Internships are one of the best ways for students and recent graduates to get a glimpse into professional life. The opportunities available are as diverse and far-reaching as the tech industry, ranging from systems engineering to sales and marketing. As well as developing real-world tech skills and professional experience, internships help newbie techies make industry connections to land jobs in the future. And thankfully, many tech companies have continued to prioritize internships, despite, well, everything. So here are some of the tech internships you should apply for on POCIT! Engineering
To commemorate Black History Month, we will be spotlighting the pioneers in tech who have paved the way for up-and-coming Black technologists. From completely revolutionizing the technology world to creating the everyday tech items we can’t live without today. As a collective, this group has helped inspire a whole generation of Black professionals in tech. So, let’s meet them. Gerald A. Lawson You can’t think of game consoles without mentioning the legendary Gerald A. Lawson. The chief hardware engineer – who recently had a Google Doodle dedicated to him – has been
From a mere idea to becoming the chosen social media platform for many, Spill is on the road to becoming one of the most inclusive social platforms. Earlier this week, founders Alphonzo Terrell and DeVaris Brown announced the close of their $2.75M pre-seed funding round for the social platform Spill. The pre-seed funding round Even though Black founders tend to go unnoticed when seeking venture capital funding for their business, Terrell and Brown were able to sell their business model to investors in just 10 minutes. The funding round, which was co-led by MaCVentureCap and Kapor Center, also
I longed for a tech career as a stay-at-home mom with three academic degrees, including one from Yale. I attended my first hackathon over a decade ago and was immediately intrigued. Despite my impressive educational background, I found landing a tech role challenging. However, instead of giving up, I leaned into the affirming websites and platforms like POCIT that helped motivate me to pursue my dreams of a tech career. Read on to learn my story of perseverance and determination. How it All Started I gave birth to my daughter
TikTok is celebrating US Black History Month with its first-ever Visionary Voices list, as well as a range of in-app content and IRL events. #BlackTikTok This month, TikTok will be hosting a range of LIVE in-app events featuring inspiring Black creatives and innovators across several industries. The in-app #BlackTikTok hub will also feature stories from Black creators, Black-owned businesses, and non-profit organizations and the sounds page will feature special guests and album playlists showcasing Black talent across music genres. TikTok is also taking its celebrations offline with the third instalment
Miiriya has been flooded with messages of support after the online marketplace for Black-owned businesses announced its upcoming closure. The brainchild of Lamine Loco, Miiriya is a platform connecting Black-owned businesses with consumers – kind of like an Etsy or Amazon for Black businesses. The name comes from Loco’s native language, Bambara/Dioula, and means “thoughts” or “ideas.” Committed to the circulation of the Black dollar, Miiriya lets vendors sign up without transaction or listing fees. They also pay credit card and PayPal fees out of pocket, so vendors receive 100% of
Employers continued to make progress in addressing anti-Black racism last year, but Black Canadians worry that a recession could wipe out those gains, finds a new survey. In KPMG in Canada’s survey of more than 1,000 Black Canadians, 9 in 10 felt their employers had made progress on efforts to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees in 2022. Most also said their companies had hired and promoted more Black people, and noted improvements in their own career and promotion prospects. Black Canadians also reported improvements in their workplace
Fintech companies in Nigeria are rapidly growing. In Q1 last year, funding for African startups hit a new record, with approximately 89% of all funding allocated to fintech startups in the region. Nigeria is one of many African countries working to make financial services accessible to everyone. As smartphone users grow and digital IDs become the norm – all eyes are on fintech startups to pave the way for financial inclusion in Nigeria. Nigeria’s mission to achieve financial inclusion A quick Google search will tell you that there are at least 150 fintech
Black Business Ventures Association (BBVA) has unveiled its inaugural Founding 50 list to spotlight top-performing Black founders in the tech industry to celebrate Black History Month. The list aims to highlight Black leaders, innovators, and trailblazers who have defied all odds by successfully launching technology initiatives. “At BBVA, every day is Black History Month. We invite you to join us in honoring the contributions of Black tech founders with the launch of the Founding 50 list,” said BBVA in a statement. “This ranked list recognizes the top Black founders who have significantly impacted their
Have you ever wanted to try a new hairstyle but can’t find the exact look or hairdresser you want? Growing Hands is the app that aims to streamline this process for all. Teacher turned tech entrepreneur JerDrema “Dreme” Flynt is on a mission to make managing Black hair a more enjoyable experience. Growing Hands allows users to personalize their hair mood to get the hairstyle they want. Once created, users can directly connect to different hairstylists to bring their vision to life. Growing Hands can be described as a mixture
