african american

African Americans and Orthodox Christianity

Fr. Moses Berry joins Fr. Barnabas to discuss his journey to Orthodoxy as the great grandson of a slave. What does Orthodox Christianity offer to the African American today? Learn more about Fr. Moses and a documentary film being produced called Hard Promise to Keep.




african american

Teaching Reading to African American Children: When Home and School Language Differ

Reading depends on spoken language. This is a simple statement with profound consequences for children whose spoken language differs from the language they are expected to read. For most children, the language skills they bring to school will support learning to read, which is mainly learning to understand their spoken language in a new form: print. However, some children’s language skills differ in important ways from the classroom language variety, and teachers rarely receive sound guidance on how to enhance their literacy instruction to meet these children’s needs.




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Wilipedia: 1906 Azusa Street Revival - The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement - it was led by William J. Seymour, an African American pre

Background: Welsh Revival - In 1904, the Welsh Revival took place, during which approximately 100,000 people in Wales joined the movement. Internationally, evangelical Christians took this event to be a sign that a fulfillment of the prophecy in the Bible's book of Joel, chapter 2:23-29 was about to take place. Joseph Smale, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Los Angeles, went to Wales personally in order to witness the revival. Upon his return to Los Angeles, he attempted to ignite a similar event in his own congregation. His attempts were short-lived, and he eventually left First Baptist Church to found First New Testament Church, where he continued his efforts. During this time, other small-scale revivals were taking place in Minnesota, North Carolina, and Texas. By 1905, reports of speaking in tongues, supernatural healings, and significant lifestyle changes accompanied these revivals. As news spread, evangelicals across the United States began to pray for similar revivals in their own congregations. -- Los Angeles: In 1905, William J. Seymour, the one-eyed 34 year old son of former slaves, was a student of well-known Pentecostal preacher Charles Parham and an interim pastor for a small holiness church in Houston, Texas. Neely Terry, an African American woman who attended a small holiness church pastored by Julia Hutchins in Los Angeles, made a trip to visit family in Houston late in 1905. While in Houston, she visited Seymour's church, where he preached the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and though he had not experienced this personally, Terry was impressed with his character and message. Once home in California, Terry suggested that Seymour be invited to speak at the local church. Seymour received and accepted the invitation in February 1906, and he received financial help and a blessing from Parham for his planned one-month visit. -- Seymour arrived in Los Angeles on February 22, 1906, and within two days was preaching at Julia Hutchins' church at the corner of Ninth Street and Santa Fe Avenue. During his first sermon, he preached that speaking in tongues was the first biblical evidence of the inevitable baptism in the Holy Spirit. On the following Sunday, March 4, he returned to the church and found that Hutchins had padlocked the door. Elders of the church rejected Seymour's teaching, primarily because he had not yet experienced the blessing about which he was preaching. Condemnation of his message also came from the Holiness Church Association of Southern California with which the church had affiliation. However, not all members of Hutchins' church rejected Seymour's preaching. He was invited to stay in the home of congregation member Edward S. Lee, and he began to hold Bible studies and prayer meetings there. -- Seymour and his small group of new followers soon relocated to the home of Richard and Ruth Asberry at 214 North Bonnie Brae Street. White families from local holiness churches began to attend as well. The group would get together regularly and pray to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. On April 9, 1906, after five weeks of Seymour's preaching and prayer, and three days into an intended 10-day fast, Edward S. Lee spoke in tongues for the first time. At the next meeting, Seymour shared Lee's testimony and preached a sermon on Acts 2:4 and soon six others began to speak in tongues as well, including Jennie Moore, who would later become Seymour's wife. A few days later, on April 12, Seymour spoke in tongues for the first time after praying all night long. -- News of the events at North Bonnie Brae St. quickly circulated among the African American, Latino and White residents of the city, and for several nights, various speakers would preach to the crowds of curious and interested onlookers from the front porch of the Asberry home. Members of the audience included people from a broad spectrum of income levels and religious backgrounds. Hutchins eventually spoke in tongues as her whole congregation began to attend the meetings. Soon the crowds became very large and were full of people speaking in tongues, shouting, singing and moaning. Finally, the front porch collapsed, forcing the group to begin looking for a new meeting place. A resident of the neighborhood described the happenings at 214 North Bonnie Brae with the following words: They shouted three days and three nights. It was Easter season. The people came from everywhere. By the next morning there was no way of getting near the house. As people came in they would fall under God's power; and the whole city was stirred. They shouted until the foundation of the house gave way, but no one was hurt. -- Azusa Street: Conditions - The group from Bonnie Brae Street eventually discovered an available building at 312 Azusa Street in downtown Los Angeles, which had originally been constructed as an African Methodist Episcopal Church in what was then a black ghetto part of town. The rent was $8.00 per month. A newspaper referred to the downtown Los Angeles building as a "tumble down shack". Since the church had moved out, the building had served as a wholesale house, a warehouse, a lumberyard, stockyards, a tombstone shop, and had most recently been used as a stable with rooms for rent upstairs. It was a small, rectangular, flat-roofed building, approximately 60 feet (18 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide, totaling 4,800 square feet (450 m2), sided with weathered whitewashed clapboards. The only sign that it had once been a house of God was a single gothic-style window over the main entrance. -- Discarded lumber and plaster littered the large, barn-like room on the ground floor. Nonetheless, it was secured and cleaned in preparation for services. They held their first meeting on April 14, 1906. Church services were held on the first floor where the benches were placed in a rectangular pattern. Some of the benches were simply planks put on top of empty nail kegs. There was no elevated platform, as the ceiling was only eight feet high. Initially there was no pulpit. Frank Bartleman, an early participant in the revival, recalled that "Brother Seymour generally sat behind two empty shoe boxes, one on top of the other. He usually kept his head inside the top one during the meeting, in prayer. There was no pride there.... In that old building, with its low rafters and bare floors..." -- The second floor at the now-named Apostolic Faith Mission housed an office and rooms for several residents including Seymour and his new wife, Jennie. It also had a large prayer room to handle the overflow from the altar services below. The prayer room was furnished with chairs and benches made from California Redwood planks, laid end to end on backless chairs. -- The Apostolic Faith Mission on Azusa Street, now considered to be the birthplace of Pentecostalism. -- By mid-May 1906, anywhere from 300 to 1,500 people would attempt to fit into the building. Since horses had very recently been the residents of the building, flies constantly bothered the attendees. People from a diversity of backgrounds came together to worship: men, women, children, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, rich, poor, illiterate, and educated. People of all ages flocked to Los Angeles with both skepticism and a desire to participate. The intermingling of races and the group's encouragement of women in leadership was remarkable, as 1906 was the height of the "Jim Crow" era of racial segregation, and fourteen years prior to women receiving suffrage in the United States. -- Birth of Pentecostal movement: By the end of 1906, most leaders from Azusa Street had spun off to form other congregations, such as the 51st Street Apostolic Faith Mission, the Spanish AFM, and the Italian Pentecostal Mission. These missions were largely composed of immigrant or ethnic groups. The Southeast United States was a particularly prolific area of growth for the movement, since Seymour's approach gave a useful explanation for a charismatic spiritual climate that had already been taking root in those areas. Other new missions were based on preachers who had charisma and energy. Nearly all of these new churches were founded among immigrants and the poor. -- Many existing Wesleyan-holiness denominations adopted the Pentecostal message, such as the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Church of God in Christ, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The formation of new denominations also occurred, motivated by doctrinal differences between Wesleyan Pentecostals and their Finished Work counterparts, such as the Assemblies of God formed in 1914 and the Pentecostal Church of God formed in 1919. An early doctrinal controversy led to a split between Trinitarian and Oneness Pentecostals, the latter founded the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World in 1916. -- Today, there are more than 500 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers across the globe and is the fastest-growing form of Christianity today. The Azusa Street Revival is commonly regarded as the beginning of the modern-day Pentecostal Movement.



  • Christian Church History Study
  • 4. 1881 A.D. to Present (2012) - Corrupt modern bible translations and compromised Seminaries and Universities

african american

Autoethnography of the Cultural Competence Exhibited at an African American Weekly Newspaper Organization

Aim/Purpose: Little is known of the cultural competence or leadership styles of a minority owned newspaper. This autoethnography serves to benchmark one early 1990s example. Background: I focused on a series of flashbacks to observe an African American weekly newspaper editor-in-chief for whom I reported to 25 years ago. In my reflections I sought to answer these questions: How do minorities in entrepreneurial organizations view their own identity, their cultural competence? What degree of this perception is conveyed fairly and equitably in the community they serve? Methodology: Autoethnography using both flashbacks and article artifacts applied to the leadership of an early 1990s African American weekly newspaper. Contribution: Since a literature gap of minority newspaper cultural competence examples is apparent, this observation can serve as a benchmark to springboard off older studies like that of Barbarin (1978) and that by examining the leadership styles and editorial authenticity as noted by The Chicago School of Media Theory (2018), these results can be used for comparison to other such minority owned publications. Findings: By bringing people together, mixing them up, and conducting business any other way than routine helped the Afro-American Gazette, Grand Rapids, proudly display a confidence sense of cultural competence. The result was a potentiating leadership style, and this style positively changed the perception of culture, a social theory change example. Recommendations for Practitioners: For the minority leaders of such publications, this example demonstrates effective use of potentiating leadership to positively change the perception of the quality of such minority owned newspapers. Recommendations for Researchers: Such an autoethnography could be used by others to help document other examples of cultural competence in other minority owned newspapers. Impact on Society: The overall impact shows that leadership at such minority owned publications can influence the community into a positive social change example. Future Research: Research in the areas of culture competence, leadership, within minority owned newspapers as well as other minority alternative publications and websites can be observed with a focus on what works right as well as examples that might show little social change model influence. The suggestion is to conduct the research while employed if possible, instead of relying on flashbacks.




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The Bookshelf: The Little-Known History Of Violence At New England's African American Schools

The history of school desegregation in America has long been centered around the southern United States.




african american

Shabazz Arts to Release Graphic Light Novel on Bearcat Wright, First African American Pro-Wrestling Champion

Shabazz Arts will launch a Kickstarter campaign for their new graphic novel, Bearcat Wright & The Kayfable Chronicles. The book tells the story of Wright, the first African American pro-wrestling champion.




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Nonprofit Organization to Restore Desecrated African American Cemetery

National Foundation Seeks to Uncover and Preserve African American History and Its Untold Stories




african american

14th Annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Returns September 19 – 22 with FREE Street Concerts and Pays Tribute to 15th Anniversary of August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Featuring Robert Glasper, Shemekia Copeland, The Average White Band Farewell Tour, Maysa, Sean Jones, Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band, Emmet Cohen Trio, Endea Owens & The Cookout, Cimafunk, Luedji Luna, Dan Wilson & More




african american

Marquis Who's Who Honors John E. Allen, DDS, for Expertise in African American History

Following a career of over 30 years as a dentist, John E. Allen, DDS, has embraced research and writing




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Curator Karla Ferguson's Work Shines in Tim Okamura's Onna-Bugeisha: Warriors of Light on Display Now at Pittsburgh's August Wilson African American Cultural Center

Closing Reception with Ferguson and Okamura Set for February 15, 7:30 – 9:00 pm




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Marquis Who's Who Selects Kathy Curnow, PhD, for Success in African and African American Art History

Dr. Kathy Curnow is noted for her continued commitment to higher education at Cleveland State University




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Somewhere in the Nadir of African American History, 1890-1920

New essay by Glenda Gilmore just added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.




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African American Protest Poetry

New essay by Trudier Harris, "African American Protest Poetry," added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.




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How Slavery Affected African American Families

New essay, "How Slavery Affected African American Families," by Heather Andrea Williams, associate professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.




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Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition

New essay, "Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition," by Gerald Early, Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters at Washington University in St. Louis, added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.




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Delaware Public Archives Celebrates African American History Month

The Delaware Public Archives has unveiled a new exhibition in its lobby, “Celebrating African American History in The First State” that features every State of Delaware Historical Marker related to Black history and the significance behind them. “With this display, we honor some oft overlooked accomplishments of Black Delawareans in every area of endeavor of […]




african american

Delaware Public Archives Celebrates African American History

New display shines a spotlight on eighty-nine State of Delaware Historical Markers related to Black History The Delaware Public Archives has unveiled a new exhibition in its lobby, “Celebrating African American History in The First State” that features every State of Delaware Historical Marker related to Black history and the significance behind them. “With this […]




african american

DSAMH Announces Funding Availability to Address Rising Overdose Deaths Among Black, African American Communities

NEW CASTLE – The Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) announces the launch of the Health Equity Advancement Project, consisting of two funding opportunities that seek to develop strategies for addressing rising opioid overdose deaths among Black and African American communities in Delaware. DSAMH will award eight mini grants as well as […]



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african american

How African Americans Develop Emotional Resilience Against Discrimination

African Americans experience racial discrimination at different stages of their lives and they have to learn to cope with the psychological strain (!--ref1--).




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African American women during the Civil War [Electronic book] / Ella Forbes.

New York : Garland, 1998.




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African American Islam / Aminah Beverly McCloud.

New York : Routledge, 1995.




african american

Book Review: Double Exposure: photos of African American History & Culture

Photographs, by virtue of their static nature, not only allow us to look back to a fixed point in time, but also give us a […]

The post Book Review: Double Exposure: photos of African American History & Culture appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.




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PBS Newshour interview with Lonnie Bunch, African American Museum director

Gwen Ifill sat down with Lonnie Bunch, the director of the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture, which is due to open this […]

The post PBS Newshour interview with Lonnie Bunch, African American Museum director appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.



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Smithsonian staff rally to support African American History Museum after noose incident

Smithsonian staff gathered on Thursday, June 1 outside the National Museum of African American History and Culture to show their support and listen to Director […]

The post Smithsonian staff rally to support African American History Museum after noose incident appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.



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New Jersey Youth Symphony presents works by African American women composers at Princeton University January 26

The New Jersey Youth Symphony performs works by women composers: Yvonne Desportes, Ann Holler, Julia Perry and Florence Price on Sunday, January 26 at Princeton University.




african american

National African American History Month: Remembering Rosa Parks’ Work to Address Sexual Assault




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‘We have to test more people’: Wisconsin expands coronavirus testing for African American, Latino and tribal communities (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘We have to test more people’: Wisconsin expands coronavirus testing for African American, Latino and tribal communities. “All African Americans, Latinos and tribal community members in Wisconsin will have access to free COVID-19 testing under a plan announced Thursday by Gov. Tony Evers. Evers’ plan is an effort to combat the staggering … Continue reading ‘We have to test more people’: Wisconsin expands coronavirus testing for African American, Latino and tribal communities (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)




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Grand Canyon National Park Celebrates African American History Month with Special Evening Program

In honor of African American History Month, Grand Canyon National Park will host a special evening program to highlight the African American experience in Northern Arizona and contributions to Grand Canyon National Park. https://www.nps.gov/grca/learn/news/african-american-history-month.htm




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Heart disease risk profiles differ widely among African Americans, blacks from the Caribbean and African immigrants

Research Highlights: Black immigrants from Africa and from the Caribbean differ from U.S.-born blacks in rates of high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and overweight/obesity. The research supports a more detailed look at black populations and the...




african american

African American Women Leading in Tech

“Close your eyes and name three people who have impacted the tech industry.”

In all likelihood, that list might be overwhelmingly white and male.

And you are not alone. Numerous lists online yielded the same results. In recent years, many articles have chronicled the dearth of diversity in tech. Studies have shown the ways in which venture capital firms have systematically underestimated and undervalued innovation coming particularly from women of color. In 2016 only 88 tech startups were led by African American women, in 2018 this number had climbed to a little over 200. Between 2009 and 2017, African American women raised $289MM in venture/angel funding. For perspective, this only represents .0006% of the $424.7B in total tech venture funding raised in that same time frame. In 2018, only 34 African American women had ever raised more than a million in venture funding.

When it comes to innovation, it is not unusual for financial value to be the biggest predictor of what is considered innovative. In fact, a now largely controversial list posted by Forbes of America’s most innovative leaders in the fall of 2019 featured 99 men and one woman. Ironically, what was considered innovative was, in fact, very traditional in its presentation. The criteria used for the list was “media reputation for innovation,” social connections, a track record for value creation, and investor expectations for value creation.

The majority of African American women-led startups raise $42,000 from largely informal networks. Criteria weighted on the side of ‘track record for value creation’ and ‘investor expectations for value creation’ devalues the immense contributions of African American women leading the charge on thoughtful and necessary tech. Had Forbes used criteria for innovation that recognized emergent leadership, novel problem-solving, or original thinking outside the circles of already well-known and well-established entrepreneurs we might have learned something new. Instead, we're basically reminded that "it takes money to make money."

Meanwhile, African American women are the fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the United States. Their contributions to tech, amongst other fields, are cementing the importance of African American women in the innovation space. And they are doing this within and outside traditional tech frameworks. By becoming familiar with these entrepreneurs and their work, we can elevate their reputation and broaden our collective recognition of innovative leaders.

In honor of black history month, we have compiled a list of African American women founders leading the way in tech innovation from Alabama to the Bay Area. From rethinking energy to debt forgiveness platforms these women are crossing boundaries in every field.

Cultivating New Leaders

Photo of Kathryn Finney, courtesy of Forbes.com.

Kathryn Finney founder of Digitalundivided
Kathryn A. Finney is an American author, researcher, investor, entrepreneur, innovator and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of digitalundivided, a social enterprise that leads high potential Black and Latinx women founders through the startup pipeline from idea to exit.

Laura Weidman Co-founder Code2040
Laura Weidman Powers is the co-founder and executive director of Code2040, a nonprofit that creates access, awareness, and opportunities for minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.

Angelica Ross founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
Angelica Ross is an American businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate. After becoming a self-taught computer coder, she went on to become the founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry.

Christina Souffrant Ntim co-founder of Global Startup Ecosystem
Christina Souffrant Ntim is the co-founder of award-winning digital accelerator platform – Global Startup Ecosystem which graduates over 1000+ companies across 90+ countries a year.

Media and Entertainment

Bryanda Law founder of Quirktastic
Bryanda Law is the founder of Quirktastic, a modern media-tech company on a mission to grow the largest and most authentically engaged community of fandom-loving people of color.

Morgan Debaun founder of Blavity Inc.
Morgan DeBaun is an African American entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a portfolio of brands and websites created by and for black millennials

Cheryl Contee co-founder of Do Big Things
Cheryl Contee is the award-winning CEO and co-founder of Do Big Things, a digital agency that creates new narratives and tech for a new era focused on causes and campaigns.

Photo of Farah Allen, courtesy of The Source Magazine.

Farah Allen founder of The Labz
Farah Allen is the CEO and founder of The Labz, a collaborative workspace that provides automated tracking, rights management, protection—using Blockchain technology—of your music files during and after you create them.

Health/Wellness

Mara Lidey co-founder of Shine
Marah Lidey is the co-founder & co-CEO of Shine. Shine aims to reinvent health and wellness for millennials through messaging technology.

Alicia Thomas co-founder of Dibs
Alicia Thomas is the founder and CEO of Dibs, a B2B digital platform that gives studios quick and easy access to real-time pricing for fitness classes.

Photo of Erica Plybeah, courtesy of BetterTennessee.com

Erica Plybeah Hemphill founder of MedHaul
Erica Plybeah Hemphill is the founder of MedHaul. MedHaul offers cloud-based solutions that ease the burdens of managing patient transportation.

Star Cunningham founder of 4D Healthware
Star Cunningham is the founder and CEO of 4D Healthware. 4D Healthware is patient engagement software that makes personalized medicine possible through connected data.

Kimberly Wilson founder of HUED
Kimberly Wilson is the founder of HUED. HUED is a healthcare technology startup that helps patients find and book appointments with Black and Latinx healthcare providers.

Financial

Viola Llewellyn co-founder of Ovamba Solutions
Viola Llewellyn is the co-founder and the president of Ovamba Solutions, a US-based fintech company that provides micro, small, and medium enterprises in Africa and the Middle East with microfinance through a mobile platform.

NanaEfua Baidoo Afoh-Manin, Briana DeCuir and Joanne Moreau founders of Shared Harvest Fund
NanaEfua, Briana and Joanne are the founders of Shared Harvest Fund. Shared Harvest Fund provides real opportunities for talented people to volunteer away their student loans.

Photo of Sheena Allen, courtesy of People of Color in Tech.

Sheena Allen founder of CapWay
Sheena Allen is best known as the founder and CEO of fintech company and mobile bank CapWay.

Education

Helen Adeosun co-founder of CareAcademy
Helen Adeosun is the co-founder, president and CEO of CareAcademy, a start-up dedicated to professionalizing caregiving through online classes. CareAcademy brings professional development to caregivers at all levels.

Alexandra Bernadotte founder of Beyond 12
Alex Bernadotte is the founder and chief executive officer of Beyond 12, a nonprofit that integrates personalized coaching with intelligent technology to increase the number of traditionally underserved students who earn a college degree.

Shani Dowell founder of Possip
Shani Dowell is the founder of Possip, a platform that simplifies feedback between parents, schools and districts. Learn more at possipit.com.

Kaya Thomas of We Read Too
Kaya Thomas is an American computer scientist, app developer and writer. She is the creator of We Read Too, an iOS app that helps readers discover books for and by people of color.

Kimberly Gray founder of Uvii
Kimberly Gray is the founder of Uvii. Uvii helps students to communicate and collaborate on mobile with video, audio, and text

Nicole Neal co-founder of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets
Nicole Neal is the co-founder and CEO of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets. ProcureK12 makes purchasing for education simple. They combine a competitive school supply marketplace with quote request tools and bid management.

Beauty/Fashion/Consumer goods

Regina Gwyn founder of TresseNoire
Regina Gwynn is the co-founder & CEO of TresseNoire, the leading on-location beauty booking app designed for women of color in New York City and Philadelphia.

Camille Hearst co-founder of Kit.
Camille Hearst is the CEO and co-founder of Kit. Kit lets experts create shoppable collections of products so their followers can buy and the experts can make some revenue from what they share.

Photo of Esosa Ighodaro courtesy of Under30CEO.

Esosa Ighodaro co-founder of CoSign Inc.
Esosa Ighodaro is the co-founder of CoSign Inc., which was founded in 2013. CoSign is a mobile application that transfers social media content into commerce giving cash for endorsing and cosigning products and merchandise like clothing, home goods, technology and more.

Environment

Jessica Matthews founder of Uncharted Power
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, CEO and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder of Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator.

Etosha Cave co-founder of Opus 12
Etosha R. Cave is an American mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, California. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Opus 12, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide.

Kellee James founder of Mercaris, Inc.
Kellee James is the founder and CEO of Mercaris, Inc., a growing, minority-led start-up that makes efficient trading of organic and non-GMO commodities possible via market data service exchanges and trading platforms.

Workplace

Photo of Lisa Skeete Tatum courtesy of The Philadelphia Citezen.

Lisa Skeete Tatum founder of Landit
Lisa Skeete Tatum is the founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace, and to enable companies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential, diverse talent.

Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis founders of Dipper
Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis are founders of Dipper, a platform that acts as a safe digital space for individuals of color in the workplace.

Sherisse Hawkins founder of Pagedip
Sherisse Hawkins is the visionary and founder of Pagedip. Pagedip is a cloud-based software solution that allows you to bring depth to digital documents, enabling people to read (text), watch (video) and do (interact) all in the same place without ever having to leave the page.

Thkisha DeDe Sanogo founder of MyTAASK
Thkisha DeDe Sanogo is the founder of MyTAASK. MyTAASK is a personal planning platform dedicated to getting stuff done in real-time.

Home

Photo of Jean Brownhill, courtesy of Quartz at Work.

Jean Brownhill founder of Sweeten 
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, an award-winning service that helps homeowners and business owners find and manage the best vetted general contractors for major renovation projects.

Reham Fagiri co-founder of AptDeco
Reham Fagiri is the co-founder of AptDeco. AptDeco is an online marketplace for buying and selling quality preowned furniture with pick up and delivery built into the service.

Stephanie Cummings founder of Please Assist Me
Stephanie Cummings is the founder and CEO of Please Assist me. Please Assist Me is an apartment task service in Nashville, TN. The organization empowers working professionals by allowing them to outsource their weekly chores to their own personal team.

Law

Kristina Jones co-founder of Court Buddy
Kristina Jones is the co-founder of Court Buddy, a service that matches clients with lawyers.

Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone founders of Courtroom5
Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone are the founders of Courtroom5. Courtroom5 helps you represent yourself in court with tools, training, and community designed for pro se litigants.

Crowdfunding

Zuley Clarke founder of Business Gift Registry
Zuley Clarke is the founder of Business Gift Registry, a crowdfunding platform that lets friends and family support an entrepreneur through gift-giving just like they would support a couple for a wedding.



  • News & Culture

african american

African American Women Leading in Tech

“Close your eyes and name three people who have impacted the tech industry.”

In all likelihood, that list might be overwhelmingly white and male.

And you are not alone. Numerous lists online yielded the same results. In recent years, many articles have chronicled the dearth of diversity in tech. Studies have shown the ways in which venture capital firms have systematically underestimated and undervalued innovation coming particularly from women of color. In 2016 only 88 tech startups were led by African American women, in 2018 this number had climbed to a little over 200. Between 2009 and 2017, African American women raised $289MM in venture/angel funding. For perspective, this only represents .0006% of the $424.7B in total tech venture funding raised in that same time frame. In 2018, only 34 African American women had ever raised more than a million in venture funding.

When it comes to innovation, it is not unusual for financial value to be the biggest predictor of what is considered innovative. In fact, a now largely controversial list posted by Forbes of America’s most innovative leaders in the fall of 2019 featured 99 men and one woman. Ironically, what was considered innovative was, in fact, very traditional in its presentation. The criteria used for the list was “media reputation for innovation,” social connections, a track record for value creation, and investor expectations for value creation.

The majority of African American women-led startups raise $42,000 from largely informal networks. Criteria weighted on the side of ‘track record for value creation’ and ‘investor expectations for value creation’ devalues the immense contributions of African American women leading the charge on thoughtful and necessary tech. Had Forbes used criteria for innovation that recognized emergent leadership, novel problem-solving, or original thinking outside the circles of already well-known and well-established entrepreneurs we might have learned something new. Instead, we're basically reminded that "it takes money to make money."

Meanwhile, African American women are the fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the United States. Their contributions to tech, amongst other fields, are cementing the importance of African American women in the innovation space. And they are doing this within and outside traditional tech frameworks. By becoming familiar with these entrepreneurs and their work, we can elevate their reputation and broaden our collective recognition of innovative leaders.

In honor of black history month, we have compiled a list of African American women founders leading the way in tech innovation from Alabama to the Bay Area. From rethinking energy to debt forgiveness platforms these women are crossing boundaries in every field.

Cultivating New Leaders

Photo of Kathryn Finney, courtesy of Forbes.com.

Kathryn Finney founder of Digitalundivided
Kathryn A. Finney is an American author, researcher, investor, entrepreneur, innovator and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of digitalundivided, a social enterprise that leads high potential Black and Latinx women founders through the startup pipeline from idea to exit.

Laura Weidman Co-founder Code2040
Laura Weidman Powers is the co-founder and executive director of Code2040, a nonprofit that creates access, awareness, and opportunities for minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.

Angelica Ross founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
Angelica Ross is an American businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate. After becoming a self-taught computer coder, she went on to become the founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry.

Christina Souffrant Ntim co-founder of Global Startup Ecosystem
Christina Souffrant Ntim is the co-founder of award-winning digital accelerator platform – Global Startup Ecosystem which graduates over 1000+ companies across 90+ countries a year.

Media and Entertainment

Bryanda Law founder of Quirktastic
Bryanda Law is the founder of Quirktastic, a modern media-tech company on a mission to grow the largest and most authentically engaged community of fandom-loving people of color.

Morgan Debaun founder of Blavity Inc.
Morgan DeBaun is an African American entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a portfolio of brands and websites created by and for black millennials

Cheryl Contee co-founder of Do Big Things
Cheryl Contee is the award-winning CEO and co-founder of Do Big Things, a digital agency that creates new narratives and tech for a new era focused on causes and campaigns.

Photo of Farah Allen, courtesy of The Source Magazine.

Farah Allen founder of The Labz
Farah Allen is the CEO and founder of The Labz, a collaborative workspace that provides automated tracking, rights management, protection—using Blockchain technology—of your music files during and after you create them.

Health/Wellness

Mara Lidey co-founder of Shine
Marah Lidey is the co-founder & co-CEO of Shine. Shine aims to reinvent health and wellness for millennials through messaging technology.

Alicia Thomas co-founder of Dibs
Alicia Thomas is the founder and CEO of Dibs, a B2B digital platform that gives studios quick and easy access to real-time pricing for fitness classes.

Photo of Erica Plybeah, courtesy of BetterTennessee.com

Erica Plybeah Hemphill founder of MedHaul
Erica Plybeah Hemphill is the founder of MedHaul. MedHaul offers cloud-based solutions that ease the burdens of managing patient transportation.

Star Cunningham founder of 4D Healthware
Star Cunningham is the founder and CEO of 4D Healthware. 4D Healthware is patient engagement software that makes personalized medicine possible through connected data.

Kimberly Wilson founder of HUED
Kimberly Wilson is the founder of HUED. HUED is a healthcare technology startup that helps patients find and book appointments with Black and Latinx healthcare providers.

Financial

Viola Llewellyn co-founder of Ovamba Solutions
Viola Llewellyn is the co-founder and the president of Ovamba Solutions, a US-based fintech company that provides micro, small, and medium enterprises in Africa and the Middle East with microfinance through a mobile platform.

NanaEfua Baidoo Afoh-Manin, Briana DeCuir and Joanne Moreau founders of Shared Harvest Fund
NanaEfua, Briana and Joanne are the founders of Shared Harvest Fund. Shared Harvest Fund provides real opportunities for talented people to volunteer away their student loans.

Photo of Sheena Allen, courtesy of People of Color in Tech.

Sheena Allen founder of CapWay
Sheena Allen is best known as the founder and CEO of fintech company and mobile bank CapWay.

Education

Helen Adeosun co-founder of CareAcademy
Helen Adeosun is the co-founder, president and CEO of CareAcademy, a start-up dedicated to professionalizing caregiving through online classes. CareAcademy brings professional development to caregivers at all levels.

Alexandra Bernadotte founder of Beyond 12
Alex Bernadotte is the founder and chief executive officer of Beyond 12, a nonprofit that integrates personalized coaching with intelligent technology to increase the number of traditionally underserved students who earn a college degree.

Shani Dowell founder of Possip
Shani Dowell is the founder of Possip, a platform that simplifies feedback between parents, schools and districts. Learn more at possipit.com.

Kaya Thomas of We Read Too
Kaya Thomas is an American computer scientist, app developer and writer. She is the creator of We Read Too, an iOS app that helps readers discover books for and by people of color.

Kimberly Gray founder of Uvii
Kimberly Gray is the founder of Uvii. Uvii helps students to communicate and collaborate on mobile with video, audio, and text

Nicole Neal co-founder of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets
Nicole Neal is the co-founder and CEO of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets. ProcureK12 makes purchasing for education simple. They combine a competitive school supply marketplace with quote request tools and bid management.

Beauty/Fashion/Consumer goods

Regina Gwyn founder of TresseNoire
Regina Gwynn is the co-founder & CEO of TresseNoire, the leading on-location beauty booking app designed for women of color in New York City and Philadelphia.

Camille Hearst co-founder of Kit.
Camille Hearst is the CEO and co-founder of Kit. Kit lets experts create shoppable collections of products so their followers can buy and the experts can make some revenue from what they share.

Photo of Esosa Ighodaro courtesy of Under30CEO.

Esosa Ighodaro co-founder of CoSign Inc.
Esosa Ighodaro is the co-founder of CoSign Inc., which was founded in 2013. CoSign is a mobile application that transfers social media content into commerce giving cash for endorsing and cosigning products and merchandise like clothing, home goods, technology and more.

Environment

Jessica Matthews founder of Uncharted Power
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, CEO and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder of Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator.

Etosha Cave co-founder of Opus 12
Etosha R. Cave is an American mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, California. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Opus 12, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide.

Kellee James founder of Mercaris, Inc.
Kellee James is the founder and CEO of Mercaris, Inc., a growing, minority-led start-up that makes efficient trading of organic and non-GMO commodities possible via market data service exchanges and trading platforms.

Workplace

Photo of Lisa Skeete Tatum courtesy of The Philadelphia Citezen.

Lisa Skeete Tatum founder of Landit
Lisa Skeete Tatum is the founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace, and to enable companies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential, diverse talent.

Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis founders of Dipper
Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis are founders of Dipper, a platform that acts as a safe digital space for individuals of color in the workplace.

Sherisse Hawkins founder of Pagedip
Sherisse Hawkins is the visionary and founder of Pagedip. Pagedip is a cloud-based software solution that allows you to bring depth to digital documents, enabling people to read (text), watch (video) and do (interact) all in the same place without ever having to leave the page.

Thkisha DeDe Sanogo founder of MyTAASK
Thkisha DeDe Sanogo is the founder of MyTAASK. MyTAASK is a personal planning platform dedicated to getting stuff done in real-time.

Home

Photo of Jean Brownhill, courtesy of Quartz at Work.

Jean Brownhill founder of Sweeten 
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, an award-winning service that helps homeowners and business owners find and manage the best vetted general contractors for major renovation projects.

Reham Fagiri co-founder of AptDeco
Reham Fagiri is the co-founder of AptDeco. AptDeco is an online marketplace for buying and selling quality preowned furniture with pick up and delivery built into the service.

Stephanie Cummings founder of Please Assist Me
Stephanie Cummings is the founder and CEO of Please Assist me. Please Assist Me is an apartment task service in Nashville, TN. The organization empowers working professionals by allowing them to outsource their weekly chores to their own personal team.

Law

Kristina Jones co-founder of Court Buddy
Kristina Jones is the co-founder of Court Buddy, a service that matches clients with lawyers.

Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone founders of Courtroom5
Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone are the founders of Courtroom5. Courtroom5 helps you represent yourself in court with tools, training, and community designed for pro se litigants.

Crowdfunding

Zuley Clarke founder of Business Gift Registry
Zuley Clarke is the founder of Business Gift Registry, a crowdfunding platform that lets friends and family support an entrepreneur through gift-giving just like they would support a couple for a wedding.



  • News & Culture

african american

African American Women Leading in Tech

“Close your eyes and name three people who have impacted the tech industry.”

In all likelihood, that list might be overwhelmingly white and male.

And you are not alone. Numerous lists online yielded the same results. In recent years, many articles have chronicled the dearth of diversity in tech. Studies have shown the ways in which venture capital firms have systematically underestimated and undervalued innovation coming particularly from women of color. In 2016 only 88 tech startups were led by African American women, in 2018 this number had climbed to a little over 200. Between 2009 and 2017, African American women raised $289MM in venture/angel funding. For perspective, this only represents .0006% of the $424.7B in total tech venture funding raised in that same time frame. In 2018, only 34 African American women had ever raised more than a million in venture funding.

When it comes to innovation, it is not unusual for financial value to be the biggest predictor of what is considered innovative. In fact, a now largely controversial list posted by Forbes of America’s most innovative leaders in the fall of 2019 featured 99 men and one woman. Ironically, what was considered innovative was, in fact, very traditional in its presentation. The criteria used for the list was “media reputation for innovation,” social connections, a track record for value creation, and investor expectations for value creation.

The majority of African American women-led startups raise $42,000 from largely informal networks. Criteria weighted on the side of ‘track record for value creation’ and ‘investor expectations for value creation’ devalues the immense contributions of African American women leading the charge on thoughtful and necessary tech. Had Forbes used criteria for innovation that recognized emergent leadership, novel problem-solving, or original thinking outside the circles of already well-known and well-established entrepreneurs we might have learned something new. Instead, we're basically reminded that "it takes money to make money."

Meanwhile, African American women are the fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the United States. Their contributions to tech, amongst other fields, are cementing the importance of African American women in the innovation space. And they are doing this within and outside traditional tech frameworks. By becoming familiar with these entrepreneurs and their work, we can elevate their reputation and broaden our collective recognition of innovative leaders.

In honor of black history month, we have compiled a list of African American women founders leading the way in tech innovation from Alabama to the Bay Area. From rethinking energy to debt forgiveness platforms these women are crossing boundaries in every field.

Cultivating New Leaders

Photo of Kathryn Finney, courtesy of Forbes.com.

Kathryn Finney founder of Digitalundivided
Kathryn A. Finney is an American author, researcher, investor, entrepreneur, innovator and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of digitalundivided, a social enterprise that leads high potential Black and Latinx women founders through the startup pipeline from idea to exit.

Laura Weidman Co-founder Code2040
Laura Weidman Powers is the co-founder and executive director of Code2040, a nonprofit that creates access, awareness, and opportunities for minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.

Angelica Ross founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
Angelica Ross is an American businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate. After becoming a self-taught computer coder, she went on to become the founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry.

Christina Souffrant Ntim co-founder of Global Startup Ecosystem
Christina Souffrant Ntim is the co-founder of award-winning digital accelerator platform – Global Startup Ecosystem which graduates over 1000+ companies across 90+ countries a year.

Media and Entertainment

Bryanda Law founder of Quirktastic
Bryanda Law is the founder of Quirktastic, a modern media-tech company on a mission to grow the largest and most authentically engaged community of fandom-loving people of color.

Morgan Debaun founder of Blavity Inc.
Morgan DeBaun is an African American entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a portfolio of brands and websites created by and for black millennials

Cheryl Contee co-founder of Do Big Things
Cheryl Contee is the award-winning CEO and co-founder of Do Big Things, a digital agency that creates new narratives and tech for a new era focused on causes and campaigns.

Photo of Farah Allen, courtesy of The Source Magazine.

Farah Allen founder of The Labz
Farah Allen is the CEO and founder of The Labz, a collaborative workspace that provides automated tracking, rights management, protection—using Blockchain technology—of your music files during and after you create them.

Health/Wellness

Mara Lidey co-founder of Shine
Marah Lidey is the co-founder & co-CEO of Shine. Shine aims to reinvent health and wellness for millennials through messaging technology.

Alicia Thomas co-founder of Dibs
Alicia Thomas is the founder and CEO of Dibs, a B2B digital platform that gives studios quick and easy access to real-time pricing for fitness classes.

Photo of Erica Plybeah, courtesy of BetterTennessee.com

Erica Plybeah Hemphill founder of MedHaul
Erica Plybeah Hemphill is the founder of MedHaul. MedHaul offers cloud-based solutions that ease the burdens of managing patient transportation.

Star Cunningham founder of 4D Healthware
Star Cunningham is the founder and CEO of 4D Healthware. 4D Healthware is patient engagement software that makes personalized medicine possible through connected data.

Kimberly Wilson founder of HUED
Kimberly Wilson is the founder of HUED. HUED is a healthcare technology startup that helps patients find and book appointments with Black and Latinx healthcare providers.

Financial

Viola Llewellyn co-founder of Ovamba Solutions
Viola Llewellyn is the co-founder and the president of Ovamba Solutions, a US-based fintech company that provides micro, small, and medium enterprises in Africa and the Middle East with microfinance through a mobile platform.

NanaEfua Baidoo Afoh-Manin, Briana DeCuir and Joanne Moreau founders of Shared Harvest Fund
NanaEfua, Briana and Joanne are the founders of Shared Harvest Fund. Shared Harvest Fund provides real opportunities for talented people to volunteer away their student loans.

Photo of Sheena Allen, courtesy of People of Color in Tech.

Sheena Allen founder of CapWay
Sheena Allen is best known as the founder and CEO of fintech company and mobile bank CapWay.

Education

Helen Adeosun co-founder of CareAcademy
Helen Adeosun is the co-founder, president and CEO of CareAcademy, a start-up dedicated to professionalizing caregiving through online classes. CareAcademy brings professional development to caregivers at all levels.

Alexandra Bernadotte founder of Beyond 12
Alex Bernadotte is the founder and chief executive officer of Beyond 12, a nonprofit that integrates personalized coaching with intelligent technology to increase the number of traditionally underserved students who earn a college degree.

Shani Dowell founder of Possip
Shani Dowell is the founder of Possip, a platform that simplifies feedback between parents, schools and districts. Learn more at possipit.com.

Kaya Thomas of We Read Too
Kaya Thomas is an American computer scientist, app developer and writer. She is the creator of We Read Too, an iOS app that helps readers discover books for and by people of color.

Kimberly Gray founder of Uvii
Kimberly Gray is the founder of Uvii. Uvii helps students to communicate and collaborate on mobile with video, audio, and text

Nicole Neal co-founder of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets
Nicole Neal is the co-founder and CEO of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets. ProcureK12 makes purchasing for education simple. They combine a competitive school supply marketplace with quote request tools and bid management.

Beauty/Fashion/Consumer goods

Regina Gwyn founder of TresseNoire
Regina Gwynn is the co-founder & CEO of TresseNoire, the leading on-location beauty booking app designed for women of color in New York City and Philadelphia.

Camille Hearst co-founder of Kit.
Camille Hearst is the CEO and co-founder of Kit. Kit lets experts create shoppable collections of products so their followers can buy and the experts can make some revenue from what they share.

Photo of Esosa Ighodaro courtesy of Under30CEO.

Esosa Ighodaro co-founder of CoSign Inc.
Esosa Ighodaro is the co-founder of CoSign Inc., which was founded in 2013. CoSign is a mobile application that transfers social media content into commerce giving cash for endorsing and cosigning products and merchandise like clothing, home goods, technology and more.

Environment

Jessica Matthews founder of Uncharted Power
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, CEO and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder of Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator.

Etosha Cave co-founder of Opus 12
Etosha R. Cave is an American mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, California. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Opus 12, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide.

Kellee James founder of Mercaris, Inc.
Kellee James is the founder and CEO of Mercaris, Inc., a growing, minority-led start-up that makes efficient trading of organic and non-GMO commodities possible via market data service exchanges and trading platforms.

Workplace

Photo of Lisa Skeete Tatum courtesy of The Philadelphia Citezen.

Lisa Skeete Tatum founder of Landit
Lisa Skeete Tatum is the founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace, and to enable companies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential, diverse talent.

Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis founders of Dipper
Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis are founders of Dipper, a platform that acts as a safe digital space for individuals of color in the workplace.

Sherisse Hawkins founder of Pagedip
Sherisse Hawkins is the visionary and founder of Pagedip. Pagedip is a cloud-based software solution that allows you to bring depth to digital documents, enabling people to read (text), watch (video) and do (interact) all in the same place without ever having to leave the page.

Thkisha DeDe Sanogo founder of MyTAASK
Thkisha DeDe Sanogo is the founder of MyTAASK. MyTAASK is a personal planning platform dedicated to getting stuff done in real-time.

Home

Photo of Jean Brownhill, courtesy of Quartz at Work.

Jean Brownhill founder of Sweeten 
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, an award-winning service that helps homeowners and business owners find and manage the best vetted general contractors for major renovation projects.

Reham Fagiri co-founder of AptDeco
Reham Fagiri is the co-founder of AptDeco. AptDeco is an online marketplace for buying and selling quality preowned furniture with pick up and delivery built into the service.

Stephanie Cummings founder of Please Assist Me
Stephanie Cummings is the founder and CEO of Please Assist me. Please Assist Me is an apartment task service in Nashville, TN. The organization empowers working professionals by allowing them to outsource their weekly chores to their own personal team.

Law

Kristina Jones co-founder of Court Buddy
Kristina Jones is the co-founder of Court Buddy, a service that matches clients with lawyers.

Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone founders of Courtroom5
Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone are the founders of Courtroom5. Courtroom5 helps you represent yourself in court with tools, training, and community designed for pro se litigants.

Crowdfunding

Zuley Clarke founder of Business Gift Registry
Zuley Clarke is the founder of Business Gift Registry, a crowdfunding platform that lets friends and family support an entrepreneur through gift-giving just like they would support a couple for a wedding.



  • News & Culture

african american

African American Women Leading in Tech

“Close your eyes and name three people who have impacted the tech industry.”

In all likelihood, that list might be overwhelmingly white and male.

And you are not alone. Numerous lists online yielded the same results. In recent years, many articles have chronicled the dearth of diversity in tech. Studies have shown the ways in which venture capital firms have systematically underestimated and undervalued innovation coming particularly from women of color. In 2016 only 88 tech startups were led by African American women, in 2018 this number had climbed to a little over 200. Between 2009 and 2017, African American women raised $289MM in venture/angel funding. For perspective, this only represents .0006% of the $424.7B in total tech venture funding raised in that same time frame. In 2018, only 34 African American women had ever raised more than a million in venture funding.

When it comes to innovation, it is not unusual for financial value to be the biggest predictor of what is considered innovative. In fact, a now largely controversial list posted by Forbes of America’s most innovative leaders in the fall of 2019 featured 99 men and one woman. Ironically, what was considered innovative was, in fact, very traditional in its presentation. The criteria used for the list was “media reputation for innovation,” social connections, a track record for value creation, and investor expectations for value creation.

The majority of African American women-led startups raise $42,000 from largely informal networks. Criteria weighted on the side of ‘track record for value creation’ and ‘investor expectations for value creation’ devalues the immense contributions of African American women leading the charge on thoughtful and necessary tech. Had Forbes used criteria for innovation that recognized emergent leadership, novel problem-solving, or original thinking outside the circles of already well-known and well-established entrepreneurs we might have learned something new. Instead, we're basically reminded that "it takes money to make money."

Meanwhile, African American women are the fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs in the United States. Their contributions to tech, amongst other fields, are cementing the importance of African American women in the innovation space. And they are doing this within and outside traditional tech frameworks. By becoming familiar with these entrepreneurs and their work, we can elevate their reputation and broaden our collective recognition of innovative leaders.

In honor of black history month, we have compiled a list of African American women founders leading the way in tech innovation from Alabama to the Bay Area. From rethinking energy to debt forgiveness platforms these women are crossing boundaries in every field.

Cultivating New Leaders

Photo of Kathryn Finney, courtesy of Forbes.com.

Kathryn Finney founder of Digitalundivided
Kathryn A. Finney is an American author, researcher, investor, entrepreneur, innovator and businesswoman. She is the founder and CEO of digitalundivided, a social enterprise that leads high potential Black and Latinx women founders through the startup pipeline from idea to exit.

Laura Weidman Co-founder Code2040
Laura Weidman Powers is the co-founder and executive director of Code2040, a nonprofit that creates access, awareness, and opportunities for minority engineering talent to ensure their leadership in the innovation economy.

Angelica Ross founder of TransTech Social Enterprises
Angelica Ross is an American businesswoman, actress, and transgender rights advocate. After becoming a self-taught computer coder, she went on to become the founder and CEO of TransTech Social Enterprises, a firm that helps employ transgender people in the tech industry.

Christina Souffrant Ntim co-founder of Global Startup Ecosystem
Christina Souffrant Ntim is the co-founder of award-winning digital accelerator platform – Global Startup Ecosystem which graduates over 1000+ companies across 90+ countries a year.

Media and Entertainment

Bryanda Law founder of Quirktastic
Bryanda Law is the founder of Quirktastic, a modern media-tech company on a mission to grow the largest and most authentically engaged community of fandom-loving people of color.

Morgan Debaun founder of Blavity Inc.
Morgan DeBaun is an African American entrepreneur. She is the Founder and CEO of Blavity Inc., a portfolio of brands and websites created by and for black millennials

Cheryl Contee co-founder of Do Big Things
Cheryl Contee is the award-winning CEO and co-founder of Do Big Things, a digital agency that creates new narratives and tech for a new era focused on causes and campaigns.

Photo of Farah Allen, courtesy of The Source Magazine.

Farah Allen founder of The Labz
Farah Allen is the CEO and founder of The Labz, a collaborative workspace that provides automated tracking, rights management, protection—using Blockchain technology—of your music files during and after you create them.

Health/Wellness

Mara Lidey co-founder of Shine
Marah Lidey is the co-founder & co-CEO of Shine. Shine aims to reinvent health and wellness for millennials through messaging technology.

Alicia Thomas co-founder of Dibs
Alicia Thomas is the founder and CEO of Dibs, a B2B digital platform that gives studios quick and easy access to real-time pricing for fitness classes.

Photo of Erica Plybeah, courtesy of BetterTennessee.com

Erica Plybeah Hemphill founder of MedHaul
Erica Plybeah Hemphill is the founder of MedHaul. MedHaul offers cloud-based solutions that ease the burdens of managing patient transportation.

Star Cunningham founder of 4D Healthware
Star Cunningham is the founder and CEO of 4D Healthware. 4D Healthware is patient engagement software that makes personalized medicine possible through connected data.

Kimberly Wilson founder of HUED
Kimberly Wilson is the founder of HUED. HUED is a healthcare technology startup that helps patients find and book appointments with Black and Latinx healthcare providers.

Financial

Viola Llewellyn co-founder of Ovamba Solutions
Viola Llewellyn is the co-founder and the president of Ovamba Solutions, a US-based fintech company that provides micro, small, and medium enterprises in Africa and the Middle East with microfinance through a mobile platform.

NanaEfua Baidoo Afoh-Manin, Briana DeCuir and Joanne Moreau founders of Shared Harvest Fund
NanaEfua, Briana and Joanne are the founders of Shared Harvest Fund. Shared Harvest Fund provides real opportunities for talented people to volunteer away their student loans.

Photo of Sheena Allen, courtesy of People of Color in Tech.

Sheena Allen founder of CapWay
Sheena Allen is best known as the founder and CEO of fintech company and mobile bank CapWay.

Education

Helen Adeosun co-founder of CareAcademy
Helen Adeosun is the co-founder, president and CEO of CareAcademy, a start-up dedicated to professionalizing caregiving through online classes. CareAcademy brings professional development to caregivers at all levels.

Alexandra Bernadotte founder of Beyond 12
Alex Bernadotte is the founder and chief executive officer of Beyond 12, a nonprofit that integrates personalized coaching with intelligent technology to increase the number of traditionally underserved students who earn a college degree.

Shani Dowell founder of Possip
Shani Dowell is the founder of Possip, a platform that simplifies feedback between parents, schools and districts. Learn more at possipit.com.

Kaya Thomas of We Read Too
Kaya Thomas is an American computer scientist, app developer and writer. She is the creator of We Read Too, an iOS app that helps readers discover books for and by people of color.

Kimberly Gray founder of Uvii
Kimberly Gray is the founder of Uvii. Uvii helps students to communicate and collaborate on mobile with video, audio, and text

Nicole Neal co-founder of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets
Nicole Neal is the co-founder and CEO of ProcureK12 by Noodle Markets. ProcureK12 makes purchasing for education simple. They combine a competitive school supply marketplace with quote request tools and bid management.

Beauty/Fashion/Consumer goods

Regina Gwyn founder of TresseNoire
Regina Gwynn is the co-founder & CEO of TresseNoire, the leading on-location beauty booking app designed for women of color in New York City and Philadelphia.

Camille Hearst co-founder of Kit.
Camille Hearst is the CEO and co-founder of Kit. Kit lets experts create shoppable collections of products so their followers can buy and the experts can make some revenue from what they share.

Photo of Esosa Ighodaro courtesy of Under30CEO.

Esosa Ighodaro co-founder of CoSign Inc.
Esosa Ighodaro is the co-founder of CoSign Inc., which was founded in 2013. CoSign is a mobile application that transfers social media content into commerce giving cash for endorsing and cosigning products and merchandise like clothing, home goods, technology and more.

Environment

Jessica Matthews founder of Uncharted Power
Jessica O. Matthews is a Nigerian-American inventor, CEO and venture capitalist. She is the co-founder of Uncharted Power, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a power generator.

Etosha Cave co-founder of Opus 12
Etosha R. Cave is an American mechanical engineer based in Berkeley, California. She is the Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Opus 12, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide.

Kellee James founder of Mercaris, Inc.
Kellee James is the founder and CEO of Mercaris, Inc., a growing, minority-led start-up that makes efficient trading of organic and non-GMO commodities possible via market data service exchanges and trading platforms.

Workplace

Photo of Lisa Skeete Tatum courtesy of The Philadelphia Citezen.

Lisa Skeete Tatum founder of Landit
Lisa Skeete Tatum is the founder and CEO of Landit, a technology platform created to increase the success and engagement of women in the workplace, and to enable companies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential, diverse talent.

Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis founders of Dipper
Netta Jenkins and Jacinta Mathis are founders of Dipper, a platform that acts as a safe digital space for individuals of color in the workplace.

Sherisse Hawkins founder of Pagedip
Sherisse Hawkins is the visionary and founder of Pagedip. Pagedip is a cloud-based software solution that allows you to bring depth to digital documents, enabling people to read (text), watch (video) and do (interact) all in the same place without ever having to leave the page.

Thkisha DeDe Sanogo founder of MyTAASK
Thkisha DeDe Sanogo is the founder of MyTAASK. MyTAASK is a personal planning platform dedicated to getting stuff done in real-time.

Home

Photo of Jean Brownhill, courtesy of Quartz at Work.

Jean Brownhill founder of Sweeten 
Jean Brownhill is the founder and CEO of Sweeten, an award-winning service that helps homeowners and business owners find and manage the best vetted general contractors for major renovation projects.

Reham Fagiri co-founder of AptDeco
Reham Fagiri is the co-founder of AptDeco. AptDeco is an online marketplace for buying and selling quality preowned furniture with pick up and delivery built into the service.

Stephanie Cummings founder of Please Assist Me
Stephanie Cummings is the founder and CEO of Please Assist me. Please Assist Me is an apartment task service in Nashville, TN. The organization empowers working professionals by allowing them to outsource their weekly chores to their own personal team.

Law

Kristina Jones co-founder of Court Buddy
Kristina Jones is the co-founder of Court Buddy, a service that matches clients with lawyers.

Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone founders of Courtroom5
Sonja Ebron and Debra Slone are the founders of Courtroom5. Courtroom5 helps you represent yourself in court with tools, training, and community designed for pro se litigants.

Crowdfunding

Zuley Clarke founder of Business Gift Registry
Zuley Clarke is the founder of Business Gift Registry, a crowdfunding platform that lets friends and family support an entrepreneur through gift-giving just like they would support a couple for a wedding.



  • News & Culture

african american

Nina Sun Eidsheim – The Race of Sound: Listening, Timbre, and Vocality in African American Music

Duke University Press, ISBN-13: 978-0822368687, English, 288 pages, 2019, USA

Eidsheim starts this book by introducing ‘the acousmatic question’ (“who’s this, who’s speaking?”) to discuss the dichotomy between a sound and its source before and




african american

National Association of African American-Owned Media v. Charter Communications, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that an African American-owned operator of television networks sufficiently pleaded a claim that a cable television operator refused to enter into a carriage contract based on racial bias, in violation of 42 U.S.C. section 1981. Also, the section 1981 claim was not barred by the First Amendment. On interlocutory appeal, affirmed denial of a motion to dismiss.




african american

National Association of African American-Owned Media v. Charter Communications, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - Held that an African American-owned operator of television networks sufficiently pleaded a claim that a cable television operator refused to enter into a carriage contract based on racial bias, in violation of 42 U.S.C. section 1981. Also, the section 1981 claim was not barred by the First Amendment. On interlocutory appeal, affirmed denial of a motion to dismiss.




african american

National Association of African American-Owned Media v. Charter Communications, Inc.

(United States Ninth Circuit) - In an amended opinion, held that an African American-owned operator of television networks sufficiently pleaded that a cable television operator unlawfully refused to enter into a carriage contract based on racial bias, in violation of 42 U.S.C. section 1981. Affirmed denial of a motion to dismiss, on interlocutory appeal.




african american

Beyoncé Shares Message About African Americans And COVID-19



“Please protect yourself. We are one family.”




african american

Dr. Fauci & Will Smith Discuss African Americans & COVID-19



“It’s just one of the failings of our society.”




african american

African American Barbershops Contemplate Safety Of Reopening



A struggle to choose between safety and economics.




african american

‘She Roars’ podcast talks to Stephanie Mash Sykes about the issues facing African American mayors

Stephanie Mash Sykes, Class of 2004, speaks on the "She Roars" podcast about the future of American cities and the panoply of issues facing black urban leaders. 




african american

Indiana black caucus wants governor to address high coronavirus rate among African Americans

In Indiana, African-Americans make up a disproportionate amount of positive cases and deaths from the COVID-19 , a troubling trend that's mirrored nationally.

       




african american

Vitamin D Deficiency and Type 2 Diabetes in African Americans: The Common Denominators

Shani V. Davis
Aug 1, 2011; 24:148-153
Feature Article/Vitamin D in African Americans




african american

African Americans at the Turn of the 20th Century: A Graphic Visualization

Visitors to the 1900 Paris Exposition would have had the opportunity to view an extraordinary display of photographs, charts, publications and other items meant to demonstrate the progress and resilience of African Americans in the United States, only a few decades after the abolition of slavery. The materials were assembled by African American intellectuals Thomas J. […]




african american

Susie King Taylor: The Courage of an African American Nurse and Teacher

Below is an interview with Elizabeth Lindqwister, the summer 2019 Liljenquist Family Fellow, and Prints & Photographs Division staff members, Karen Chittenden and Micah Messenheimer, about creating a Story Map focusing on the Civil War experience of Susie King Taylor. Many courageous people are pulling double and triple duty in this time of quarantine for […]




african american

Bone Mineral Density and Vitamin D Status Among African American Children With Forearm Fractures

Forearm fractures are unique injuries which are associated with lower bone mineral density in adults and white children. The relationships among bone mineral density, 25-hydroxyvitamin D status, and risk for forearm fracture have not been investigated in African American children.

Our data support an association between both lower bone mineral density and vitamin D deficiency and increased odds of forearm fracture in African American children. Promotion of bone health is indicated in this population. (Read the full article)