NBA star Chris Paul has teamed up with Goalsetter, a Black women-owned fintech company founded by Tanya Van Court, promoting financial literacy among middle school students in Oakland, California. Addressing the Financial Literacy Gap Goalsetter’s recent study with Ivy League students revealed a gap in financial knowledge, with many failing to answer basic financial literacy questions correctly. “Empowering our youth with the knowledge and tools to secure a financially sound future is not just a commitment, it’s a necessity,” Paul said in a press release sent to AFROTECH. “We owe
HERide, a rideshare platform focused on women’s safety, has become the first Black-owned company to secure a contract with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Co-founded in 2019 by Jillian Anderson and DeVynne Starks, HERide conducts thorough background checks on drivers and integrates in-ride security features to ensure passenger safety. Focused on women’s safety Anderson’s experience as a rideshare driver highlighted many women’s discomfort using traditional services like Uber and Lyft, especially at night. “There were a lot of women that were hesitant with riding with men at night using Uber and Lyft,” Anderson told AFROTECH. “I
MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving initiative has granted a $2 million donation to Birthing Beautiful Communities (BBC), a Black women-led doula organization and platform in Northeast Ohio. This financial boost will empower BBC in its vital mission to enhance maternal and infant health outcomes for Black mothers and families. The Yield Giving Initiative The Yield Giving Open Call, an initiative of MacKenzie Scott’s philanthropic efforts, was launched in March 2023 to back community-led, community-focused organizations. With over 6,000 applicants, the initial plan to award $1 million each to 250 organizations was significantly expanded,
UK-based Black woman-founded digital health startup SökerData, has been awarded a share of a £6.2 million ($7.8 million) grant from Innovate UK. SökerData Research has found that people of European genetic ancestry represent a disproportionate 80% of participants in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). By contrast, only 2% of participants have African genetic ancestry. This imbalance has profound implications, especially in diseases like breast cancer, where outcomes vary significantly across ethnicities. SökerData’s project focuses on building a diverse biomarker database, a critical resource in the realm of medical research. Biomarkers are
Tesla has given $2,000 to The Giving Pies, a small Black woman-owned bakery in San Jose, following its cancellation of a significant pie order during Black History Month. The order, initially set for 2,000 pies and then doubled, was worth between $6,000 to $16,000. However, the cancellation left the bakery with a financial loss of approximately $2,000 and missed opportunities during Black History Month. Musk’s Intervention Voahangy Rasetarinera, the bakery owner, took to Instagram to detail the financial strain caused by Tesla’s decision. “To me, it was clear that Tesla’s
