The current state of the world has made the act of prioritizing one’s well-being to the top of the list. As previously reported by AfroTech, Digital Park, a Black-owned Brooklyn-based tech startup, launched its mobile app to combat mental stress during the peak of COVID-19. Now, two years into the pandemic, a new version of Drift Wellness has been built to create even more customization for users — an integrated pulse check-in feature. According to a press release shared with AfroTech, the new update measures your BPM heart rate and creates an ambient sound tailored to your pulse. To use the innovative feature, users are to place their fingers over their phone camera and flash. Making feature updates regularly is founders Jeffery and Oyin Antwi’s intention of not being a one-and-done mobile interaction, but rather a fluid experience for users’ journeys toward steadfast growth and better health. “Mindfulness apps with the pandemic and the BLM movement in 2020 — so many apps started...

Instagram’s @design and the Brooklyn Museum are partnering to announce their inaugural grant program that’s empowering Black creatives this year. The #BlackDesignVisionaries grant program officially launched today as part of a joint effort to amplify, center and invest in the Black design community. Founded with a mission to create an open, inclusive and safe space that’s inspiring for all, Instagram’s @design strives to uplift the emerging talent amongst Black designers whose work embodies the platform’s core design values. “@design is committed to uplifting underrepresented voices and championing inclusivity and accessibility, which is why we’re delighted to launch #BlackDesignVisionaries,” Ian Spalter — Instagram’s Head of Design — said in a press statement. “We hope that the craft, passion, and creativity of our grant committee and partners, as well as Instagram’s design values, will inspire designers to share their dreams with us.” The #BlackDesignVisionaries program will award...