In October 2020, Shopify and Operation HOPE launched its One Million New Black Business Initiative, with a goal to create one million businesses over the next decade. The initiative is meant to provide digital infrastructure and resources toward a group that has historically faced challenges accessing them.

While Black women are leading America's startup ecosystem as the fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs, the venture capital industry continues to be white male-dominated, failing to reflect that representation within its investor ranks, leading a small but growing number of Black Women in venture capital to level the playing field with a commitment to place diversity at the forefront of their investing decisions.

A new study found that women in tech face more arduous careers than their male peers, far outnumbered by their male peers, enduring toxic bro culture, gender-based discrimination, and racism towards women of color.

Rapper Jim Jones and co-hosts Nakia Booth and Gregory ‘Beef’ Jones will launch a podcast and video series aimed at Black entrepreneurs. The podcast will be distributed by Steve Stout’s UnitedMasters record label and royalties platform. Episodes will tap into timely lessons in business and bring Black entrepreneurs from history out of obscurity. 

A new data analysis by The Plug found that eight out of ten Black women with venture backing are funded for software, enterprise tech, health tech, and other technically-focused ventures, while two in 10 are backed for retail, beauty, clothing, or social network companies.

Brian Brackeen, CEO and founder of ethical facial recognition technology company Kairos, was fired for misappropriating company funds which included taking an Uber billed to a company card in 2018, according to the company. Three years later, Brackeen, who became a Lightship Capital investor, announced that he will rejoin Kairos. 

When Covid-19 triggered a drastic transition for the entire U.S. education ecosystem, school systems were far from ready to pivot to e-learning. Communication infrastructure has been an acute issue in urban and rural areas for decades, but the virus exposed just how exacerbated the digital divide has become in American schools.

More than20 million Americanshave filed for unemployment benefits since mid-March when social distancing ordinances and subsequent city shutdowns went into effect in an attempt to quell coronavirus outbreaks. Layoffs across service-based industries as restaurants, coffee shops, theatres, nail salons, barbershops, and other social gathering spaces shuttered, were expected tragedies as the country scrambled to reckon with an economic downturn spurred by an unanticipated public health crisis. Despite its high growth, unstoppable status, the technology industry has not been spared from recent events.

The era of ultra-profitable record labels is waning, according to Hip Hop artists, who are increasingly setting the terms of how they make money. Mainstream stars are starting to emerge in the crypto-rap world. But the longevity of this new normal is threatened by fundamental questions.

The Plug is proud to release our latest data set focused on Black women in tech, our latest data set includes a celebration of Black women-led tech businesses. Including entrepreneurs ranging from venture funds, AI focused businesses, to beauty, to Saas companies.

Bee Law’s platform QuirkChat was born out of her hobbies and desire to help communities. The new social media platform has built-in controls to stem online abuse.

In an attempt to demonstrate solidarity with Black Americans facing the grief and gruesome outcomes of COVID-19 health disparities, rising protests against racial injustice and the killing of several Black people, as well as the devastating 41 percent loss of Black businesses, the media released a flurry of articles and listicles directing consumers to Black consumer brand products.