Brandon J. Middleton-Pratt is lending his law expertise to the tech ecosystem. He currently serves as a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and is a board member at DivInc, a nonprofit that empowers underrepresented founders. His trajectory was not a linear one. He initially pursued a finance and marketing degree at the University of Denver while playing on its basketball team, he says. Upon obtaining his bachelor’s in 2003, he decided to move to Los Angeles, CA, to pursue a career in entertainment instead. Though that did not pan out for long, he made appearances in the films “Coach Carter”, “Rebound,” and “The Longest Yard.” The pivots of life would then lead Middleton-Pratt to play basketball overseas in Spain and Cyprus after receiving an offer from a sports agent. He then experienced a crossroads, which would determine if he would return to Los Angeles. A call from a mentor with an opportunity in the energy field finally brought him back to the states. “A mentor of mine...

The current job market has people on a roller coaster of expectations. With shifts across several industries, layoffs have been a large part of the uncertainty many people have experienced in the present landscape. The tech industry, particularly, has faced much criticism during this frustrating time as many of the tech giants announced major layoffs disproportionately affecting BIPOC individuals and women. The trend has become so pervasive that U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee has led the charge in calling out the impacts of the layoffs.

Growing up, you likely heard the phrase, “If it ain’t one thing, it’s another,” or “There’s always something going on.” The deeper you get into adulthood, the more phrases like those become a reality. And the current state of the job market is prime evidence. Since late 2022, companies have been announcing significant layoffs that have affected thousands of people. As 2023 began, those announcements seemed to pick up, especially regarding big tech. While the people affected by layoffs feel it the most, companies have noted the challenges and tough decisions it required to take these steps. Recently, Vice Media, Clubhouse, Paper Magazine, and Dropbox have become the latest major organizations announcing employment changes.

The old saying goes, “it takes money to make money.” That sentiment is usually engrained in the idea that much economic success does not occur without some investment. But how does investment happen? A straightforward answer to that question is sales. Many of a particular generation remember when someone in our family sold a home good or cosmetic product (shout out to all the Mary Kay reps). This was likely the first introduction to the sales industry. But beyond the aunties that were hustling their products, sales have always existed in and around people. From big corporate companies to nonprofits and the tech industry – securing contracts, partnerships, and investment is a result of the work of people who are a part of sales teams. While the job market is all over the place, the sales industry is positioned to remain intact. But it does not come without challenges. Due to the potential for professionals to have lucrative careers, the demand for the industry has been consistent...

Twitter and Elon Musk have been at the center of many conversations over the last several weeks. From declining membership on Twitter’s board to its controversial acquisition, Twitter and Musk have now introduced the world to the next saga of their rocky relationship. In a tweet, Musk wrote that he put the multi-billion-dollar deal on a temporary hold after a report revealed that the social media network contained less than five percent of fake or spam Twitter accounts.

According to a report, two percent of global cryptocurrency transactions are currently housed in Africa — an alarming statistic for a continent housing over one billion people who serve as the demographic for the smallest cryptocurrency market in the world. On a mission to change this, TechCrunch reports Nelly Chatue-Diop founded Ejara to serve as a cryptocurrency and investment platform within Francophone Africa. Little did she know, a financial crisis she experienced at a young age due to the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994, would lead her to launch the tech company, which would provide additional avenues to accumulate income. Now — just about a year after its launch — Ejara has raised a $2 million seed funding round led by CoinShares Ventures and Anthemis Group. Other participants included angel investors Pascal Gauthier of Ledger and Jason Yanowitz of Blockworks along with a syndicate social fund, Lateral Capital, Mercy Corps Ventures, LoftyInc Capital and NetX Fund.

After attending Florida A&M University for four years, Tunji Fadiora decided to drop out to launch Creative Culture Media in Jacksonville, FL. While working to provide support for small businesses, Fadiora was compelled to enhance his efforts to help entrepreneurs. Designed to cater to Black and brown founders, Elev8 Ventures was launched in 2018. The entrepreneurial community is committed to providing substantial resources to spur development for minority founders. Fadiora wanted to ensure individuals had access to competitive programs not contingent upon their economic status or geographical location. “We are evening the playing field. Resources are very accessible to certain groups of people in certain economic groups but Black and brown founders, people who look like us, are not used to having resources,” Fadiora told AfroTech. “So, we want to focus on the people who need these services more.”