During a recent speech at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York faced backlash after making controversial comments that that Black children in the Bronx don’t know what a computer is. A misstep at the Milken Conference Governor Hochul made the remarks while discussing her new AI initiative aimed at enhancing technological access in low-income areas. “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word computer is,” she said. “They don’t know, they don’t know these things.” This
Ronald Yancey, an engineer and the first Black graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, presented his granddaughter Deanna Yancey with her master’s degree from the same institution nearly six decades later. Deanna Yancey recently received her master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering. A Legacy of Courage and Determination Ronald’s journey to Georgia Tech was marked by resilience. The school initially rejected him, leaving him to attend Morehouse College, where he majored in math and physics. Despite the absence of an engineering program at Morehouse, his determination did not waver. He
Backpack Healthcare, an online pediatric mental healthcare provider, has announced a $14 million Series A funding round. Backpack Healthcare Backpack Healthcare, formerly Youme Healthcare, is a tech company that offers an app and teletherapy services designed to provide accessible and inclusive mental health support for young individuals. Led by founder and CEO Hafeezah Muhammad, Backpack Healthcare aims to make a positive impact on the lives of children and adolescents struggling with mental health challenges. With studies finding that 1 in 6 children have a mental, emotional or behavioural health disorder, along with more than
Pinky Cole Hayes, renowned for her ventures Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan, has gifted the 2024 graduating class of Savannah State University a $8.75 million “Entrepreneurial Starter Pack.” The initiative is designed to equip graduates with the essential tools and resources for their entrepreneurial journeys. The gift, which is a collaboration with Operation HOPE and One Million Black Businesses (1MBB), includes a range of resources to nurture and scale Black-owned businesses. During her speech to the graduates, Cole Hayes, a 2023 TIME 100 Next honoree, outlined the components of the entrepreneurial package. Comprehensive Support For Aspiring Business
The latest U.S. jobs report found that while overall job creation has begun to slow, the unemployment rates for Black workers have shown notable improvement, according to Fast Company. An Overall Decrease In Jobs Employers added 175,000 jobs in April, a deceleration from previous months. Yet, this slowdown comes after an unprecedented streak of low unemployment rates, remaining under 4% for 27 consecutive months—the longest stretch in over half a century. The overall unemployment rate experienced a slight increase to 3.9%, yet this minor increase doesn’t signal a weakening labor market.
Black-owned music tech startup AudioStrip has won grant funding from the British government’s ‘AI in the Music Industry‘ Innovate UK fund. AudioStrip AudioStrip is a free online tool musicians use to split vocals from the backing music in audio files. It uses AI and Deep Learning, trained on large music datasets, to give users the best results and allow them to separate music quickly. The website uses the music source separation results from research. It is intended to make the AI models easier to use for musicians without requiring them to have
Professor Rose-Margaret Ekeng-Itua has become the world’s first Black woman to hold a PhD in Cybernetics, according to The Citizen. A PhD In Cybernetics Ekeng-Itua earned a degree in Cybernetics from the University of Reading in the UK under the supervision of her first PhD supervisor, Prof. Kevin Warwick, also known as Captain Cyborg. Cybernetics is the science of how information is communicated in machines and pieces of electronic equipment, compared with how information is communicated in the brain and nervous system. “Every challenge became fuel for my determination,” she said in an
Actor, writer, and comedian Issa Rae is launching a new company, Ensemble, to connect brands with diverse creators. Ensemble Connecting Brands With Diverse Creators Ensemble is a next-generation branded entertainment company bringing production and distribution infrastructure to a diverse group of creators. The company collaborates with brands, platforms, and publishers to produce and distribute content that shapes culture while engaging audiences. Their primary mission is to make the creator economy more equitable for underrepresented creators, as research has previously found that Black creators, on average, made 35% less than white creators. Ensemble is funded
Nigeria has launched its first multilingual Large Language Model (LLM), announced Minister Bosun Tijani of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. The initiative took place following a comprehensive four-day AI workshop in Abuja. The multilingual LLM is developed with local AI firm Awarritech, global tech entity DataDotOrg, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR). Capitalizing on a Growing Market With predictions from Statista that the AI market could reach $890 millon in 2024 and expand to $8.75 billion by 2030, Nigeria’s investment
Through venture capital, Ohio has gave $86 million to early-stage tech companies in women – minority-owned or underserved areas. The money comes from the federally funded State Small Business Credit Initiative Venture Capital program and will be invested in 11 professionally managed funds. Ohio Funding These funds are aimed at investing in companies focused on things such as health care, manufacturing and food technologies. The funds were eligible to apply for between $5 million and $10 million. “These awards will help spur innovation by fostering a diverse entrepreneurial ecosystem and accelerating the
