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Very few songs serve as an appropriate soundtrack for knocking down doors and making waves in specific spaces, like the 1996 classic “Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check” by Busta Rhymes. And after spending some time in tech and taking notice of the landscape, Adam Williams has a similar sentiment. For decades, the tech industry has been riddled with systemic barriers that have made access points difficult for people of color, specifically the Black community. While notable examples of organizations are doing the active and intentional work to change the tides of this lack of equitable and inclusive representation, there is still much more work left to be done. According to a CNBC report, Black professionals make up about 7.4 percent of the tech industry. This number drastically decreases for Black women in the same field. According to the same report, Black women only comprise 1.7 percent of the tech workforce. With such low numbers, the need to create programming and initiatives that...
AfroTech talked to four women who are thriving in their tech careers at IPG-owned Kinesso and Matterkind and working to drive the companies forward in the areas of innovation and diversity. As important as it is to honor and learn from women who made history and enabled little girls to imagine new possibilities for their lives, we also need to make space for recognizing those who are doing big things right now in their areas of influence. Here are there stories. Renu Hooda, Global Chief Talent Officer, Kinesso, LLC Renu Hooda leads employee experiences across the globe at Acxiom, Kinesso and Matterkind. Her primary responsibility is ensuring that people leaders and employees embody the company values and have equitable employee experiences. Hooda started as an actuary with the company, then transitioned to the compensation team at IPG Corporate almost 15 years ago. She says her creativity is unlocked in her pursuit to make sure everyone has the same access to growth opportunities....
Have you ever wanted to support your favorite HBCU, but didn’t have the means or the wherewithal to do so? This “spare change” app will help you do just that! AfroTech previously spoke with Dominique King — founder of the I Heart My HBCU app — who leveraged this technology to make donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) easy (they can be done in as little as 60 seconds) back in December of 2020. “When creating this app, it was important for me to encourage HBCU Alumni to support all HBCUs. Users can easily adjust how much or how little of the spare change they share to their five favorite HBCUs,” she said in a statement about the I Heart My HBCU app. “I Heart My HBCU became the first platform where users could donate spare change to any of the 104 HBCUs in one place.” King first launched her groundbreaking app in 2017 and became one of an elite cadre of Black female tech entrepreneurs in the space. A graduate of Howard University, King’s first goal was to...
TruSo, a Black-owned social networking app, has come out the gate swinging. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the new app — backed by the likes of Sway Calloway, Kareem Grimes, Terrell Owens, and Miki Barber — is poised to solve the challenges posed by audio-only apps like Clubhouse. And for that reason, the founders are promising that their new app will “disrupt” Clubhouse in a way no other app could before. “I believe in the power of community— especially cultural communities. As it relates to the Black community, the entire world has witnessed what we can accomplish when we join together behind a cause—we create a phenomenon. Now, we are introducing a social community that is built and funded by Blacks for Blacks and has monetization built-in so that everyone wins,” said Matthew Newman, the founder and CEO of TruSo, in the press release announcement. “Those who use the app should also benefit financially. That’s what we’ve built.” Designed to empower and...
The former provost of George Washington University has made history by becoming the first Black president of Georgia State University. According to The Savannah Morning News, Dr. M. Brian Blake came to Georgia State University as the former provost and the executive vice president of academic affairs — roles he’s held since 2019. Prior to his work with GSU, Dr. Blake worked at Drexel University as an administrator, a role he also held at the University of Miami and Notre Dame. He began his academic career as a computer science professor at Georgetown after working as a software developer. Dr. Blake is the first Black president of Georgia State University in the school’s more than 110-year history, and he is taking over the role from outgoing president Mark Becker. “I’m deeply honored to have been selected as Georgia State president,” Blake said to the Savannah Morning News. “I’m keenly aware of what President (Mark) Becker and the faculty, staff, and students have accomplished, and...
In recent years, brilliant innovations in technology have occurred on account of diverse techies putting themselves in a position to bring their creative ideas to life. While there are many inventions that stem from people in STEM-focused fields, the reality is that these revolutionary technologies can come from any wide range of perspectives and people that come from all walks of life. Though Silicon Valley has been called out for its failure to diversify its workforces, Black and brown technicians and app developers around the world aren’t letting that stop them from creating their own seat at the table. Take for instance Apple’s recent efforts to boost diversity in tech as a result of its $100 million Racial Equity and Justice Initiative. These efforts include creating programs that aim to address issues of racial equity in education, employment and economic inequality. Moreover, bold initiatives like this have created opportunities for diverse, self-taught app developers to be...
The Scholly scholarship app has announced that they’ve partnered with the Shabazz Center to launch a new scholarship in honor of Malcolm X and his wife, Dr. Betty Shabazz. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the fund was created with the blessing of the couple’s daughter, Iliyasah Shabazz, and the fund was launched in honor of her father’s 96th birthday. “My father once said that, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” Shabazz said in the press release announcement. “The opportunity to support young developing leaders and change-makers through the Scholly Scholarship in partnership with The Shabazz Center is such a rewarding investment that equally honors the lasting legacy of Malcolm X and Dr. Betty Shabazz.” The Shabazz Center, which is based in New York, is a generative, action-oriented community organization committed to growing social movements that empower and prepare people for leadership in civil...
Synchrony, a financial services provider, has announced that they’ve launched a series of initiatives to advance education equity in the United States. The value of these initiatives totals $50 million. In a press release announcement, the company said that their approach to education equity would be based on three things, which would have equal investments across the board. The first thing, of course, would be to create pathways to college completion. Through the non-profit arm of their company known as The Synchrony Foundation, the company will provide scholarships, mentorships, and internships to help low-income and underrepresented students graduate college and navigate their future paths. To do that, they will team up with College Possible, and partner with several Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to offer mentorship programs to underserved minority communities. This mentorship program also provides access to such things as nutritional food, which can be...
The Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative, named for one of Johns Hopkins University’s most beloved figures, has arrived. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the initiative — made in partnership with Johns Hopkins University and Bloomberg Philanthropies — has a $150 million war chest. This war chest is set to address the racial disparity in STEM education, and to bring diversity and inclusion programs within the STEM field into colleges and universities. Specifically, the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative will be investing in students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). In a statement provided in the press release announcement, billionaire businessman and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the growing racial disparity in STEM fields has reached its tipping point, and that the philanthropic arm of his company felt compelled to invest in a program that would address it in a positive,...
A 10-year-old Nigerian-American is now a United States National Chess Master. Nicholas Kristof, who has been covering Tanitoluwa Adewumi’s story for The New York Times for many years, broke the news on his Twitter page. “Remember Tani Adewumi, the Nigerian refugee kid I wrote about 2 years ago who won the NY State chess championship while in a homeless shelter? Now well housed (thanks to you readers!), he just won a championship and is officially a National Chess Master as a 10-yr-old 5th grader!” he wrote. Things could have gone many ways for the 10-year-old Nigerian-American. While his family was living and thriving in Nigeria, they were threatened with violence from the Boko Haram terrorists. The threat of violence forced the Adewumi family to flee from Nigeria in 2017, according to NPR. A kind pastor in Queens, NY, provided them temporary housing, but ultimately referred the family to the NY Department of Housing Services, where they were referred to a homeless shelter. To make...
Alexis White is a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) student who has just made Louisiana history. According to KNOE News, White — a graduate of Grambling State University — is the first person in the entire state to ever get a degree in cybersecurity. White will be interning at the Clinton Global Initiative University before she goes on to the rest of her career. The HBCU student says her entire journey to success almost didn’t happen. The day before she was set to interview with the Clinton Global Initiative, her grandmother fell ill — and White almost didn’t want to go to the interview for fear that she would miss out on her grandmother. “So, the next day she actually passed away. So I didn’t get a chance to tell her but she knew what I was doing, and so after that, I got the email saying that I had gotten the position, the cybersecurity position with governance, risk, and compliance. So just to say, I am so happy that I was able to get that position and to make my...
If you’re ready for a job interview but don’t have a suit ready, clothing store H&M is here to help. AdAge is reporting that the international clothing retailer will offer their suits for free rental for 24 hours. The effort is not only meant to promote their new “H&M Men” clothing line, but to help young men get back on their feet in the wake of the pandemic. In addition to providing a fresh, clean suit, the retailer is providing tips on how to ace interviews — which seems essential these days. H&M developed the program together with Uncommon Creative Studio and it’s being promoted with a video directed by Anonymous Content director Mark Romanek (“One Hour Photo”) . In addition to providing hope and encouragement to men who need it in these changing times, the company is also pushing the concept of “sustainable fashion,” which is quickly becoming the norm these days with companies like ThredUp and StitchFix at the forefront of the concept. H&M first began their sustainable...
If you’re even on social media on a part-time basis, you’ve heard the term “digital currency.” Everyone can recount at least one story of receiving an Instagram DM, or comment, from someone promising to make them millions of dollars from just a few hours of work thanks to a mysterious, and previously unknown, secret from “Forex.” The nebulous nature of the concept of digital currency makes it easy for people to take advantage of others, to fall victim to scams, or even just to not have even a passing understanding of what’s going on. But since knowledge is power, we’ve decided to take you through a crash course on digital currency. What is it? What is it not ? What are some of the biggest myths about it? And finally, what should you know about it when making future money decisions? Digital Currency: The Basics As its name implies, digital currency is — in a nutshell — non-physical fiat. Authentication of such non-physical currency is done using blockchain technology, which is really...
Tech startup Bevy — the only enterprise virtual, hybrid, and in-person event community platform on the market — announced that the company has just secured a $40 million Series C funding round in an effort to continue helping companies expand their global customer communities and drive radical change for diversity and inclusion in tech. The funding round was led by Accel Partners — for the second time in the past year — with participation from other investors such as LinkedIn, Qualtrics co-founder Ryan Smith, Upfront Ventures, as well as over 25 top Black leaders in the tech industry. Bevy — currently operating with a completely remote workforce located in 10 different countries on four continents — plans to use the new funding to expand its team from 100 employees to 250 later this year. Not only does this new funding round mark a major milestone for Bevy, it also outlines the company’s intentions to establish more diversity in tech so it deliberately carved out more space to allow...
Tiger Woods is still recovering from the devastating car crash that nearly claimed his life, but he’s still getting to the money. According to TMZ, the modern-day golf legend has just signed a massive deal with 2K and HB studios to form what the company is calling an “exclusive, long-term partnership” for their “PGA Tour 2K” franchise of games. Thanks to this deal, gamers can now adopt Woods’ persona in game play. Tiger Woods will also serve as the executive director of the games. “I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen. I’m honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together,” Woods said in a statement. The deal marks Tiger Woods’ first return to the video game world in eight years. Prior to this new deal, he had a deal with EA Games, where he was featured in EA’s PGA Tour videogame...