This article is sponsored by Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures. Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures (MSISV) is supporting the future of innovation by backing early-stage startups and nonprofits with the capital and tools they need to scale. Building on the momentum of the Inclusive Ventures Lab and Sustainable Solutions Collaborative, MSISV has already distributed over $30 million in capital to over 130 ventures in the last eight years. MSISV is home to two tailored accelerator programs: a Lab for tech-driven startups and a Collaborative for emerging nonprofits. Both programs
Bleyt is helping immigrants transfer their credit history across countries. The company has a built-in money app that uses AI to obtain pull financial data from local credit providers and bureaus. It also features a multi-currency account and card, allowing immigrants to minimize delays when accessing financial services in new countries. Immigrants struggling to access financial services When Bleyt’s founder, Wale Akanbi, moved to from Nigeria to the UK in 2021, his credit history did not transfer with him, making it difficult for him to access financial services. “I had
Former basketball star and serial entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal is partnering with used car retailer Carvana to launch an AI-powered assistant called the Shaqbot. “I’ve been buying and selling cars for years, and when I found Carvana, I really loved the ease and innovation of the brand. That’s what makes my partnership with Carvana so exciting,” O’Neal said in a press release. “And now for other Carvana fans, they can have a little fun with Shaqbot, an assistant as smart, smooth, and good-looking as me.” Shaq O’Neal launching AI assistant Built on
The current job market for Black women in the US is bleak. More than 300,000 Black women have exited the workforce in just a matter of months. 518,00 Black women have not returned to the labor force since the pandemic started, meaning their real unemployment rate is over 10%, according to gender economist Katica Roy’s analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, published in MSNBC. These figures paint an alarming reality: Black women are being pushed out of the workforce at alarming rates. But why is this happening? And crucially, what
An Indigenous group in the Brazilian state of Ceará is taking TikTok to court over its planned data center, according to Rest of World. The Anacé has claimed the area where TikTok and Casa dos Ventos, a wind energy company that will power the data center, are to be built. Leaders of the community say their right to consultation was violated, and their concerns about water consumption related to this project were ignored. Indigenous communities must be consulted before construction on their land as part of the permit process. However,
Nearly 300,000 Black women left the workforce in just three months, according to gender economist Katica Roy’s analysis of federal data published in MSNBC. Black women were the only major female demographic to see significant job losses in the five-month period between February and July, with 319,000 leaving the workforce, The New York Times reports. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) is urging Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to help address these concerning statistics. Pressley’s letter On September 8th, Pressley wrote a letter to Powell, saying, “In August 2025, 6.7% of Black
AI is helping Latinos get on the property ladder. Latinos often face several barriers when trying to buy a home, such as meeting loan officers who don’t speak Spanish and not being able to fully understand what is being explained to them by loan officers. Federal housing agencies have started to switch to English-only services as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to make English the official language of the United States, according to The Seattle Times. The use of bilingual AI may help Latinos and other underrepresented communities during
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has awarded $19.8 million to 12 projects across Detroit. One of the recipients of the grant is Black Tech Saturdays, as reported by the Detroit Free Press. Black Tech Saturdays allows creatives and tech enthusiasts to learn, innovate, and collaborate. The group will receive $2 million to scale Detroit’s equity-focused tech economy by connecting residents with high-growth jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities. The funding will also expand digital infrastructure, support community events, amplify storytelling, and help unlock $10 million in income opportunities. The
Garage, an online marketplace selling specialized equipment commonly used in local government, raised $13.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Infinity Venture. Other investors included Benchstrength, Wayfinder Ventures, and FJ Labs, according to TechCrunch. Being a firefighter since age 15 meant that co-founder Martin Hunt knew the struggles of small communities with tight budgets buying fire equipment. In 2023, he asked a colleague about better options for fighters. “When I couldn’t find anything, it became clear that there was a need for a streamlined, nationwide marketplace for
Lion Forge Entertainment, the Black-owned studio behind a growing slate of diverse film and TV projects, has secured a $30 million in a funding round led by HarbourView Equity Partners, as first reported by Bloomberg. The Los Angeles–based studio, founded by David Steward II, son of billionaire tech entrepreneur David Steward, will use the capital to scale up production and expand its pipeline of original content. The Steward family, with an estimated net worth of about $8.7 billion, also invested and remain majority owners. Lion Forge develops and produces live-action and
