AI is helping Latinos get on the property ladder. Latinos often face several barriers when trying to buy a home, such as meeting loan officers who don’t speak Spanish and not being able to fully understand what is being explained to them by loan officers. Federal housing agencies have started to switch to English-only services as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to make English the official language of the United States, according to The Seattle Times. The use of bilingual AI may help Latinos and other underrepresented communities during
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded $19.8 million to 12 projects across Detroit. One of the recipients of the grant is Black Tech Saturdays, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. Black Tech Saturdays allows creatives and tech enthusiasts to learn, innovate, and collaborate. The group will receive $2 million of the grant, which will be used to expand digital infrastructure, host events, enhance storytelling, and help unlock $10 million in income opportunities. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation grant Other recipients of the awards include the
Garage, an online marketplace selling specialized equipment commonly used in local government, raised $13.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Infinity Venture. Other investors included Benchstrength, Wayfinder Ventures, and FJ Labs, according to TechCrunch. Being a firefighter since age 15 meant that co-founder Martin Hunt knew the struggles of small communities with tight budgets buying fire equipment. In 2023, he asked a colleague about better options for fighters. “When I couldn’t find anything, it became clear that there was a need for a streamlined, nationwide marketplace for
Lion Forge Entertainment, the Black-owned studio behind a growing slate of diverse film and TV projects, has secured a $30 million funding round led by HarbourView Equity Partners, as first reported by Bloomberg. The Los Angeles–based studio, founded by David Steward II, son of billionaire tech entrepreneur David Steward, will use the capital to scale up production and expand its pipeline of original content. The Steward family, with an estimated net worth of about $8.7 billion, also invested and remain majority owners. Lion Forge develops and produces live-action and animated films,
A new social media platform designed for the Black community is set to launch. Byio – short for By Invite Only- is the first-ever SaaS, AI-forward social platform founded and owned by Black women, according to a press release. Byio is designed to build community. “Unlike traditional platforms that alienate and mistreat certain demographics, Byio is everything that all the others are not and can never be, because we prioritize authentic interactions, privacy, and user control,” it says on their website. A social media platform for and by Black women
Amid rising unemployment rates for Black women, many with disabilities are seeking self-employment, according to a new study from Georgia State University and Wayne State University. Published in June in the Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, the research analyzed US Census Bureau data, including responses from 91 Black women with physical or mental disabilities. Nearly 44% reported being self-employed. Why are Black women with disabilities turning to self-employment? Counselors who work with Black women with disabilities say the findings provide important insights, as employment is a “key social determinant
Serena Ventures participated in a series B investment round for the 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled. The round was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, and other investors included Warner Bros. Discovery and Alex Morgan’s Trybe Ventures. This latest investment brings the value of Unrivaled to $340 million, which is a historic figure for a young league. The basketball league is transforming women’s sports by offering female players six-figure salaries, according to Front Office Sports. Athletes earned $220,000 last season, compared to the average of $66,000 to $150,000 in the WNBA. About Unrivaled Unrivaled launched
ICE has recently spent approximately $4 million on facial recognition technology to investigate individuals it believes have harmed law enforcement officers, according to procurement records obtained by 404 Media. The records suggest that ICE is purchasing the technology to identify people who might assault the agency’s officers as they continue the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts. Continuous claims from authorities state that members of the public have assaulted or attacked ICE or immigration enforcement officers. But charges related to these claims have been dropped or lowered when it was highlighted
Iwnetim Abatek, an Ethiopian entrepreneur and assistant professor at MIT in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has been named to the MIT 35 Innovators Under 35 list. The annual list, published by MIT Technology Review, celebrates the world’s most promising young creators in science and technology. Abatek’s research focuses on sodium-ion batteries, a potentially cheaper alternative to lithium-based power for electric vehicles and grids. He’s also exploring ways to use underground heat and pressure to produce ammonia, a key fertilizer ingredient and potential green fuel, according to MIT
Global advertising agency 72andSunny is facing backlash after launching a new app that critics say mimics Spill, a Black-owned next generation social platform designed to put culture first. According to Kenya T. Parham, Spill’s Chief Growth Officer, 72andSunny’s Amsterdam office unveiled an app called SPIL*, which shares striking similarities with Spill. In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, the agency described SPIL as “a new type of news brand, made specifically for Gen Z in Europe.” Several Spill community members voiced their disappointment directly on the agency’s LinkedIn post before it was
