Operation HOPE and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have launched an AI Ethics Council to help ensure marginalized poplations and people of color are included in the AI developments. The announcement comes amid criticisms of OpenAI, Meta, and other major players in the AI space lacking diversity on their boards and decision-making bodies. A Historic Partnership According to a press release, OpenAI’s partnership with Operation HOPE, a leading nonprofit dedcated to financial literacy for underserved communities, began with a listening tour at Clark Atlanta University in spring 2024. During this tour,
Female entrepreneurs of color remain among the most disadvantaged in raising capital, despite growing efforts to support diversity in entrepreneurship, according to The Funding Divide report. Persistent Challenges in Fundraising The report, published by DocSend and Dropbox, found that racially diverse, all-female startup founding teams spent the longest time raising capital. In 2023, they spent an average of 25 weeks fundraising in 2023, a 67% increase from 2022. Despite this extended effort, they secured an average of only $460,000, the lowest amount among all demographic groups. In contrast, racially diverse,
Earlybird AI, a B2B startup that assists job seekers using innovative multilingual, voice-first AI technology, has raised £625,000 ($800,000) in pre-seed funding. The investment comes from diverse backers, including Google, Resolution Ventures, and Ada Ventures. Tackling Unemployment With AI Earlybird AI addresses a pressing issue: nearly 11 million people in the UK are unemployed, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% between February and April 2024. Founded by Claudine Adeyemi-Adams and Boris Bambo, the platform improves employment support by directly engaging participants through simulated voice-powered connections. Adeyemi-Adams, who experienced homelessness
Seae Ventures has announced the acquisition of Unseen Capital following the death of Unseen Capital’s founder, Kayode Owens, in 2021. The acquisition will use the strengths and missions of both funds to further serve underrepresented entrepreneurs and marginalized communities. Continuing Kayode Owens’ Legacy Owens, an esteemed investor and entrepreneur, founded Unseen Capital in 2020 to support early-stage healthcare companies led by underrepresented founders. Despite successfully raising $30 million, Owens’ death from cancer in August 2021 left a void in the firm’s leadership. Recognizing the importance of Owens’ mission, Eli Lilly,
Black Americans are more likely than the wider U.S. population to use virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs) like Hulu, Sling, and YouTube, as well as free ad-supported TV (FAST) services like Tubi and Pluto TV. A recent Horowitz Research report highlights that content targeted at Black audiences is a key factor driving this trend. Black audiences Want Black content The new annual FOCUS Black report reveals that over 3 in 5 Black households consider content geared toward Black audiences vital. “With retention being a challenge in the SVOD and
DeCarlos Love has been named CEO of Thrive AI Health, a new AI health startup funded by OpenAI Startup Fund and Thrive Global. Writing for TIME, Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, and Arianna Huffington, the founder of Huffington Post and Thrive Global, explained that Thrive AI Health will offer a hyper-personalized AI health coach. Thrive AI Health Thrive AI Health aims to build AI-powered assistant tech to democratize access to expert-level health coaching to improve health outcomes. The startup will use generative AI to hyper-personalize and scale behavior change
Girls in Tech Inc., a global nonprofit focused on advancing women in technology, has closed due to insufficient funding. Founded in 2007 by Adriana Gascoigne, the organization aimed to bridge the gender gap in the tech industry, providing resources and opportunities for women and allies worldwide. Despite its significant presence, with 130,000 members in 50 cities and 38 countries, the organization has struggled financially over the past few years. Relocation and Financial Struggles In 2022, Girls in Tech moved its headquarters from San Francisco to Nashville, a strategic shift intended
Black women continue to face an uphill battle in their pursuit of leadership roles within American organizations, study by the National Library of Medicine has found. Despite efforts in diversity and inclusion, race and gender biases persist, hindering their progress and creating a cycle of unachieved aspirations. Struggles facing Black women leaders For Black women, the intersection of race and gender biases leads to “intersectional invisibility” where their contributions are often overlooked. This forces them to take greater career risks to advance. An analysis of leadership rhetoric data spanning 200
Venture capital (VC) investments in Latin America have reached unprecedented levels, outpacing several emerging US tech hubs, according to Revelo. This shift is driven by a growing talent pool and an increasing demand for services catering to the middle class. Revelo’s analysis, using data from the Latin American Venture Capital Association (LAVCA) and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), highlights how Latin America is becoming a significant player in the global VC landscape. Growth In Latin American VC Investments The Latin American venture capital market hit its second-highest level on
Avenue Capital Group, managed by Marc Lasry and Sonia Gardner, is raising $1.5 billion for their sports investment fund with support from star athletes. Launched in October 2023, this fund aims to finance sports leagues and teams across North America and Europe and eventually extend to Africa, Asia, South America, and Australia. With support from high-profile athletes such as Michael Strahan, Candace Parker, and Stephen Curry, the fund has already garnered significant attention and initial investment. Star Athletes Bolster Avenue Capital’s Ambitious Fundraising Curry, Lauren Holiday, Harry Kane, Parker, Strahan,
