Rusty and River Fields, two brothers born and raised in Brooklyn, have started the first hacker house for young Black tech entrepreneurs. The house, nicknamed “R-House,” brings tech enthusiasts together to live and work alongside each other for four weeks as they build their own Web-3.0 startups. Speaking to Bronx.news, Rusty Fields, who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a neuroscience degree, said: “Black builders, they face unique challenges when they go to launch companies.” “We really wanted to create the space and experience for them to build deep and authentic
Instagram has launched a user survey in partnership with YouGov to understand better how people from different communities experience the app. The initiative, which highlights the company’s efforts to build a more “fair and equitable” platform, will prompt users to participate in an optional survey about their race and ethnicity. According to Instagram, information from the survey will help them better understand different communities’ experiences with the app. The survey will show up at the top of users’ feed and will lead directly to a YouGov survey. According to the
Black Professionals in Tech (BPTN) has officially made its debut in Zambia. The community network, which currently has more than 60,000 Black members worldwide, has created a global network for professionals working within North America and across countries worldwide. BPTN’s new network, which went live at the Bongo Hive Technology Lusaka earlier this week, connects large tech companies with Black tech professionals. It provides employment opportunities to members and offers mentorship and educational resources to help entrepreneurs develop long-standing, successful careers within the tech industry. The platform enables tech giants to hire
Investment firm Twenty Five Ventures recently announced the launch of their diversity fund: 25V Diversity Fund. The venture capital firm aims to invest up to $10 million in early-stage real estate, property, and fintech startups led by Black and Latinx entrepreneurs. Twenty-Five Ventures, founded in 2020 by Maximillian Diez, works to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem that allows everyone to access financial and knowledge-based resources where founders and investors can thrive. According to a Crunchbase report, Black and Latinx founders receive less funding than non-minority counters. So, despite recent figures showing
Oakland-based tech entrepreneur, George Hofstetter, experienced a severe racial incident during his trip to study abroad in England. Hofstetter’s response to the racist abuse has taken social media by storm, with many commending the 22-year-old for his brave and teachable response to the disturbing racism he experienced during his studies. So, here’s what happened. George Hofstetter, founder and CEO of US-based tech company GHTech, joined a summer school program hosted by Oxford University, located at Hughes Hall, Cambridge University. On July 15, the university decided to host a formal dinner
Black-owned telecommunications provider, Safaricom, has announced its partnership with the online learning platform, Kodris Africa, to promote coding study classes. The classes, which will be available for all to purchase through tokens on the M-PESA app, will provide children with a year’s worth of online coding classes, which users can activate on their tablets, laptop, or desktop computers. The program, which the Kenyan government first approved in April 2022, will introduce a new syllabus in primary and secondary schools aimed at teaching children one of the most sought-after skills in
Is there anything Keke can’t do? Actress and entertainer, Keke Palmer, has officially become the host of Meta’s ‘Are We There Yet?’, a digital series that focuses on shining a light on the developments currently taking place within the Metaverse. According to the outlet, the new series will see the entertainer sit down with creators, educators, and experts “to find out where the metaverse stands now and what’s coming in the future.” In addition, this video series will showcase how the Metaverse can help “bring people together like never before.”
Black-owned fintech startup, Guava, has closed a pre-seed funding round of $2.4 million. The funding round, which Heron Rock led, also included investment firm Ruthless for Good Fund, Precursor Ventures, Backstage Capital, and angel investors Lexi Reese and Ed Zimmerman. Guava, founded in 2021 by Kelly Ifill, helps Black-owned businesses bank and build community. The banking and networking platform works to close the racial wealth gap by aiding small Black companies and creators with the tools needed to scale and grow their businesses. The digital platform, which is yet to
Billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith recently announced the launch of the Student Freedom Initiative, a program designed to provide paid internships to HBCU students. Robert F. Smith will launch the Student Freedom Initiative’s HELPS Program in partnership with financial regulation company Prudential Finance. The partnership will address Black students’ disproportionate financial loan burden, which often hinders their career progression. The program aims to provide science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) HBCU students with $1.8 million in microgrants, which will act as a contingent fund alongside their traditional college loans. Robert F. Smith, famously known
Black-owned acceleration organization /dev/color recently announced its partnership with visual discovery platform, Pinterest, to help support its mission of changing the tech industry for good. The $3 million partnership launched last year is dedicated to elevating Black technologists and leaders throughout the tech industry. Both companies will provide coaching and mentorship programs to help empower Black software engineers, executives, and entrepreneurs, giving them the tools they need to succeed within the tech industry. Also, HBCU students will benefit from this partnership as both platforms look to invest in the Black
