Latoya Coleman

Black people are behind a lot of the products and inventions we put to use every day. While our textbooks may only list a limited amount of Black inventors, there are even more tech innovators that you may not have read about. C heck out these Black inventors who are behind some of the world’s greatest technological advancements. Jerry Lawson creator of the video game cartridge Self-taught engineer, Jerry Lawson helped change the gaming industry forever. In the mid ’70s as the head of engineering and marketing for Fairchild Semiconductor’s gaming outfit, Lawson created the first home gaming console that used interchangeable cartridges.  While Lawson’s gaming system was not as popular as gaming systems that followed it (like Nintendo and Sega) his design changed gaming from single games saved on the hardware to multiple games that could be swapped out. Marie Van Brittan Brown creator of the home security system In the 1960s Marie Van Brittan Brown created the first home security...

When you think of the growing tech hubs across the country, Silicon Valley is automatically the first place that comes to mind. San Francisco, New York and other larger metropolitan areas aren’t the only places to launch a tech career. There are growing tech scenes also sprouting up in other places across the country. With the low cost of living and tax breaks, tech is booming in smaller cities outside of areas like New York and Silicon Valley. Here is a list of 6 cities other than Silicon Valley that have growing tech scenes: Atlanta, GA Atlanta’s rising tech scene includes big companies like Square, MailChimp, Pandora, Google, Twitter, Salesforce, Facebook and Opendoor. This Southern city’s tech ecosystem is growing exponentially with its alluring business-friendly tax credits and its young talent pool of Black entrepreneurs coming from schools like Georgia Tech, Morehouse, and Spelman. San Diego, California In the Dice.com annual salary report , San Diego’s growing tech scene...

If you’re not getting enough work done in a day, you may not not be managing your time well enough. Procrastination, disorganization, and poorly defined goals can all lead to mismanagement of time. Wasted time often equates to poor work-life balance, missing deadlines and high-anxiety and stress. In most cases you don’t need more time in the day, you need to manage your time better. With today’s technology, there are so many different apps that can help you effectively manage your time and increase your productivity. Here is a list of 5 apps that will help you manage your time more effectively so you can focus on getting work done: Focus Booster The Focus Booster app uses the Pomodoro Technique to help individuals focus. Dedicated to helping you stop procrastinating, this app allows you to plan the amount of time you need to focus and take breaks. Evernote Evernote helps individuals stay super organized across different platforms. Create shortcuts that help you quickly access the...

When it comes to being an entrepreneur, one of the best ways to get invaluable business information is through quick, easy-to-read newsletters. They’re the perfect small bite of the best business advice researched by experts. With free information sent straight to your inbox, you can learn new things, keep up-to-date with industry trends, and utilize information to help grow your business. Here are 8 newsletters for entrepreneurs to subscribe to: Seller Labs Seller Labs is a weekly newsletter that comes out every Monday with updates and policy changes on the Amazon platform. This is important because any violations can cost money or a decline in business. If you’re an Amazon seller or FBA business owner running your business on one of the world’s largest retailers, this is a great resource. StartUp Digest StartUp Digest is a personalized newsletter for all things startup. As a subscriber, you curate this weekly digest by selecting your subscriptions, highlighting if you want local...

Everyday our inboxes are full of phishing emails. Most of the time, it’s very hard to figure out which emails are legitimate or not.  With that in mind, Google created a fun quiz to put your cybersecurity skills to the test and help individuals pinpoint scam emails in their inbox. Phishing is an attempt by scammers to trick you into giving up your personal information by pretending to be someone you know- usually through a legitimate-looking email message. These phishing emails consist of links to fake websites that request the input of personal information like credit card account numbers, pins and passwords. Scammers then take this data and use it to steal your identity. Understanding how incredibly good scammers are at creating legit looking messages, the quiz consist of 8 emails-that may or may not be real. During the quiz, you can hover over links to help you figure out if the email is fake or not. Don’t worry about getting the wrong answer, because after each question the quiz...

For high school students, now is the time to think about STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields as a concentration of study in college. Technology is one of the fastest growing career sectors, offering students jobs in fields like software engineering, gaming, design, and more. While there are a rising number of students from underrepresented groups entering STEM fields in college, a fraction of those go on to graduate. According to data from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, only 16 percent of Black, Latino, and Native American students go on to receive bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields, even though a third enter college with an interest in these fields of study. Over the past couple of years, the importance of STEM-related programs has been a major point of national debate. According to the Smithsonian Science Education Center, the creation of STEM related jobs outpaced non STEM jobs three times over. It is projected that over 2 million...

Tech conferences are some of the best ways for people to network and keep up with growing trends in the industry. Days of exhibitions, seminars, panels give people the chance to bounce their ideas off of like minded technologists, look for jobs, and even meet investors. With pen, pad and business cards in tow, the opportunities at these tech conferences are endless. With so many great tech conferences to attend this year,  you could easily miss some of the best ones. Here is a list of eight tech conferences to attend in 2019.  Make sure to mark your calendar. BlackTech Week February 5th -February 9th Miami, FL Black Tech week is 5-day long conference for entrepreneurs, investors and all around techies. Located in Miami, events take place in neighborhoods like Overtown, Little Haiti and other neighborhoods. Topics that will be covered in include product development in the digital age, maximizing ROI, and afrofuturism.   Road to Billions Conference by Black Women Talk Tech – February...

When it comes to figuring out how to start a business one of the best ways to learn is by reading about the lives of founders and people in top positions at companies. Hearing about their experiences — both good and bad —  in their own words can be really beneficial for people looking for inspiration or tips on how to advance in their entrepreneurial and career journeys. Here’s some books written by founders and business executives that might give you the inspiration you’re looking for. The Man From Essence By Edward Lewis In this book, Essence founder Edward Lewis gives readers an inside look into how he built the company from the ground up and how it became a staple in the lives of African Americans. Smart People Should Build Things By Andrew Yang Written by the founder of Venture for America, this book argues that “smart people” should build things as a solution to our nation’s economic distress. In this book, Yang shares his personal success story along with others’ to...

Behind every startup is a great team. In the early days of a startup, there’s often  one person performing multiple roles. In the beginning, a one-person team is the most cost-effective way to do things. However, as the business grows, there will be an increase in tasks and a need for a team. In the beginning of launching a startup, it’s important to establish a team of people who are willing to put in the time to succeed. The founding team of a startup is the foundation for its. It determines the path and the outcome the startup will take. It requires building a strong team that’s able to manage critical areas of your business to make it a success. One of the main challenges of developing a strong team is figuring out the most critical roles to fill first. Here’s four places to start: Photo by AbsolutVision on Unsplash Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- The Dreamer aka the Boss The Chief Executive Officer is usually the founder, leader and the face of the startup. The CEO is a primary...

If you’re an entrepreneur looking to start a business, the best place to start is by cracking open some books. Books offer free education, unlike the hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to acquire an MBA. Books written by founders can provide readers with valuable advice on starting a business. They also help you learn about business mistakes–making it easier to avoid doing the same. There are numerous books that can help people begin their path in business. Here is a list of books to start you off on the path to success. “The Lean Startup” By Eric Ries This New York Times Best Seller is written by Entrepreneur and Blogger Eric Ries, who challenges entrepreneurs to think about business differently. In this book, Ries established a new management approach that throws out the rigid traditional business plan and introduces agile management, rapid prototyping, and increased efficiencies. This is an excellent book that gives a scientific approach to creating a successful business...

Are you interested in learning how to code, but don’t want to break the bank on expensive coding courses? The best way to start learning how to code is by using free online resources. Knowing how to code has become a valuable skill set and there are so many great websites to help you get started. The benefit of using free online resources is that you can learn what coding is all about, and discover what coding languages you like without spending money. These resources teach coding through video tutorials, online curriculums, hands-on projects, building games, and other interactive learning methods. With the numerous online resources, you are only a couple of videos and clicks away from becoming a coding expert. With so many resources online, it is easy to get overwhelmed and not know where to begin. So if you want to learn how to code for free, here is a list of resources to get you started: 1. Codeacademy Codecademy is one of the most popular resources for people looking to get...