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.
CarpeDM — an online dating app exclusive to Black women — has partnered with KarmaCheck to incorporate full background checks for its members on the dating platform. Howard Law School alumni Naza Shelley and Sali Hama launched the app to ensure Black women could be equally as successful while exploring the world of dating. “We’re excited to partner with CarpeDM to help make the online dating experience safer and more trustworthy for singles. While quickly and accurately verifying user data, KarmaCheck goes to great lengths to ensure that user data is protected
Black people produce and share substantially more content than other groups on Facebook. While Facebook Stories has low usage in most of the U.S., it has “clusters of intense production” in places with a high concentration of African Americans, such as the arc in the Southeast known as the Black Belt, Facebook research found. But increasingly, the community seems to be turning away from the app. The number of Black monthly users on Facebook declined 2.7% in a single month to 17.3 million adults, according to a research report, “Industry Update on
Europe is “solidifying its place as a global tech power”, according to Atomico’s annual State of European Tech 2021 report. However, research still shows women and minorities are not being given enough investment. European tech is projected to cross the $100B milestones of capital invested in a single year, close to 3 times the level in 2020, reported Dealroom. The total number of tech companies that have scaled to $1B+ in Europe has jumped from 223 last year to 321. Large rounds ($250M+) are now the norm in Europe —
SaLisa Berrien, who recently received a $100,000 Black Founders Fund award from Google for Startups, is expanding COI Energy, a Tampa-based company, across the United States. Recognized by Jason A. Scott last year as one of 30 U.S. black founders to watch in 2021, Berrien was one of 50 companies to receive a $100,000 Black Founders Fund award from Google for Startups. She participated in Google Startups for Women, which she completed last December, and has raised $2 million-plus in funds. Now her goal is to make her firm a global company. With just
