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Plug In South LA Announces Third Tech Accelerator Program To Benefit Black And Latinx Communities

Plug In South LA has announced its third tech accelerator program focused on Black and Latinx communities. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that they are looking for startup founders focused on healthcare tech, c limate and sustainability, digital media, and educational technology. The benefits of the tech accelerator will include potential grants of up to $40,000 as well as possible seed investments and pilot partnerships. Mentors in the program will include leaders and executives from the California Health Care Foundation, Courtside Ventures, RareBreed Ventures, and Zeal Capital Partners, among others. “We are keen to help Founders secure capital and investment plus help them leverage the LA start ecosystem to develop traction and momentum around their company,” notes Derek Smith, founder of Plug In South LA, in the press release announcement. In addition to the new tech accelerator, Plug In South LA is known for Urban Tech Connect, a prominent annual business...

Lenovo Releases First Ever Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

As the tech industry moves towards transparency in the workplace, more companies are committing to improving diversity and fostering inclusion. This includes publicly sharing their employee diversity data. While it is clear the industry still has work to do, companies are tracking internal progress and sharing how they plan to move diversity and inclusion forward. Lenovo just joined the slew of high-profile tech companies in releasing their diversity figures and core inclusion strategy for the first time. The report showed the computer manufacturing company is only 7.3 percent Black and 4.9 percent Latino. The comparison shows the majority of their workforce is white at 66.9 percent and 18.6 percent Asian. The computer manufacturing company plans to hire and retain diverse talent while focusing on reviewing their hiring process and searching for potential structural bias. Part of the recruitment strategy to reach diverse candidates is through their University Hiring program...

Jenna Chambers

Nov 16, 2018

Earnster Wants To Help Teens Make Their Own Way

Candace Walker didn’t want her teenage children begging her for the latest gadgets and clothing brands. Instead, she wanted to encourage them to initiate and devise creative ways to earn those items. Walker developed Earnster , an app that turns everyday household chores, extra school work and community service into currency. Earnster is designed to empower teens to take control of their earning potential by identifying chores and other tasks they can complete in exchange for a special reward. “My teenage children are the inspiration behind Earnster,” said Walker. “They wanted to do it all and have it all. It got to the point where I wanted to say ‘Hey, here’s what I’ll do to earn those things.’” Walker’s busy schedule as a single mom coupled with children’s activities made it difficult to keep track of chores at home. She told AfroTech Earnster evolved from being her personal solution to getting her kids to take initiative and earn special items while getting chores done. Earnster...

Jenna Chambers

Nov 15, 2018

ACLU Files Charges Against Facebook For Gender Discrimination in Ads

Facebook is under fire again for its advertising. According to lawsuits from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the social media giant is allowing companies to post ads using discriminatory methods. Last week, the ACLU filed charges with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Facebook and 10 other employers alleging gender discrimination. Abas USA, Defenders, Nebraska Furniture Mart, City of Greensboro North Carolina, Need Work Today, Renewal by Andersen LLC, Rice Tire, JK Moving Services, Enhanced Roofing & Modeling, and Xenith were named in the lawsuits. Abas USA released a statement in response to the lawsuit saying that it used two separate ads — one that targeted male candidates and another that targeted females. “We ran the ads together for one week, and they produced no applicants,” said Abas USA. “This was the first and last time that we used Facebook ads targeted towards men and women.” Facebook’s ad tools allow companies to select “all,” or target...

Arriana McLymore

Sep 24, 2018