Black-owned StatusPRO has reached a historic milestone with a $20 million Series A funding round from Google Ventures (GV), making it one of the largest Series A of any VR gaming company. StatusPRO StatusPRO was founded by Andrew “Hawk” Hawkins and Troy Jones, who each had a unique journey that propelled them into the tech space as Black co-founders of a budding startup. Leaning on their experiences as former athletes, the duo wanted to help others better understand what it takes to compete at the highest levels from an athlete’s first point of view. Their vision manifested
Cardi B, 21 Savage, and Nicki Minaj have voiced their support for the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas And Unotherized Duplications (No AI FRAUD) Act. Nearly 300 artists, actors, and performers expressed their support for the bipartisan legislation that would protect against nonconsensual AI voice clones and deepfakes, Billboard reports. No AI FRAUD Act The new bill establishes a federal framework to protect Americans’ right to their likeness and voice against AI-generated fakes and forgeries. It was introduced in the US House on January 10th. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar introduced the No
Target has pulled a Black History Month magnetic learning activity book that misidentified civil rights leaders from its shelves. A Black history teacher pointed out the errors in a now-viral TikTok. Las Vegas teacher Tierra Espy went to TikTok to announce she bought the Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity Kit for her children during Black History Month. The magnetic activity book featured 26 magnets and informational cards featuring illustrations of Black leaders and slogans from the civil rights movement. However, Espy pointed out on TikTok that the book mixes up
Xbox has announced a partnership with Gameheads, a video game design program, to showcase Black-created games in recognition of Black History Month. Black-Created Games Dametra Johnson-Marletti, Corporate Vice President of Gaming Consumer Sales at Microsoft, announced the collaboration. She stated that video games have the potential to be a platform to preserve shared history and honor the stories of people of color in an engaging way that can disarm defenses and build empathy and understanding. “Gamers from underrepresented communities will not only feel like their voices are heard, but have a greater opportunity
This year’s Black History Month theme, African Americans and the Arts, invites us to delve into a rich cultural heritage. This month, we will be celebrating the diverse artistic contributions of African Americans across multiple domains and spotlighting the intersection of Black arts and technology. The Origins Of Black History Month Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) and announced Negro History Week in 1925. Woodson had hoped to raise awareness of African Americans’ contributions to civilization, and the event
YouTube videos are using a mix of AI-generated and manipulated media to create fake content with disinformation about dozens of Black celebrities, NBC News reports. Diddy-related Fake News Many of the videos found include figures such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, TV host Steve Harvey, actor Denzel Washington, and Bishop TD Jakes. They have pushed fake narratives that stem from recent lawsuits against Combs. Other videos have implicated figures like Jakes in the allegations against Combs without evidence and used manipulated media to depict the celebrities engaging in lewd acts. NBC
UK-based Black-owned platform Sojo has become the first fashion repairs and alterations platform to achieve B Corp certification. Certified B Corps are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The B Corp Community is a global movement of businesses that provide leadership by demonstrating their commitment to people and the planet. There are over 7,800 B Corps worldwide, across 161 industries in 92 countries, with over 708,300 workers. Sojo achieved 86.8 points, above the B Corp pass mark of 80 and
Commercial real estate business owner and broker Dustin Sutton is creating a technology to benefit golfers. Sutton’s vision is to create augmented reality (AR) — enhanced smart glasses — designed and tailored for golfers through his company, RangEZ, Inc. According to the San Diego Business Journal, Sutton said the company, which is less than a year old, aims to launch its first product by the end of 2024. “Over the past seven months, this journey has transformed from a mere idea into a tangible pursuit,” he said. RangEZ Smart Glasses RangEZ smart glasses
The ALIVE Podcast Network has partnered with Barometer to revolutionize monetization opportunities for Black creators and media owners. The ALIVE Podcast Network is the first Black woman-owned podcast network to develop proprietary technology to amplify Black voices while ensuring creators retain ownership of their content. Barometer is an AI-powered platform for contextual targeting and brand suitability in audio advertising. Stereotypes About Black Content Brand suitability and safety technologies have been known to play an essential role in safeguarding advertisers. However, they have long been associated with disproportionately impacting creators from diverse backgrounds. For example,
In a striking turn of events, the renowned rapper Snoop Dogg’s ad campaign for Solo Stove backfired, resulting in the exit of the company’s CEO, John Merris. The campaign, which cleverly hinted at Snoop Dogg giving up smoking, ultimately failed to boost sales as expected. The “Smokeless” Campaign In a bold marketing move, Solo Brands aired a commercial in which Snoop Dogg announced he was “giving up smoke,” leading many to believe he was quitting his well-known affinity for weed. However, the ad was a clever ruse for Solo Stove,
