Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms, has paused its Talent x Opportunity (TxO) fund which was created to support founders from underserved backgrounds. The move, first reported by TechCrunch, includes layoffs of several staff members from the TxO team. On October 16, participants received an email from Kofi Ampadu, the a16z partner who led TxO, announcing the pause: “While [TxO’s] purpose has not changed, we are pausing our existing program to refine how we deliver on it.” The Talent x Opportunity Fund a16z launched
This episode is sponsored by DeleteMe. Get 20% of DeleteMe at joindeleteme.com/techish with code TECHISH. This week on Techish, hosts Michael and Abadesi breakdown Amazon’s cutting 10% of its corporate workforce, the future of HR in tech, why networking and referrals matter more than ever, and leaving a toxic workplace. And for the Patreon folk, did Mango founder Isak Andic fall to his death or was he pushed? Chapters 00:30 Amazon Lays Off 30,000 Employees14:22 Why Referrals Are Key to Beating the Job Market19:10 Exit Interviews at a Toxic Company24:31
Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett’s company Steven.com, which houses his creator media assets and ventures, has closed an eight-figure funding round to build the “Disney of the creator economy.” The round, reportedly the largest of its kind for a creator holding company in Europe, was led by Slow Ventures and Apeiron Investment Group and puts his company’s valuation at $425 million. Bartlett, best known as the host of The Diary of a CEO podcast and a former Dragons’ Den investor, shared the news on X (formerly Twitter). Building the Platform for the Next Creator Era Founded
CBS News has disbanded its race and culture unit as part of sweeping layoffs at parent company Paramount Global that began on Wednesday. A former CBS News producer has accused the company of “race-based layoffs.” Mass Layoffs and Restructuring Last week, Paramount began laying off about 1,000 US-based workers, with plans to eliminate another 1,000 roles in the coming months. The 2,000 layoffs represent roughly 10% of the company’s global workforce. In a memo to employees, CEO David Ellison described the cuts as necessary to eliminate redundancies and “phase out roles that are no longer
Best-selling author, attorney, and founder of Hello Seven, Rachel Rodgers, is inviting the public to help fund her latest project — The Rachel Rodgers Show: Entrepreneurship, Uncensored. The new travel-meets-business TV series will spotlight people turning their ideas into successful businesses. “In it, we talk money. We talk mindset. We talk strategy, food, art, culture, our challenges, and community. Because that’s what entrepreneurship really looks like,” Rodgers says on her Kickstarter page. The Rachel Rodgers Show: Entrepreneurship, Uncensored The Rachel Rodgers Show strips away the glossy myths of entrepreneurship to reveal
Sequoia Capital’s chief operating officer, Sumaiya Balbale, stepped down from her role after partner Shaun Maguire made comments she considered Islamophobic, the Financial Times reports. In July, Maguire posted comments on X about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, stating he “comes from a culture that lies about everything. It’s literally a virtue to lie if it advances his Islamist agenda.” Maguire later said that his critique was targeted only at Islamism (the political ideology) rather than the whole Muslim population. Sumaiya Balbale leaves Sequoia Capital Balbale, who is a
Africa’s wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote —the richest Black man in the world —has reached a net worth of $30 billion as of October 23, 2025. His net worth’s last valuation change is more than $430 million, according to Bloomberg’s index. A few weeks ago, Bloomberg index stated that Dangote’s net worth was $29.6 billion, $400 million away from entering the $30 billion club. About Aliko Dangote Aliko Dangote is the founder and chairman of Dangote Cement, Africa’s largest cement producer. He also founded Dangote Refinery, the largest petroleum refinery in Africa.
Afua Kyei, Chief Financial Officer at the Bank of England, has been named as the most influential Black person in the UK. The annual list, conducted by Powerlist, highlights the most powerful people of African, African-Caribbean, and African-American heritage. As CFO, Kyei leads financial governance of the £1 trillion balance sheet, funding reforms, and upgrades to critical national infrastructure payments, while championing diversity and climate disclosure. “It is an incredible honour to be named Number One on the Powerlist in its 20th year,” she said in a press release. “For
Target announced it will cut 1,800 corporate jobs after trying to grow following four years of roughly stagnant sales and boycotts amid DEI backlash. In a memo sent to staff, Target’s incoming CEO, Michael Fiddelke, said the eliminated roles include about 1,000 employee layoffs and about 800 positions that will no longer be filled. “This spring, we launched our enterprise acceleration efforts with a clear ambition: to move faster and simplify how we work to drive Target’s next chapter of growth,” Fiddekele said in a company memo, shared by CNBC. “The
Trying to get your foot in the door in the corporate world as a Black woman isn’t easy. This becomes way more difficult when you’re also disabled. In 2023, the employment rate for people with disabilities in the US reached just 22.5%, and the numbers are even lower in tech. A global AWS community survey found that only 11% of respondents identified as having a disability or neurodiversity. Additionally, the unemployment rate for disabled people is reportedly twice as high as that of the general population, even though companies that are inclusive
