NBCUniversal and its parent company, Comcast, are under federal investigation over their DEI initiatives and practices. Investigation into DEI efforts at Comcast In a letter dated February 11, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it is investigating Comcast and its media arm, NBCUniversal, citing “substantial evidence” that they continue to promote DEI in violation of FCC regulations. The investigation follows President Trump’s executive order, signed on January 21, which ended DEI programs across the federal government and directed US agencies to encourage the private sector to do the same. FCC
Scoreplay, a media management startup, raised $13 million in a series A funding round. The round included notable investors such as NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, soccer star Alex Morgan, and Alexis Ohanian’s Seven Seven Six VC fund. The AI-driven platform provides tools that allow teams and leagues to automate the ordering and distribution of content. This clarifies what is usually a complicated process with different types of media spread over numerous software platforms. Scoreplay helps users discover content faster by accelerating new content production and streamlining delivery to athletes, broadcasters,
A Ghanaian fintech startup, Affinity Africa has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its financial products nationwide. Affinity Africa is a digital banking platform committed to providing Ghanaians with affordable and accessible financial services. Individuals and micro-enterprises are both supported by the Ghanaian fintech. Customers can access free savings and current accounts with no transaction limits, and users gain credit scoring based on their transaction history. Who is the founder of Affinity Africa? Founder and CEO Tarek Mouganie comes from a fourth-generation Ghanaian family of Lebanese descent. He gained
Apple Maps will rename The Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America to adhere to executive orders made by President Donald Trump, as stated by Bloomberg. The company will also introduce the name change to all users globally. This change was part of a series of over 100 directives and executive actions signed on Inauguration Day. One of these orders included renaming the Gulf of Mexico, which is made up of the US, Cuba, and Mexico, the Gulf of America. This came after Google made similar changes. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum had
OpenAI has deleted a page that used to highlight the company’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as first reported by TechCrunch. The now eradicated page had noted the company’s ongoing “investment in diversity, equity and inclusion.” The URL “https://openai.com/commitment-to-dei/” currently diverts to a “building dynamic teams” page, which references people with “different backgrounds” with no sign of the word “diversity.” Previously, the page had stated that OpenAI was dedicated to “continuously improving our work in creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.” When did OpenAI remove the page?
Ulu Ventures, reportedly the largest Latina-led fund in the US, has raised $208 million for its fourth fund. The fund supports seed-stage tech startups in the US using an inclusive, data-based approach that seeks to limit cognitive bias without shutting out any demographic group. This strategy has led to a more diverse portfolio than traditional venture investments. “Ulu is a beacon for the most talented entrepreneurial teams because we reduce bias by applying impartial methods of assessing risk and the same criteria to all people,” CEO, Co-founder, and Managing Director
DEI Under Fire is our monthly series that keeps you up-to-date on the latest DEI announcements and changes from the nation’s leading companies. The landscape of DEI has changed significantly over the past couple of months in the US. Some companies have succumbed to political pressure to roll back their DEI initiatives, while others stand firm in their diversity and inclusion stances. With so many changes to DEI in a short matter of time, it isn’t easy to keep up with where companies stand with DEI. This is why POCIT
Meta will start a round of layoffs in Africa, Europe, and Asia, affecting over 3000 employees, beginning Monday, 10 February 2024, according to Techpoint. Staff members in most countries (including Africa) will receive their notices from 5:00 am local time. Due to local labor laws, employees in Germany, France, Italy, or the Netherlands are excluded. But, staff members in Asia, Africa, and other parts of Europe could expect bad news between any time from February 11 and 18. This is not the first time Meta has scaled back its workforce
Shopify has removed Kanye West’s online shop because of the risk of fraud, not because it was selling swastika shirts, as stated by an internal staff announcement acquired by The Logic. Shopify’s general counsel Jess Hertz posted a message on Slack saying that West’s swastika-emblazoned T-shirt that was listed for sale was “a stunt” and “not a good faith attempt to make money.” She added that it “brought with it the real risk of fraud. It was for this reason that the store had been closed.” Shopify sells swastika shirts On
Black federal health workers have expressed fear after a right-wing group published the ‘DEI watch list,’ which published the images, names, and public information of numerous workers across different health agencies. NBC reported that the website is being shared among several private group chats of federal health workers across agencies and social media links, as stated by a government worker. The majority of the website’s employees are Black workers from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Dr. Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association,
