Young people are the future, and one woman, 23-year-old Dazayah Walker, is the epitome of not letting age hold you back. Walker is one of the youngest female venture capitalists, thanks to the impressive investment portfolio she manages and maintains for one of Atlanta’s most prominent entertainment labels, Quality Control. What is Quality Control? Quality Control Music is an American hip hop record label founded by Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas in March 2013. it’s responsible for groundbreaking acts that include Migos, Lil Baby, City Girls, Lil Yachty, and a
Platforms created by Black founders for communities of color continue to blossom. They are providing culturally competent care — acknowledging a patient’s heritage, beliefs, and values during treatment – in ways that other providers aren’t. Racial discrimination in healthcare disadvantages Black and other minority ethnic groups with unequal access to quality healthcare resources. Inspired by their own experiences, these Black entrepreneurs are launching startups that aim to close the cultural gap in health care with technology, create profitable businesses and tackle racism. R.grid Dr. Amber Michelle Hill is considered a force in the
When creating a startup, you go through a few hurdles along the way – from financial challenges to picking the right co-founder that will help spearhead the company with you. It’s never an easy journey, and you should never believe anyone that tells you otherwise, so it’s always essential to have a mentor or an advisor who can share their mistakes and lessons – so you don’t make the same errors. Unfortunately, not everyone has the privilege of landing a mentor or sponsor that will give you the time of
As part of our weekly interviews, POCIT has had the pleasure of interviewing founders who’ve raised millions in capital, social media influencers using their platforms to educate young people looking to get into the tech sector. Now on this series, we’ve sat down with the founder and president of BWISE, a STEM organization already driving robust change for mid to senior-level Black women in tech, engineering, and science.
Apple has just announced its supports for the Propel Center, A Global HBCU Leadership Hub, With $2M In Research Grants. Through the company’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, support from Apple will give HBCUs tools and resources to pursue new research and learning opportunities. Propel, and Apple are working together to help develop curricula and provide ongoing mentorship, learning experiences, and internship opportunities. Imagined in January 2021 by Ed Farm—an ed-tech nonprofit committed to transforming classrooms to uplift communities— and supported by founding partners Apple and Southern Company, the Propel Center
Deciding on the right type of funding for your business can be difficult. In fact, it’s considered one of the hardest and most stressful things you could do as it can make or break your startup. Every funding option has advantages and disadvantages, and some are better suited to certain types of businesses and business models. It’s important to explore the funding options available before deciding how to build your company as the route you take will have some serious consequences. Here we break down what some of the keywords
Earl Newsome is the Chief Information Officer at Cummins, Inc. He has over 30 years of global IT leadership experience with Fortune 500 firms. In this interview, Earl discusses going from being raised all across the country by a single mom, to his career in the military, to now working for a global company. Hi Earl. Let’s Talk About Your Work At Cummins. I’ve been at Cummins for almost five months, and I’d describe my journey with Cummins in three words. First, it’s a very courageous company. During the onboarding
DrugStoc has raised $4.4 million in a Series A funding round led by Africa Healthcare Master Fund, Vested World, the German Development Bank and others. The investors will play a vital role in the sector’s continued growth. The firm plans to open more fulfillment centers and increase transit points and routes. It also hopes to provide more improved logistic alternatives for deliveries projected to be tardy. The founders plan to tap into more investment prospects in cold chain infrastructure with the hope of creating safer distribution for perishable items. To
The platform, launched in 2020, is designed to make Black candidates accessible to corporations, connect Black-owned start-ups with major brands, pair young tech employees with experienced workers for mentorship, and teach small-business owners how to raise capital. Launched by Leke Sholuade in September last year – it now has a global community of 208 plus mentors from multinational companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Uber, Facebook, Cisco, LEGO ventures, and SMEs. It reportedly has a three-phased approach to make sure the future of tech is an inclusive one for Black people.
At POCIT News, we’re always trying to make life simpler for our community, and that’s why we’ve created a list of Black Programmers and technologists who are inspiring the next generation of innovators. Let’s begin. Sofia Ongele She’s a 20-year-old coder, student, and activist. Back in 2016, she attended Kode with klossy, a summer program and organization dedicated to teaching girls aged 13-18 how to code. In turn, she learned the ins and outs of web development, and learning to code has since opened countless doors for her, taking her to
