All results
Vanessa Wyche is leading the way at NASA and made history in the process. Since 1989, the South Carolina native, with a Bachelor of Science in materials engineering and a Master of Science in bioengineering from Clemson University, has worked at the U.S. government agency. Her first role was as a project engineer managing several space shuttle missions, as previously reported by AFROTECH™. Wyche was fueled by her interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and has continued to rise in the ranks with her titles having included director, CX program operations and test integration (2010-2011); director, exploration integration and science (2016-2018); and deputy director, NASA’s Johnson Space Center (2018-2021), according to her LinkedIn profile. “I knew when I got to the Johnson Space Center, there were not a lot of people that looked like me doing the kind of jobs that I was doing,” she told KHOU-11 in Houston, TX. “So, I kind of had to just kind of decide...
Women’s History Month is all about uplifting generations of hard-working women who are becoming pioneers in their own right every single day. This year, AfroTech is amplifying the famous firsts of Black women today who have defied the odds to open doors and break glass ceilings for us all. Here are all the Black women who have and continue to inspire the next generation of young Black women to be the leaders of tomorrow: Kamala Harris Photo Credit: Chris Carlson/ AP Kamala D. Harris made history as the first Black, first Asian-American, and first woman to ever be elected Vice President of the United States of America. She accomplished this historic feat after serving as the District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and a U.S. Senator. Stacey Abrams Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images Stacey Abrams — a political strategist and former minority leader of the Georgia state House — is the reason the state of Georgia turned blue for the first time in 30 years to...
We are giving our flowers to Black leaders who are shaping the future. Established in 2022, the AFROTECH™ Future 50 list will commemorate innovators, visionaries, founders, venture capitalists, technologists, and changemakers in the technology sector who have made historic strides, lifted as they climbed to create a more inclusive future, and are transforming their sectors and communities. AFROTECH™ Future 50 Categories There are five categories for submission. The Dynamic Investors category highlights venture capitalists who have not only driven strong returns but have also championed underrepresented founders in technology. A prime example is Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, which manages over $175 million in assets and has made more than 413 investments, according to Carta. Next, the Future Makers category will honor Black professionals who have achieved historic firsts, earned industry recognition, launched groundbreaking products, measured...
Green technology, also known as cleantech or sustainable technology, refers to innovations designed to reduce environmental impact, conserve resources, and promote sustainability. It focuses on creating solutions that are energy-efficient, low-emission, and environmentally friendly, addressing issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and pollution. Green technology covers various sectors, including renewable energy, water conservation, waste management, and sustainable agriculture, and plays a crucial role in protecting the planet while supporting economic growth. What Is Green Technology? At its core, green technology is aimed at improving environmental sustainability. It includes technologies that promote the use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, as well as those that enhance energy efficiency and reduce waste. The goal of green technology is to minimize the environmental footprint of industries and individuals by shifting away from fossil fuels and...
History was made on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders faced off in the first NFL game featuring women-led teams. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, The Raiders are led by Sandra Douglass Morgan, the first Black and Asian woman to serve as an NFL team president, taking over from Dan Ventrelle. The Panthers are led by Kristi Coleman, who replaced Tom Glick as president. The Panthers defeated the Raiders 36-22 on Sunday. Photo Credit: Louis Grasse Coleman was named president in February 2022, followed by Morgan in July of that year. According to the Raiders, the two women have formed a strong professional relationship over the past two seasons, with Morgan even joining Coleman for the Panthers’ International Women’s Day celebration in 2023. “You do feel a little bit more comfortable when you have someone else you can call,” Coleman shared, per the Panthers. “While Charlotte and Vegas are obviously two very different markets, the role and what you’re...
This Black doctor just made history at Johns Hopkins University! In June 2024, Nancy Abu-Bonsrah achieved a historic feat, becoming the first Black woman to graduate from Johns Hopkins University’s neurosurgery program. She took to social media to announce the news, however, it was a close friend who noted that Dr. Abu-Bonsrah had quite literally also made history, Because Of Them We Can reports. “Congratulations to my dear friend, and the first Black woman to graduate from the neurosurgery program at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah!,” wrote the woman called Anna, whose username is @itsafronomics. Congratulations to my dear friend, and the first Black woman to graduate from the neurosurgery program at John’s Hopkins, Dr. Nancy Abu-Bonsrah ( @BonsrahNancy )! #medtwitter pic.twitter.com/gdu6x7pF9i — Anna (@itsafronomics) June 28, 2024 According to Dr. Abu-Bonsrah, becoming a neurosurgery doctor was a 12-year journey. She also noted that it felt “surreal” that she’d completed the...
Representation in space exploration is crucial, and Sian Proctor stands among the luminaries. A woman on a mission, Proctor aspired to have an impact on society. The geoscientist had been “chasing space” throughout her lifetime, Space.com mentions. Born the same year Neil Armstrong made history with his first steps on the moon during NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, and raised with a father working at the NASA tracking station on Guam, Proctor would go on to make her own significant contributions. Historical Firsts As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Proctor became the first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft. This was accomplished after she earned a Ph.D. along with a pilot’s license and SCUBA certification. She also completed a four-month mission in a building located near a Hawaiian volcano for an experiment imitating the conditions and stresses on a habitat like Mars in 2013. Ultimately, Proctor’s expertise, creativity, and dedication to her JEDI space initiative — a just, equitable,...
With more than 100 patents under his belt, Lanny Smoot has never been afraid to take his imagination to the next level. As a Disney Research Fellow, Smoot is in a position where he has access to a different type of freedom — one that helps him explore different concepts and bring them to life. As previously reported by AFROTECH™, Smoot was inducted into the 2024 National Inventors Hall of Fame. He’s also the first Disney Imagineer to receive the honor and the second in the company, aside from Walt Disney himself. “To be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame means that you’ve made inventions that have changed the world in some sense, right? And it’s a great honor,” he told AFROTECH™ from his Walt Disney office in Los Angeles during an event to unveil the latest Disney Imagineer contributions, including the all-new Princess Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Animatronics. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks) “I didn’t know when the induction...
What better time to give Black women their flowers than during Women’s History Month? Although the recognition should be 365 days of the year, the annual observance is a special time. As the celebration continues throughout March, AFROTECH™ is spotlighting Black women in technology and across various industries. On Nov. 13-16, AFROTECH™ Conference 2024 will return with its Women’s Summit. During last year’s conference, the Women’s Summit’s topics ranged from disrupting the beauty industry with technology to redefining leadership. In the meantime of finding out this year’s panel lineup and discussions, here are five women speakers who have previously graced AFROTECH™ Conference 2023’s stages, held memorable sessions, and spread gems of wisdom. AFROTECH™ 2024 speaker applications now open!
At just 20-years-old, Deja Kelly has been stellar to watch both on and off the basketball court. As previously reported by AfroTech, this year has been filled with first-of-its-kind feats for the North Carolina Tar Heels star including being one of the first athletes to sign a Dunkin’ endorsement deal and signing her first long-term equity deal as BARCODE’s first-ever female name, image, and likeness (NIL) shareholder. While Kelly has taken on multiple firsts, she’s continuing to add even more wins to her plate. The UNC player recently signed a one-year partnership with global sportswear brand Actively Black — making her the Black-owned label’s first-ever NIL signee — according to a press release. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Actively BLACK (@activelyblack)
Today, Whoopi Goldberg may be known for being a firebrand on “The View” to some, but that barely scratches the surface. Before she became a daytime talk show host, Whoopi Goldberg was one of the few actresses to become a coveted EGOT winner. Goldberg has taken home all of the industry’s coveted awards — and was, in fact, the first Black woman to do so, according to Vulture. In addition, Goldberg was the first Black actress to receive Oscar nominations for both Best Actress (which she did for “The Color Purple,” though she didn’t win) and Best Supporting Actress (which she did for “Ghost,” and ultimately took home the trophy). She’s also one of only three women performers to take home the Grammy for Best Comedy Record and was the first Black woman to take home the Mark Twain prize for humor (which she did in 2001, per Vulture). In short, Whoopi Goldberg has had a career filled with “firsts,” and it’s no wonder, then, that she’s earned a $60 million net worth (per Celebrity Net Worth)...
Queen Latifah is definitely responsible for a lot of “firsts” for Black female rappers. She’s the first Black female rapper to be nominated for an Oscar (for Best Supporting Actress in 2003’s “Bessie”) and the first Black female rapper to be halfway to a coveted EGOT (according to CBS Watch Magazine). Queen Latifah was the first rapper to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (per Billboard, she achieved the honor in 2006). And her third album, “Black Reign,” became the first album by a Black female rapper to receive an RIAA certification, ultimately snagging a gold certification (per Apple TV). In short, the Queen knew how to give it to ’em at a time “they” weren’t sure they even needed it, and she’s more than a little responsible for rap music becoming the culturally dominant force it is today. These days, Queen Latifah is perhaps best known for her acting career thanks to the success of films like “Set It Off” and television shows like “Living Single” and, most recently,...
With two decades in the game, Bow Wow still isn’t letting up on his hustle. In February, the rapper announced his partnership with KISS Colors & Care as its celebrity ambassador, as previously reported by AfroTech. Fast forward to a month later, he’s now the face of the Polaris Make Your Mark campaign, HipHopDX reports. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Slingshot® (@polarisslingshot) As he continues to work with brands, Bow Wow acknowledged in an interview with the outlet that his business ventures’ success is thanks to Jay-Z and Diddy blazing the path before him. “He’s definitely one of the [firsts],” he said in reference to Ice-T sharing in a past interview about Snoop Dogg being a pioneer of the rapper turned mogul pipeline. “I think what Ice-T probably means is this was the first gangster rapper; somebody who came up gang-banging and all of a sudden, everybody in America loves him. And we can credit him for that. But for, me JAY-Z and Puff as rappers in Hip Hop were...