Elise Smith is leading the way in developing more conscious leaders in the workplace. She is the co-founder of Praxis Labs, a company that has created a virtual-reality-based platform that allows users to take on identities of different racial and gender backgrounds. Their mission, to help employees and leaders to change their perspectives over time by virtually stepping into the shoes of others. Elise joins the small list of Black women in the U.S to have raised more than $1 million for a venture-backed business. We had the pleasure of
With the global pandemic confining many to their homes, it seemed like everyone was talking Crypto, GameStop, and Dogecoin. Many wondered, “am I the only one not getting rich?” Hello FOMO… The year indoors provided many with newfound disposable cash. The upside is a significant investment boom amongst Black millennials – with Black Americans investing in the stock market at three times the rate of their white counterparts. The investment gap This surge of activity by US Black millennials investors is closing the “investment gap”. According to an Ariel Investment and
It’s New Year’s Eve 2020, and I’m sure we are all thinking the same thing: “Thank you; next”. Seriously, what a year; but, onwards and upwards. On a personal note, 2020 has been a uniquely challenging, yet incredibly meaningful year for my career — launching Google’s first Accelerator programs for both women founders and Black founders. Running a program for Black entrepreneurs as a member of the Black community myself, I was more in a rhythm than I’ve ever felt professionally. It was comfortable, natural, and authentic to be able to support black entrepreneurship — not to
In the tech industry, less than 5% of the workforce is African-American, and we know the tech sector has a long way to go in fixing diversity issues. The following list is a short intro to just some of the Black product designers who are flourishing in Silicon Valley, the corporate world, and beyond. They are creating incredible experiences, and invaluable products, and are supporting the next generation of designers. Mariam Braimah Mariam is a product designer at Netflix. She is also the founder of Kimoyo Fellowship, a design program teaching the
Now, more than ever, mental health is making national headlines. Yet when it comes to treatment for mental illness, Black people are at a severe disadvantage. This past year alone, the pandemic, Black Lives Matter and fighting a system of oppression and racism has taken a significant toll on our mental health. However, due to the stigma in the community of seeking help, we aren’t supported in our struggles. When we seek help, it isn’t easy to find providers who understand us, trust us, and relate to our experience. There are
Techish is back with a brand new episode! Abadesi and Michael discuss the challenges of starting companies with our friends. (13:00) They also break down: Zoom causing an increase in plastic surgery, and a look into the future of our online identities (0.30) Africa’s new basketball league, J.Cole playing for team Rwanda (10:05) Allowing apps to track you online: yes or no? (20:08) Elon Musk’s performance on SNL (29:00) Sponsors Flatiron Health is hiring! Check out their open positions Moveable Ink is hiring on pocitjobs.com Extras Techish on PatreonAdvertise with TechishPlease rate and review the Techish podcast
As a Black designer working in predominately white spaces, I have to think about how I show up in my professional environment. I make sure my tone is friendly. Non-threatening. I edit my speech so that others won’t doubt my intelligence. I am mindful of my brightly colored locs and try to dress in a way that signals I am a professional. I didn’t realize it for a long time, but I designed a different version of my Blackness: a created version to fit into white society. To some extent,
Adyen is hiring on pocitjobs.com Semra Ezedin is a positive, proactive graduate with a passion to motivate and inspire others. While she studied to become a doctor, an opportunity in Spain propelled her on a path to tech, and eventually landed her a unique role with Adyen. We spoke with Semra about her unconventional tech journey, working with NASA and why she chose freedom and flexibility over an overly structured life at Silicon Valley. This interview was edited for clarity. Tell us about yourself I’m Semra, first-born daughter of Ethiopian immigrants.
Tara Reed is a true tech rebel. She’s a Black founder who travels the world working from her laptop, building tech companies and teaching others how they can do the same. Tara runs a multi-million dollar school teaching people how to build apps, without needing to know how to code. Her TED talk went viral, inspiring unlikely entrepreneurs to launch their own businesses. We had the opportunity to speak with Tara about her entrepreneurial journey, Apps Without Code, and her advice to other founders. This interview was edited for clarity Tell us a
