activity is in partnership with Foundervine – a program supporting Black businesses through funding, educational workshops, mentorship and
Luther C. McClellan, a member of the Memphis State Eight and the first Black graduate of the institution has passed away at the age of 83. A Historic Achievement McClellan made history in 1962 when he became the first African American to graduate from Memphis State University, now known as the University of Memphis. He was part of the Memphis State Eight, a group of African American students who integrated the university in 1959. This group included Rose Blakney-Love, Eleanor Gandy, Sammie Johnson, Marvis Kneeland Jones, Bertha Rogers Looney, Ralph
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston will honor Black mathematician Dorothy Vaughan and the women of Apollo with events on the eve of the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. The highlight will be the renaming and ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 19 to dedicate Building 12 as the “Dorothy Vaughan Center in Honor of the Women of Apollo.” The Legacy Of Dorothy Vaughan Vaughan, a pioneering mathematician, human computer, and NASA’s first Black manager, will be remembered for her groundbreaking work and leadership. She headed the National Advisory
Ron Simons, a tech executive turned Tony award-winning Broadway producer, died at the age of 63. Simons left his job as an executive at Microsoft to pursue his dream of acting, later becoming one of the few Black theatrical producers on Broadway. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the unexpected passing of our beloved, blessed, and highly favored friend, Ronald Keith Simons,” Simon’s production company, Simonsays Entertainment, wrote on Instagram. “Funeral details will be forthcoming.” Simons died on June 12, 2024. A spokesman declined to say where he
