Showing 173 results for:
AFROTECHU
Popular topics
All results
Spelman College is expanding its partnership with the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON), formerly known as the National Education Equity Lab. The collaboration provides high school students from Title I schools — those serving large numbers of low-income families — with access to college-level courses for credit, according to a university press release. Since launching in spring 2023, the partnership has grown significantly, from one course with 50 students to nearly 300 students enrolled across two Spelman-led classes in 2025. To date, the initiative has reached more than 767 high school scholars from 47 schools in 19 cities, including New York City; Nashville, TN; Jackson, MS; Charleston, SC; and Washington, DC. The first course, “The Education of Black Girls,” was developed and taught by Andrea Lewis, Ph.D., director of Spelman’s Student Success Program and associate professor of education. The class allows high school students to explore identity, race, gender, and...
A team of Morgan State University graduates has banded together to empower other HBCU students financially. Venture for T.H.E.M. is a D.C.-, Maryland-, and Virginia-based accelerator and social impact collective that was founded in 2024 to serve marginalized founders, students, and creatives. It is led by Kiante Bush (CEO) and Clarevonte “Clay” Williams (COO), who are joined by Jewel E. Bush (communications director) and Jeffrey S. Scruggs, M.S. (CTO), according to its website. It offers resources that include weekly workshops and networking, one-on-one mentorship from venture capitalists and C-suite executives, and funding pathways, including non-dilutive grants for HBCU startups. Already, more than 20 entrepreneurs at HBCUs have received funding. Under Venture for T.H.E.M., the AI-powered mobile app Fund.FWD has launched to connect HBCU students and alums to grants, scholarships, investor opportunities, and accelerators, according to a press release shared with AFROTECH™. Fund.FWD...
What started as a spark in San Francisco, CA, has grown into a global hub for Black technology and innovation. Each year, the AFROTECH™ community convenes tens of thousands of professionals and students along with more than 150 global companies to exchange ideas, elevate representation, and celebrate progress. The weeklong experience is specifically curated to include top-tier keynotes, panels, networking events, and culture-driven programming that fuels the next generation of builders and leaders. The Beginning: From Idea To Impact In 2016, Blavity Inc. co-founders Morgan DeBaun and Jeff Nelson saw a gap in the tech industry. Major players hosted large conferences filled with opportunities, but those opportunities did not seem to be fully present for Black and brown people. Determined to change that, they launched the AFROTECH™ Conference in the Bay Area with 650 attendees, proving there was an audience ready for this kind of space. Photo Credit: AFROTECH™ By 2019, the conference...
Spelman College is the latest HBCU to receive funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. CBS News reports Scott signed the Giving Pledge after divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019. She vowed to donate over half her wealth, and she has been doing so ever since, with some allocated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She made early rounds in 2020, with Spelman College receiving $20 million toward scholarships and its endowment. Fast-forward to 2025, and Scott has doubled down on her pledge and invested an additional $38 million in unrestricted funding. The commitment will support financial aid and the school’s technology infrastructure. “This investment is a powerful affirmation of our mission and our commitment to educational excellence and equity,” Spelman Interim President Rosalind “Roz” Brewer said in a statement, according to CBS News. “The flexibility of this gift allows us to move more swiftly to strengthen the entire student experience,...
Howard University intends to use its latest investment to train medical professionals. The Historically Black College and University (HBCU) has received $80 million in unrestricted funding from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, according to The Washington Post. She previously invested $40 million in 2020. Scott has been making her rounds across several HBCUs, including Morgan State University. Her $63 million investment in the HBCU was the largest in the school’s history (individual or organizational), as AFROTECH™ previously reported. As it relates to Howard University, Scott’s investment has led to “a boost of confidence,” according to Wayne A.I. Frederick, Howard’s interim president. “It also says that what you’re doing, based on our own evaluation, we think is important. And we think you’re doing it well enough that we can trust you with that type of gift,” Frederick said. The investment will train medical professionals at Howard, one of four HBCUs with a medical...
SNIPES USA, the leading footwear retailer connecting streetwear culture with community and creativity, has launched a series of campus activations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities ( HBCUs). Through its Pay It Forward initiative, launched in 2022, SNIPES has funded HBCU scholarships and campus programs at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Spelman College, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, Morgan State University, Central State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), Norfolk State University, and Hampton University, according to a news release shared with AFROTECH™. The initiative is rooted in SNIPES’ HBCU strategy, built on three core pillars: cultural celebration and connection, educational empowerment, and sustainable community integration. “Our work with HBCUs goes far beyond a campaign — it’s a commitment,” SNIPES USA Chief Marketing Officer Kelley Walton...
Howard University is introducing a new artificial intelligence certificate program as part of its broader effort to integrate AI education and research across campus. The announcement was made during the university’s AI Initiative Town Hall, held on Oct. 16, according to a press release, where administrators shared updates on new academic programs, research opportunities, and partnerships with major tech companies. The forthcoming AI certificate program, expected to launch in fall 2026, will be available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. It’s one of several projects under the university’s AI Initiative, launched in 2024 to prepare students and faculty for the expanding influence of AI in education, business, and society. Dr. Anthony Wutoh, Howard University’s provost and chief academic officer, co-chairs the AI Advisory Council and said the initiative aims to keep the institution at the forefront of AI innovation and implementation. “I want to make sure we’re...
Being at the right place at the right time led Yale University’s Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow to hit the jackpot. The founders are the masterminds behind Series, an AI social platform capturing the attention of Generation Z. While many may wonder how Johnson, a computer science and economics major, and Hargrow, a neuroscience major, balance entrepreneurship with academics, the duo clarified that dropping out of Yale University was never an option. Instead, they’ve learned to set boundaries as they navigate building their platform and establishing themselves in the venture capital landscape. During the AFROTECH™ U Summit at AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, Hargrow said, “You really can’t do the outstanding job of being a good founder and being profitable and raise a round, and do all these things that we want and are aspiring to do if you hedge. And that hedging is when you’re trying to get your homework in by 12, but you also want to raise a million dollars before you...
Electronic Arts (EA) Madden is supporting STEAM education initiatives. The digital football experience continues to position itself to be the best in class. For the last three decades, Madden NFL alone has drawn millions of players and has sold over 130 million copies, Director Strategic Programs & Community Relations at EA, Jocel Boney, said at the AFROTECH™ U Summit held during the AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston. “With that kind of influence, we know we have a responsibility to celebrate culture in authentic ways and to create meaningful impact in the communities where we live, work, and play,” she explained on the stage. Part of that impact includes a five-year, $5 million investment in STEAM education initiatives, including grants to four leading nonprofits and a scholarship program with UNCF through the John Madden Legacy Commitment to Education. The scholarship honors the legacy of Coach John Madden, who was a key player in maintaining the authenticity of the sport in...
Steven Christian is a neuroscientist who doubles as a technologist. Pivot From The Athletic World The Sacramento, CA, native admitted that pursuing a career as a doctor was the natural path to follow, as it is often a top career suggestion for those with an interest in math and science. He was also an athlete and played football at the University of Hawaii while pursuing a pre-med track, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and, at Oregon State University, a master’s degree in psychology and sports medicine, according to his LinkedIn profile. However, by his 21st birthday, two hip reconstructive surgeries cut his NFL aspirations short — but also led to a career in medicine. “As I got injured … I started to learn more about the human body. I sort of navigated life and I started to make these connections with things that specifically impact Black people in Black communities from a health perspective, whether they know it or not. I just drew more intrigued by it. And I had a...
The impact of the reversal of affirmative action is proving to be harmful for Black students. Black Student Enrollment Declines In June 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions, meaning race-based admissions could no longer be considered in college decisions. Two years later, data reveal the outcome of that decision. AP News reports that enrollment data from 20 colleges show a decline in the enrollment of Black students. Most of the colleges surveyed have a smaller population of Black students than in Fall 2023, with some campuses logging Black students as low as 2% of their first-year class. The study included Columbia University, Harvard University, Emory University, Yale University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Smith College, Amherst College, Haverford College, Carleton College, Swarthmore College, Wellesley College, Tulane University, Williams College, Cornell University, Colgate University, Bates College, University of...
Chandler Malone is on a mission to help people launch, operate, and scale their businesses successfully. Malone has been the founder of several venture-backed companies and is deeply intertwined with technology. His initial exposure in the field can be traced back to his time playing in the AAU circuit in middle school, when the father of a teammate sold a company to AT&T for $2 billion, which allowed the team to travel on private jets, he told AFROTECH™ . When he played for Washington University in St. Louis, his teammate’s father was Joe Lacob, the owner of the Golden State Warriors, who has also made his wealth through investments in medical technology, the internet, and energy companies, according to Stanford Graduate School of Business. While playing basketball, seeing friends from different socioeconomic backgrounds inspired him to build technologies focused on education and the future of work. In 2020, he launched Bootup, an alternative education marketplace with over 130...
A hub has opened in Houston’s historic Third Ward to combat health and housing disparities. Urban Public Health and Housing On Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2025, Texas Southern University unveiled a new Institute, Urban Public Health and Housing, which resides in the W.R. Banks Child Development Center, according to a news release . The 6,000-square-foot hub will address public health, affordable housing, and community wellness. It was also a focus area for the late Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who secured a $2 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the initiative, the Houston Chronicle reports. She wanted Third Ward to be the “example to impoverished communities around the nation.” “It’s a reinvestment in the future of urban public health, housing, and community empowerment,” said Michelle John, Texas Southern’s vice president for research and innovation, according to the outlet. The hub will offer conference and workforce training rooms,...
Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, announced a $500 million capital campaign to expand programs training Black physicians, dentists, and scientists, The Tennessean reports. Named for the college’s upcoming 150th anniversary in 2026, the campaign, “Campaign 150,” is the largest in the institution’s history and has already secured $400 million in early donations. Dr. James Hildreth, president and CEO, said the funds will support scholarships, academic and clinical training, debt reduction, and infrastructure improvements. “Those who invest in us are not just changing individual lives — they are uplifting those underserved communities that need our graduates most,” Hildreth told The Tennessean. Approximately $20 million will be allocated to scholarships for the School of Dentistry, the only dental program in the Southeast at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Dr. Juan A. McGruder, senior vice president for institutional advancement, described the campaign as a...
An investment has been made to support scholars at Virginia-based Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). $150K Boost According to 13News Now, Google Data Centers’ Community Development and Engagement team has invested $150,000 in the Virginia Humanities HBCU Scholars Fellowship, which supports HBCU-affiliated writers, community scholars, faculty members, and doctoral candidates. This is accomplished through funding, academic publishing, and peer support networks, access to the University of Virginia’s library systems and archives at the Library of Virginia, among other avenues, per information on the fellowship’s website. The fellowship backs individuals whose work spotlights the state’s history, considers marginalized stories, and explores South Atlantic themes. “It’s heartening to see that the private sector values and supports this work,” said Yosef Medina, director of the fellowship, per 13News Now. “This funding represents more than the support it will provide...
