Canada’s Minister of Small Business has marked Black History Month by announcing the launch of a new ecosystem mapping tool for Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs. BEKH’s Mapping Tool The Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH) is developing a tool to provide data and insight to help ensure Black entrepreneurs have the support needed to start and scale their businesses. Minister Rechie Valdez – the first Filipino Canadian woman and second Filipino Canadian to be elected as a Member of Parliament in Canada – said the new ecosystem mapping tool is expected to be fully operational early
Ingenium has opened applications for its new Black and African Canadian Scientific and Technological Innovations Fellowship. Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation Ingenium, Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation, is responsible for Canada’s national scientific and technological collection, which includes over two million archival items and more than 150,000 artifacts. It also oversees three national museums in Ottowa, including the Canada Science and Technology Museum, where the fellowship will occur. The fellowship was developed in partnership with the Black Canadian Studies Association with the help of founding donors Dr. Gervan Fearon
Two computer science majors, Leslie Jones-Dove and Devshi Mehrotra from the University of Chicago, have raised $3 million for their AI platform, JusticeText. Making the criminal justice system fairer Jones-Dove and Mehrotra developed their idea during a class project that they both worked on during their university years. Following protests after the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, the duo decided to interlink their interest in technology and the criminal justice system. “Across the country, there are a number of public defender’s offices where they’re underpaid and overworked,” James-Dove told AfroTech. “It means that they have a
After Elon Musk’s comments criticizing diversity initiatives, Tesla has removed language about having a majority-minority workforce. Tesla has omitted a line from its latest Securities and Exchange Commission filing. In its 10-K filing last month, a comprehensive report on Tesla’s activities throughout 2023, the company removed a line it used a year ago. The original line read, “With a majority-minority workforce, empowering our employee resource groups to take charge in driving initiatives that attract, develop, and retain our passionate workforce is vital to our continued success.” What Has Musk Said?
10Pearls, a global, purpose-driven digital technology partner, is launching a “Women in Tech” program for Latin American women in Costa Rica on February 10th. Founded by brothers Imran and Zeeshan Aftab, 10Pearls partners with clients to imagine, design, build, and deliver innovative mobile and digital products. The company has a diverse clientele that includes Global 1000 enterprises and high-growth startups and has offices in the US, Costa Rice, Colombia, the UK, Pakistan, and Peru. Women in Tech Program The Women in Tech launch event in Costa Rice will consist of a series of
Target has pulled a Black History Month magnetic learning activity book that misidentified civil rights leaders from its shelves. A Black history teacher pointed out the errors in a now-viral TikTok. Las Vegas teacher Tierra Espy went to TikTok to announce she bought the Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity Kit for her children during Black History Month. The magnetic activity book featured 26 magnets and informational cards featuring illustrations of Black leaders and slogans from the civil rights movement. However, Espy pointed out on TikTok that the book mixes up
Xbox has announced a partnership with Gameheads, a video game design program, to showcase Black-created games in recognition of Black History Month. Black-Created Games Dametra Johnson-Marletti, Corporate Vice President of Gaming Consumer Sales at Microsoft, announced the collaboration. She stated that video games have the potential to be a platform to preserve shared history and honor the stories of people of color in an engaging way that can disarm defenses and build empathy and understanding. “Gamers from underrepresented communities will not only feel like their voices are heard, but have a greater opportunity
Colorintech and Meta have launched the Spectrum AI Accelerator tailored to harness the potential of diverse UK technology founders. Colorintech is an award-winning nonprofit working towards a more transparent and inclusive tech economy. It is known for its student programs and working with governments, universities, VCs, and technology companies to help close the wealth and opportunity gap for underrepresented individuals. The AI Roadshow The program is a “Roadshow” where the duo will cover three core areas across different stakeholders in the community to make them positively impacted by AI. The Roadshow is a visionary
Chancellor David C. Banks has announced the launch of the NYC School Bus App, which allows parents to see where their child’s bus is in real-time. Banks and New York City Mayor Eric Adams launched the app to provide peace of mind to families with students who ride yellow buses by allowing them to track their bus trips in real-time. For a city with the largest school district in the nation, it buses approximately 150,000 students daily. NYC School Bus App The NYC School Bus App, developed in collaboration with Via,
Team Genius Squad, a toy brand created by 11-year-old entrepreneur and author Ava N. Simmons, has launched its new STEM toy line in Whole Foods Market stores. Team Genius Squad Simmons, also known as the STEM Princess, created Team Genius Squad to promote STEM awareness and encourage individuals to believe in themselves, identify their uniqueness, and pursue their goals. Last year, in 2023, the team decided to start in-person events and designed a STEM Mobile Lab to travel across the country. They then launched their own STEM toys, with 15
