Black Girls Code (BGC) has announced international storyteller Cristina Jones as their new CEO. Black Girls Code BGC is a nonprofit organization that focuses on engaging African American girls and other youth of color with computer programming education to nurture their careers in tech. The organization offers computer programming, coding, website, robot, and mobile application building, intending to place one million girls in tech by 2040. Founded in 2011, the organization ignites interest, activates potential, and nurtures careers in tech for girls and women of color ages 7 to 25.
Pearson is hiring on pocitjobs.com Tanya Ivey joined Pearson fresh out of college 24 years ago, and she could never have foreseen the twists and turns her career would take. Over the years, she’s witnessed the tech industry transform, pivot, and evolve, while she learned to do the same. Now a senior systems analyst, Ivey is an integral part of Pearson’s Digital and Technology group for global science. She spoke with POCIT about her remarkable career journey as a woman of color in tech. She shares her tips for forging
Black-owned beauty-tech company Myavana is using AI to provide personalized insights and hair regimens that work for women of color. Myavana is the brainchild of computer scientist Candace Mitchell Harris. Her natural hair journey led her to seek data-driven, intelligent hair care solutions everywhere, from the lab to the Metaverse. The Science of Hair Data reveals that Black consumers drive the global hair-care market, spending nine times more on hair-care products than other racial groups. Black women, in particular, spend about $1.7 billion annually on hair-care products. While studying computer
Following complaints, YouTube has restricted a popular channel that posted videos calling for the ‘elimination’ of Black men by terminating pregnancies. YouTube stopped monetizing YouTube influencer Cynthia G’s channel and removed one video calling for Black male abortions for violating the platform’s hate speech policy. However, other videos with similar content remain, renewing scrutiny over the platform’s content moderation policies. Who Is Cynthia G? YouTube influencer Cynthia G joined the platform in July 2016, describing her channel as a place to start the conversation on reforming Black women. “This is
Research from Extend Ventures revealed that only 0.24% of funding went to Black founders in the UK in the last decade. Additionally, a report conducted by Cornerstone VC also found that only 1% of founders who receive seed funding identify as Black and only 3% of VC-funded founders identify as Black. To celebrate and amplify Black founders in UK tech this Black History Month, we have compiled a list of resources and funds available. Black Seed Black Seed is a community-led by Black founders, for Black founders, based in Brixton,
Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives, Lisa Jackson, is spearheading Apple’s commitment to making all its products carbon-neutral by 2030, starting with the Apple Watch. Jackson, a chemical engineer, served as the first African American US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator before joining Apple in 2013.  Meet Lisa Jackson Jackson completed a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University. Before Apple, Jackson was appointed by President Barack Obama as EPA Administrator in 2009, making her the
Online resource business Hello Alice is the latest company to be named in a lawsuit for allegedly discriminating against business owners based on race. A class action lawsuit alleges the company’s partnership with Progressive Insurance Company, which offered $25,000 grants to 10 Black-owned small businesses, violates civil rights. Hello Alice and Progressive Partnership Hello Alice, founded by Carolyn Rodz and Elizabeth Gore in 2017, is a digital platform helping small businesses launch and grow through access to capital. They partner with corporations looking to reach and support new entrepreneurs through
A recent panel discussion hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs and the TaxPayers’ Alliance in the UK shed light on a stark lack of diversity in the industry. The panel, consisting of six white men, four of whom were named Matthew, ignited online conversations about the whiteness and maleness of journalism. Tech journalist Dominic-Madori Davis remarked, “If it is easier to find four men named Matthew than at least one woman in your network, you gotta diversify asap.” This sentiment was echoed by Theo Priestley, an author and technology
A Latina-founded nonprofit, AIandYou, has launched a campaign to prepare young people of color and women against possible AI-generated misinformation leading up to the 2024 presidential election. AIandYou AIandYou was founded in 2019 to educate marginalized communities about artificial intelligence (AI) to help end users understand how AI impacts their daily lives. The nonprofit encourages communities to understand AI’s potential and pitfalls, providing online resources in easy-to-understand languages. Founder and CEO Susan Gonzales has years of experience in tech and policy and serves on the National AI Advisory Committee, advising
Laphonza Butler has been sworn in to fill the Senate seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week at age 90. California Gov. Gavin Newsom had selected Laphonza Butler to succeed Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in history. Butler, the former president of EMILY’s List, is known for her work as a union leader but was also a director at Airbnb and advised Uber during its conflict over workers’ rights. A historic appointment Butler is now the third female Black senator in US history. She is also
