Leading software company Sage has contributed $100,000 to Morehouse College, supporting a new course for the next generation of Black tech entrepreneurs. Cultivating Future Leaders through Micropreneurship Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black liberal arts institution for men, and Sage have joined together to address the underrepresentation of Black professionals in technology. With only 8% of tech workers and 3% of executives being Black, this new course will commence in Fall 2024 to help change the statistics. The 15-week Micropreneurship course, funded by a $100,000 donation from Sage, is designed to immerse students in
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Raises Alarm Over Disproportionate Layoffs Of Black Tech Workers In Letter
Congresswoman Barbara Lee has written a letter to the US Department of Labor addressing the disproportionate layoffs of Black tech employees. African American Lee and several other Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) members wrote the letter to Julie Su, the acting secretary of the US Department of Labor. Black Tech Employee Layoffs According to the letter, since the beginning of 2023, more than 240,000 tech workers have experienced layoffs, which is a more than 50% increase from 2022. Lee found that minorities and women make up most of the year’s tech layoffs. “We write to express
Black-owned tech startup Slinger has raised £500,000 ($600,000) in pre-seed funding to shake up the hospitality industry’s hiring process. Brexit and COVID-19 have left the UK’s hospitality industry struggling with staff vacancies – industry vacancies are still 72% higher than pre-pandemic levels. As a result, the industry is having to turn away £25 billion ($30.3 billion) worth of business in the UK. Slinger aims to change this. Group Chat To Google-backed Founded by Theo-Lee Houston, Slinger aims to make hospitality hiring processes easier and fairer, connecting talent with businesses in
Northwestern Mutual, a financial services organization, has announced this year’s fall cohort of five Black-owned tech startups to its Black Founder Accelerator program for the third year. Now in its third year, the accelerator is one of the core components of Northwestern Mutual’s Sustained Action for Racial Equity (SARE) initiative. SARE was created to advance bold, sustainable change that accelerates the company’s commitment to fight racism, prejudice, and social injustice, focusing on the Black and African American community. The Black Founder Accelerator The accelerator invests in up to 10 companies
Dr. Joya Lyons has merged her role as a mother and a cosmetic dentist by launching a new “Tooth Fairy and Enchanted Tooth Box” children’s book alongside an Enchanted Tooth Box. The book – launched by Enchanted Traditions LLC – aims to give children a modern and tech-enabled version of the classic tooth fairy story to adapt to the times we live in now. Enchanted Traditions, founded by Dr. Joya Lyons, specializes in creating fun and interactive children’s picture storybooks. Dr. Lyons’ main goal is to use technology to spark
The Business of Tech’s Diversity report has revealed that diversity in IT leadership still has a long way to go. What is The Business of Tech’s report all about? The report, created by Dave Sobel, examines diversity development in tech leadership. Sobel, the host of The Business of Tech podcast, is a leading expert in delivering technology services. Through his podcast, Sobel discusses uncomfortable topics associated with tech and business – one of which is diversity. “We love metrics in our industry. We have data and statistics and performance numbers
The tech industry has a diversity problem. At this point, improving diversity in the tech industry is no longer a moral imperative but a massive key to reducing economic inequality. What is Capital One’s Make Today initiative? Capital One is using its new initiative to promote diverse tech talent. The banking platforms hope this will be the first step in creating welcoming tech workplaces by building financial technology products that bring diverse perspectives to data solutions. The Make Today initiative – which will be led by Kimberly Hall, Vice President of Software
What a year! Many of you who have been following our tech coverage closely have embarked on a journey that has been both stimulating and inspiring. Over the past year, we’ve ventured into a world of immersive technology that has seen a popular AI platform takeover of the internet and new life formed on the metaverse. It is hard to predict what 2023 has in store for the world of technology, but it is bound to be a rollercoaster – so get strapped in! To commemorate the end of this
Jermaine (Jupiter) Murray, also known as ”The Job Father,” is paving the way for Black people in tech by using his LinkedIn page to help professionals secure jobs and recruiters diversify their hiring practices. According to recent reports, Black representation in tech is barely improving, with Black professionals only making up approximately 13% of the industry. Additionally, only 7% of Black people can break into high-tech, proving that the tech industry has an issue embracing and retaining Black talent. The recent layoffs have also shown how precarious Black people’s jobs
Black-owned tech platform, Colorintech, has officially announced that one of Europe’s biggest festivals is back for the third time. Colorintech, co-founded in 2016 by Dion McKenzie, Ashleigh Ainsley, and Vladimira Mesko Briestenska, was launched to help close the racial wealth gap by making the tech industry more inclusive. The platform’s overall mission is to make Europe the most inclusive tech hub in the world – which is why the launch of its new festival couldn’t have come at a better time. This year’s Black Tech Fest, which is the third event hosted by Colorintech,
