Black couple DeMario and Dawn Nicole McIlawin are the creators behind Skilldora. This Black-owned edtech startup is one of the first e-learning platforms to embrace “digitally created humans,” also known as AI instructors. Skilldora has partnered with Israel-based company, D-ID, to accelerate academic learning for the next generation. According to Yahoo Finance, edtech startups have helped boost the educational sector. Online education is now one of the most effective and fastest ways for modern learners to learn seamlessly. Skilldora is on a mission to revolutionize the education system by becoming
IBM has announced the launch of Cybersecurity Leadership Centers across six HBCUs. The move aims to give students and faculty access to IBM training, software, and certifications at no extra cost. Underrepresented students and professors can receive help with coursework, lectures, immersive training experiences, and knowledgeable skills they can always take with them as they grow. According to IBM, the program will be available at 20 HBCUs across 11 states to help co-create Cybersecurity Leadership Centers and create talent opportunities for employers and students combined. “Collaborations between academia and the private
Black-owned health startup Ubenwa uses artificial intelligence to detect early diseases in babies and their cries. The startup’s learning system analyzes the amplitude of a baby’s cry and uses cutting-edge AI to diagnose infants up to six months old. By analyzing the frequency patterns of a baby’s cry, the AI-powered software picks up on brain and lung conditions in young infants. Communicating with babies Ubenwa was co-founded in 2017 by Charles Onu, Samantha Latremouille, and Innocent Udeogu. The startup combines AI techniques with medical expertise to detect breathing conditions and
Byld Ventures, a $15 million fund launched this May, has eyes for startups mainly across Egypt and Nigeria due to the partners’ experiences in those markets. Byld Ventures reached its first close almost in June and a second close at $10 million last month. It expects to achieve its final close by year’s end, according to TechCrunch. Over a dozen athletes have backed the fund as well as the Dubai government and several unnamed institutional LPs. The early-stage fund — which has made four investments: Ceviant, Apata, Thepeer and Anchor — consists of four
91-year-old James Earl Jones has officially retired his voice as the iconic Darth Vader from Star Wars and handed it over to artificial intelligence. Jones, who has voiced the villain Darth Vader since 1977, has officially signed over archived recordings of his voice to Ukraine-based startup, Respeecher, who will be working to recreate the actor’s voice using artificial intelligence. In an interview with Vanity Fair, supervising editor Matthew Wood said the actor “was looking into winding down this particular character” after playing the role for nearly 50 years. The Ukrainian startup
National Security Agency (NSA) veteran Natalie Evans Harris has been announced as the Executive Director of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ new Black Wealth Data Center (BWDC). The BWDC, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, works to increase generational wealth and address the systemic underinvestment within Black communities. As the Executive Director of the BWDC, Harris will lead a team tasked with harnessing data to support the creation of programs, policies, and strategies to measurably increase Black wealth. A wealth of experience Harris brings nearly 20 years of experience advancing the public sector’s strategic use of
Despite the controversy surrounding its facial recognition software, Clearview A.I. has found a new home amongst public defenders. The move, described as a “P.R. stunt to try to push back against the negative publicity,” has begun allowing public defenders to access its facial recognition database, which holds more than 20 billion facial images. The controversy explained Earlier this year, the controversial facial recognition program found itself amid legal drama after being fined more than £7.5 million by the U.K.’s privacy watchdog. The fine came after a few senators called on federal agencies
Elijah Muhammad Jr has officially made history as the youngest Black college student in Oklahoma after enrolling in three courses at Oklahoma City Community College as a freshman. According to KFOR News, Muhammed Jr. isn’t the only person in his family beating records. His older sister, Shania Muhammad, also made history this year as the youngest to graduate from college with two associate degrees from Langston University and Oklahoma City College. Elijah Muhammad Sr, the siblings’ father, revealed that Muhammed used his sister’s success to help motivate him to excel further in his
Lagos-based fintech, Duplo, has raised $4.3 million in seed funding. The seed funding round, led by Liquid2 Ventures, Soma Capital, Tribe Capital, Commerce Ventures, Basecamp Fund, and Y Combinator, will help Duplo launch new products and expand its business into new sectors in Nigeria. The fintech platform, founded by Yele Oyekola and Tunde Akinnuwa in September 2021, has become one of Nigeria’s top fintech platforms, helping African organizations seamlessly collect payments from their clients and partners. In February, the startup managed to raise $1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round led by pan-African VC firm
San Francisco-based communications company, Twilio, has announced that they will be cutting 11% workforce to help restructure the company after a period of rapid expansion. In a memo to employees, Twilio CEO, Jeff Lawson, clarified that all staff cuts will be made through an “Anti-Racist” and “Anti-Oppression” lens which took many by surprise. Despite right-wing publications such as Daily Caller, describing the move as “race-based,” Lawson’s actions come at a very critical time for POC workers who more times than not, are forced to suffer the brunt of staff layoffs and redundancies.
