Dr. Joyce F. Brown, the first woman and African American president of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), will step down at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Brown has led FIT, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, through 26 years of transformation since her appointment in 1998. Marrying Design and Technology FIT started as a place where European immigrants could learn and refine skills like embroidery, sewing, and tailoring. However, today, FIT is not just about fashion but about “marrying design and technology and
Africa’s push towards digital identity systems—promoted by the World Bank and UN agencies—has largely failed to deliver on its promises of democratization and development. A year-long investigation by Bloomberg and Lighthouse Reports has found that these systems have disproportionately benefited tech vendors instead of the public. The Push For Digital IDs Countries across Africa have implemented biometric data collection to establish national identity registries, aiming to fulfill the UN’s sustainable development goal of providing legal identity for all. However, in Uganda, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), digital
Women’s health company Perelel has acquired LOOM, a sexual and reproductive health information platform co-founded by Erica Chidi. Chidi, a doula and health educator, joins Perelel as a strategic advisor, where she will use her expertise to advance the shared mission of supporting women and people with uteruses through their reproductive health journeys. LOOM’s Journey In 2017, Erica Chidi and Quinn Lundberg founded LOOM to fill gaps in reproductive health education, particularly for diverse communities. LOOM offers regulatory-compliant guidance and personalized support throughout different phases of sexual and reproductive health,
Propelle, a new investment platform tailored specifically for women, launched on September 25 with an ambitious aim: to close the UK’s gender wealth gap. The platform, founded by 40-year-old Ayesha Ofori, a former Goldman Sachs Executive Director, empowers women to invest confidently and build wealth. Closing The Gender Investment Gap During her six years at Goldman Sachs, Ofori managed over £500 million ($663 million) in client assets and saw firsthand how the investment world primarily benefited the wealthy—and predominantly men. With the UK’s gender investment gap currently standing at £1.65
Emmy-winning actress Kerry Washington has invested in Spill, a Black-owned social media platform that aims to create safer spaces for historically marginalized groups, including LGBTQIA+ and people of color. Founded by two former Twitter employees, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown, Spill positions itself as a next-generation social platform that puts culture first. Kerry Washington Backs Spill With Spill, Washington is not only an investor but also an enthusiastic user. “In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, Spill stands out,” she shared
This article is sponsored by Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab The Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab (MSIVL) is proving that inclusion really does fuel innovation. Since 2017, Morgan Stanley’s in-house startup accelerator has helped over 100 companies raise over $200 million and reach a collective valuation of more than $1 billion. MSIVL provides early-stage technology and technology-enabled startups with $250,000, handpicked mentors, custom curriculums in finance, sales, and marketing, and a coveted opportunity to pitch to investors following their five-month accelerator participation on a Demo Day, setting founders up for
Uncap has launched Unconventional Capital, a new €30 million (USD 33.4 million) fund to provide early-stage African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with alternative financing. Backed by major institutions like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bayer Foundation, the fund will focus on high-impact sectors such as agriculture, climate resilience, and financial inclusion, driving economic development across Africa. A New Approach to Financing Based in Munich and Nairobi, Uncap has been working to close the capital gap for African businesses since 2019, using a remote, data-driven approach. The
While TikTok fights a potential US ban in court, Snapchat is seizing the opportunity to attract creators. Here’s what Snap’s feature announcements and new partnership with Issa Rae’s company, Ensemble, could mean for creators from underrepresented backgrounds. Snap Partners With Issa Rae Snap has ramped up efforts to make Snapchat the go-to platform for creators. During its NewFronts presentation in May, Snap announced a collaboration with Issa Rae’s new company, Ensemble. This partnership aims to expand Snap’s 523 Program, which provides creators from underrepresented backgrounds with $10,000 per month, 1:1
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has announced the launch of HBCUv®, a digital learning platform designed specifically for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The announcement came during the UNITE 2024 Summit for Black Higher Education, with six HBCUs signing on as founding members. A Platform Built by HBCUs for HBCUs HBCUv aims to provide a seamless digital experience that mirrors the supportive and culturally rich environment of HBCU campuses. The platform is the result of over 3,000 hours of research involving students, faculty, and staff and combines online
Workers of color made up 40.1% of the high tech workforce in 2022, comprising a share similar to the total US workforce, according to a new report from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). However, Black and Hispanic workers remain significantly underrepresented in the high tech workforce and sector, especially in senior roles, depsite growing numbers. The high tech workforce The high tech workforce refers to workers in 56 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations regardless of industry, for example, an engineer working at a nonprofit. Black high tech
