A diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leader at Uber has been reprimanded after hosting an event for white women who are offended by the term “Karen.”

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...

Have you ever been on the hunt to find good-quality images of people of color but didn’t really have much luck? This founder is on a mission to help. To change that reality and showcase representation, Steve Jones launched a diverse media agency embracing the distinct and touching stories of minority groups overlooked by the media. The ideation for a media agency began in 2013. Jones’ career was small-business focused and aimed to help businesses build and execute high-impact experiences through engaging digital strategies. Over the tenure of Jones’ career, he noticed it was difficult to find great quality images of minority groups despite the heightened priority for diversity among people and corporations. “We go to work, we wear suits, we dress professionally, we have different styles, and different ways that we look. Yet, there was no place you could find these variations in looks and people,” Steve Jones told AfroTech. Once Jones closed his company, The Circl, in 2017, he...

To provide a space for Black talent in tech, OneTen — a group of industry executives aiming to hire and build Black individuals to create an equitable and inclusive workforce — has launched its inaugural scholarship program to provide support for over 3,500 students over the next two years, a press release states. The program was created to spearhead underserved Black talent toward the tech industry — with a focus on four core tech competencies: digital marketing, business analytics, front end developer, and predictive analytics — despite not acquiring four-year degrees. “By investing in talent transformation, we can help remove the barriers to diversity in tech. By providing access to resources that are designed to nurture and develop people’s skills, we can help get more Black talent into the technology space,” Dennis Schultz, Executive Director of the BIT Foundation, said in a press release. As a contribution toward OneTen’s commitment, Udacity and Blacks In Technology will lend...

There has been increased attention on how business leaders address diversity , equity, and inclusion in the workplace. After nearly a year since the nation experienced civil unrest, a group of large corporations are banning together to keep the conversation going. Intel , Dell Technologies, Nasdaq, NTT DATA And Snap Inc. have teamed up to formulate a new coalition called the Alliance for Global Inclusion, Intel shared in a recent press release . Dawn Jones, Intel’s chief diversity and inclusion officer (CDIO) and vice president of social impact, told AfroTech that the companies formed this coalition to further commit to developing and aligning on shared metrics that track progress in diversity and inclusion. “This isn’t new for Intel – we’ve been growing and expanding our efforts to create more inclusiveness and close critical representation gaps for many years, and as we’ve done so, we realized that our efforts alone are not enough,”  Jones told AfroTech. “We connected with...

Byte Back CEO Elizabeth Lindsey is stepping down to take on the role as CEO of Urban Alliance, a national youth workforce development nonprofit. Byte Back is a tech inclusion nonprofit with presence across the DMV region. The nonprofit offers computer training, IT certification and career services for adults seeking careers in tech. Lindsey worked at Byte Back for five and a half years before thinking about the possibility of moving on. “I wasn’t actively looking for something at all,” Lindsey told AfroTech in a video interview. “I’ve always wanted to run a national organization and Urban Alliance has sites in D.C., Baltimore, Chicago and Detroit. It’s quite a bit larger than Byte Back and the work that Urban Alliance does is just so close to my heart.” Lindsey said the search firm that Urban Alliance hired reached out to her after the nonprofit’s current CEO, Eshauna Smith, recommended her for the lead role. She applied for the position and after two months of interviewing, she...

Fifth Third Bank is the latest company to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to diversity and inclusion! The bank has committed $2.8 billion to speed up their efforts on inclusion, equality, and racial equity — a triple threat when it comes to the advancement of Black Americans. According to Black Enterprise, the Cincinnati-based bank will provide $2.2 billion in lending, $500 million in investments, and $60 million in financial accessibility. Another $40 million will be used toward its Executive Diversity Leadership Council’s Accelerating Racial Equality, Inclusion, and Equity commitment. “As we continue to make meaningful strides in advancing inclusion and diversity in our industry and in our communities,” said Greg Carmichael, Fifth Third CEO and Chairman, in a news release. “The dedicated investment, philanthropy, and lending efforts will help accelerate our progress toward promoting equality, equity, and inclusion, both within the Bank and in our communities,...

Leading global entertainment agency WME has appointed Gisselle Ruiz as its newest staff addition and head of inclusion. The former TikTok and seasoned diversity/inclusion executive has plans to help the Hollywood talent agency navigate the industry moving forward as it works to be “anti-racist and ally-oriented,” The Hollywood Reporter shares . Billboard reports that Ruiz will help oversee recruitment, retention and strategic partnerships via WME’s Beverly Hills headquarters to help drive the agency’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Prior to her newly-appointed position, Ruiz served as a global talent acquisition leader at TikTok, where she was instrumental in leading diversity and inclusion initiatives and standards for the short video-sharing app. Additionally, she also worked in previous executive roles at CAA, Google, Walt Disney, and at the Broad Center non-profit, according to The Hollywood Reporter . Now, she joins the WME family as they and other Hollywood agencies...