To commemorate Black History Month, we have been spotlighting the Black pioneers in tech who have paved the way for up-and-coming Black technologists. From completely revolutionizing the technology world to creating the everyday tech items we can’t live without today. As a collective, this group has helped inspire a whole generation of Black professionals in tech. So, let’s meet them. Frank Greene Frank Greene was one of the first Black technologists who broke new ground for Black engineers to break into Silicon Valley in the 1960s. Greene wore many hats throughout
David Balogun is raising the standard of Black excellence for all of us. The nine-year-old Pennsylvania native has made history as one of the youngest-ever high school graduates. According to reports, Balogun received a diploma from Reach Cyber Charter school, confirming his place as the second youngest child to graduate high school. Balogun has also been one step ahead of the game. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the 9-year-old scholar finished with over a 4.0 GPA, reports Business Insider. “When we tested him for giftedness in first grade, he had already passed
NASA has announced plans to award eight HBCUs $11.7 million through its Data Science Equity, Access, and Priority in Research and Education (DEAP) opportunity. The selected HBCU institutions will be picked by the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) and the Science Mission Directorate, who will work alongside NASA to launch the DEAP opportunity. “The increasing use of data science at NASA and beyond really drives home the need for a future workforce with data science knowledge,” said Mike Kincaid, associate administrator of NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement. “With our newest collaboration, NASA
According to a new survey from Shopify, Black businesses contribute significantly to the company, yet they still struggle to get funding. The barriers Black-owned businesses face Black-owned businesses face many barriers that limit their growth, including a need for more access to capital funding and investments. Not only does this make it harder for them to succeed, but it also limits their growth potential. Despite racial and social justice movements catalyzing public support for Black businesses over recent years, minority founders have been left with unfulfilled promises of investments from banks,
Alexis Williams is an engineering student using her coding skills to design a platform that makes it easier for the Black community to incorporate social justice into their everyday routines. Alexis Williams founded PB-Resources in 2020 during the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests. Despite not knowing exactly what to do at the time, Williams decided to put her coding skills to use by building a platform in honor of George Floyd. “I was itching to get involved but didn’t know how I could do anything impactful from my living
To celebrate Black history month, financial tech platform Creative Juice has launched the Black Creator Incubator to help uplift Black content creators. The program, which aims to uplift Black creators’ voices and provide them with the education needed to grow, will commit to investing $25,000 in Black creators. Creative Juice will pick five Black creators to receive funding and participate in critical educational sessions on creativity and finance. “Helping creators grow means increasing our support of underrepresented communities,” Creative Juice said. “Announcing the Black Creator Incubator – our inaugural program designed to
To commemorate Black History Month, we are spotlighting the pioneers in tech who have paved the way for up-and-coming Black technologists. You can check out part one here! From completely revolutionizing the technology world to creating the everyday tech items we can’t live without today. As a collective, this group has helped inspire a whole generation of Black professionals in tech. So, let’s meet them. Lonnie G. Johnson One thing summer always brings out is water guns. Thanks to Lonnie Johnson, our most iconic childhood memories include playing outside with our
To commemorate Black History Month, we will be spotlighting the pioneers in tech who have paved the way for up-and-coming Black technologists. From completely revolutionizing the technology world to creating the everyday tech items we can’t live without today. As a collective, this group has helped inspire a whole generation of Black professionals in tech. So, let’s meet them. Gerald A. Lawson You can’t think of game consoles without mentioning the legendary Gerald A. Lawson. The chief hardware engineer – who recently had a Google Doodle dedicated to him – has been
From a mere idea to becoming the chosen social media platform for many, Spill is on the road to becoming one of the most inclusive social platforms. Earlier this week, founders Alphonzo Terrell and DeVaris Brown announced the close of their $2.75M pre-seed funding round for the social platform Spill. The pre-seed funding round Even though Black founders tend to go unnoticed when seeking venture capital funding for their business, Terrell and Brown were able to sell their business model to investors in just 10 minutes. The funding round, which was co-led by MaCVentureCap and Kapor Center, also
Employers continued to make progress in addressing anti-Black racism last year, but Black Canadians worry that a recession could wipe out those gains, finds a new survey. In KPMG in Canada’s survey of more than 1,000 Black Canadians, 9 in 10 felt their employers had made progress on efforts to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees in 2022. Most also said their companies had hired and promoted more Black people, and noted improvements in their own career and promotion prospects. Black Canadians also reported improvements in their workplace
