Joe Cecala and Dwain J. Kyles are launching The Dream Exchange, which is set to become the first Black-owned stock exchange in the United States. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Influence The two, influenced by the civil rights movement and drawing inspiration from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., aim to bridge the gap between Main Street and Wall Street, creating a more inclusive financial marketplace. “What he [Dr. King] began to understand in the later years of his life [is] that you were not going to achieve equality anywhere in
Derek “MixedByAli” Ali, a multi-Grammy Award-winning audio engineer, has recently raised $7.5 million for his startup, EngineEars. Ali’s journey in music has been marked by his work with influential artists like Roddy Ricch, Donald Glover, and Kendrick Lamar. Ali’s Journey To Music Ali’s passion for music emerged from having little to no formal musical training and growing up with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He found his calling in high school by experimenting with technology and music, leading to his early experiments with custom ringtones that laid the groundwork for a
Black-owned startup The SMART Tire Company (STC) is calling on Black celebrities, investors, and engineers to help disrupt the global tire market industry at $300 billion. SMART tires: TIME’s Best Inventions STC is best known for its space-age tires, which are changing the way vehicles perform on and off the road. The tires were initially designed for NASA’s Mars Rover program, but STC was founded to commercialize this advanced tire technology as part of the FedTech NASA Startup Program. The company’s inaugural product is a high-performance, airless bicycle tire made
Two brothers, Adrian and Ronnie Wright, have launched the XB app to change how residents can discover and connect with Black-owned businesses in their area. The Journey Of XB The journey began with a Facebook group named “Black Portland,” created by Adrian in 2015. It was seen as a place of reconnection for the Black community in Portland, which faced numerous challenges during the 1980s. These included difficulties in securing mortgages and increasing crime rates in Black neighborhoods. “Displaced residents relocated eastward, while newcomers, often employed by major corporations, gravitated
Helen Huang and Sefunmi Osinaike are redefining inclusivity in the tech industry with Co.Lab, whose hands-on mentorship-based programs are helping Black and underrepresented Canadians get a headstart in tech. Co.Lab Launched three years ago, Co.Lab has already made significant waves in the tech community, breaking barriers and fostering a sense of belonging among minorities. “Our entire motto at Co.Lab is you belong in tech,” Huang told Now Toronto. “When you’re outside the club, everything inside seems so mysterious. All you do is hyper-fixate on the things you don’t feel like you
Rise Up Crowdfunding has collaborated with The Coca-Cola Company to transform funding for women and minority-owned companies. Rise Up Crowdfunding, a FINRA and SEC registered funding portal, is on a mission to enable people to invest in diverse-owned small businesses and the future those businesses believe in. The Collaboration With Coca-Cola Company In collaboration with The Coca-Cola Company, the platform is giving women and minority-owned companies the chance to now raise up to $5 million through equity crowdfunding. “Although women and minority-led startups are launching daily, women receive less than
Black-owned AI ed-tech company Skilldora has joined forces with African American billionaire Dr. Michael V. Roberts to offer its platform and AI Instructor-led courses to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Roberts is the founder of Roberts Innovation Group, which aims to break barriers and pave the way for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities to succeed in the tech industry. Skilldora Skilldora, founded by DeMario and Dawn Nicole McIlwain, is an African-American-owned accredited e-learning provider known for its innovative platform and app. The platform aims to
SheMatters has recently secured a significant $2 million investment to launch its symptom tracker app. Founded by Jade Kearney (CEO) and Marguerite Pierce (COO), SheMatters is a pioneering digital health platform dedicated to improving maternal mortality in minority communities. The Symptom Tracker App The Symptom Tracker app is a new tool designed to empower expecting and new mothers in tracking vital signs and symptoms associated with serious complications. These complications could include preeclampsia, eclampsia, and Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP) syndrome. This technology is especially crucial for
LGBTQ History Month is an annual month-long observance of the community and related civil rights movements, founded in 1994. To celebrate the achievements of Black LGBTQ+ individuals in the tech industry, we are highlighting some figures who have used their platforms to advocate for diversity, equality, and social change. Mia Cooley Cooley’s creation of xHood marks a significant contribution to the Black queer community. xHood is the first organization dedicated to supporting Black queer family building and nurturing journeys. The platform offers various resources, including forums, virtual baby showers, and
MeVitae, a UK-based Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) startup, has successfully secured a $1.8 million (€1.7 million) seed round spearheaded by Apex Black. MeVitae Founded by Oxford University alumni, Neuroscientist Riham Satti and Computer Scientist Vivek Doraiswamy, MeVitae specializes in offering a comprehensive DEI ecosystem of HR tools. These tools, developed from a blend of AI ethics and neuroscience perspectives, are designed to detect and mitigate biases, to enhance smarter, faster, and fairer hiring decisions. “Growing up, I never considered that my gender or skin color might impede opportunities. It
