Coalition to Back Black Businesses, co-founded by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, American Express, and four leading national Black business organizations – announced the 491 Black-owned small businesses that have been awarded funding. The organizations, which are based across 39 states, were each awarded a $5,000 grant as part of a multi-year grantmaking and mentorship initiative. The recipients will be eligible to apply for enhancement grants of $25,000, which will be provided to a select number of 2021 grantee recipients in July 2022. The group itself was formed back
Across industries, there’s a growing demand and prevalence of mentorship programs, but for people of color who are carving their own paths, mentors remain difficult to find. Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers are among the most valuable, fastest-growing, and highest-paying in the country, yet Latinas account for only 3% of the industry. That’s why we want to make sure you have the right resources and knowledge to help you land your dream gig. Latinas in Tech was founded in 2014 by Gretel Perera and Rocío Medina with the hopes of creating
Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson is a phenomenal woman with an amazing track record. She graduated with excellent grades in high school, then entered the popular Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as one of 20 African-American students there. Jackson arrived at MIT in the fall of 1964 as one of just a handful of Black students. Later – in 1976, Dr. Jackson joined the Theoretical Physics Research Department at AT&T Bell Laboratories. At Bell, Dr. Jackson conducted a number of successful theoretical physics experiments and made breakthrough scientific research that enabled others to
Over the last year, I have been on the lookout for Latina founders, and I found them through Google searches, Twitter threads, and referrals. So this week, we’re taking a look at some amazing Latina entrepreneurs in tech and highlighting the work they’ve been doing for the past few years. I’ll aim to do a shortlist every week. Let’s go! Agustina Sartori, founder of GlamST, GlamST’s proprietary technology allows people to try on makeup through AR, representing the finishes, color, and texture of the products in a highly realistic and accurate
Angela Majette, a Bronx native, worked as a legal consultant for years before launching her own organization dedicated to helping her community. Her years of experience in the field allowed her to witness firsthand the struggles Black founders on their entrepreneurship journey experienced when it came to getting good counsel for a reasonable price. The struggles experienced by minorities – especially the Black community is what led her to launch Black Connect, an organization that aims to support Black-owned businesses with pro bono legal support and establish solid legal footing. Launched
Award-winning tech diversity champion Ezechi Britton has been appointed an MBE in the 2022 New Year Honours list for his services to Diversity and Young People. It comes years after Britton was named Venture Capitalist of the Year at the Inclusive Tech Alliance (ITA) Awards for his commitment to underrepresented founders and his “impressive transition from software development to venture capital”. Britton is the co-founder of Code Untapped, a social enterprise set up to increase the number of people in tech from ethnic minority backgrounds. The firm provides crucial training
Microsoft has finally shared an update on promoting racial equity in the US by investing in and working with Black and African American-led financial institutions, suppliers, and partners. It reports that it has reached its goal of committing $100 million to mission-driven banks, which provide capital to diverse communities. The giant has also beat its target of doubling the percentage of transactions it conducts with Black and African American-owned financial institutions. As part of its Black Growth Partner Initiative, Microsoft created $50 million funds to invest in small businesses and startups
Internal documents, obtained by the Brennan Center for Justice through public records requests, show that a Polish tech firm with no law enforcement experience helped the LAPD collect tens of thousands of tweets related to Black Lives Matter and racial justice protests. Why? Well, we aren’t sure why the force felt it necessary to track the tweets or why it used an external firm based miles away. But according to recent media reports – the department conducted a one-month trial of social media monitoring software from Edge NPD. This company typically
Zindi is the first data science competition platform in Africa. It hosts an entire data science ecosystem of scientists, engineers, academics, companies, NGOs, governments, and institutions to solve Africa’s most pressing problems. The company recently raised a $1 million seed round, led by San-Francisco-based VC firm Shakti, with Launch Africa, Founders Factory Africa, and five35. How does the startup work? The firm announces challenges and invites its community of data scientists to take part in solution-finding competitions. Participating data scientists submit their solutions, and the winner gets a cash prize. The competition was
The climate of today means if you want to reach a widespread audience you need to utilize social media. One key tool for founders and those looking for new tech opportunities is Linkedin – it’s the place to go for job offers, meeting potential investors, building your company and personal brand, and networking. With more than 774 million members and its focus on business, LinkedIn offers a valuable opportunity for industry professionals to support their businesses marketing goals. From my experience, it seems to be the best place for building connections with
