A new book that highlights how Black mid-career technology professionals are being pushed out of the job market has recently been published. The author, veteran career strategist and corporate executive Byron K. Veasey, argues that Black professionals are navigating a hiring market with several structural barriers. The Triple Barrier Locked Out: Proven Strategies to Navigate ATS Filters, Overcome Workplace Bias, and Win Senior-Level Roles in a Shifting Job Market for Black Professionals highlights what Veasay calls the Triple Barrier: a combination of algorithmic filtering, human bias, and the systematic dismantling
On Friday, October 9, Black Tech Fest (BTF) hosted its fifth annual festival, which brings tech professionals, creatives, and academics. BTF hosts a range of workshops and talks by some of the biggest names in the tech and creative industry. For the first time since its existence, the UK government declined BTF’s invitation to speak at the festival. BTF planned to ask the UK government questions related to biases in AI, mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting, and the DEI pullback. As a festival that champions diversity and inclusion, it was
Fundment, a Black-owned all-in-one tech platform for financial advisers, raised £45 million ($55.4 million) in Series C led by Highland Europe, as per Tech Funding News. The investment will scale the team, develop the product, and achieve future growth. Financial advisers are under more pressure than ever, which is why the global financial planning software market is set to amount to $18.1 billion in the next decade. For this reason, Fundment aims to create innovative solutions for financial advisers that will allow a smooth experience for their clients. “Financial advice is
Los Angeles-based moms Dr. Anndretta Lyle and Stacy Kirk, both leaders in education and technology, have joined forces to create Thrive Culture Box, an innovative subscription service for families with children aged four and up. Designed to celebrate and explore Black culture, the service provides monthly activity kits that combine hands-on learning with interactive digital lessons. Each box features engaging tools and materials, along with instructional videos that guide families in discovering Black history, achievements, and creativity. The Thrive Culture Box The debut series of Thrive Culture Box spotlights Black
A coalition of Black and Latine leaders in health technology has publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President of the United States, citing her commitment to health equity and technological innovation, Black Enterprise reports. Public letter endorses Harris In an open letter, signed by over 20 health tech leaders, the group outlined their vision for a healthcare system that prioritizes health equity and uses technology to improve access for marginalized communities. They emphasized the importance of increasing representation of Black and Latine professionals in leadership roles within health technology,
Blacks United in Leading Technology (BUiLT), a nonprofit committed to increasing Black representation in tech, has launched an initiative to protect and restore jobs for Black professionals in the industry. The move comes as a direct response to widespread layoffs that have disproportionately impacted Black technologists, with over 240,000 jobs lost across the sector in 2023 alone. The BUiLT REIT Program: A Lifeline for Black Technologists The BUiLT REIT (Retaining Employability In Tech) program, backed by a Google commercialization grant awarded in March 2024, aims to equip Black professionals with
Today, August 12, marks International Youth Day 2024, celebrated under the theme “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.” With the expansion of technologies like mobile devices, digital platforms, and AI, young people—often dubbed “digital natives”—are at the forefront of this transformation. Here are some young Black and Brown individuals making waves in their communities and beyond. Taylor Denise Richardson, 20 – STEM Advocate and Future Astronaut Richardson, also known as “Astronaut StarBright,” is from Jacksonville, Florida, and has been advocating for diversity in STEM (Science, Technology,
Goodie Nation, an organization dedicated to empowering Black tech professionals, has secured over $150,000 in grants from the Kapor Center, Emory Philanthropy Lab, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta’s GoATL Economic Inclusion Fund. This funding will enhance the ATL BLK TCH program, which aims to foster a robust and interconnected Black tech community in Atlanta. Building Bridges in the Black Tech Community The ATL BLK TCH program is designed to help Black tech professionals in Atlanta, offering a platform for networking, mentorship, and growth. With the new influx of
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
