Youtube is going back to its core roots. The video-streaming giant has announced that it will return to the real reason it was created in the first place — to serve as a home to creatives with a focus on user-generated content. While the platform has spent the past six or more years building a hub for original programming with the likes of Patricia Bright hosting their own ‘Youtube Original’ shows – this news reveals that they will scale back and put the funds back into programs that were built with
Black professionals in North America are set to get new opportunities to network and level up their careers this year after Black professionals in Tech Network (BPTN), the largest Black community of tech and business professionals, announced its new partnership with Ten Thousand Coffees. The collaboration is focused on enhancing mentoring, and executive networking opportunities for Black professionals to develop their careers. Each year, BPTN hosts the CULTIVATE Mentoring Program, which pairs 350 Black professionals, under 29 years old, with executives in the tech and business industries. This Program also allows for more
Rebundle, a hair-focused startup based in St. Louis creating and selling hair extensions made from plant-based materials, has announced that it has raised $1.4 million in a pre-seed round. The idea came from Ciara Imani May’s passion for living more sustainably, which she had been trying to do even before she launched the startup with co-founder Danielle Washington. Speaking to media, she explained that in 2019 she wanted to look for a solution to the itchiness on her scalp as well as the waste associated with hair extensions. Rebundle launched
More than half of young people in the tech industry are reportedly either leaving or thinking of leaving the industry because of the poor corporate culture, according to a new study. This isn’t necessarily something new as we’ve read countless of studies that have stated the same thing in the past. But what is increasingly worrying is the number of minorities that want to leave their jobs because they feel “uncomfortable” at work or they haven’t had the best experiences. According to the Talent and skills provider Mthree study, young
The Open Source Afro Hair Library, set to launch on Juneteenth 2023, will be the gaming world’s first free database of 3D-modeled Black hairstyles. Last year, Oakland-based artist and UC Santa Cruz assistant professor A.M. Darke started recruiting Black artists for the Open Source Afro Hair Library after she began to get frustrated with the lack of effort some artists put into ensuring Black characters had realistic Black hair. For example, Monster Hunter World players didn’t see any Black hairstyles added to the game until the release of a paid expansion nearly two years
Latinx founders are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America–but their businesses are struggling to scale and that is partly due to the serious lack of funding they’re given. Latinx founders own 350,000 businesses with employees in the United States, and these businesses create nearly three million American jobs, according to research I led with Stanford University’s Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative. And yet they receive a small portion of the investment piece. While overall numbers on funding for Latinx founders are depressing, Individual stories are inspiring. The 2021 Crunchbase Diversity Spotlight Report highlights the 30 Black-
Uber and Visa have announced Grants for Growth, a program that will provide $1 million in grant funding to small businesses in 10 US cities that are currently active on Uber Eats. The program will be administered by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). Focused on restaurant recovery and entrepreneurship, the program was created to support merchants when they need it most. “We know that this year has been trying for many and that independently-owned businesses continue to face significant business challenges. From natural disasters to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,
The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship, a firm helping Black entrepreneurs with mentorship and networking, is set to receive a $1 million donation and partnership as it ramps up programming after more than a year of pandemic-related delays. It has now raised more than $34 million from about 48 partners to build out its facilities and resources, CEO Jay Bailey said. And the Global financial technology company Fiserv Inc. (Nasdaq: FISV) is the latest corporate giant to support the center.
Microsoft has finally shared an update on promoting racial equity in the US by investing in and working with Black and African American-led financial institutions, suppliers, and partners. It reports that it has reached its goal of committing $100 million to mission-driven banks, which provide capital to diverse communities. The giant has also beat its target of doubling the percentage of transactions it conducts with Black and African American-owned financial institutions. As part of its Black Growth Partner Initiative, Microsoft created $50 million funds to invest in small businesses and startups
Tyson Clark, a general partner at Alphabet Inc.’s venture arm GV and one of Silicon Valley’s most prominent Black startup investors, has died at the age of 43. GV CEO David Krane just issued a statement about the team losing the father-of-three, writing, “With great sadness, we share the news that Tyson Clark, our friend, and GV general partner, passed away yesterday due to sudden complications from a health issue. We are stunned and shattered by this loss. “The GV team extends our deepest sympathies to Tyson’s family and loved ones.
