Tech powerhouse Google has shared how it is working towards racial equity to celebrate Black History month. From prioritizing product inclusion to partnering with Black businesses and highlighting Black history – Google has spent the past few years highlighting the culture and the work of Black innovators. Showcasing Black creators Last year, Google partnered with three non-profit organizations to launch the Image Equity Fellowship. The project supported 20 Black and brown artists through their artistic journeys. The tech giant helped them receive unrestricted funding, mentorship support, and workshops to help them
For the tech industry to achieve true diversity, more children need to see people like themselves in the sector. For many youngsters, media representation has a long-lasting impact on how they see and understand the world of today – which is why representation is so important. According to a report by Common Sense, approximately 65% of parents say that the media significantly impacts their children’s professional aspirations. To manifest a world where more Black people are entering high-paying careers, tech leaders have decided to use the gift of writing to encourage
Black Professionals in Tech Network (BPTN) has officially opened nominations for its tech industry awards ceremony. Financial services provider BMO will host this year’s event to celebrate the influential and innovative work of Black professionals in the industry. Despite this initiative being the first of its kind, this isn’t the first time BPTN has opened doors for Black professionals. Earlier this year, founder, Lekan Olawoye announced the launch of the Obsidi platform, a conduit to opportunities for black professionals. “We know that Black professionals and Black-led organizations are crushing it both in
A new report by the RAND Corp. has revealed that the success of Pittsburgh’s tech sector heavily relies on the city’s ability to diversify its tech hires. What did the report reveal? The report titled “Assessing Pittsburgh’s Science and Technology-Focused Workforce Ecosystem” has disclosed that, among other challenges, Pittsburgh faces a declining population that severely impacts its workforce. According to the report, approximately 18% of Pittsburgh’s employment works in science and technology-focused occupations, which is higher than the national figure of 16%. However, Pittsburgh’s workforce does not reflect the makeup of its population,
Are we leaving Twitter or not? That’s the question many Black Twitter users have been asking themselves for months now. The only problem is, where exactly will we be leaving to go? What is Spill? Enter: Spill. The social media app, designed by former Twitter employees, Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown, is slowly becoming the chosen alternative for many. The pair who met on their first day working at Twitter made friends after noticing they were the only Black guys. Their friendship has since blossomed into a partnership that led
Tech platform, Goodie Nation, has announced a partnership with the Tech Equity Collective Impact Fund to donate $1M to improve tech career prospects for Black professionals. The program, which has opened its application to all Black and allying organizations, will provide members with tech industry resources and access to exclusive opportunities. Additionally, selected organizations will receive a year of access to Tech Equity Collective programming, tech industry resources, access to a network of Black professionals, and access to opportunities. The Tech Equity Collective, a Google initiative, is designed to help
Every year Forbes releases their long-awaited list of young innovators shaping the world today. The annual list serves as a positive reminder that young people are working to change the world, which makes the future look not so bleak. This year’s North American list featured a handful of Black women in tech who are on the verge of making it big – so let’s meet some of them. Kalina Bryant – Founder of UnapologeTECH Kalina Bryant is an example of someone who wears many hats and wears them all well.
How often do the words Disney World and Black tech appear in the same sentence? In celebration of its fourth annual conference, Blacks In Technology, LLC and the Blacks In Technology Foundation are inviting the Black tech community to Disney World. BITCon2022 (not to be confused with bitcoin) will see Black tech enthusiasts channel their inner kid while taking home useful gems and new connections. A Tech Conference for the Culture Industry giants like Google, Disney, and Spotify are sponsoring the three-day conference which will take place from October 26-28th. The convention
Twitter has appointed Bukky Ojeifo as its new global head of culture and community following the departure of God-is Rivera, who previously held the position. In her new role, the Nigerian-American marketing expert will continue to carry the company’s mission of serving diverse voices who contribute to the public conversation on the platform. Before her new role, Ojeifo was the firm’s senior manager, global culture, and community. Her main role at the time? She guided how Twitter amplifies and engages with the underrepresented communities that use the service. Speaking to
One young company attracting interest in the field of autonomous driving is Heex Technologies, a POC-led startup offering a “smart data management platform” to help carmakers sift through the sea of data required to put autonomous vehicles on the road. CEO and co-founder Bruno Mendes Da Silva was initially focused on solving the pollution crisis before this idea. “My original focus was on fighting pollution — I first launched an electric vehicle rental service after an academic exchange in Shanghai. [It was then that] I realized there are more problems
