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Tori Bell is helping companies ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is not an afterthought. Interest In DEI Work The Agnes Scott College graduate’s interest in DEI work was sparked during her early career stages in investment banking in Atlanta, GA, at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. She served as an analyst and associate program manager between 2012 and 2015, managing the summer analyst program, her LinkedIn mentions. She later joined Jopwell, a career platform for minority students and professionals. The platform had received backing from a number of investors, including Magic Johnson, who had participated in a $3.25 million seed round in 2016, according to Inc. magazine. “What I saw during my time there was that you can hire diverse individuals into these major companies, but if they’re not prepared to support them i t’s kind of like you’re yelling into a void, ” Bell told AFROTECH™. “You’re not really doing much to move the needle, because you’re going to see turnover...
Tia Mowry is venturing into the realm of artificial intelligence and wants to encourage others to explore its endless possibilities. With decades of experience as an actress in Hollywood, Mowry has diversified her influence by inviting the world into her interests, using entrepreneurship as a vessel. She is the proud owner of haircare line 4U by Tia, which launched in 2023 across 2,800 Walmart retail stores in the U.S. and on Walmart.com, according to a press release. 4U by Tia’s products were made with the help of biotechnology company Amyris and are 100% vegan, silicone-free, sulfate-free, and paraben-free. The products cater to hair types ranging from 2A to 4C, which was an intentional decision by Mowry, who is also the mother of son Cree and daughter Cairo, both with different hair textures. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 4U By Tia (@4ubytia) Beyond the haircare line, Mowry also has a passion for cooking, which is on full display on her YouTube channel, “Tia...
Texas has reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta. AP News reports that the state of Texas filed a lawsuit in 2022, accusing the technology company of gathering users’ biometric data, such as face recognition or fingerprints, without their permission, which is also against Texas state law. Texas filed a separate complaint with Google that same year, but the lawsuit is still pending. “We are pleased to resolve this matter and look forward to exploring future opportunities to deepen our business investments in Texas, including potentially developing data centers,” Meta said in a statement, according to AP News. The $1.4 billion settlement marks the largest for a single state, the outlet notes. “This is by far the biggest state governmental privacy settlement in history,” Chicago-based Class Action Attorney Jay Edelson explained in an email, per AP News. This is not Meta’s first settlement. Recently, Meta reached a $68.5 million settlement with the state of Illinois for violating...
The Israeli government reportedly commissioned a campaign in 2023 that included social media accounts targeting Black U.S. lawmakers. The New York Times reported that, in October 2023, Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs paid $2 million to Stoic, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based political marketing firm, to push pro-Israel content on social media at a time when many Americans were concerned for Palestinian civilians during the war in Gaza. The outlet details that Stoic created fake accounts in support of Israel across X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram that focused on over a dozen majority Black and Democrat U.S. lawmakers, including Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York and U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia. ChatGPT was mainly used to create the fake accounts’ posts, which asked for the politicians to fund Israel’s military, per the outlet. In addition to fake social media accounts, Stoic reportedly created fake websites and articles. In May 2024, NBC News reported...
Mark Zuckerberg has revealed an upcoming Meta product. During an interview with live streamer Roberto Nickson, the Meta founder and CEO spoke about what he envisions the future will look like for the company’s Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. According to Zuckerberg, that vision includes a new wearable technology. “I think we’ll start getting some consumer neural interfaces soon, and that’s gonna be pretty wild,” Zuckerberg told Nickson. “I’m not talking about something that jacks into your brain. I’m talking about something that you wear on your wrist that can basically read neural signals that your brain sends through your nerves to your hand to basically move it in different subtle ways that are maybe not perceptible to people around you, but we’re basically able to read those signals and be able to use that to control your glasses or other computing devices.” Along with emphasizing that the device wouldn’t be placed in the brain, Zuckerberg shared that the innovative idea is still in...
In the past year, Meta has undergone significant transformations, particularly in its approach to workforce management. Meta’s decisions regarding layoffs have not only attracted attention but have had a substantial impact on the company’s financial performance. Meta incurred staggering losses totaling $16 billion, primarily attributed to its Metaverse endeavors, mainly its Reality Labs division responsible for Oculus goggles. This marked a significant increase from the previous year’s loss of $13.7 billion, with Meta reporting a loss of $4.6 billion in the final quarter of 2023. Meta’s Stock Surge And Improved Margins Despite these substantial deficits, Meta’s stock surged by 12% following recent updates, largely due to the company’s improved margins. Meta’s revenue increased by 16%, while operating income and profits surged by 62% and 69%, respectively. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has assured investors of further losses in the future due to ongoing investments in augmented reality/...
Whether you’re using WhatsApp to communicate with friends and family across oceans and time zones, or finding all types of entertainment and inspiration on Reels, chances are Meta touches your life on a daily basis. Many of us have had a front row seat to the evolution of this brand, from the days when your Facebook page had to be linked to a college email address, to the futuristic capabilities of the new Meta Quest 3 VR headset. Behind the tech giant that has come to permeate our lives are diverse tech creatives who have built an amazing ecosystem that equally pulls from their similarities and their differences. We recently caught up with Cyriel Dikoume, an Engineering Manager at the company, to find out more about what it’s like to be part of the team responsible for the wide range of innovation that has happened at Meta in even just the last two years. “It’s kind of like our apps: connecting people is what we do best,” Dikoume told AfroTech. “The essence of connection and...
For decades, America has dealt with the horror of systems that plague the progression of certain groups. No matter the issue, there has been little shortage in the struggle to fight for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across a spectrum of sectors. Like any system riddled with backward thinking, the people impacted the most grow tired of the struggle and gain the strength to fight for what is owed to them. From slave revolts to the Civil Rights Movement to Women’s suffrage to the Stonewall Uprising — when people have had enough, they come together to demand change. Although the systemic oppressive nature of America has not been alleviated, the work of those who fight to dismantle said systems has caught the attention of certain politicians, policymakers, and companies. While some are just catching on, many have been side by side in the fight, creating space for equality to ring free. Although Meta doesn’t claim to get it all right, the tech giant is working to create a culture...
Meta is facing the infamous situation of “It be your own people.” Well, rather in this case your own technology. BBC reports that BlenderBot 3 — the company’s prototype chatbot that uses artificial intelligence to speak on most topics — said what it had to say about CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg. “He did a terrible job at testifying before congress. It makes me concerned about our country,” the chatbot said, according to the outlet. It added: “Our country is divided and he didn’t help at all. I’m concerned for us all.” The chatbot was referring to Zuckerberg’s multiple appearances since 2018 before Congress stemming from Facebook’s involvement with Cambridge Analytica during the 2016 election cycle. “Mark Zuckerberg ought to be looking at himself in the mirror today, and yet, rather than taking responsibility and showing leadership, Mr. Zuckerberg is going sailing,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., chair of the subcommittee, during a hearing with Facebook whistleblower...
“Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer.” Earlier this week, the actress had to make it clear that she is that girl . After a tweet comparing her career in Hollywood to Zendaya’s went viral, the 28-year-old hit send on a tweet of her own in response, as previously reported by Shadow and Act. “A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone. I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent,” Palmer tweeted. A great example of colorism is to believe I can be compared to anyone. I’m the youngest talk show host ever. The first Black woman to star in her own show on Nickelodeon, & the youngest & first Black Cinderella on broadway. I’m an incomparable talent. Baby, THIS, is Keke Palmer. — Keke Palmer (@KekePalmer) July 24, 2022 Now, the star has added yet another hosting gig to her lengthy resume!