The UK government has launched an initiative to strengthen science, technology, and innovation systems across West Africa, with a new £1.9 million ($2.5 million) funding package. The initiative, named Sankore, was announced by Lord Collins, UK Minister for Africa, at a press conference in Accra. This project is part of the West Africa Research and Innovation Hub (WARIH), designed to support economic growth in the region by driving innovation and strengthening digital services. Focus on Ghana and Nigeria The Sankore project will primarily focus on Ghana and Nigeria, two of
Black students are over twice as likely to be falsely accused of using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to complete school assignments compared to their white and Latine peers, according to a new report from Common Sense Media. Released on September 18, the study reveals that while 10% of students from any background report their work being wrongly flagged as AI-generated, the figure jumps to 20% for Black students. In contrast, only 7% of white and 10% of Latine students face such false accusations. Biased AI Detection Tools The discrepancies in
This article is sponsored by Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab The Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab (MSIVL) is proving that inclusion really does fuel innovation. Since 2017, Morgan Stanley’s in-house startup accelerator has helped over 100 companies raise over $200 million and reach a collective valuation of more than $1 billion. MSIVL provides early-stage technology and technology-enabled startups with $250,000, handpicked mentors, custom curriculums in finance, sales, and marketing, and a coveted opportunity to pitch to investors following their five-month accelerator participation on a Demo Day, setting founders up for
Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz has joined PepsiCo to launch “Taste of Tomorrow,” a new initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of Black professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. Boosting Black representation in STEM Despite STEM fields experiencing rapid growth, Black professionals currently make up just 9% of the workforce. The “Taste of Tomorrow” initiative aims to break down the systemic barriers Black students face in pursuing STEM careers, such as limited access to advanced coursework and public programming. Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz, a HBCU alum,
Uncap has launched Unconventional Capital, a new €30 million (USD 33.4 million) fund to provide early-stage African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with alternative financing. Backed by major institutions like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Bayer Foundation, the fund will focus on high-impact sectors such as agriculture, climate resilience, and financial inclusion, driving economic development across Africa. A New Approach to Financing Based in Munich and Nairobi, Uncap has been working to close the capital gap for African businesses since 2019, using a remote, data-driven approach. The
While TikTok fights a potential US ban in court, Snapchat is seizing the opportunity to attract creators. Here’s what Snap’s feature announcements and new partnership with Issa Rae’s company, Ensemble, could mean for creators from underrepresented backgrounds. Snap Partners With Issa Rae Snap has ramped up efforts to make Snapchat the go-to platform for creators. During its NewFronts presentation in May, Snap announced a collaboration with Issa Rae’s new company, Ensemble. This partnership aims to expand Snap’s 523 Program, which provides creators from underrepresented backgrounds with $10,000 per month, 1:1
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) has announced the launch of HBCUv®, a digital learning platform designed specifically for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The announcement came during the UNITE 2024 Summit for Black Higher Education, with six HBCUs signing on as founding members. A Platform Built by HBCUs for HBCUs HBCUv aims to provide a seamless digital experience that mirrors the supportive and culturally rich environment of HBCU campuses. The platform is the result of over 3,000 hours of research involving students, faculty, and staff and combines online
Workers of color made up 40.1% of the high tech workforce in 2022, comprising a share similar to the total US workforce, according to a new report from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). However, Black and Hispanic workers remain significantly underrepresented in the high tech workforce and sector, especially in senior roles, depsite growing numbers. The high tech workforce The high tech workforce refers to workers in 56 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations regardless of industry, for example, an engineer working at a nonprofit. Black high tech
Y Combinator-backed startup DryMerge has raised $2.2 million in seed funding to bring automation to non-technical users through plain English chat. Expanding Automation Beyond Programmers Founded just a year ago, DryMerge initially focused on using AI to automate API integrations for developers. Now, the company aims to simplify repetitive tasks for users without coding experience. DryMerge allows users to automate workflows via plain English chat, bypassing the complexities of traditional no-code tools like Zapier or Make, which are still primarily used by people with coding experience. “We’re making the process
As companies scale back flexible work environments and encourage a return to the office, Black workers are facing a significant decline in workplace wellbeing. According to new research from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, the post-pandemic shift is hitting Black employees especially hard, worsening existing disparities in the workplace. Return to office hits Black workers hardest Carey surveyed more than 1.5 million individuals at over 2,500 organizations in the US in partnership with Great Place To Work. They found that workplace wellbeing peaked in 2020 when many companies embraced more supportive and
