For the tech industry to achieve true diversity, more children need to see people like themselves in the sector. For many youngsters, media representation has a long-lasting impact on how they see and understand the world of today – which is why representation is so important. According to a report by Common Sense, approximately 65% of parents say that the media significantly impacts their children’s professional aspirations. To manifest a world where more Black people are entering high-paying careers, tech leaders have decided to use the gift of writing to encourage
Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) has officially opened nominations for its tech industry awards ceremony. Financial services provider BMO will host this year’s event to celebrate the influential and innovative work of Black professionals in the industry. Despite this initiative being the first of its kind, this isn’t the first time BPTN has opened doors for Black professionals. Earlier this year, founder, Lekan Olawoye announced the launch of the Obsidi platform, a conduit to opportunities for black professionals. “We know that Black professionals and Black-led organizations are crushing it both in
Nigerian filmmaker and artist Malik Afegbua is challenging the misconceptions around African beauty, especially within the older generation. Artificial Intelligence has grown to become a trendy part of internet culture today. Despite being a controversial tech tool, one scroll through your internet feed will show you how many people are gearing toward an AI world. Malik Afegbua’s fashion show which displayed photos of elegant old-fashioned seniors in the chicest African attire, took the internet by storm. The series of images, called Fashion Show for Seniors, has garnered over 100,000
A new report by the RAND Corp. has revealed that the success of Pittsburgh’s tech sector heavily relies on the city’s ability to diversify its tech hires. What did the report reveal? The report titled “Assessing Pittsburgh’s Science and Technology-Focused Workforce Ecosystem” has disclosed that, among other challenges, Pittsburgh faces a declining population that severely impacts its workforce. According to the report, approximately 18% of Pittsburgh’s employment works in science and technology-focused occupations, which is higher than the national figure of 16%. However, Pittsburgh’s workforce does not reflect the makeup of its population,
Who said braids weren’t professional? Fionnghuala “Fig” O’Reilly is committed to redefining what is deemed “acceptable” in the workplace. The pioneering engineer sparked the attention of hundreds of Twitter users after a photo of herself rocking feed-in braids in the lab went viral. After becoming the first Black woman to represent Ireland in the Miss Universe competition and becoming the only Black woman in her class to graduate with a systems engineering, O’Reilly is used to beating the odds. The engineer, who has spent her whole life navigating her dual
Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $30 million pre-seed and seed matching fund program to help early-stage startup companies. The funding for the program will come from the State Small Business Credit Initiative to provide extra support to small businesses owned by historically marginalized individuals, including Black and brown entrepreneurs and traditionally disadvantaged individuals. The initiative, part of New York’s $500 million federal investment, aims to help small businesses recover from the pandemic and rebuild local economies. As a part of the program, Governor Hochul will offer early-stage startup companies
New data has revealed that there has been an uptick in the amount of capital funding Black founders in the U.S. raised in Q4 of 2022. Although this shows that the tide may finally be turning, founders have yet to receive adequate funding to scale their businesses successfully. According to Crunchbase, Black startup founders raised around $264 million out of the $33.6 billion allocated in Q4 of 2022. This may seem small, but a slight increase from the $178 million raised from July to September 2022. What did last year
This article by Camille Hall was originally published on Medium. A collection of voices from fellow black female engineers and my own experiences prompted me to write this, it is with my hope that it is well received. This article is intended to be presented as an informational and practical offering of guidance for those who are working alongside a black female engineer within a male-dominated industry. Written with love by a black female software engineer. In some spaces being a woman is enough of a hurdle to combat. Insert
The Hispanic Technology Executive Council (HITEC) and the Illinois Institute of Technology have come together to support the growth of Hispanic tech talent by opening the door to educational opportunities and scholarships within technology and business. HITEC Foundation scholars and HITEC corporate Emerging Executive Program graduates looking to pursue an MBA or Master of Science degree from the Illinois Tech Stuart School of Business will be considered for scholarships worth up to $2 million. Everything you need to know about HITEC and the Illinois Tech HTEC is a global executive
Now more than ever, Black VCs deserve to be celebrated – which is why RISE InVC couldn’t have come at a better time. Hosted by Included VC, RISE InVC will take place from January 17 to 19 and will be the first-ever global gathering designed to spotlight and celebrate the work Black VCs have been doing over the years. Venture capitalists from South Africa, Singapore, Australia, France, and the UK will come for three days to meet, connect, and inspire one another. Across the days, Rise InVC will hold a
