Navigating the tech industry as women of color is already challenging, but when layered with other marginalized identities, the obstacles become even greater. Marianna Di Regolo (she/her) and Cat Perez (she/they), the married couple behind Famm, are proving that innovation, resilience, and community-building can create meaningful change in this space. Building a Platform for Inclusivity Famm was born out of a personal and community need. Created as a marketplace spotlighting LGBTQ+-owned e-commerce brands, Famm recently launched a social network app for LGBTQ professionals. “As I navigated my gender identity, I struggled
Here are five Black innovators we think are set to make significant moves in 2025. From health tech and biodesign to venture capital and the creator economy, these individuals are at the forefront of progress. They’re reshaping industries, launching transformative products, and empowering communities worldwide. Here’s a closer look at their work and why you should keep them on your radar. Amanda Spann – Empowering Non-Technical Founders Amanda Spann is a marketing consultant and app entrepreneur dedicated to empowering the Black tech community. Her most recent initiative, The App Accelerator,
In 2024, Black-owned businesses faced significant challenges, from rising costs and gentrification to limited access to funding. Amid these obstacles, communities around the world rallied to provide crucial support. Through flash mobs, crowdfunding, and organized shopping events, they helped Black-owned businesses weather financial hardships and highlighted the power of collective action. Here are four examples of communities stepping up to make a difference. The Sistah Shop – Atlanta Facing potential closure due to financial difficulties, The Sistah Shop, a retail space showcasing over 100 Black women-owned brands, received a lifeline from
When Nadia Odunayo sat down in January 2019, she had a choice to make: pursue her idea for a running app or dive into her passion for books. She chose the latter, and what started as a side project quickly evolved into The StoryGraph, a community-driven social cataloguing web platform for books. With Amazon-owned Goodreads dominating the market, The StoryGraph has become a refreshing favorite for readers looking for a more personalized experience. Revolutionizing Reading With The StoryGraph Odunayo, a Black British engineer and entrepreneur, built The StoryGraph to offer
Prequel, a platform tackling the challenges of application reliability through community-driven problem detection, announced it has raised $3.3 million in seed funding. The funding round was led by Work-Bench, with participation from Runtime Ventures, Operator Partners, and notable tech founders such as Shay Banon (Elastic), Jon Oberheide (Duo Security), Monica Sarbu (Xata), and Andrew Morris (GreyNoise). A Fresh Approach to Reliability Engineering Engineering teams face increasing challenges to deliver reliable services in complex software environments. From open-source dependencies to service misconfigurations, the issues can disrupt releases and inflate cloud costs
Memphis rapper GloRilla, born Gloria Hallelujah Woods, has funded a new tech-enabled media center at her alma mater, Melrose High School. On December 18, 2024, the Memphis native donated $25,000 to fund the creation of a modern, tech-enabled media center. This space, which will serve students and the surrounding Orange Mound community, will be named the Gloria H. Woods Media Center in her honor. “The fact that I have the ability to do it now warms my heart,” GloRilla said during her visit. A Media Hub for Literacy and Learning
Los Angeles-based moms Dr. Anndretta Lyle and Stacy Kirk, both leaders in education and technology, have joined forces to create Thrive Culture Box, an innovative subscription service for families with children aged four and up. Designed to celebrate and explore Black culture, the service provides monthly activity kits that combine hands-on learning with interactive digital lessons. Each box features engaging tools and materials, along with instructional videos that guide families in discovering Black history, achievements, and creativity. The Thrive Culture Box The debut series of Thrive Culture Box spotlights Black
John Hope Bryant, CEO of Bryant Ventures and Operation HOPE, has donated $1.8 million to support the entrepreneurial ambitions of 70 Albany State University (ASU) graduates. Each recipient will receive $25,000 and extensive business resources to launch their ventures. $1.8M Grant to Boost Black Entrepreneurship The selected graduates will receive financial backing and also a “special forces team” offering tools like free domain names, Shopify accounts, and access to legal and financial experts. ““They get a free domain name that they own, a free website that they own, a free
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has lodged criminal complaints in France and Belgium against Apple and its local subsidiaries, accusing the tech giant of benefiting from conflict minerals in its supply chain. In a statement, lawyers for the Congolese government allege that these “blood minerals” fuel violent conflict in the region, including atrocities committed by armed groups. Apple has denied the claims. Apple Accused of Covering Up War Crimes Eastern Congo is a major source of tin, tantalum and tungsten—the 3T minerals—which are widely used in electronics like computers
Players Health, founded by former athlete Tyrre Burks, has secured $60 million in Series C funding to expand its mission of ensuring safety in youth sports. Led by Bluestone Equity Partners, the funding round also included Mosaic General Partners, RPM Ventures, SiriusPoint, and TriplePoint Capital, bringing the total raised to over $100 million. A Former Athlete’s Vision for Change Tyrre Burks founded Players Health to address the challenges he experienced as an athlete playing Division II football team while attending Winona State University, then in Europe and the Canadian Football
