A US appeals court has struck down Nasdaq’s diversity disclosure rules for companies listed on the stock exhange. The rules required companies to appoint women, racial minorities, or LGBTQ+ individuals to their boards or explain why they could not. The 5th Circuit Court ruled 9-8 that the proposal was not legal and that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had overstepped by approving Nasdaq’s rule. Court Rejects SEC’s Role in Diversity Mandate Nasdaq introduced a rule requiring companies to share board diversity data and include at least one director from
Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz has joined PepsiCo to launch “Taste of Tomorrow,” a new initiative aimed at addressing the underrepresentation of Black professionals in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. Boosting Black representation in STEM Despite STEM fields experiencing rapid growth, Black professionals currently make up just 9% of the workforce. The “Taste of Tomorrow” initiative aims to break down the systemic barriers Black students face in pursuing STEM careers, such as limited access to advanced coursework and public programming. Rapper and entrepreneur 2 Chainz, a HBCU alum,
In an initiative to empower Black creatives, Apple has partnered with the Propel Center to launch an arts and entertainment industry accelerator program. This program provides 50 students from 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) opportunities to enhance their creative skills and explore new career pathways. Program Overview: Empowering Future Creatives The accelerator program, which is part of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative (REJI), commenced on June 10 at Tennessee State University and will conclude at Clark Atlanta University. “Creativity is central to everything we do at Apple,
Lafarge Africa Plc has recently launched the Girls in Tech Program to foster a new generation of female innovators. The program seeks to diminish the gender disparities within the tech industry by focusing on empowering young women from host communities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Bridging the Gender Gap in Tech The Girls in Tech Program is designed to provide vital skills and opportunities to ten young women aged 18-25. By introducing them to the technology world, Lafarge Africa aims to create an environment where these women can become self-reliant and influential problem-solvers within
Usher’s New Look (UNL) and IBM have embarked on a groundbreaking collaboration to foster career readiness in AI and professional workplace skills. UNL is a 501c3 organization founded by Usher Raymond IV in 1999 that supports a vision that all youth should be afforded the chance to unlock their full potential. Transforming under-resourced youth IBM SkillsBuild is a free education program focused on underrepresented communities in tech. The partnership with UNL is set to transform the lives of thousands of high school and college students, especially those from underrepresented communities in technology. “Joining
Gerald Black, an acclaimed figure in the African tech ecosystem, has recently been appointed as a Partner at Black Ops and is launching a new initiative: Black Ops Catalyst. This marks a step in Black Ops’ mission to extend its influence across Africa’s tech landscape, emphasizing the importance of operators in shaping and scaling successful ventures. Meet Gerald Black With over a decade of experience as a founder and operator and a background in computer engineering, Gerald is no stranger to the tech world. His journey has seen him navigate the challenges of
Crowe LLP, in collaboration with Intuit Inc., has launched an innovative initiative called Crowe Beacon for minority-owned businesses. The Crowe Beacon Crowe LLP is a leading public accounting, consulting, and technology firm, and Intuit Inc. is the technology platform behind Intuit QuickBooks, TurboTax, Credit Karma, and Mailchimp. This initiative, announced in Chicago as part of Black History Month celebrations, aims to empower minority-owned small businesses by enhancing their financial maturity and capital readiness. The Crowe Beacon small business advancement initiative responds to the challenges faced by minority-owned businesses. The initative
Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) are nervous their efforts for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) may be diminished or eradicated, leaving them with a more cautious approach, a new study reveals. Political and Legal Challenges to Workplace DEI A new Seramount study, “Keeping DEI Strong in Volatile Times,” highlights the impact of political and legal challenges to DEI in the workplace. Seramount is a workplace research firm serving over half of Fortune 100 companies. Following the killing of George Floyd, companies set pledges to prioritize DEI. Between June and August 2020,
Research from Extend Ventures revealed that only 0.24% of funding went to Black founders in the UK in the last decade. Additionally, a report conducted by Cornerstone VC also found that only 1% of founders who receive seed funding identify as Black and only 3% of VC-funded founders identify as Black. To celebrate and amplify Black founders in UK tech this Black History Month, we have compiled a list of resources and funds available. Black Seed Black Seed is a community-led by Black founders, for Black founders, based in Brixton,
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
