Sage, The BOSS Network, and Swoop have unveiled a new training and mentorship program to support Black women entrepreneurs in Atlanta. Sage is a small and medium-sized business accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology leader. The BOSS Network, founded by Dr. Cameka Smith, is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through conversations or online and event-based networking. Swoop is a global fintech company specializing in funding solutions for businesses, and together, the three have created the Pathways to Success program. Challenges Black Women Founders Face The program was
Uber has hired Snaps Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Oona King as their new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Meet Oona King Oona King is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) executive with over twenty years of experience. King has made her mark in several companies, including the Chief Diversity Officer at Channel 4 for over seven years, Global Director of Diverse Marketing at YouTube, and Director of Diversity Strategy at Google. She also became the second Black woman elected to the British Parliament in 1997 and was an advisor
Heex Technologies has completed a seed round of €6 million ($6.5M) to support those in tech to exploit AI’s formidable capabilities while reducing its carbon footprint. Heex Technologies Heex Technologies is a startup that accelerates AI development by enabling engineering teams to extract the most value from their data. Heex provides customers with a platform that allows them to target relevant data and share it with the right users for purposes such as supervision, system monitoring, or continuous software improvement. Founded in 2019, the startup initially focused on autonomous vehicles. However, new
Latimer Ventures has announced plans for a mini-accelerator, Latimer House, for Black and Latinx founders to strengthen businesses, attract investment, and build a network. In honor of Lewis Latimer, Luke Cooper founded Latimer Ventures in 2022. The venture capital firm is focused on helping the next generation of Black and Hispanic enterprise SaaS unicorns. Latimer House Latimer House is an 8-week intensive program for Black and Latinx founders, aiming to help them get to their next growth stage, whether that’s funding or their first enterprise customer. The program also aims to help founders gain
The ALIVE Podcast Network has partnered with Barometer to revolutionize monetization opportunities for Black creators and media owners. The ALIVE Podcast Network is the first Black woman-owned podcast network to develop proprietary technology to amplify Black voices while ensuring creators retain ownership of their content. Barometer is an AI-powered platform for contextual targeting and brand suitability in audio advertising. Stereotypes About Black Content Brand suitability and safety technologies have been known to play an essential role in safeguarding advertisers. However, they have long been associated with disproportionately impacting creators from diverse backgrounds. For example,
A group of 18 senators sent the Department of Justice (DOJ) a letter raising concerns about the agency’s funding and oversight of what they called “frequently inaccurate” facial recognition software. The group highlighted that law enforcement has widely used facial recognition and other biometric technologies. However, they stated that these technologies can be unreliable and inaccurate, especially concerning race and ethnicity. The senators, led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin and Sen. Raphael Warnock, suggested that the DOJ funding for the deployment of the technology is potentially a problem. They also
Spelman College has made history on its 100th birthday as the recipient of a $100 million donation: the largest-ever single gift to a historically Black college. The college is based in Atlanta and is a historically Black liberal arts college for women. The donation came from businesswoman and philanthropist Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston – the chairman of the wealth management company Greenleaf Trust. Stryker has been a Spelman College Trustee since 1997 and a member of Harvard Medical School’s board of fellows member. She is also the granddaughter
Young Black people are more likely to invest in stocks than their white counterparts, according to a recently published survey by Ariel Investments and Charles Schwab. The survey, conducted in 2022, found that 68% of Black respondents under 40 invested in the stock market, compared to 57% of white under 40s. More Black Americans Investing In Stock The 2022 survey compared Black and white survey respondents with an average household income of $99,000 and $106,000. The study found that overall, the stock market participation is higher among younger Black Americans,
BlackRock Inc. has agreed to purchase Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which Adebayo “Bayo” Ogunlesi co-founded, for around $12.5 billion. BlackRock Inc. Purchases GIP GIP is a leading global independent infrastructure fund manager. They target infrastructure businesses and assets in the energy, transportation, digital, water, and waste sectors, where they believe their expertise and relationships provide a competitive advantage. It was founded in 2006 and has grown to be one of the world’s largest infrastructure investors, managing $100 billion in assets on behalf of its global investor base. Along the almost 20-year history
The risk of maternal death from 2019 to 2021 was statistically significantly almost four times higher among Black women and women of color compared with white women. Black women are generally at a greater risk of maternal mortality compared to white women, with many reporting negative experiences before, during, and after pregnancy. We have compiled a list of Black and woman of color-owned apps or platforms that benefit these women during and after pregnancy. Villie – Kimberly Jolasun Villie is on a mission to support expecting and new moms through
