John Hope Bryant, CEO of Bryant Ventures and Operation HOPE, has donated $1.8 million to support the entrepreneurial ambitions of 70 Albany State University (ASU) graduates. Each recipient will receive $25,000 and extensive business resources to launch their ventures. $1.8M Grant to Boost Black Entrepreneurship The selected graduates will receive financial backing and also a “special forces team” offering tools like free domain names, Shopify accounts, and access to legal and financial experts. ““They get a free domain name that they own, a free website that they own, a free
Operation HOPE and Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business has announced the launch of the AI Literacy Pipeline to Prosperity Project (AILP3). This initiative aims to equip underserved populations across Georgia with the tools needed to succeed in an economy increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made during the 10th Annual Hope Global Forums on December 11, 2024, an event dedicated to financial empowerment and creating pathways to economic mobility. A Comprehensive Plan to Equip Students for an AI Economy AILP3 will deliver a
Three former Duolingo executives have secured $13 million in seed funding to launch a startup aimed at making college more accessible, as first reported by TechCrunch. The funding round, led by Khosla Ventures, also saw participation from Karman Ventures, Latitud Ventures, Lightspeed Ventures, and several angel investors. The funds will be directed toward hiring and product development for the initiative, which remains in stealth mode. A Mission Rooted in Personal Experience The team, which includes Jorge Mazal (CEO), Daniel Falabella (Chief Product Officer), and Gina Gotthilf (Chief Marketing Officer), is
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) is making history as the first university in North Carolina to offer a standalone undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence (AI). Approved by the UNC System Board of Governors, this Bachelor of Science program will be available at the nation’s largest historically Black university and the leading producer of Black engineering graduates, starting in fall 2025. Meeting Workforce Demands NC A&T’s program aims to meet the demand of increasing AI use by equipping students with expertise in advanced AI systems and applied
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,
Black and Latine enrollment in Yale University and Princeton University’s have remained relatively stable, while the proportion of Asian American students has fallen. This marks the first admissions cycle since the US Supreme Court banned race-based admissions in June 2023. Steady Black and Latine/Hispanic Enrollments According to the first-year class profile released by Yale’s admissions office, Black students account for 14% of the class of 2028 – unchanged from the class of 2027. Yale’s class of 2028 profile also shows that Hispanic/Latine students make up 19% of the freshman class,
Four students from Pinelands High School in Cape Town, South Africa are facing disciplinary hearings after a video depicting a mock “slave auction” went viral on social media, according to the BBC. The video, which shows Black students being auctioned off while others bid for them, has prompted outrage and an official investigation by the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). Incident Details and Investigation The footage, reportedly filmed by Grade 8 students, shows Black pupils inside a cage while other students shout bids. This incident has drawn significant public
Florida A&M University (FAMU) will expand its academic offerings with the addition of new graduate degrees in aerospace engineering beginning in fall 2025. This move, as reported by the Tallahassee Democrat, includes a master’s and a PhD program through the FAMU’s joint college with Florida State University (FSU). The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, situated in Innovation Park, is the only shared engineering school in the nation. Currently, it offers an Aerodynamics Certificate through an online graduate certificate program. The introduction of the aerospace engineering graduate
During a recent speech at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York faced backlash after making controversial comments that that Black children in the Bronx don’t know what a computer is. A misstep at the Milken Conference Governor Hochul made the remarks while discussing her new AI initiative aimed at enhancing technological access in low-income areas. “Right now, we have young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don’t even know what the word computer is,” she said. “They don’t know, they don’t know these things.” This
Pinky Cole Hayes, renowned for her ventures Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan, has gifted the 2024 graduating class of Savannah State University a $8.75 million “Entrepreneurial Starter Pack.” The initiative is designed to equip graduates with the essential tools and resources for their entrepreneurial journeys. The gift, which is a collaboration with Operation HOPE and One Million Black Businesses (1MBB), includes a range of resources to nurture and scale Black-owned businesses. During her speech to the graduates, Cole Hayes, a 2023 TIME 100 Next honoree, outlined the components of the entrepreneurial package. Comprehensive Support For Aspiring Business
