A new content series puts HBCU students in conversation with actor Lance Gross, The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler, and Kimberly Bryant. The three-part series, The Futurist, results from a collaboration between One Solution, Urban One’s branded solution division, and AT&T Dream In Black. AT&T Dream In Black is a platform that recognizes and celebrates an esteemed class of 25 HBCU students making a difference in their community and campus. “The Futurist” The Futurist is a three-part series that pairs HBCU students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and
Black founders raised only 0.13% of all capital allocated to US startups in Q3 of this year, Crunchbase has reported. A decline in funding Only 0.13% of venture dollars allocated between July and September went to Black founders. This equates to about $39.7 million of the total $29.9 billion allocated, a massive year-over-year drop for Black founders. In Q3 2022, Black founders raised $1 billion out of around $81.7 billion in venture dollars, approximately 1.2%. TechCrunch also reported a massive quarter-over-quarter drop as in Q2 of 2023, Black founders raised
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments have seen a downward trend from its high point in 2020. New data from ROI communications has shed light on the state of DEI-related budgets, diversity officer roles, and predictions for the future of corporate DEI. A Decline From 2020’s high point Roles for DEI first increased following the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, with tech companies, in particular, pledging to boost their diversity efforts. A global leadership consulting firm, DDI found that many companies are regressing their DEI programs. According to Bloomberg,
Latimer, named after African-American inventor Lewis Latimer, is a new platform trying to make generative AI more inclusive. The new large language model (LLM) is built to reflect the experience, culture, and history of Black and brown people more accurately. The platform recently announced new partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to help bring the inclusive tool to students, agencies, brands, and the general public. Tackling racial bias and erasure Many generative AI models amplify the bias, inaccuracy, and erasure of Black and brown cultural data. A Bloomberg
A new report by the Kapor Foundation has highlighted the challenges faced by Native communities in computer science education and within the US tech ecosystem. The State of Tech Diversity: The Native Tech Ecosystem report was published in collaboration with AISES, a non-profit professional association dedicated to advancing Indigenous people in STEM. “The findings of this report underscore the pressing need to eliminate these disparities through continued awareness and advocacy, educational resources, and professional development tailored to our communities,” said Dr. Kathy DeerinWater, VP of Programs and Research at AISES, in
Research from Extend Ventures revealed that only 0.24% of funding went to Black founders in the UK in the last decade. Additionally, a report conducted by Cornerstone VC also found that only 1% of founders who receive seed funding identify as Black and only 3% of VC-funded founders identify as Black. To celebrate and amplify Black founders in UK tech this Black History Month, we have compiled a list of resources and funds available. Black Seed Black Seed is a community-led by Black founders, for Black founders, based in Brixton,
Meet The Latest Tech Startups To Secure $100K From Northwestern Mutual’s Black Founder Accelerator
Northwestern Mutual, a financial services organization, has announced this year’s fall cohort of five Black-owned tech startups to its Black Founder Accelerator program for the third year. Now in its third year, the accelerator is one of the core components of Northwestern Mutual’s Sustained Action for Racial Equity (SARE) initiative. SARE was created to advance bold, sustainable change that accelerates the company’s commitment to fight racism, prejudice, and social injustice, focusing on the Black and African American community. The Black Founder Accelerator The accelerator invests in up to 10 companies
Industry Link is a unique self-funded initiative to unite New York’s young Black professionals working across tech, media, entertainment, and aligned industries. Created by young Black professionals for young Black professionals, the platform offers a series of free private mixers in New York City. The events are dedicated to breaking down the cliques, kicking back, showing off your latest fits, and catching up with old and new friends across industries at different venues around the city. “This is the place to find the next person who’s gonna put you on, and
Online resource business Hello Alice is the latest company to be named in a lawsuit for allegedly discriminating against business owners based on race. A class action lawsuit alleges the company’s partnership with Progressive Insurance Company, which offered $25,000 grants to 10 Black-owned small businesses, violates civil rights. Hello Alice and Progressive Partnership Hello Alice, founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore in 2017, is a digital platform helping small businesses launch and grow through access to capital. They partner with corporations looking to reach and support new entrepreneurs through
The California Senate Bill 54 (SB 54) has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom, requiring venture capital firms in the state to report the diversity of the founders they back annually. This is the first piece of legislation in the US that aims to address racial disparities in the venture capital (VC) landscape. There is currently no official data on how VC firms invest their money founder and tech activist who helped ideate and draft SB 54, Allison Byers said. She added that California is responsible for 36%
