A Texas nonprofit grant program aimed at supporting diverse small business owners, has agreed to revise its application process after being sued for allegedly discriminating against white men. The lawsuit was brought by the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a group led by conservative activist Edward Blum, who is also suing Fearless Fund, a Black women-led VC firm. Lawsuit Challenges Race-Based Criteria The lawsuit centered around a $50,000 grant offered by the Founders First Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit founded by Kim Folsom and led by Shaylon Scott. The
Echo360 has announced its annual grants program that now features new award opportunities for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Echo360 is the most comprehensive, global, SaaS-based video platform for creating, delivering, and measuring learning engagement outcomes in any learning environment. The 2024 Echo360 e3 Tech Grants Program The 2024 program will award 20 recipients cash or software grants ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 in two grant categories: EchoImpact Grants and EchoInnovation Grants. EchoImpact Grants support instructors and researchers using Echo360 solutions to improve learner outcomes empirically. Conversely, the EchoInnovation Grants
Braze has expanded its product grant program, previously known as Tech for Black Founders – now called Tech for an Equitable Future. Braze is a comprehensive customer engagement platform that powers relevant and memorable experiences between consumers and the brands they love. Tech for Black Founders was launched in 2020 to address findings that only 1% of US founders backed by venture capital are Black. Today Braze’s program has 24 Black-founded businesses, including ten women-founded startups, active in the program, totaling $735,00 in annualized Braze product value. Tech For An Equitable
