Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s privately funded space venture, announced its next flight into space with an all-female crew. In a press release on Thursday, the firm shared that Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez will take a 10-minute flight to space from a West Texas launchpad this spring. This mission will be the first time since Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s solo flight in 1963 that an all-female crew will be on a human-crewed spaceflight leaving Earth, according to Blue Origin. The all-female crew
Actress Kerry Washington joined Equip Health, a startup that supports people with eating disorders, as an investor and advisor, Fortune reports. Equip Health has raised $110 million from other angel investors, including Katie Couric and soccer celeb Alex Morgan. Equip provides users with virtual appointments with experts, including therapists, doctors, dietitians, family, and peer mentors. Washington opened up about her eating disorder in her memoir Thicker Than Water. She spoke about her struggles with binge eating and severe food restriction, often not consuming food for several days or obsessively exercising.
Ulu Ventures, reportedly the largest Latina-led fund in the US, has raised $208 million for its fourth fund. The fund supports seed-stage tech startups in the US using an inclusive, data-based approach that seeks to limit cognitive bias without shutting out any demographic group. This strategy has led to a more diverse portfolio than traditional venture investments. “Ulu is a beacon for the most talented entrepreneurial teams because we reduce bias by applying impartial methods of assessing risk and the same criteria to all people,” CEO, Co-founder, and Managing Director
We know that Black businesses are underrepresented in the business world; however, the number of Black-owned businesses in the US has spiked, according to a study by LendingTree. The study also found that Black-owned businesses are more likely to be led by women. While women run one-fifth (22.3%) of all US businesses, they lead two-fifths (39.1%) of Black-owned businesses—nearly twice the national average. Additionally, it found that Atlanta is the hub for Black-owned businesses for the third year running. The percentage of Black businesses is growing in the US. The
Detroit-based rapper Dank Demoss is suing Lyft after a driver allegedly denied her request for a ride due to her weight. Demoss, also known as Dajua Blanding, shared a video of the driver refusing to let her into the Mercedes-Benz. Demoss called Lyft so she could be dropped off at her cousin’s house to watch a football game. She alleged that the Lyft driver locked his doors and tried to drive away when he saw her. After she stopped him and asked if there was a problem, the driver allegedly
TikTok can be pretty useful outside cat videos, dance tutorials, and comedy sketches. You can learn a language, a new recipe, and even how to play an instrument. It can also be a great way to source academic knowledge, which is being demonstrated with HillmanTok University. Who started HillmanTok University? What started as video intended for the 30 students enrolled in Dr Leah Barlow’s African American studies class this semester, has turned into a viral movement, where Black professors, lecturers, and subject matter experts create and share educational videos. In
A San Francisco startup, Waterlily, is using AI to simplify long-term care planning and costs. Founded in 2021 by Lily Vittayarukskul, the company was born out of personal hardship—her aunt’s terminal colon cancer diagnosis left the family struggling with overwhelming medical costs. “It wiped us out financially,” Vittayarukskul, a former NASA data scientist, told TechCrunch. At the time, she was studying aerospace engineering, but the emotional and financial toll of her aunt’s illness led her to pivot to genetic and data science, ultimately inspiring Waterlily’s mission. How does Waterlily help individuals
Sisters Network® Inc. (SNI), the only national African American breast cancer survivorship organization, is set to relaunch its Teens4Pink® program with a new mobile app, according to a press release. The app aims to inform and empower teenage girls between the ages of 12 and 17 about how they can change the way families approach and think about breast cancer. Karen E. Jackson, 31, is a four-time breast cancer survivor and founded Sisters Network Inc. in 1994. Jackson says, “The relaunch of Teens4Pink marks an exciting step forward in engaging the
NASA is shutting down its DEI initiatives following Trump’s executive order that terminated any diversity and inclusion actions in the federal government. How has NASA responded to Trump’s order? NASA’s temporary head, Janet Petro, sent an email to employees saying, “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.” Acting Director of the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Charles Ezell sent out a memo to every head or acting head of every government department and agency telling them to remove DEIA-related language from all
The UK startup Domna has secured a £70 million ($87 million) majority investment from private equity firm Leon Capital, according to Tech Funding News. The company is one of the leading home energy efficiency and retrofit services, and it has now received one of the biggest first-time raises for a female founder team in Europe. The team plans to improve home energy efficiency and support sustainability initiatives. Their outlook on home energy efficiency examines the UK’s retrofit challenge by combining advanced software with practical expertise. Now that Domna has the
