African entrepreneurs are deeply committed to their startups, but the cost of this passion often impacts their mental health, a new report from Flourish Ventures reveals. The study, which surveyed over 160 founders across 13 African nations, found that more than 80% experience mental health challenges, with anxiety (60%), stress (58%), exhaustion (52%), and depression (20%) being the most common issues. Key Challenges Affecting Founders External pressures like fundraising, inflation, and economic instability weigh heavily on entrepreneurs. Nearly 60% of respondents said raising funds is their biggest stressor, followed by
Research Grid, an AI-driven company dedicated to automating clinical trial administration, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to streamline trial workflows and reduce costly delays. The funding round, led by Fuel Ventures and including backers like Ada Ventures, Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab, and Arāya Ventures, will help Research Grid expand its engineering, R&D, and marketing efforts, with a focus on US and Asian markets. This investment supports Research Grid’s mission to cut down on the labor-intensive administrative tasks that can hinder the speed and success of medical research.
TECNO, a leader in smartphone technology, has launched the #ToneProud campaign to combat skin tone bias in AI-driven imaging systems. This initiative aims to promote inclusivity in imaging technology by ensuring accurate representation of diverse skin tones, especially in emerging markets often overlooked by larger tech players. 268 Skin Tones Database: A Technological Milestone for Inclusive Imaging The foundation of TECNO’s #ToneProud campaign is its new 268 skin tone database, a collection developed to improve how AI-driven imaging systems capture various skin tones. By assigning specific color codes to skin
A team of researchers has revealed a new set of algorithms designed to enhance the realism of highly coiled hair in digital animation. The study presents advanced geometric techniques that achieve levels of accuracy, addressing the challenges of representing coiled, afro-textured hair—a crucial development for more inclusive digital storytelling. Advancing Hair Animation with Phase Locking and Period Skipping Historically, digital hair modeling has excelled at simulating straight and wavy hair but has struggled to capture the intricacies of coiled textures. This new research introduces several methods: Phase Locking: By employing
Three-time Grammy Award winner Megan Thee Stallion is suing YouTuber and social media personality Milagro Gramz, alleging cyberbullying and false claims surrounding the high-profile shooting case involving Megan and rapper Tory Lanez. According to Billboard, the lawsuit, filed by Megan’s legal team on Wednesday, accuses Gramz of being a “mouthpiece and puppet” for Lanez. Megan’s legal counsel, the firm Quinn Emanuel, is demanding an end to what they call a “campaign of harassment.” Accusations of Spreading Misinformation and Invasion of Privacy According to the lawsuit, Gramz, whose real name is
Thousands of creatives, including figures like author Malorie Blackman, a British author who is famous for her award winning Noughts & Crosses series, actresses Rosario Dawson and Liza Colón-Zayas and Suits actor, Wendell Pierce have united to oppose the use of their artistic works for training AI systems without permission. The statement, signed by over 11,500 artists, musicians, authors, and actors, calls for stronger protections against the unauthorized use of copyrighted content by AI developers. Signatories also include major record labels—Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group—along
Black Girl Vitamins (BGV) has announced a $100,000 scholarship fund dedicated to Black women pursuing medical careers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This two-year initiative, part of their broader mission to support health equity, aims to increase representation in healthcare by easing the financial burden for aspiring medical professionals. Investing in Future Healthcare Leaders BGV’s scholarship program aligns with their mission to create a new generation of Black women in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. The scholarship is open to Black women enrolled in accredited medical programs
Every UK Black History Month, we shine a light on Black British-owned businesses making a difference. This year’s standout is Frobelles, a UK-based dress-up game championing the beauty of afro hair. Created by mother-daughter duo Yvonne Ottley and 12-year-old Alyssa Ottley, Frobelles has over 100,000 users and recently made its debut in the US. The Birth of Frobelles The idea for Frobelles was sparked by a simple question from Alyssa, who was just six years old at the time: “Why don’t any of my game characters have Afro hair like mine?” This question
A Black senior legal counsel at Workday, Anthony Hill, has filed a lawsuit against the tech company, claiming racial and disability discrimination after it sent police to his home for a “wellness check” during his medical leave. According to Business Insider, Hill, who was receiving treatment at a hospital at the time, felt the event was a distressing and unnecessary escalation. The lawsuit, filed in December 2023 in California’s Northern District Court, follows Hill’s claim that he informed his manager of a medical emergency on October 12, 2022. He provided
This article is sponsored by MITRE. MITRE, a nonprofit renowned for tackling the nation’s most complex challenges, is breaking new ground with its latest initiative, MITRE RISE. This six-month accelerator is designed to help tech founders of color turn their innovative ideas into viable, real-world solutions, through hands-on mentorship, cutting-edge resources, and an extensive network of health and technology experts. Their inaugural 2025 cohort is dedicated to accelerating the development of health IT solutions. Applications for the 2025 program close on October 31, 2024. Innovation through collaboration Kike Oduba, founder
