Forbes has unveiled its annual 50 over 50 list, highlighting dynamic female leaders and entrepreneurs who have achieved significant success later in life. Let’s meet some Black women over 50 making moves in tech and proving that success has no age limit. Carlotta Berry – Founder of NoireSTEMinist Berry, 54, a robotics expert and engineering professor at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, founded NoireSTEMinist in 2020. The educational consulting firm promotes diversity in STEM through workshops and products. Berry also co-founded the Rose Building Undergraduate Diversity (ROSE-BUD) program, co-directs a
Google for Startups Accelerator Africa has revealed its 8th cohort, featuring ten startups from Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa. These ventures are using AI to address significant issues in healthcare, cargo mobility, energy solutions, and beyond. Pioneering Innovation Across Africa Africa’s tech ecosystem is described as a hub of creativity and problem-solving, driven by startups tackling both local and global challenges with exceptional ingenuity. Since its launch in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has been important in supporting the continent’s startup landscape. The program has now
RUNWAY, a Black-women led financial innovation firm, launched its first in-house integrated capital investment fund. The RUNWAY ROOTED Fund is committed to investing $50 million into businesses, cooperatives, and grassroots organizations that are building wealth in Black communities across select regions in the United States. A New Paradigm in Reparative Finance The RUNWAY ROOTED Fund represents a significant shift from traditional investment models. It serves as a vessel of restitution and revitalization, aiming to address the systemic issues that have long fueled the racial wealth gap. “For too long, the
Venture capitalist (VC) Brittany Davis has shared a list of 80 Black-led VC funds in the US, highlighting the growing presence and influence of Black investors. The Black VC ecosystem Despite the increasing number of Black entrepreneurs, only 2% of VC funds are Black-led according to Davis. In return, Black founders in the US only received 0.48% of all venture dollars in 2023, about $661 million out of $136 billion. Realizing she could not find a recent list of Black-led VC funds, Brittany Davis, a General Partner at Backstage Capital,
The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has partnered with Urban Strategies Inc. (USI) to enhance opportunities and access for minority businesses across the US. Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development at the MBDA, Eric Morrissette, and USI President, Esther Shin, marked the partnership with the signing of a memorandum of understanding. Expanding Access to Resources for Minority Entrepreneurs The USI’s federally designated Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) fund aims to promote racial and economic equity by offering resources and capital. By working together, the the MBDA and
Goodie Nation, an organization dedicated to empowering Black tech professionals, has secured over $150,000 in grants from the Kapor Center, Emory Philanthropy Lab, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s GoATL Economic Inclusion Fund. This funding will enhance the ATL BLK TCH program, which aims to foster a robust and interconnected Black tech community in Atlanta. Building Bridges in the Black Tech Community The ATL BLK TCH program is designed to help Black tech professionals in Atlanta, offering a platform for networking, mentorship, and growth. With the new influx of
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Michael and Abadesi dive into: • Microsoft lays off a DEI team (00:00:20)• AI bias in performance reviews (00:08:16)• The myth of meritocracy (00:12:31)• The UK has a new government (00:15:00)• Make politics attractive again (00:19:12) Listen on Spotify or Apple podcast also. Watch On YouTube Extra Reading & Resources • Microsoft Faces Backlash After DEI Team Layoffs [POCIT]• We asked ChatGPT to write performance reviews and they are wildly sexist (and racist) [Fast Company]• Black Man Who Got A Job Interview After Using A Fake Name On Resume Files Lawsuit [POCIT]
Jackson State University (JSU) has become the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the first institution in Mississippi to receive the prestigious Founders Award from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). A Landmark Achievement for JSU and HBCUs JSU’s journey with the National Academy of Inventors began in 2011 as a charter member. Over the years, multiple faculty members have been inducted as NAI fellows, with groundbreaking inventions that have impacted both society and the economy. For example, Dr. Ernest Izevbigie, the first NAI fellow from JSU, was
Meta, the tech giant formerly known as Facebook, is under scrutiny for using public Instagram posts to train its generative AI model without notifying users in Latin America, according to Rest of the World. The company’s decision has particularly impacted artists in the region, who rely heavily on social media to showcase their work but cannot opt out of this data usage. Lack of Notification and Opt-Out Options On June 2, many Latin American artists discovered that Meta had not informed them about its plans to use their public posts
The Ford Foundation is committing more than $20 million to enhance the field of public interest technology. This initiative includes up to $1.5 million specifically earmarked for the establishment of a pioneering public interest technology institute at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Advancing Technology for Public Good The invesment was announced as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to advance a diverse and inclusive tech ecosystem at an event by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). As well as celebratinh the vital role of
