The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) has created a new tech fellowship to increase diversity in the industry. NIBIB aims to transform the understanding of disease and its prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment through engineering. Bringing new medical technologies to the marketplace is a long, expensive process that can be even more challenging for underrepresented entrepreneurs in biotech. Recognizing the need for more biotechnology innovators from underrepresented groups and building on its history of working with leaders in the biotech industry, NIBIB created the RADx Tech DIVE fellowship program.
ORO Impact, a social impact fintech company, has recently launched a down payment assistance (DPA) platform to transform homeownership throughout the US. ORO Impact The company addresses two national challenges, the first being down payment affordability has put homeownership outreach for many Americans. Secondly, employee tenure is at record lows as employers struggle to attract and retain employees. Homeownership currently reflects racial inequity, with rates for African American and Latino households lagging the national median by 22% and 15%, according to Black News. In many parts of the country, African American
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently funding several programs to address racism in environmental and civil engineering to make the field more diverse. According to the Daily Caller, the NSF also aims to train engineers representing Black and Latinx communities. The grants are part of a broader effort by the NSF to push racial equity in STEM. In 2021, nearly a quarter (24%) of the US workforce was employed in STEM. However, Hispanic workers represented 15%, and Black workers only represented 9%. NSF’s funds aim to change that as they are
A new study by Emagine Solutions Technology suggests that pregnancy apps lack key features to serve modern maternal health needs. Emagine Solutions Technology provides a new level of care for pregnant women by combining handheld ultrasound and remote patient monitoring software to improve maternal health outcomes. The platform was developed by Courtney Williams, who in 2021 won a second prize award for Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Initiative. The investment firm Black Ambition, founded by Pharrell in 2020, is dedicated to supporting Black and Latinx business owners. Williams told AfroTech about her complications following childbirth during the
In recent days, Elon Musk has drawn criticism from business, tech, and civil rights leaders for his disparaging tweets about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). DEI initiatives aim to rectify historical and ongoing discrimination by providing equal access and opportunities for underrepresented groups. However, South African billionaire and owner of Tesla, Space X, and X – formerly known as Twitter – has repeatedly labeled these efforts discriminatory and called for them to “die”. “DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it,” Musk said in a
Karat’s Brillant Black Minds has welcomed new partners to its program, joining investors such as Serena Williams, levelling the playing field for Black software engineers. Brillant Black Minds Brilliant Black Minds was co-founded in 2021 and launched as a solution for Black engineers lacking access and resources to excel in the tech industry. The Brillant Black Minds program aims to bridge this gap through mentorship, networking opportunities, and more. The program recently received investment from tennis champion Serena Williams to help aspiring Black engineers enter the tech industry and change the narrative. “We’re focused on
Beauty-tech company Myavana has announced a new retail partnership with retailer Ulta Beauty, along with investments from Prisma Ventures and BrainTrustFund. Myavana is the brainchild of computer scientist Candace Mitchell Harris. Harris founded the company in 2012 with the aim of revolutionizing personal and professional textured hair care through data-driven science and technology. With a deep understanding of the unique hair challenges of women of color and women with textured hair faces, Myavana introduced a suite of innovative textured hair care science and technology products. Read: Myavana Taps AI To Personalize WOC’s Hair Solutions Elevating
Seedstars Africa Ventures fund has received a $30 million capital commitment from EIB Global, an arm of the European Investment Bank. To launch the fund, the VC firm’s partners Maxime Bouan, Tamim El Zein, and Bruce Nsereko Lule teamed up with the Seedstars Group, tapping its infrastructure and market access in Africa. Seedstars Africa Ventures is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in high-growth companies active across Sub-Saharan Africa. Through initial funding of $8 million from the fund’s anchor investor, French private equity firm LBO France, the VC firm has already invested in four
Developer and entrepreneur Ida Byrd-Hill is the visionary behind the Life Culture Audit vision board app, helping the Black community set and achieve their career and finance goals. The power of visualization Ida Byrd-Hill knows firsthand how visualization can change your life. In 2017, she founded the cybersecurity and tech re-skilling firm Automation Workz 4 U, later named Automation Workz Institute. When investors refused to invest in her firm, Byrd-Hill decided to sell her Detroit residence, car, and retirement funds and enter voluntary poverty. Four years later, Byrd-Hill has managed to
Music artist will.i.am and Mercedes-Benz have launched MBUX Sound Drive – a new technology linking drivers’ music to how they drive. Connecting motion and melody Mercedes announced its latest state-of-the-art technology, which uses software that allows music to react to how the car is being driven, creating a relationship between the motion and the melody. MBUX Sound Drive interprets various driving dynamics – such as recuperation, acceleration, steering, and braking – and converts them into musical expressions. The new venture will launch this summer in Mercedes-Benz’s electric EQ models, will.i.am
