The Warner Music Group and Blavatnik Family Foundation Social Justice Fund has announced its first set of SJF Repertoire Fund grantee partners in the UK and Ireland. Among the grantees is Generating Genius Black Women Into Tech, a UK-based program supporting Black women studying computer science, mathematics, physics, or engineering subjects interested in pursuing a tech career. The SJF Repertoire Fund The SJF is a $100 million fund established in June 2020 in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. It invests in organizations around the globe that build more just
Return to office (RTO) rewards could cause further exclusion for marginalized and underrepresented groups, a new KPMG survey has found. Return to office rewards KPMG’s 2023 CEO Outlook report included more than 1,300 global CEOs sharing their views on geopolitics, RTO, and AI. The report found that the majority of CEOs (64%) are anticipating a full RTO in three years, with 9 in 10 (87%) saying they are likely to reward employees who make an effort to come into the office. The rewards would include favorable assignments, raises, or promotions.
Fei-Fei Li, the Stanford professor dubbed the “godmother of AI,” recently urged President Biden to aggressively fund more AI research and public projects. Unlike many of her industry peers, Li does not fear AI’s existential risks. Instead, she told Bloomberg it’s better to address the issues right here and right now before they escalate. The ‘godmother’ of AI Fei-Fei Li is a computer scientist, AI Researcher, professor at Stanford University, and Author of “The Worlds I See.” After moving from China to New Jersey at the age of 15, she
A new content series puts HBCU students in conversation with actor Lance Gross, The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler, and Kimberly Bryant. The three-part series, The Futurist, results from a collaboration between One Solution, Urban One’s branded solution division, and AT&T Dream In Black. AT&T Dream In Black is a platform that recognizes and celebrates an esteemed class of 25 HBCU students making a difference in their community and campus. “The Futurist” The Futurist is a three-part series that pairs HBCU students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and
Minority-owned local businesses performed better and boosted business among white consumers when they revealed their race on digital platforms such as Yelp, a new study has found. The study was co-authored by Harvard Business School Professor Michael Luca, Abhay Aneja at the University of California-Berkeley, and Oren Resehf of Washington University in St. Louis. Yelp’s Black-owned business label They analyzed Yelp’s new “Black-owned business” label feature online. The label aims to support Black entrepreneurs by increasing the visibility of Black-owned businesses among consumers who rely on Yelp for information. The
Global Tech Advocates (GTA) Black Women in Tech has partnered with UN Women to release the world’s first interactive historical map illustrating Black women’s untold stories and impact worldwide. GTA Black Women GTA Black Women in Tech is a not-for-profit global organization based in London, UK. They are dedicated to building bridges of opportunities in tech by enabling Black women to excel and companies to have access to Black women of talent. They recently released The Voices in the Shadow, Volume 3 – a book showcasing the journeys of more
A survey by the Black Innovation Alliance reveals that Black entrepreneurs are creating more wealth through digital businesses, closing the gap usually faced. Black Innovation Alliance (BIA) reported that the survey findings breathe new life into their belief that the digital economy could serve as a leveler for the Black community. Black people receive approximately 1% of venture capital funding, although they comprise 13% of the US population. However, the findings show that emerging technologies will create new wealth and digital worlds for the Black community. Black Liberation and the
Wellington Access Ventures (WAV) has raised $150 million for its debut, with the backing of limited partners, including state pension plans and banks. Led by four Black investors, WAV seeks to become a go-to investor for early-stage founders from underrepresented backgrounds. Wellington Access Ventures Founded in 2021, Wellington Access Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of Wellington Management, based in Boston, Massachusetts. Investors include the fund’s leaders, Jackson Cummings, Frederik Groce, Van Jones, and Sasha McKenzie. All four investors were involved in some capacity in BLCK VC, the non-profit
Black Girls Code (BGC) has announced international storyteller Cristina Jones as their new CEO. Black Girls Code BGC is a nonprofit organization that focuses on engaging African American girls and other youth of color with computer programming education to nurture their careers in tech. The organization offers computer programming, coding, website, robot, and mobile application building, intending to place one million girls in tech by 2040. Founded in 2011, the organization ignites interest, activates potential, and nurtures careers in tech for girls and women of color ages 7 to 25.
Clean energy company Husk Power Systems has raised $103 million in equity and debt to launch over 1,000 new solar minigrids, electrifying rural Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia communities. Solar mini-grids Husk Power Systems Husk Power is the leading rural energy services company in weak-grid and off-grid communities in Africa and Asia. The company was founded in 2008 to provide reliable power to rural communities and businesses from renewable energy sources at affordable prices. The company does this through solar minigrids – a set of small-scale electricity generators and energy
