Orka, a Chicago-based health tech firm, is redefining the hearing aid industry with its innovative Orka hearing aid. Founded in 2018 by Ben Sun, Chauncey Lu, Linkai Li, and Xinke Liu, Orka aims not only to enhance hearing but also to make hearing aids as user-friendly and desirable as AirPods. Birthed from personal experience During a family visit to China in 2017, Ben Sun, CEO, observed his grandmother struggling with her hearing. He told Forbes that after spending $1000 on hearing aids for her, she stopped using them after a
This article was originally published by Carla C. Whyte on Medium. I transitioned from classroom teaching to a remote role in Customer Success in approximately three months. My role was ‘no-code’, meaning I did not need to learn to code in order to be considered for it. I’m naming that my role was ‘no-code’ because there is still some confusion for many people not yet in “tech”, that “tech” is a role. By itself, “tech” is not a role — it is an industry. Much like other industries — healthcare, automotive,
Black Tech Saturdays is an initiative amplifying Black representation in technology, originated from the vision of Detroit-based couple Johnnie and Alexa Turnage. Inspired by the tech ecosystem in Baltimore and guided by the equitech framework, the Turnages expanded their mission to cultivate wealth and community for Black tech professionals. This movement is not just about fostering professional connections; it embodies the pursuit of “Black joy” – the freedom to pursue dreams with creativity and impact. The Detroit-Baltimore Connection With a background in grassroots organizing and influenced by Dug Song, co-chair of
In 2023, the tech industry witnessed both advancements and persistent challenges concerning the experiences of Black and Brown individuals. Some companies are making strides in diversity and inclusion efforts, incorporating initiatives such as mentorship programs and targeted hiring practices. However, the sector has grappled with the complex intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) issues and ongoing legal battles against affirmative action. Concerns regarding biased algorithms and AI systems perpetuating discrimination have prompted discussions about the ethical use of technology in hiring and workplace practices. However, no matter how good or bad
Implementing artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace could widen the racial wealth gap between Black and white households in the US by $43 billion, research has suggested. McKinsey & Co. stated that generative AI (gen AI) has initiated a seismic shift in work and value creation. When this happens, and a new technology appears, it can create or exacerbate divides, including the racial wealth gap. They explored how many gen AI may affect Black communities and Black workers. A Divide In Black And White Households The research found that new
Breakr, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) alumni-founded music platform, has raised an additional $1.9 million. Breakr is reshaping influencer collaboration through its SaaS platform designed explicitly for record labels, artists, and brands. By enabling creator-to-creator relationships at scale, labels and brands can move at the speed of culture, and creators can get paid fairly for making it happen. The Three-Sided Marketplace Breakr’s unique selling point is that it effectively treats the basic concept of connecting creators to build influencer campaigns as a programmatic opportunity. The company recently came
The University of Washington’s recent study on Stable Diffusion, a popular AI image generator, reveals concerning biases in its algorithm. The research, led by doctoral student Sourojit Ghosh and assistant professor Aylin Caliskan, was presented at the 2023 Conference on Empirical Methods in Natural Language Processing and published on the pre-print server arXiv. The Three Key Issues The report picked up on three key issues and concerns surrounding Stable Diffusion, including gender and racial stereotypes, geographic stereotyping, and the sexualization of women of color. Gender and Racial Stereotypes The AI
The nation’s leading science and education organizations have partnered to launch the Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech, paving the pathway in tech education and careers. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched the action collaboratively alongside 35 other institutions representing higher education, national laboratories, and government. Action Collaborative The action collaborative is guided by the findings and recommendations from the 2022 consensus report Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech. Using an intersectional approach, the collaborative aims to transform the pathways in tech
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Raises Alarm Over Disproportionate Layoffs Of Black Tech Workers In Letter
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has written a letter to the US Department of Labor addressing the disproportionate layoffs of Black tech employees. African American Lee and several other Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members wrote the letter to Julie Su, the acting secretary of the US Department of Labor. Black Tech Employee Layoffs According to the letter, since the beginning of 2023, more than 240,000 tech workers have experienced layoffs, which is a more than 50% increase from 2022. Lee found that minorities and women make up most of the year’s tech layoffs. “We write to express
Anguilla, an internally self-governing overseas territory of the UK, is making £3 million ($3.8M) per month from its .ai domain. Anguilla, the British territory in the Caribbean, has fewer than 20,000 people on the island. However, its code top-level domain (ccTLD) is wanted by many for AI startups. “I knew way back that .ai could end up being used for AI, that it could be valuable someday. But it was a question of when right?” Vincent Cate, president at DataHaven.Net Ltd, which handles sales of the .ai domain for the
