Over 100 prominent venture capitalists (VCs) have thrown their support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for the upcoming presidential election. Among these supporters are LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, Khosla Ventures’ Vinod Khosla, and billionaire investor Chris Sacca. Tech Leaders Rally Behind Kamala Harris The collective, organized under the banner VCsForKamala.org, represents a broad spectrum of tech and business leaders who are advocating for Harris’s vision for America. Their statement emphasizes a commitment to the American dream, entrepreneurship, and technological progress. They also stress the importance of democracy as a fundamental
Venture capitalist (VC) Brittany Davis has shared a list of 80 Black-led VC funds in the US, highlighting the growing presence and influence of Black investors. The Black VC ecosystem Despite the increasing number of Black entrepreneurs, only 2% of VC funds are Black-led according to Davis. In return, Black founders in the US only received 0.48% of all venture dollars in 2023, about $661 million out of $136 billion. Realizing she could not find a recent list of Black-led VC funds, Brittany Davis, a General Partner at Backstage Capital,
Brand new Techish! This week, hosts Michael and Abadesi dive into: • Microsoft lays off a DEI team (00:00:20)• AI bias in performance reviews (00:08:16)• The myth of meritocracy (00:12:31)• The UK has a new government (00:15:00)• Make politics attractive again (00:19:12) Listen on Spotify or Apple podcast also. Watch On YouTube Extra Reading & Resources • Microsoft Faces Backlash After DEI Team Layoffs [POCIT]• We asked ChatGPT to write performance reviews and they are wildly sexist (and racist) [Fast Company]• Black Man Who Got A Job Interview After Using A Fake Name On Resume Files Lawsuit [POCIT]
Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X, is facing widespread criticism after sharing a deceptively edited video of Vice President Kamala Harris. The video, which makes it appear that Harris is disparaging President Joe Biden and boasting about being the “ultimate diversity hire,” was reposted by Musk without any disclaimer that it was a parody. This action seemingly violates X’s own policy on manipulated media. A Violation of Platform Policies? The controversial video originally posted by @MrReaganUSA was labeled as a “parody” by the creator. However, Musk’s repost, accompanied
Intuit is hiring on POCIT. Dishanta Kpatrick is a Full Stack Software Engineer at Intuit Mailchimp with an unconventional career journey. When she’s not at work, she’s learning to roller skate, renovating her house, and finishing her Cybersecurity degree at Kennesaw State University. Dishanta first discovered her computing talent in high school but explored other paths before returning to it in 2012. She taught herself web design and development online, starting in Intuit’s tech support team and working her way up to an engineer. Now, she balances her job with
Jackson State University (JSU) has become the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and the first institution in Mississippi to receive the prestigious Founders Award from the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). A Landmark Achievement for JSU and HBCUs JSU’s journey with the National Academy of Inventors began in 2011 as a charter member. Over the years, multiple faculty members have been inducted as NAI fellows, with groundbreaking inventions that have impacted both society and the economy. For example, Dr. Ernest Izevbigie, the first NAI fellow from JSU, was
The African startup ecosystem has witnessed a surge in investment, crossing the $1 billion mark in 2024, according to The Big Deal. This milestone was achieved faster than anticipated, due to several significant deals announced in July. Notably, d.light secured a $176 million securitization facility, and MNT-Halan raised $157.5 million for its expansion efforts. These, along with NALA’s $40 million Series A and other smaller deals, have pushed July 2024 to become the most successful month in African startup fundraising in over a year, amassing nearly $400 million. This figure
Plaiced, a growing online social network, has acquired Clutch, a Black women-founded marketplace for digital marketing services. The acquisition marks a shift in the digital marketing industry, promising enhanced opportunities for content creators and brands alike. Clutch: Connecting businesses with creators Co-founded by Madison Long and Simone May in 2020, Clutch has connected numerous creators with businesses seeking marketing and content creation services. The company had secured $1.2 million in pre-seed funding led by Precursor Ventures and had worked with over 70 brands, including Hearst Media. “The creator economy is
Meta, the tech giant formerly known as Facebook, is under scrutiny for using public Instagram posts to train its generative AI model without notifying users in Latin America, according to Rest of the World. The company’s decision has particularly impacted artists in the region, who rely heavily on social media to showcase their work but cannot opt out of this data usage. Lack of Notification and Opt-Out Options On June 2, many Latin American artists discovered that Meta had not informed them about its plans to use their public posts
CityRock has announced the closing of its $24 million Fund II to support founders from diverse backgrounds. This fund, part of H/L Ventures, will invest in companies within sectors such as climate, healthcare, and the future of work. Expanding Support for Series A Companies CityRock’s new fund marks a step in H/L Ventures’ mission to provide support and investment for its portfolio companies. According to Oliver Libby, co-founder and managing partner of H/L Ventures, the average investment size for CityRock Fund II will be $1 million. The fund, currently being
