Chatbot Engineer Academy has announced the launch of a new initiative to revolutionize the tech job market for low-income individuals. Audrey Bell-Kearney, the dynamic founder and President of the Gwinnett Women’s Chamber of Commerce and a visionary leader in AI, founded the academy with a focus on no-code AI chatbots. A no-code AI chatbot is a tool you can create without learning a programming language first. UpSkill To UpLift Initative Chatbot Engineer Academy has now launched the “UpSkill to UpLift Initiative.” UpSkill To UpLift Initiative is a groundbreaking program that
Black women have always been, and continue to be, at the forefront of tech, driving innovation, raising capital, and challenging inequity. This year, the tech world continues to shift and evolve rapidly. For those wanting to stay ahead of the curve and make their mark in this dynamic world, here are three must-read books by Black women leaders. Your First Million – Arlan Hamilton Arlan Hamilton is the founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, which has raised more than $10 million while investing in over 100 companies led by people of
The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) has created a new tech fellowship to increase diversity in the industry. NIBIB aims to transform the understanding of disease and its prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment through engineering. Bringing new medical technologies to the marketplace is a long, expensive process that can be even more challenging for underrepresented entrepreneurs in biotech. Recognizing the need for more biotechnology innovators from underrepresented groups and building on its history of working with leaders in the biotech industry, NIBIB created the RADx Tech DIVE fellowship program.
ORO Impact, a social impact fintech company, has recently launched a down payment assistance (DPA) platform to transform homeownership throughout the US. ORO Impact The company addresses two national challenges, the first being down payment affordability has put homeownership outreach for many Americans. Secondly, employee tenure is at record lows as employers struggle to attract and retain employees. Homeownership currently reflects racial inequity, with rates for African American and Latino households lagging the national median by 22% and 15%, according to Black News. In many parts of the country, African American
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently funding several programs to address racism in environmental and civil engineering to make the field more diverse. According to the Daily Caller, the NSF also aims to train engineers representing Black and Latinx communities. The grants are part of a broader effort by the NSF to push racial equity in STEM. In 2021, nearly a quarter (24%) of the US workforce was employed in STEM. However, Hispanic workers represented 15%, and Black workers only represented 9%. NSF’s funds aim to change that as they are
In recent days, Elon Musk has drawn criticism from business, tech, and civil rights leaders for his disparaging tweets about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). DEI initiatives aim to rectify historical and ongoing discrimination by providing equal access and opportunities for underrepresented groups. However, South African billionaire and owner of Tesla, Space X, and X – formerly known as Twitter – has repeatedly labeled these efforts discriminatory and called for them to “die”. “DEI is just another word for racism. Shame on anyone who uses it,” Musk said in a
Karat’s Brillant Black Minds has welcomed new partners to its program, joining investors such as Serena Williams, levelling the playing field for Black software engineers. Brillant Black Minds Brilliant Black Minds was co-founded in 2021 and launched as a solution for Black engineers lacking access and resources to excel in the tech industry. The Brillant Black Minds program aims to bridge this gap through mentorship, networking opportunities, and more. The program recently received investment from tennis champion Serena Williams to help aspiring Black engineers enter the tech industry and change the narrative. “We’re focused on
Developer and entrepreneur Ida Byrd-Hill is the visionary behind the Life Culture Audit vision board app, helping the Black community set and achieve their career and finance goals. The power of visualization Ida Byrd-Hill knows firsthand how visualization can change your life. In 2017, she founded the cybersecurity and tech re-skilling firm Automation Workz 4 U, later named Automation Workz Institute. When investors refused to invest in her firm, Byrd-Hill decided to sell her Detroit residence, car, and retirement funds and enter voluntary poverty. Four years later, Byrd-Hill has managed to
Two minority-owned platforms, TripleLift and Reset Digital, have partnered to help advertisers achieve their diverse spending goals, increasing diverse representation across the programmatic ecosystem. In 2023, an ANA survey found that the media and advertising community had shown more interest in supporting diverse suppliers over the past year. However, there is still a gap between intent to spend with diverse suppliers and actual spending. TripleLift and Reset Digital’s partnership aims to change that. Supporting diverse suppliers in the ad industry TripleLift, founded by Eric Berry, Ari Lewine, and Shaun Zachariais,
Businessman Ted Lucas went from creating millionaires in the music business to creating the Technolij Innovation Center at one of Florida’s Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU). Meet Ted Lucas Lucas founded the independent music label Slip-N-Slide Records. He told AFROTECH he knew how to seek talent and people before they saw it in themselves. “I wanted to be the one behind getting the deals and getting the deals done. So, I found my niche, how I work, and what works best for me to be in the music business,” he said.
