Miiriya has been flooded with messages of support after the online marketplace for Black-owned businesses announced its upcoming closure. The brainchild of Lamine Loco, Miiriya is a platform connecting Black-owned businesses with consumers – kind of like an Etsy or Amazon for Black businesses. The name comes from Loco’s native language, Bambara/Dioula, and means “thoughts” or “ideas.” Committed to the circulation of the Black dollar, Miiriya lets vendors sign up without transaction or listing fees. They also pay credit card and PayPal fees out of pocket, so vendors receive 100% of
Employers continued to make progress in addressing anti-Black racism last year, but Black Canadians worry that a recession could wipe out those gains, finds a new survey. In KPMG in Canada’s survey of more than 1,000 Black Canadians, 9 in 10 felt their employers had made progress on efforts to be more equitable and inclusive for Black employees in 2022. Most also said their companies had hired and promoted more Black people, and noted improvements in their own career and promotion prospects. Black Canadians also reported improvements in their workplace
Fintech companies in Nigeria are rapidly growing. In Q1 last year, funding for African startups hit a new record, with approximately 89% of all funding allocated to fintech startups in the region. Nigeria is one of many African countries working to make financial services accessible to everyone. As smartphone users grow and digital IDs become the norm – all eyes are on fintech startups to pave the way for financial inclusion in Nigeria. Nigeria’s mission to achieve financial inclusion A quick Google search will tell you that there are at least 150 fintech
Black Business Ventures Association (BBVA) has unveiled its inaugural Founding 50 list to spotlight top-performing Black founders in the tech industry to celebrate Black History Month. The list aims to highlight Black leaders, innovators, and trailblazers who have defied all odds by successfully launching technology initiatives. “At BBVA, every day is Black History Month. We invite you to join us in honoring the contributions of Black tech founders with the launch of the Founding 50 list,” said BBVA in a statement. “This ranked list recognizes the top Black founders who have significantly impacted their
Have you ever wanted to try a new hairstyle but can’t find the exact look or hairdresser you want? Growing Hands is the app that aims to streamline this process for all. Teacher turned tech entrepreneur JerDrema “Dreme” Flynt is on a mission to make managing Black hair a more enjoyable experience. Growing Hands allows users to personalize their hair mood to get the hairstyle they want. Once created, users can directly connect to different hairstylists to bring their vision to life. Growing Hands can be described as a mixture
According to Her Agenda, for the first time in Fortune’s 68-year history, women are leading more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies. A historical moment for women in business The report shows that this milestone was reached after five new women began their roles as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies – pushing the percentage balance to 10%. “Women as CEOs isn’t an oddity anymore,” said Jane Stevenson, global leader for the CEO succession practice at Korn Ferry. “It’s not the majority, but it’s not an oddity. So, 10% makes it more
Black-owned patient-driven digital platform, Free From Market (FFM), is one of a few food platforms working to empower individuals living with chronic health conditions. According to reports, African Americans are generally at higher risk of chronic health conditions such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, asthma, influenza, and pneumonia. To tackle this issue, Emily Brown decided to launch Free from Market, an easy-to-use app to help give Black and brown people access to diet-specific foods that can help improve their overall health. After years of providing customers with personalized data to help
If you’ve been on TikTok lately, chances are you’ve come across food critic, Keith Lee. The MMA fighter-turned-food critic has dedicated his online platform to helping underrepresented Black-owned restaurants get the spotlight they deserve. In a recent video, popular TikToker Keith Lee revealed that he had helped a struggling Black business raise $30,000 in under 24 hours. Through his honest but rewarding TikTok reviews, struggling businesses have seen an enormous influx of customers, with many going from no customers to completely selling out. After making his way home, Lee spotted
Coding school, Holberton Tulsa, has partnered with non-profit organization Urban Coders Guild to launch the Black Futures Hackathon. Hackathons are social coding event that brings computer enthusiasts together. The event – usually hosted by a tech organization – plays a massive role in bringing together the tech community to help solve the most technical problems. To celebrate Black history, students and families will have the opportunity to learn and honor Black tech history-makers. In addition, students will have 12 hours to build and code their robots through various challenges. “We’re excited to host
US tech layoffs show little sign of slowing, with 50,000 jobs cuts announced this month alone. Still, experts have said there’s still reason for hope. Competition for tech workers “will remain fierce — even when and if the economy falls into recession around the middle or second half of 2023,” Joe Brusuelas, RSM’s chief economist, told NBC News. 8 in 10 laid-off tech workers found a new job within three months of starting their search; 4 in 10 within one month. – ZipRecruiter Also 59% of all tech jobs exist outside the tech sector.
