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
Black Professionals in Tech (BPTN) has officially made its debut in Zambia. The community network, which currently has more than 60,000 Black members worldwide, has created a global network for professionals working within North America and across countries worldwide. BPTN’s new network, which went live at the Bongo Hive Technology Lusaka earlier this week, connects large tech companies with Black tech professionals. It provides employment opportunities to members and offers mentorship and educational resources to help entrepreneurs develop long-standing, successful careers within the tech industry. The platform enables tech giants to hire
Oakland-based tech entrepreneur, George Hofstetter, experienced a severe racial incident during his trip to study abroad in England. Hofstetter’s response to the racist abuse has taken social media by storm, with many commending the 22-year-old for his brave and teachable response to the disturbing racism he experienced during his studies. So, here’s what happened. George Hofstetter, founder and CEO of US-based tech company GHTech, joined a summer school program hosted by Oxford University, located at Hughes Hall, Cambridge University. On July 15, the university decided to host a formal dinner
Black-owned telecommunications provider, Safaricom, has announced its partnership with the online learning platform, Kodris Africa, to promote coding study classes. The classes, which will be available for all to purchase through tokens on the M-PESA app, will provide children with a year’s worth of online coding classes, which users can activate on their tablets, laptop, or desktop computers. The program, which the Kenyan government first approved in April 2022, will introduce a new syllabus in primary and secondary schools aimed at teaching children one of the most sought-after skills in
