Building an Inclusive Tech Future: Are Black Tech Ecosystems Sustainable?
Without a long-term viable plan for sustainability, ecosystem leaders may rely too heavily on scarce dollars and risk unavoidable constraints when funding priorities shift.
Trends
Independent Black Beauty Brands Gain Clout, Sales Fueled by Instagram Influencer Culture
As more Black beauty brands leverage the direct-to-consumer ecosystem, Instagram is the virtual shop window powering connectivity, personalization, and relatability to women of color who see themselves in the values of the brand’s culture.
Meet the Woman Leading CTA’s $10 Million Commitment to Women and Entrepreneurs of Color
For Tiffany Moore, diversity and inclusion (D&I) is more than just a catchphrase—it’s a serious commitment to change. Since being appointed to Senior Vice President for Political and Industry Affairs for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) last April, Moore leads the organization’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill around tech policy and oversees its various diversity …
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HBCU@SXSW Presented Its Largest Cohort to Date—Here’s What We’ve Learned
For students of color, South by Southwest (SXSW) serves as a premier destination to absorb impactful trends in tech and startup culture with the opportunity to snag a coveted job at some of the world’s leading tech companies. The annual festival is a celebration of nearly 75,000 tech and entertainment enthusiasts featuring HBCU@SXSW, an official …
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Black Tech Startups to Watch at CES
The world’s largest consumer technology show is underway today, opening its doors to industry leaders from over 155 countries. Our team hit the ground at the Consumer Electronics Show yesterday to get a sneak peek at the tradeshow floor and to listen in on technology trends advancing mobility, smart cities, and the debatable ethics that …
ThePLUG 2018 Rewind: 105 Top Stories in Black Tech
In 2018, our team delivered 234 newsletters with over 1,500 stories highlighting Black and brown narratives in tech and beyond. We witnessed a record number of incubators, venture capital funds, and accelerators, uniquely designed to support Black founders by addressing longstanding racial disparities. From a new wave of tech conferences to the dozens of coworking spaces …
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Meet the First Black Woman Appointed as General Counsel of a Digital Currency Marketplace
HBUS, the exclusive U.S. strategic partner of blockchain asset solutions provider Huobi, recently named Tiffani McCoy as General Counsel. “My new role and responsibilities drive business and legal strategy for all HBUS company operations, including product dev and operations, corporate development, sales, marketing, finance, corporate governance, government affairs, compliance, and business policy,” McCoy told me …
Google’s Code Next Program Brings Coding Education to Harlem
Ninth grader Ayan Cooper’s entire family grew up in the Bronx, and as his mother will tell you, you can often find him playing video games or exploring Harlem, where he attends Promise Academy I High School. But these days, he’s got another space where he’s spending most of his time — Code Next Harlem Alliance, one …
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Black Tech Conferences Offer a Lifeline in a Predominantly White Industry
We took a look at more than 15 annual Black tech conferences to understand if and how these niche conferences are shaping inclusive cultures within the tech industry. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a Black college homecoming. Graphic tees splattered with affirmations like “Black Billionaire in the Making” are in abundance, music thumps throughout the …
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Breaking the Mold? Black-Owned Venture Capital Firms Mirror Traditional VC
A small but growing group of black investors are raising big dollars in a venture capital community that traditionally lacks diversity. They are an eclectic mix of professional athletes, C-suite level executives, and former Wall Street bankers. To date, their funds range from $5 million to $100 million. But do these new black-owned venture capital …
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