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
A few days ago, I got an email regarding a Black-led, Gen Z fintech startup providing income-constrained individuals with investment opportunities. The release said the company, run by a 22-year-old and 25-year-old duo, had just announced their Series A investment round. This – of course – immediately caught my attention because I’m eager to highlight the achievements of young people in tech, but I was even more ecstatic when I saw the figure – Sheridan Clayborne and Mitchell Jones had managed to raise a whopping $18million in their fundraising round.
A Black-led, Gen Z fintech startup providing income-constrained individuals investment opportunities has announced an $18M Series A investment round. The group of diverse investors rallying up to fund Lendtable’s future included SoftBank’s SB Opportunity Fund, Valor Equity Partners, and CEOs of Complex Networks and Social Finance, Inc. The fintech firm, run by founders under 30-years-old, has already disbursed over $2.4 million in match benefits to hundreds of employees in just a year, running the gamut from those employed by small consumer brand companies to Fortune 500 companies like Google, Microsoft,
Kela Ivonye is trying to solve the tech diversity issue through his new organization and micro fund, Protégé. After all, it was the connections he fostered as a founder, coupled with his determination and supportive network that led him to a successful exit from his innovative mailbox company Mailhaven Inc. in 2019. Now he’s using his experience, expertise, and knowledge to help Black entrepreneurs succeed by connecting them with Super founders for mentorship and investment. He co-founded the platform, a nonprofit and micro fund, to cultivate community among black founders in
