Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners is adding spatial LABS, a metaverse and blockchain-based tech incubator, to its growing list of crypto investments, according to a report from Billboard. Founded by 24-year-old entrepreneur Iddris Sandu, next year, sLABS will launch its first product, “LNQ,” a blockchain-enabled hardware platform that helps onboard young creators to the metaverse, according to widely shared reports. “Iddris has a conscious world view and a youth-centric vision that is innovative and refreshing to witness,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “We share similar parallels in how we imagine impacting
Pinterest appointed Andrea Wishom, president of real estate company Skywalker Holdings and former Harpo Studios executive, to its board of directors back in August. The appointment made her Pinterest’s first Black board member and third female board member. Wishom’s appointment came following months of meetings with other potential candidates, Pinterest CEO Ben Silbermann said in a statement at the time. He said Wishom stood out for several reasons. “She’s an expert in creating positive and inspirational content for global audiences and a passionate advocate for building a company culture of
BITCON 2021‘s virtual event kicks off this Wednesday and the conference will feature some of the Black community’s tech icons – from cryptocurrency to cybersecurity. Arlan Hamilton, Judy Smith, Sherell Dorsey, Simon T.Bailey, and Kanika Tolver are among the list of speakers lined up to give away gems to those keen on trailblazing in the industry. A total of 3% of workers at the top 75 technology companies identified as Black and Black founders received just 3% of all US venture capital in 2020. BITCON hopes to change these numbers. The
Fiverr — an Israeli online freelancer platform —has awarded five Black start-up firms $24K through its Future Collective Fellowship Program to help expand their business. The business accelerator is a fellowship for Black entrepreneurs, and five businesses were selected for the program’s inaugural class, and each will receive $24,000. The program is also backed up by 1863 Ventures, a Black-led and D.C.-based nonprofit organization, and Maestra, a women of color-owned business strategy firm, according to Afrotech. “Fiverr’s purpose is to provide anyone, no matter their race, religion, background or beliefs, the opportunity
Dell XPS, the laptop brand from Dell Technologies, has teamed up with actress and activist Yara Shahidi to “inspire Gen-Z to use technology to drive their passions.” The 21-year-old will be working alongside Dell XPS to highlight how the brand’s laptops are a “force” for storytellers, visionaries, and creatives like herself to bring their imagination to life. The collaboration coincides with Dell XPS’ new campaign, “Expand Your YOUniverse.” Dell XPS and Shahidi will work closely to continue engaging young, diverse creatives to deliver on the ethos of tech as the great equalizer, reported PR
Google has announced the launch of a $50 million “Africa Investment Fund,” which will be invested in African startups. The tech giant made its plans known at a virtual event, where CEO Sundar Pichai announced its intentions to commit $1 billion over the next five years in tech-led initiatives on the continent. Chosen companies will also be provided access to Google’s employees, network, and technologies to help them build products. In three years, the accelerator program has supported more than 80 startups in seed to Series A stages, providing equity-free mentorship and
A fintech startup helping the Black community get financial freedom has reportedly reached its latest milestone of paying over $20 million in consumer debt. Qoins is currently attacking the $1.3 trillion worth of student loan debt and $951 Billion of credit card debt in the US. Users download the app from the iOS App Store or Google Play. You add your name, phone number, and email, then the accounts that you want Qoins to take change from and add to. The app monitors your checking, or “funding” account, for regular charges and rounds
Backstage Capital founder Arlan Hamilton has reportedly set up a new company, dubbed Hire Runner, that focuses on fractional and temp-to-hire operations and HR talent for inclusive startups. Here we break down what we know so far In a tweet made by the start-up’s Twitter page, they said: “To match customers w/the best operations talent there is, we select only ~10% of Runner applicants. Once you’re a Runner (entry-level, exec assistant, COO, HR lead, etc.), you’ll work w/growing, inclusive startups while curating your career with flexible scheduling & pay.” What
The Oakland Black Business Fund has been selected as the inaugural recipient of Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand’s Community Grant. The initiative is part of the Jordan Brand’s ‘Black Community Commitment Grant Program.’ It will fund the Oakland Black Business Fund’s [OBBF’s] mission to build peer-to-peer relationships within Black business owners, technical assistance providers, and tech companies. According to PR News Wire, OBBF aims to offer a sustainable growth model for underserved and under-funded businesses coming out of the Bay Area. In a statement, OBBF Co-Founder Trevor Parham said: “OBBF has had
Ziscuit, which is thought to be the world’s first grocery search engine, today announced it will launch its platform at the 2021 Techstars Farm To Fork Accelerator Demo Day. The all-new grocery search engine will initially launch in two zip codes in the Atlanta metro area. It will help budget-sensitive customers save $5 to $10 per shopping trip by instantly showing them where the cheapest groceries are in their neighborhood. After Ziscuit’s Atlanta launch, the company will target 25 additional cities. Founder & CEO Mark Anthony Peterson said he started