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Over 100 Silicon Valley investors have vowed to support Kamala Harris. The current vice president of the United States is actively campaigning to win over voters and secure the Democratic nomination in the upcoming 2024 presidential race, where she will face off against Donald Trump. She recently had her first rally in Atlanta, GA, and is preparing for a second one in Philadelphia, PA, on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. “Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider meeting me on the debate stage. Because, as the saying goes, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” she said in front of an energized crowd in Atlanta. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris) Support From Interested Voters Harris has received an influx of support since she announced her quest for presidency. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, Harris raised $200 million in just seven days. What’s more, 66% of the donations were provided by first-time contributors. Harris also raised the most...
Early-stage investment fund Collab Capital is continuing its mission to support Black communities and Black-founded companies with its inaugural fund. Today, the Black-founded company announced the close of their $50 million fund to support its overarching goal to build generational wealth in Black communities. According to the company, the purpose of the debut fund is to invest “financial, human, and social capital” to effectively grow and sustain innovation amongst Black-owned businesses. “For far too long, Black founders have been overlooked despite being the fastest growing entrepreneurial segment remaining the most under-funded and under-resourced group,” Collab Capital founder Jewel Burks Solomon tells us. “As founders ourselves, we’ve witnessed first-hand how difficult it can be to attract VC attention and secure funding, despite having successful business track records. We truly believe this is an important step in narrowing the racial wealth disparity while driving...
This week, Google announced plans to continue its accelerator program for African startups as well as launch 40,000 new developer scholarships for those spread across mobile and cloud development tracks in the continent. The new slate of scholarships — created in partnership with tech talent companies Pluralsight and Andela — will be granted to both beginner and intermediate developers who reside in Africa. At the end of Google’s training, it will then award 1,000 full scholarships to the top students, certifying them in either Android or Cloud development. According to an announcement from Google, the ongoing accelerator program will be opening up applications in 17 African countries — including Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe — for its sixth class in an effort to both recognize Africa’s exceptional digital talent and provide critical support to startups. “Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first...
Silicon Valley’s tech giants are looking to prioritize diversity in their companies, and so they’re setting their sights on Atlanta’s hub of Black talent populating the industry. In light of last summer’s nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, big-name American corporations scrambled to pledge their support toward more diversity, equity, and inclusion — common-use terms that have become core values more popular than ever before. Among these corporations, the tech world also realized they had a major diversity problem to fix. As a result, companies like Microsoft, Airbnb, Apple and Google all announced expansion plans or major investments in Atlanta, AJC reports. Why some may ask? Simply put, Atlanta has historically been known for being a majority Black city and now it’s emerging as tech’s leading driver of economic growth as Black techies migrate to the city. “People are walking around Silicon Valley and other cities trying to solve diversity, but those aren’t diverse cities to...
Women’s History Month is all about uplifting generations of hard-working women who are becoming pioneers in their own right every single day. This year, AfroTech is amplifying the famous firsts of Black women today who have defied the odds to open doors and break glass ceilings for us all. Here are all the Black women who have and continue to inspire the next generation of young Black women to be the leaders of tomorrow: Kamala Harris Photo Credit: Chris Carlson/ AP Kamala D. Harris made history as the first Black, first Asian-American, and first woman to ever be elected Vice President of the United States of America. She accomplished this historic feat after serving as the District Attorney of San Francisco, California Attorney General, and a U.S. Senator. Stacey Abrams Photo Credit: Mike Coppola/Getty Images Stacey Abrams — a political strategist and former minority leader of the Georgia state House — is the reason the state of Georgia turned blue for the first time in 30 years to...
Staying true to its mission Collab Capital — an Atlanta-based alternative capital solution — is taking an all hands on deck approach to make sure Black founders don’t fall by the wayside during the COVID-19 outbreak. Led by tech entrepreneur and the first Head of Google for Startups, Jewel Burks Solomon; TechStars Directing Manager, Barry Givens; and successful entrepreneur, Justin Dawkins; Collab is centered around investing in tech startups and providing a pathway for wealth in Black communities. On April 5, Collab will host its Bet it All on Black online panel discussion featuring some of the industry’s top voices including Ryan Wilson of The Gathering Spot, Lecrae, Cortez Bryant, music manager to Lil Wayne, Kim Blackwell, founder of PMM Agency, and more. The online event is free and will focus on how Black businesses can come together in a collaborative effort to make sure all of our businesses not only survive but thrive on the other side of the outbreak. Along with their...
Last week, entrepreneur Jewel Burks Solomon was able to add a new title to her long list of accomplishments. Solomon was named the head of the new Google for Startups . The appointment represents a seminal moment for both Solomon and Google. The African American, Nashville native will be the first person to serve in the newly created leadership position at Google. The Atlanta-based appointment represents a return to Google for the highly accomplished tech entrepreneur and advocate for increased representation in the industry. Solomon previously managed Google events, before serving as an entrepreneur in residence for diversity markets at the top tech company, where she matched underrepresented companies with Google tools and resources. Prior to the position, however, Solomon was no stranger to entrepreneurship. In 2013, she received significant seed funding for Partpic , which uses technology to provide imaging of equipment parts to facilitate maintenance and repair. As its...
When considering where to develop and launch a startup, many people think of Silicon Valley located in San Fransisco, California. Although many startups make it big in Silicon Valley, there are other up and coming cities that you should research and consider when trying to decide on planting a startup. Here are five cities that are Black startup-friendly that you shouldn’t overlook: Atlanta, Georgia Not only is over 50 percent of Atlanta’s population Black, but the city has a growing Black founder population and is also home to major corporations like Coca Cola and The Home Depot. Startups like The Gathering Spot — an exclusive membership-based club for diverse collaboration — are providing Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta with the tools they need to succeed and a safe space for collaboration. According to Inc ., Co-Founder, Jewel Burks Solomon ditched Silicon Valley to start Partpic — a smartphone technology that allows customers to visually search for replacement parts. She decided...