In 1986, the Commodore 64 had become the bestselling single personal computer model of all time. More than 17 million were sold, including one to my parents. I remember the C64 and its place of prominence in the living room of our home in Cleveland, OH. It was there even when there wasn’t any furniture (And I was on it a lot). That Commodore 64 was my first real exposure to computing and it helped catalyze my interest in technology. A few years after college I dove into startup life, and from there I went on to build a career in cybersecurity, to become a CEO, and it all led me to my role today, which is to help Microsoft identify the partnerships and investments that will shape the future and tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. Unfortunately, many people do not have access to technology, even in 2023. The Pew Research Center estimates that today in America, four out of ten low-income households are without computing devices of any kind. A 2022 National Urban League...

It takes a tremendous amount of dedication and perseverance to climb the corporate ladder at your workplace. Twenty-two years ago, Krista Bourne started at Verizon Consumer Group in its mailroom where she began to discover the needs of the company’s large customer base. Now, she’s a part of leading how the business runs daily to ensure it’s upholding its mission of quality service for over 100 million customers. After having more than 10 roles to her name at Verizon Consumer Group, Bourne now holds the title of chief operating officer (COO) — making her the first Black woman to be in the role at the company. According to the c-suite executive, her drive to enact positive change is what helped her have a tunnel vision of reaching where she is now in her career. “I charted my career to ensure that in every role I’ve had, through customer service, retail sales, and operations, I’ve been able to drive positive change through customer feedback,” she told AfroTech. “Now, I’m at the level...

Oscar-winning actress Regina King is lending a big hand to improve financial literacy in underserved communities. According to a press release announcement, the Oscar winner is partnering with banking giant Wells Fargo to promote financial literacy. King is also featured in their latest campaign “Real Life Ready,” which promotes Wells Fargo’s Active Cash Visa card and rewards system that suits the consumer’s daily needs. “We are thrilled to be working with Regina King, whose own authenticity is showcased in our campaign, as she demonstrates through her genuine life experiences how Active Cash is a straightforward credit card that makes it easy to earn 2% cash rewards on purchases,” Krista Phillips, Wells Fargo’s head of branded cards and marketing, said in a press statement. “I was drawn to Wells Fargo given the bank’s continued commitment to underserved communities,” King said in the same press statement. She is also the first major face to partner with the banking giant. As an...

NBA player Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat just gave these local Miami students the upgrade of a lifetime by surprising them with digital learning tools, Newsone reports. After teaming up with AT&T and Connected Nation, a nonprofit with a commitment to bridging broadband and digital technology gaps throughout the country, Adebayo was able to provide the after-school program with digital devices and hotspots for the next school year. The efforts will help the students further their learning both at the center and from the comfort of their homes. This comes as a part of AT&T’s $2 billion commitment over the next 3 years to address the digital divide. Oxford defines the digital divide as “the gulf between those who have ready access to computers and the internet and those who do not.” “For so many students, our nation’s schools and nonprofit organizations are their only source for social connections and resources for remote learning that have become so vital for future success,” said...

A recent survey has revealed that nearly half of all college students have been negatively impacted by the pandemic, in ways that will definitely have lasting effects throughout their lives. Course Hero recently conducted a national survey of more than 11,000 students. The results revealed a lot more socio-economic devastation than previously thought. For example: 6 percent of all college students have reported that they had to drop out of school altogether to tend to their family’s financial needs. 60 percent of all full-time and part-time students have reported that they needed to get a full-time job as a result of the pandemic, which puts additional pressure on their studies. Since October 2019, enrollment in colleges and universities has declined by a whopping 13%, the first time there’s been such a marked decline in enrollment in ten years. (However, since 2011, college enrollment has been on a steady decline, though only by a few percentage points.) Just half (56%) of students...

Who gets to participate in the conversation online? For a long time, the conversation has been primarily limited to rich, white families that had home computers. Even today, the racial disparity between who owns a computer with internet connection at home persists, with white families significantly more likely to own a computer and an internet connection than minority families. However, the advent of the smartphone is quickly closing that gap. These multifunctional internet-connected devices tend to be more accessible for families than an internet connection — for example, families that can’t afford both a cell phone bill and an internet bill can pick the former and essentially get the latter through their plan. Minorities are most likely to report being almost entirely dependent on their phones for internet connection. But even as minorities use their smartphones to bridge the gap between them and richer, white families, they are still hindered by websites and programs that aren’t...