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
In June last year, in the midst of violence and a pandemic ravaging the streets of US cities – Justin Shaw built Black Money Builder, a fundraising platform to “empower your community and empower yourself.” Its ultimate goal is to help Black communities rebound from the virus by providing financial relief and bring awareness to current issues that affect the communities worldwide and provide a sense of urgency with potential solutions. The crowdfunding platform also provides Black entrepreneurs a space to build capital and help seed Black visionaries from artists,
Dominican American YouTube star Krystal Lora, with her 323,000 subscribers, is among the most popular technology reviewers, and she’s going from strength to strength as she uses her platform to break down the latest Apple and Google products for growing Latino YouTube audiences. It’s clear that Latinos across the US are shaking things up – whether as founders, investors, tech reviewers, or engineers. Although there’s still a long way to improve diversity in the industry and ensure the community is getting enough support and investment – this Friday POCIT is celebrating
A Black-owned music NFT platform, powered by Trapchain, Inc, has collaborated with indie music artist and native Chicagoan Willie Taylor, to drop his first NFT for his music project, “Write My Wrongs.” Taylor first gained notoriety as a contestant from MTV’s “Making the Band 4”, where Sean Combs chose him (P-Diddy) to be a member and one of the main vocalists for the band Day26 on August 26. 360NFT’s launch and debut NFT release commemorate the band’s popularity and success. Its streamlined ecosystem reportedly makes it easy for users to thrive on the blockchain without
It was announced back in August that gBeta Medtech was on a mission to find Black founders for its end-of-year accelerator, and well – they found them and they’re pretty incredible. Five healthcare startups were chosen from more than 85 applicants for the 2021 Cohort, the first gBETA Medtech program specifically for Black founders. Each startup is receiving $34,000 in funding and “intensive, individualized coaching and access to gener8tor’s national network of mentors, customers, corporate partners, and investors.” Here’s a list of the startups chosen: bTECH’s Launched by Wendy Slone, bTECH’s
DrugStoc has raised $4.4 million in a Series A funding round led by Africa Healthcare Master Fund, Vested World, the German Development Bank and others. The investors will play a vital role in the sector’s continued growth. The firm plans to open more fulfillment centers and increase transit points and routes. It also hopes to provide more improved logistic alternatives for deliveries projected to be tardy. The founders plan to tap into more investment prospects in cold chain infrastructure with the hope of creating safer distribution for perishable items. To
The opportunity for transformation and growth starts with access to mentorship. Dozens of studies have shown the benefits of having a mentor are endless and these include having increased confidence, improved communication skills, strengthened leadership skills, and a stronger sense of empowerment.
The platform, launched in 2020, is designed to make Black candidates accessible to corporations, connect Black-owned start-ups with major brands, pair young tech employees with experienced workers for mentorship, and teach small-business owners how to raise capital. Launched by Leke Sholuade in September last year – it now has a global community of 208 plus mentors from multinational companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Uber, Facebook, Cisco, LEGO ventures, and SMEs. It reportedly has a three-phased approach to make sure the future of tech is an inclusive one for Black people.
So – apart from our pretty awesome podcast – Techish – that gives you the rundown on all things tech, business and money with a hint of culture news – there are plenty of other podcasts for Black tech entrepreneurs. People of color lack representation in tech yet these podcasts may help unlock some doors. Here’s a breakdown of the podcasts you should probably check out whether you’re interested in learning more about what makes a good pitch deck, if bootstrapping is the way for you or you just want
Black entrepreneurs know the climb to getting substantial funding from investors can be practically a vertical ascent. Venture-backed founders tend to all look the same with 73 percent of all founding teams composed exclusively of men while 60 percent of founding teams are exclusively White. But here at POCIT news, we believe our community of great founders, engineers, and designers can do it all and our job is to provide you with insight, tips, and timely news. We’ve compiled a list of all the places you can get funding as
