The Black Founders Programme, by Digital Catapult and Sony Music UK, is back for its second year, supporting Black British entrepreneurs in creative technology. Ten new startups have joined the 2024 cohort, applying immersive technologies like virtual, augmented and mixed reality to creative industries. Supporting Black Deep Tech Innovation The initiative focuses on improving investment readiness through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and partnerships. Last year, over 80% of participants saw growth in investment readiness, securing key corporate partnerships and investor interest. This year’s cohort explores immersive technology in storytelling, music production,
Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz has joined PepsiCo to launch “Taste of Tomorrow,” a new initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of Black professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. Boosting Black representation in STEM Despite STEM fields experiencing rapid growth, Black professionals currently make up just 9% of the workforce. The “Taste of Tomorrow” initiative aims to break down the systemic barriers Black students face in pursuing STEM careers, such as limited access to advanced coursework and public programming. Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz, a HBCU alum,
Workers of color made up 40.1% of the high tech workforce in 2022, comprising a share similar to the total US workforce, according to a new report from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). However, Black and Hispanic workers remain significantly underrepresented in the high tech workforce and sector, especially in senior roles, depsite growing numbers. The high tech workforce The high tech workforce refers to workers in 56 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations regardless of industry, for example, an engineer working at a nonprofit. Black high tech
The Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) and a powerful coalition of allied organizations are set to walk over 240 miles from Capitol Hill to Wall Street to push for greater diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Corporate America. The “Walk to Wall Street” initiative will begin on September 17, 2024, and culminate in New York City’s financial district on October 11. Call for Corporate Diversity The march, led by HACR President and CEO Cid Wilson, aims to highlight ongoing disparities in representation and inclusion in US businesses. Despite some
Atlanta-based venture capital firm Fearless Fund has permanently closed its Strivers Grant program, which provided $20,000 grants to Black women entrepreneurs. This decision follows a settlement with the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a group led by conservative activist Edward Blum, the man behind the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. Nevertheless, Fearless Fund remains committed to empowering historically overlooked entrepreneurs and plans to launch a new debt fund to continue supporting those in need of capital. Fearless Fund’s Legal Battle In August 2023, AAER sued Fearless Fund, claiming the
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has called on Fortune 500 companies to reaffirm their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and set clear, measurable goals amid rising challenges to DEI programs nationwide. Holding corporate America accountable The CBC’s first-of-its-kind report aims to hold Fortune 500 companies accountable for their DEI pledges made after George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Titled “What Good Looks Like”: A Corporate Accountability Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the report is based on months of meetings with hundreds of executives across different sectors and
Black and Latine enrollment in Yale University and Princeton University’s have remained relatively stable, while the proportion of Asian American students has fallen. This marks the first admissions cycle since the US Supreme Court banned race-based admissions in June 2023. Steady Black and Latine/Hispanic Enrollments According to the first-year class profile released by Yale’s admissions office, Black students account for 14% of the class of 2028 – unchanged from the class of 2027. Yale’s class of 2028 profile also shows that Hispanic/Latine students make up 19% of the freshman class,
Democrats are leveraging AI to strengthen their outreach to Latine and Black voters as the 2024 election looms, according to The Guardian. Facing a challenging electoral landscape, progressive organizations and Latine and Black-led Democratic groups are adopting novel AI-driven tools to connect with voters on platforms they frequent, such as Discord and WhatsApp. These efforts are particularly focused on younger voters, who are often harder to reach through traditional methods. AI-Powered Outreach: Engaging Voters Where They Are One tool being used is Vote-E, an AI-powered chatbot developed by NextGen America,
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently revealed a significant drop in the percentage of Black students in its incoming class of 2028, following the Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions. Decline in Black and Hispanic Enrollment According to Bloomberg, the most striking impact of the Supreme Court ruling is evident in MIT’s latest admissions data. Black students make up just 5% of the class of 2028, a decline from the 13% average in recent years. Similarly, the proportion of Hispanic students has dropped from 15% to 11%. This reduction
A Texas nonprofit grant program aimed at supporting diverse small business owners, has agreed to revise its application process after being sued for allegedly discriminating against white men. The lawsuit was brought by the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a group led by conservative activist Edward Blum, who is also suing Fearless Fund, a Black women-led VC firm. Lawsuit Challenges Race-Based Criteria The lawsuit centered around a $50,000 grant offered by the Founders First Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit founded by Kim Folsom and led by Shaylon Scott. The
