Nourish + Bloom, the first Black-owned autonomous grocery store in the US, is reshaping how communities access fresh food after Shark Tank investors declined them. Founded by Jilea and Jamie Hemmings in 2022, Nourish + Bloom aims to reduce the nation’s food deserts, making eating healthy and convenient. Nourish + Bloom Nourish + Bloom is reportedly the first 100% AI-powered supermarket to be open for business 24/7. The store currently offers a range of essentials, from produce to toiletries, and a deli for prepared foods. However, unlike traditional stores, Nourish + Bloom operates
Frontline Doulas has launched the California Black Doula Directory, a resource designed to connect Black families across Los Angeles County with culturally aligned doula services at no cost. Founded in 2019 by Dr. Sayida Peprah-Wilson and Khefri Riley, community-based doulas and champions for Black maternal health, Frontline Doulas is at the forefront of preventative perinatal care in Southern California. “We want to ensure all birthing families find the care they need and deserve, with mutual respect and cultural alignment,” Riley said, according to Black Voice News. The California Black Doula Directory The introduction of this directory comes at
Historically Black College and University, Virginia State (VSU), has been selected to host the esteemed 2024 FIRST Chesapeake District FIRST Robotics Competition Championship (FRC). The event, scheduled from April 4-6 at the VSU Multi-Purpose Center, is estimated to attract up to 4,000 attendees, including high school teams across the Chesapeake District. It will additionally mark the first occasion an HBCU has hosted this prestigious competition. FIRST Robotics Competition Championship FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a global non-profit organization focusing on leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This year, it
Nigerian startup Thepeer, which gained prominence for its API-based payment solutions, has announced its closure just three years after its inception. Thepeer went from securing $2.1 million in seed funding led by Raba Partnership, with participation from Rali_cap Ventures, BYLD, and fintech giants like Chipper Cash and Stitch, to its unexpected shutdown recently announced. “We embarked on a mission to create something unprecedented, a unique method for transferring money between digital wallets and making payments for goods and services directly from these wallets,” the founders said in a statement. “Yet, we soon realized that exceptional
A 14-year-old passionate about technology, Sophie has developed an innovative AI chatbot focused on mental health. Mental Health meets AI Unlike the usual narratives surrounding AI, such as privacy invasion and fake news, Sophie’s AI chatbot offers hope to users. Her mother, Samantha, in a TikTok video, revealed how Sophie’s creation counters negative self-talk and mental health issues with positive affirmations and exercises in self-awareness and boundary setting. This chatbot’s introduction goes, “Humans often struggle on focusing on the present … and comparing each other to other people who we think are better, when really we should focus
Black Girls Code and GoldieBlox have teamed up to launch Code Along Jr., a free video-based coding academy. Code Along Jr. Academy Hosted by the young actress Kalani Jewel, the program is specially tailored for girls aged 7-10, marking a step in nurturing the next generation of Black women leaders in the tech industry. The program addresses the need to engage girls in STEM before societal stereotypes can dampen their enthusiasm. A study by Junior Achievement revealed that only 9% of girls ages 13-17 are interested in STEM careers. “Kalani, as a vibrant and energetic 12-year-old, is
HERide, a rideshare platform focused on women’s safety, has become the first Black-owned company to secure a contract with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Co-founded in 2019 by Jillian Anderson and DeVynne Starks, HERide conducts thorough background checks on drivers and integrates in-ride security features to ensure passenger safety. Focused on women’s safety Anderson’s experience as a rideshare driver highlighted many women’s discomfort using traditional services like Uber and Lyft, especially at night. “There were a lot of women that were hesitant with riding with men at night using Uber and Lyft,” Anderson told AFROTECH. “I
A recent study has revealed that Black patients may be less likely than their white counterparts to receive responses from doctors to their online queries. The study in JAMA Network Open is based on examining medical advice request messages sent in 2021 to Boston Medical Center, a major safety-net provider. As the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with substantial growth in patient portal messaging, the researchers scrutinized over 39,000 messages from primary care patients during this time. Black Patients Less Likely To Get A Response Of the patients included in the sample, 2006 were Asian, 21600
AI’s inability to detect signs of depression in social media posts by Black Americans was revealed in a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). This disparity raises concerns about the implications of using AI in healthcare, especially when these models lack data from diverse racial and ethnic groups. The Study The study, conducted by researchers from Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine and its School of Engineering and Applied Science, employed an “off the shelf” AI tool to analyze language in posts from 868 volunteers. These participants, comprising equal
According to Reuters, Bank of America (BoA) has announced an investment in Impact X Capital Partners’ IX Global I fund. The initiative aims to nurture underrepresented innovators, particularly women and founders of color, in sectors like digital technology. Impact X Capital Partners IX Global I Fund Impact X Capital Partners, established in 2019 and headquartered in London, blends financial returns with social impact. The venture capital firm is dedicated to addressing the disparity in capital access for diverse UK and European entrepreneurs. Impact X has several notable founding members, such as Ursula Burns, former CEO
