The nation’s leading science and education organizations have partnered to launch the Action Collaborative on Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech, paving the pathway in tech education and careers. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched the action collaboratively alongside 35 other institutions representing higher education, national laboratories, and government. Action Collaborative The action collaborative is guided by the findings and recommendations from the 2022 consensus report Transforming Trajectories for Women of Color in Tech. Using an intersectional approach, the collaborative aims to transform the pathways in tech
SoftBank is selling its Open Opportunity Fund to its chairman and managing partner, Paul Judge, and Marcelo Claure, who is being appointed the fund’s vice chairman and general partner. The Open Opportunity Fund SoftBank Group is a Japanese multinational investment holding company focusing on investment management. It announced the launch of its second fund under the Opportunity Growth Fund this year, rebranded as the Open Opportunity Fund (OOF). Judge took the reins as chairman of the second fund. Claure, who initially launched OOF, previously served as SoftBank’s COO until 2022
New York-based fintech startup Comun is redefining the bank experience for Latine immigrant communities in the US and reimaging local banking for the digital world. Founded in 2021 by Andres Santos, CEO, and Abiel Gutierrez, CTO, both of whom experienced financial exclusion upon migrating to the US, Comun has secured $9 million in funding to date. Banking Disparities in the Latine Community The Latine population contributes a staggering $3.2 trillion to the US GDP. This makes it the world’s fifth-largest economy, more than the GDPs of India, the UK, and
Fuse Media has turned to AI dubbing for a Spanish-language version of its FAST channel Backstage. Fuse Media is a Latino-owned, global entertainment company, leading in the creation and distribution of inclusive, purpose-driven stories and experiences for and with culturally diverse young adults. Some of the shows have won awards such as the Peabody, Emmys, Critics Choice, and Candian Screen Awards as well as their diversity awards from NAACP, Imagen, GLAAD, the Gracies, and NAMIC. The Latino-owned platform has now teamed with UK-based AI dubbing company Papercup to launch Backstage
Online dating and networking app Bumble has announced it is replacing founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd with Slack’s CEO, Lidiane Jones. Bumble was designed for women to make the first move, aiming to shift old-fashioned power dynamics and encourage equality in dating. Over the years, the company has also taken a more feminist and safety-oriented stance than its counterparts by enacting policies that crack down on ghosting and the sharing of unwanted sexual photos. Meet Lidiane Jones São Paulo-born Jones grew up in a small neighborhood in Brazil. According to
Hispanic and Latine tech workers comprise a small percentage of the workforce, According to a 2021 Pew Research Center study, only 8% of tech workers are Hispanic or Latine despite making up 18.7% of the US population. The percentage is even smaller for women, with Hispanic or Latina women only holding 1% of tech roles. We recently rounded up communities and organizations for Latine tech professionals; here’s an updated list of available resources. Resources For Tech Professionals 1. Techqueria Techqueria, a nonprofit founded in 2015, serves tech’s most extensive global
This Hispanic Heritage Month, POCIT spoke with Marcos Navas, the CEO of Latinos in Coding, about his work to empower Latinx communities in tech and make coding more accessible. By 2045, the minorities of the US will make up the majority of the workforce, with the Latinx community playing a pivotal role in this shift. Despite making up 17% of the workforce, Latinx people currently account for only 8% of workers in STEM. Coding is the language of the modern world, Navas argues, with the COVID-19 pandemic shedding light on
Latine communities start more businesses per capita than any other racial group in the United States. Latine or Hispanic-owned businesses also contribute over $800 billion annually to the nation’s economy. However, they often face challenges accessing the capital, resources, and support needed for the businesses to thrive. For example, in 2022, Latine and Hispanic founders received just 1.5% of venture capital funding, a drop from 2.5% the previous year. So, this Hispanic Heritage Month, we have compiled a list of resources to empower Latine tech founders nationwide! Resources For Tech Founders SoftBank
Mundo Hispanic Digital, one of the oldest Certified Minority Latino media platforms in the US, has announced the launch of the MundoNow Project. The new Latino network aims to help advertising push beyond stereotypes to reach bilingual and second and third-generation Latino Americans. Breaking Latino Stereotypes Mundo Hispanic Digital is the parent company of the bilingual news and entertainment site MundoNow. President and CEO of MundoNow, Rene Alegria, has been working on breaking Latino stereotypes in the publishing content industry for over 25 years. According to Ad Exchanger, most programmatic
The economic influence of Latine and Hispanic communities is on the rise. Nearly 5 million businesses in the US are Latine or Hispanic-owned, contributing over $800 billion annually to the nation’s economy. Latine and Hispanic communities are not just big contributors; they’re also big spenders. According to Nielson, their buying power surpasses the GDP of countries like Australia, Mexico, and Spain. So, this Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re spotlighting the online directories that help consumers connect with these Latine and Hispanic businesses nationwide. 1. Shop Latinx Shop Latinx, founded by Brittany
