El Salvador has become the first country to accept Bitcoin as a legal currency in a move that has got the world debating whether cryptocurrency should be used in this way. The country has reportedly already bought its first 400 bitcoins, worth an estimated $21 million based on bitcoin’s value at the time of the announcement, according to a series of tweets by the country’s President – Nayib Bukele. Millions of people are now expected to download the government’s new digital wallet app which gives away $30 in Bitcoin to every
We rounded up a list of talented, passionate, and hardworking tech entrepreneurs who are inspiring business innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Here is a short intro on four AfroLatinX who are making waves in the industry and are ones sure to watch! The Founder Providing Capital to Underrepresented Entrepreneurs A first-generation Afro-LatinX immigrant is undoubtedly making a name for himself in the startup world, using his talents to create a space for more people like him in tech. Luis Martinez is the founder of We Tha Plug, an incubator designed to help
Growing up as a child of immigrants had its struggles. I could see my parents’ difficulty adjusting to a new country, culture, and language. I didn’t want to have the same challenges, so I got into a habit of not mentioning my heritage. While doing volunteer work, I learned a lesson. I shared with colleagues that I grew up in the U.S., but one of them realized I was leaving out vital details, my heritage. With a sparkle in her eyes, she wanted to know all about my home country and its culture. Her
As a Latina founder of a social impact company, raising VC money hasn’t exactly been easy. Especially in Chicago, where I’m based, the VC community, while close-knit and easily accessible, is small, homogenous, and focused on later-stage investments. On the startup side, of the 65 Chicago-based startups backed by Chicago-based venture capital funds, only 16 (about 25%) have a non-white founder, and only 15 (or 23%) have a female founder to Chicago Blend. From firsthand experience, the lack of access to early-stage capital compared to the coasts has an oversized impact on underrepresented
The number of Latinx founders in the US is continuing to growing at a faster rate than any other demographic. Yet we’re all familiar with the drab stats: only 2.4% of total VC funding goes to Black and Latinx founders. We’ve put together a list of some Latinx women founders who have broken through the ceiling: launching thriving and innovative companies developing new technology in software, medical, e-commerce and beyond. Read how they’ve backed their ideas, raised funds and are changing the lives of many. Ariel Lopez, Founder Knac The
Brandwatch is hiring on pocitjobs.com As a kid, Evelyn Castillo created surveys for fun. In sixth grade, she did one on whether students would be more effective taking tests if there was a clock in the room or not. She did another one on how different genders liked to react to different kinds of music. Today, it comes as no surprise that she’s now an account director at Brandwatch, using her expertise in analytics and market research to help clients refine their processes relating to digital intelligence. We had a
As a New Yorker, I’ve found the last few years in the San Francisco Bay Area quite interesting. Professionally, I’ve led programs focused on fueling talent pipelines with underrepresented talent and helped companies build and scale their inclusive hiring strategies. Personally, I’ve had the opportunity to learn about different cultures, try new food, and meet some amazing people. However, in some cases, my experiences have been worse than at home. I’ve been called the N-word on the street. My partner and I have been called “pansies” on the way to
The Cannabis industry is booming but rife with inequities and discrimination. American marijuana businesses are projected to have between $106 billion and $130 billion by 2024 on the US economy. Often referred to as the ‘Green Rush’, hundreds of lucrative weed businesses have popped up all over the US where weed is now legal. The problem? These businesses are predominately white-owned. A 10+ billion dollar industry, and we own less than 1% of it. The big cannabis players, most of them white-owned and backed by lucrative venture capital, don’t face
Latinx founder numbers are growing at a faster rate than any other group and we’re expected to yield $1.4 Trillion in US GDP. A couple of years ago, I started my journey in supporting Latinx founders as an investor at Backstage Capital through the Accelerator and with this post. And I believe what I wrote then even more now! TL;DR Latinx entrepreneurs are a strong force to be reckoned with! With capital and support, we can grow our businesses to produce in the trillions — trillions that can better the lives of our
Today was a not so good day at work. I’ve had better days. The issue itself isn’t even regarding my day-to-day work with clients or my immediate team. The issue is regarding how one of the largest technology companies in the world fails to understand and account for my personal living situation, during COVID-19. But that’s a whole different story, for another time. Regardless, it’s moments like this that remind me why it’s so important — more now than ever — to share our stories and our experiences with the
