Tanya Morris, founder of Mom Your Business (MYB), is teaming up with Baltimore-based EcoMap Technologies to launch Foundery PHL, as reported by Technical.ly. The platform will help founders access the necessary tools needed to expand their businesses. Foundery PHL will host organizations like Enterprise Center, Startup Leader, and Women’s Opportunities Resource Center, providing resources and support for entreprenuers. Black women-led Businesses in the US Black and African American women-owned businesses are a driving force in the US economy, leading more than two million companies that employ over 647,000 people, according to the 2025 Wells Fargo Impact
Campus, a Black-owned community college startup, has acquired Sizzle AI, an AI learning platform founded by former Meta AI chief Jerome Pesenti, who will join as Chief Technology Officer. “Acquiring Sizzle accelerates our engineering roadmap by 2-3 years,” said Tade Oyerinde, founder and Chancellor of Campus, in a press release. “They’ve built the best AI team in education and their infrastructure is so far ahead of anyone else – it’s super exciting.” Rethinking the Community College Model In American higher education, community colleges serve as gateways for students aiming to
Every year, on the second Monday in October, the US commemorates Indigenous Peoples’ Day to honor and celebrate Indigenous communities’ rich cultures, traditions, and contributions. Here, we shine a spotlight on some remarkable Indigenous leaders, past and present, who are pushing the boundaries of tech and inspiring the next generation. 1. Mary Golda Ross Mary Golda Ross was part of the Cherokee tribe and a great-granddaughter of Cherokee Chief John Ross. Her work as an engineer led her to be the first indigenous person in the US space program. She
Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has raised concerns over the use of AI to recreate deceased public figures. Users have been generating AI videos of celebrities through OpenAI’s Sora app. The app, which launched in September, Sora 2 allows users to create videos from simple text prompts. The app was downloaded over a million times within five days of its release, according to the BBC. However, the app is now facing backlash from the families of deceased celebrities, including Dr. Bernice A. King herself. Blacklash over
Jaden and Willow Smith are partnering with Black-owned media company studio N LITE to produce and voice roles in upcoming films. The anime studio, which is based in the US and Tokyo, was founded by Christiano Malik Terry, a creative entrepreneur and filmmaker. “We are honored to collaborate with Jaden and Willow,” Terry told The Hollywood Reporter. They are pillars of this generation and talented storytellers at the zeitgeist of culture, art, fashion, music, and cinema. I can’t wait for the world to see what we have in store.” Jaden
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told his employees that the company will continue to sponsor H-1B visas and cover all associated costs after President Donald Trump’s new executive order imposed $100,000 fee on each new application. A H-1B visa allows employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in “specialty occupations” that require a degree or its equivalent. “As one of many immigrants at NVIDIA, I know that the opportunities we’ve found in America have profoundly shaped our lives,” Huang said in a memo sent to staff. Nvidia paying for the fees of
Black women only make up 0.7% of the UK’s technology workforce, according to the Tech Talent Charter Diversity in Tech Report 2023. With statistics being that low, it’s hard for Black women to believe that they can make space in an industry where they are often not seen. Nevertheless, Black women in tech do exist, and many of them are thriving. At this year’s Black Tech Fest, a panel discussion explored the structural barriers that prevent Black women from joining the industry. The panel titled “The Silent Code No More: Black Women
On Friday, October 9, Black Tech Fest (BTF) hosted its fifth annual festival, which brings tech professionals, creatives, and academics. BTF hosts a range of workshops and talks by some of the biggest names in the tech and creative industry. For the first time since its existence, the UK government declined BTF’s invitation to speak at the festival. BTF planned to ask the UK government questions related to biases in AI, mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, and the DEI pullback. As a festival that champions diversity and inclusion, it was
Pinky Cole Hayes has announced that Slutty Vegan is welcoming people to become franchisees of the company. Once a business becomes a franchise, it allows other people to sell goods through a licensing relationship. It also grants rights from one party to another. The new move will allow the business to expand. Cole hired former Planet Fitness and 7-Eleven exec Shawntel Daniels as franchise president, who has hinted that a high-profile celebrity will be the first franchisee. “I went to restructure on February 13, 2025, and then I repurchased the company
Uncle Nearest whisky company remains viable and should continue operating, according to the first quarterly report filed by a court-appointed receiver. “The Company has significant value and can be reorganized, as a going concern,” he wrote, emphasizing that a fire-sale liquidation is unnecessary. The lawsuit against Uncle Nearest The Black-owned brand was in dire straits, with disputes persisting over which assets fell under a federal receivership. The development came from a lawsuit filed by lender Farm Credit Mid-America, which claims Uncle Nearest, Nearest Green Distillery, and its founders, Keith and Fawn
