Food critic and TikToker Keith Lee, also known as “The People’s Champ,” has partnered with Microsoft to amplify Black restaurants further. Lee’s viral food reviews continue to highlight Black and African-American-owned restaurants, and he uses his platform to connect with worldwide food lovers. Striving to place community at the center of his partnership, he is teaming up with Microsoft to help restaurants future proof their businesses with their AI-powered tool Copilot. Lee Partners With Microsoft Lee has partnered with Microsoft to provide restaurateurs with AI tools to help their businesses
Global stock media platform pocstock has joined forces with Canva to bring diverse and inclusive visual content to the visual communication platform. pocstock pocstock is a global stock media platform that focuses on people of color. It is on a mission to change the way the world sees Black, Asian, Hispanic, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and differently-abled people of color. Founded by Steve Jones and DeSean Brown, pocstock aims to help people of color change how they see themselves by ensuring everyone everywhere has access to positive, beautiful and authentic images of
For Us By Us Studios has announced a $450 million 30-picture deal with Pantheum Studios, a subsidiary of multinational investment management firm Euldora Financial. The three-year collaboration aims to bring diverse voices and perspectives to the forefront of the film industry, pushing creative boundaries and inspiring audiences worldwide. Championing Diversity And Innovation The partnership brings together several industry leaders, including J. Alexander Martin (co-founder of FUBU and CEO of For Us By Us Studios), Roberto “Rush” Evans (co-CEO of For Us By Us Studios), and John Askew (President of For
Prósperos has successfully raised $3 million in seed funding to advance its mission of empowering Latine communities through innovative financial solutions. This funding round saw investments from FEBE Ventures, BAT VC, Tekton Ventures, and Courtyard Ventures, among others. Revolutionizing Financial Services For Latine Communities Founded in 2023 by Vinay Pai and Salvador Chavez, Prósperos aims to transform the financial landscape for Latine communities in the USA and Latin America. The Prósperos platform provides two bank accounts and cards: one for the account holder in the USA and another for their
South African startup Vambo AI is empowering users to use advanced AI in their native tongues. In April 2023, Chido Dzinotyiwei and Isheanesu Misi founded Vambo AI to create AI that “understands the languages of people in the rest of the world”. Its platform currently supports 11 African languages. “The reason why most of the world has not used AI – or explored its revolutionary power for education, economic empowerment, and more – is because it is not built in languages they understand,” Dzinotyiwei said, according to Disrupt Africa. A
Howard University’s College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) has received a $5 million gift from Autodesk Inc., the global leader in software for the Design and Make industries. According to their press release, this marks the largest unrestricted philanthropic donation in the college’s history. A $5M Gift From Autodesk The new funding will support the College of Engineering and Architecture Design and Make Lab, which will provide software, state-of-the-art equipment, and educators who will empower future engineers. “We are immensely grateful for Autodesk’s gift to Howard’s College of Engineering and
29-year-old Chaymeriyia Moncrief, the founder of NSPRE, has unveiled her second smartphone four years after her first release. NSPRE Two years after founding Tesix Wireless Network, a millennial-focused wireless carrier., Moncrief launched NSPRE to ”inspire the culture through social technology“. From its inception in 2020, the brand swiftly progressed, raising $1.5 million in funding during its launch year. In June 2021, NSPRE established its headquarters in Alabama, reinforcing its foundation. NSPRE’s first smartphone launch was a significant milestone, demonstrating that a startup from Montgomery could succeed in the tech industry. Read: Meet The
Black British anti-knife crime activist Shaun Thompson, 38, has launched a legal challenge against the Metropolitan Police. The police detained the 38-year-old after live facial recognition technology wrongly identified him as a suspect. ‘Stop and search on steroids’ Thompson, who volunteers with the Street Fathers youth outreach group, described the system as ‘stop and search on steroids’ following his 20-minute detention at London Bridge station earlier this year. Returning from a volunteer shift in south London, Thompson was wrongly flagged as a suspect on the Met’s facial recognition database, leading
Pinterest has announced the Hidden Healing Fund, an initiative with diverse cultural healing practices to empower young people’s mental health. The Hidden Healing Fund Led by Pinterest and supported by SHOWTIME/MTV, the Hidden Healing Fund will pilot an initial investment of $1 million in community organizations that employ culturally led approaches to addressing youth mental health challenges. Brands committed to improving mental health have been invited to combine their resources to help bridge gaps in accessibility and aid solutions beyond traditional models of care. The initiative was inspired by an
Kapor Foundation, Omidyar Network, and San Francisco Foundation have announced an investment of $25 million to help fund organizations focused on centering equity in the advancement of AI. The joint commitment will help fund organizations across different sectors at the inaugural Joint California Summit on Generative AI. The fund is in response to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-12-23, signed in September 2023, which will study the development, use, and risks of AI technologies. The $25M Investment The initial $25 million investment aims to drive immediate action and build momentum within
