Rep. Ro Khanna of California is on a mission to connect students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities with high-paying tech jobs at leading Silicon Valley companies. Khanna is working with Jackson State University to inspire students at HBCUs to pursue careers at top corporate tech companies, beginning in his district – the 17th congressional district in California, according to WLBT Channel 3 News. He aims to engage Black Southerners in the digital revolution by learning about and working with artificial intelligence and technology. “There are ambitious students at our
When was the last time a social media platform made you feel positive about yourself? As much as we don’t want to admit it, most of us spend our days doomscrolling, which can have a negative impact on our self-esteem. The simplest solution would be logging off, but you can’t escape social media forever. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, social media often shapes who you are, as high social media usage is often linked to low self-esteem for young women. 17-year twins Avril Piera and Paris Ofe know about
Chowdeck, a food delivery startup based in Lagos, has raised $9 million in Series A funding. The equity round was led by Novastar Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, AAIC Investment, Rebel Fund, GFR Fund, Kaleo, HoaQ, and others. The fund will help the company expand in more cities in Nigeria and Ghana and roll out a quick commerce strategy aimed at speeding up grocery and local market deliveries, according to Business Insider Africa. “We’re thrilled about this round as it brings us closer to our vision of becoming Africa’s
Atlanta-based Gray Media, Inc., will acquire 10 television stations from Byron Allen’s media group for $171 million. The transaction would bring Gray into three new markets – Columbus-Tupelo, Mississippi; Terre Haute, Indiana; and West Lafayette, Indiana, according to a press release. It will also build the company’s presence in seven other markets, creating duopolies that will enable Gray to enhance its public service to their communities with expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming. Allen Media Group in debt In June, Byron Allen announced that it was selling
Airtel Africa Foundation has announced the launch of its ‘Tech For Her’ Program, an initiative giving young women across Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya skills in tech. The philanthropic arm of Airtel Africa plc will help women gain the necessary knowledge to thrive in industries such as Linux Administration, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics. Those eligible to take part in the program will complete over 100 hours of intensive training through a flexible learning model that includes weekend classes for working professionals and weekday sessions for non-working participants. The initiative aligns with
President Donald Trump has signed a new order that requires universities to share detailed data on the demographics of their incoming classes each year, according to The Independent. The order will allow Department of Education officials to see if universities are still using banned programs that support underrepresented groups. A fact sheet shared with The Independent by a White House official says Trump’s presidential memorandum to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon gives her permission to require “transparency” from higher education institutions receiving federal funds in the form of student aid with a “revamp” of
Morgan State University, a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution, has unveiled its autonomous wheelchair technology designed to help users navigate congested areas such as airports, hospitals, museums, college campuses, and military bases. Researchers and students spent the past five years developing the technology. How does the wheelchair work? The technology was demonstrated Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Airport). Passengers can retrieve the autonomous wheelchair through an app by scanning the QR code from the designated areas. To access the wheelchair, passengers will have to register or log into the app.
Lava Payments, a fintech startup founded by Mitchell Jones to transform AI-driven transactions, has secured $5.8 million in seed funding. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau and supported by Harlem Capital, Streamlined Ventures, and Westbound. Lava is a digital wallet that lets merchants use usage credits to facilitate transactions, according to TechCrunch. Why Lava Exists Jones launched the startup after leaving his previous Y Combinator-backed fintech startup, Lendtable, where he began experimenting with AI. While building a basic form-filling agent, he continued to experience the same issues. “I was using
Steven Bartlett is using AI to create and host his latest podcast. The Diary of a CEO star has launched “100 CEOs with Steven Bartlett,” an animated documentary-style series hosted by Bartlett’s AI voice clone. The series features high-profile business figures like Richard Branson and Elon Musk. While Bartlett writes the initial scripts, the rest of the production is handled by AI, Business Insider reports. His company, FlightStory Studio, used tech from AI firms Runway, ElevenLabs, and Wondercraft. Creating hosts using AI The “100 CEOs” show doesn’t shy away from the fact
Howard alumni Lawrence Blackmon and Roger Roman are the founders of LegalEase, a justice‑tech startup helping people find their expungement eligibility and file court petitions within minutes. Their Expungement.ai platform provides users with a conversational experience to discover their expungement through voice, web chat, or SMS text. Helping people find jobs and housing In the US, nearly 8% of adults and around 33% of African American men have a felony conviction, according to a 2010 study by the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. Additionally, a report by
