The dating app for Black singles, BLK, has introduced its new Father’s Day campaign “BLK DAD ENERGY.” The campaign aims to become the epicenter of Black fatherhood. It gives single fathers a community to talk, share stories, and spread love through its digital hub. BLK DAD ENERGY includes multiple sections for members to utilize, such as “Girl Dads” for fathers who want to better their relationships with their daughters and “Dating Dads,” a segment for rebuilding Black love in one’s life. For example, ”Girl Dads” features segments and videos with
Early-stage investor Black Seed has raised £5 million ($6.25 million) with aims to create a Black Silicon Valley in London. The South London-based venture firm raised the money as an inaugural fund to invest in and support Black founders by investing in seed-stage startups. Founders Karl Lokko, Cyril Lutterodt, and founding member Yvonne Nagawa launched Black Seed to address the lack of funding Black founders receive in the UK. According to Techcrunch, the firm will focus on early-stage investing, serving as a kind of “family and friends” round for those
The Google for Startups Black Founders Fund is back for the third year after it launched as part of Google’s $175 million commitment towards racial equity. The fund has also expanded to Brazil, Europe, and Africa, and last year it announced its first-ever Latino Founders Fund in the US. It aims to support Black and Latino founders using technology to solve some of society’s biggest problems. The European fund launched with a $2 million grant fund that has since doubled to $4 million, with 40 Black-led tech startups across Europe
This week, US east coast cities such as New York were hit with hazardous smog and smoke caused by Canadian wildfires, as the cities dealt with some of the worst air quality seen in recent history. Since Friday, over 400 wildfires have blazed through Canada, with 200 still considered out of control, said the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire. Environmental justice activists have told CNN the air is only exacerbating health risks in vulnerable Black and brown communities. Studies have shown Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are exposed to more pollution
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank has recently announced the launch of its second fund under the Opportunity Growth Fund, now rebranded as the Open Opportunity Fund (OOF). The fund aims to raise and invest $150 million in startups led by Black and Latine entrepreneurs. New name, chairman, & access Taking the reins as chairman of the fund is serial entrepreneur and investor Paul Judge, who previously served as a founding investment committee member. Alongside SoftBank and select affiliates, Judge and others have agreed to acquire an ownership stake in the OOF. The
Dr Rashae Barnes, the founder and CEO of Evals Equity Women’s Fund, has announced that September 30 will mark the first-ever National Black Funding Day. The national holiday was registered through National Day Archives. It aims to recognize and honor the accomplishments of Black entrepreneurs in the funding industry, while highlighting the disparities in venture capital grants, and educational resources for underserved communities. Funding for Black founders Black founders have long faced challenges in securing funding for their businesses, and the current economic climate hasn’t helped. Following George Floyd’s murder,
Described as The Amazing Race meets Shark Tank, RoadPitch is the Black-owned program connecting Black tech founders with investors across the US. The brainchild of Barley Sober founder Rohan Brown and electrical engineer Meagan Turner, the program takes Black tech founders on weeklong trips to pitch to investors in cities they aren’t native to. The pair met virtually in 2022 while coordinating StartupBus, a national hackathon on wheels. Getting Black founders in the room “Because of the pandemic, a lot of people have gotten accustomed to sending over a deck
Massachusetts-based Black-led startups are getting a $100 million boost from MassMutual’s second MM Catalyst Fund (MMCF). MassMutual announced that it is adding $100 million to its MMCF. The fund will continue to make investments in startups led by Black and historically overlooked founded-companies in the company’s home state of Massachusetts. MMCF will also invest selectively with fund managers in MassMutual’s First Fund Initiative, which focuses on first-time fund managers from Black, Latine, and Indigenous backgrounds. Building on past success The MMCF has backed 16 companies across various industries since its
Like many tech hubs worldwide, Germany has experienced challenges around diversity, especially within the tech space. Nakeema Stefflbauer is working to make the German tech scene more diverse and inclusive through her latest initiative, FrauenLoop. Through the program, the native New Yorker has spent the past couple of years in Berlin, helping women upscale their skills in tech. Stefflbauer opened up about her journey from New York to Berlin and the many challenges that led her to launch her initiative. The founder, who held many tech positions before her life in Berlin, is
Kayla Austin has received a $25,000 grant from Pharrell Williams to help accelerate her gun safety start-up, My Gun’s Been Moved. Last year, the 19-year-old Howard University sophomore pitched her idea at Pharrell Williams’ Mighty Dream Forum and Black Ambition in Virginia. Her passion was awarded a $25,000 cash prize to help bring her business to new heights. Austin came up with the idea to launch a gun safety initiative at 12 years old after attending a youth program. “So, I found out that majority of shootings involving children and teens happen with a
