The Black Opportunity Fund (BOF), a community-led charity in Toronto, Canada, has announced the launch of BOF Capital. The initiative has two primary fundraising objectives: a $100 million private equity growth fund to support Black-owned businesses and a $50 million shared equity housing fund to help Black Canadians get on the property ladder, according to a press release. “We are creating innovative and sustainable pathways to economic empowerment by directly addressing the funding and opportunity gaps that have historically limited Black Canadians and those across the diaspora from building generational wealth,”
Melissa Butler, founder and CEO of The Lip Bar, shared that sales have declined by 30% since the boycott of Target began earlier this year. The boycott is in response to Target’s decision to roll back its DEI efforts, which include a commitment to increasing Black representation by 20% and a program to feature more products by Black- and minority-owned businesses. Butler is now calling on consumers to support Black-owned businesses through other channels, including buying from them directly. The Lip Bar’s sales declining In a video posted on social media,
Construction tech startup Litehaus has raised €1.46 million ($1.58 million) in a pre-seed round co-led by Cornerstone VC and Explorer Fund. Claster Group and angel investor Pascal Levy also participated in the pre-seed round. The fund will help simplify the home-building process in Europe. Husband-and-wife duo Thibault and Simi Launay set out to buy a house in Portugal nearly five years ago. However, they faced a 14-month delay, 20% budget overruns, and mismanagement involving over 10 subcontractors. “We realized if we’re struggling with this, so are millions of others,” Thibault told
Nigerian fintech startup, Carrot Credit, has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to expand its credit platform across Africa. The startup offers users loans backed by digital investment assets, including stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and cryptocurrencies. The funding round was led by US-based MaC Venture Capital, with participation from Authentic Ventures, as reported by TechCabal. What does Carrot Credit do? Carrot Credit is a digital lending platform that enables individuals to borrow money without selling their investment portfolios, including ETFs, bonds, or cryptocurrencies. It was founded by Bolu Aiki-Raji in
Zeal Capital Partners has closed its second fund at $82 million, tripling its assets under management (AUM) to $186 million in just five years. The Washington, DC-based firm plans to invest the new capital in early-stage startups across fintech, healthcare, and the future of learning and work. A Broader, Stronger Investor Base Zeal’s investor base has grown significantly with this latest fund. Zeal’s limited partners now include Citi Impact Fund, M&T Bank, MassMutual, Wells Fargo, Zaffre Investments and Spelman College, according to a press release shared with POCIT. In addition
Twitch megastar Kai Cenat recently revealed that he turned away interest from major platforms, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Tubi, to retain complete control over Streamer University, his boot camp for aspiring creators. “We already been getting talks with different people,” Cenat said during a recent live stream, referencing interest from major streaming services. “But an idea like this so original you gotta keep it where it’s at.” A boot camp for creators Streamer University, a free, all-expenses-paid boot camp for emerging creators, took place from May 22 to
Join our Patreon for extra-long episodes and ad-free content. Brand new Techish! This week, Abadesi is answering YOUR questions! She keeps it real about how to level up when there’s no clear path, ask for that raise (and actually get it), make work fit your life (not the other way around), and stay ahead in an AI world. Chapters00:00 Career Growth and Community Q&A1:06 Leveling Up in Your Career When There’s No Clear Path06:27 How to Position Yourself for Raises and Promotions14:27 Tackling Conversations About Underperformance20:11 How to Make Your Business Fit
The Detroit-based tech meetup for creatives has received a $1 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The funding will be used to grow its workshop across the state, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. It’s the largest single grant out of $6.8 million that the MEDC is giving to 23 organizations as part of the Trusted Connector Grant program, the MEDC announced on Wednesday. The $1 million grant Black Tech Saturdays will run a pilot program in Detroit and Lansing, featuring 25-30 micro workshops that provide focused programming for
AAPI, Black, and Latine entrepreneurship made durable gains in 2024, a new report by payroll manager Gusto has revealed. Additionally, many people were laid off from their jobs last year, but the percentage of entrepreneurs who started a business because they or their partner lost a job rose 67%. The findings come from a survey of 1,000-plus new business owners who launched businesses in 2024 by the Gusto Insights Group. Want to find out how well entrepreneurship did in 2024? Keep reading. AAPI, Black, and Latinx entrepreneurship have made durable
Brazil’s Social Security Institute, INSS, introduced AI to its app in 2018 to speed up welfare claims and reduce red tape. However, the tool has been wrongly rejecting claims, Rest of World reports. The office had a bad reputation due to its long lines and wait times, which accumulated nearly 2 million pending requests. Even though the AI-powered tool has helped process thousands of basic claims, it also rejected claims from those who suffer from digital literacy and live in remote areas. The INSS adding AI to its app While
