Black founders received just 2.6% of VC funding so far in 2020; 865k women dropped out of the workforce in September; The most influential and outstanding women in sports right now; Planet Afropunk.
A weekly newsletter for Black and Brown women highlighting entrepreneurship and venture capital in the tech ecosystem.
Hello Everyone,
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you are a woman and haven’t gotten a mammogram in a while, now is the time to get one!
Twitter changes how retweets work on the eve of elections. Instacart has a new $17.7 billion valuation. 865,000 women dropped out of the workforce in September. Waymo is opening up its robo-taxi program. DoorDash introduces a new corporate product, DoorDash for Work. Pakistan has banned TikTok over "immoral and indecent" videos. Mmhmm raises $31 Million pre-launch. Apple will announce a new iphone 12 on Tuesday, the same day as Amazon Prime Day 2020.
INSIGHTS
Black and Latinx founders have received just 2.6% of VC funding so far in 2020.
-Courtney Connley / CNBC
Quarterly VC funding for female founders drops to three-year low.
-Priyamvada Mathur / PitchBook
2020 Crunchbase Diversity Spotlight Report.
-Crunchbase
Founders are Made, Not Born. (Part I)
-Mercedes Bent / Lightspeed Venture Partners
Achieving gender equity in the fintech community.
-Deloitte
Are West Coast Startups the Least Diverse and Inclusive?
-Kauffman Fellows
The Short Tenure and Abrupt Ouster of Banking’s Sole Black C.E.O.
-Kate Kelly / New York Times
OPPORTUNITIES, FUNDING & COMPETITIONS
Ironspring Venture Fellowship is a ~10 hour per week, part-time role that will run until the end of 2020. Apply by October 14, 2020.
HITLAB’s Fall Women’s Health Tech Challenge. Due October 19, 2020.
101 Venture Fellowship - An 8-week program includes the experience of practical work in a VC company as well as learning and mentoring sessions with VCs and guest speakers on topics across the whole spectrum of the VC world. Deadline October 26, 2020.
IFundWomen Idea Grant. Six grants of $2,500 will be awarded to idea stage entrepreneurs. Apply by October 31, 2020.
Elevate by Stitch Fix, Grant and Mentorship Program. Six grants of $25K will be awarded to Black, Indigenous or person of color (BIPOC) entrepreneurs with an apparel or accessories business. Deadline October 31, 2020.
The European AI Fund has issued a call for projects that strengthen the ability of civil society organizations in Europe to shape and influence public and policy debates about digital transformation. Closes November 1, 2020.
UPCOMING (VIRTUAL) EVENTS
AfriLabs Annual Gathering 2020 Now virtual. October 12-14, 2020.
Black Girls in Boardrooms: Corporate in Color: Dressing the Part, October 13, 2020.
F For Future. An exclusive online event from STATION F to highlight initiatives in the tech and startups ecosystems that are helping create a more sustainable and green society. October 13, 2020.
ENTRE presents Investor Panel, October 14, 2020.
Women Tech Founders presents, “Politics, Power, and Pioneers: Female Leaders Transforming Civic Engagement”- October 14, 2020.
Unicorn Battle North America – part of the World’s Largest Startup Pitch Contest in 2020 where famous international VCs meet extraordinary startups from all over the world! October 15, 2020.
Moving Towards Equitable Recovery: The Case for Investing in Black and Brown Fund Managers. October 20, 2020.
The Plug Presents: The Evolution of Next. October 22, 2020. ON OUR RADAR
ON OUR RADAR
ViacomCBS pledges to develop 50 TV movies by first-time BIPOC, women directors.
Mellon Foundation announces $250m grant to 'reimagine and rebuild' US monuments and memorials.
YouTube Sets Originals Slate Focused on Black Voices, Racial Justice After Establishing $100M Creator Fund.
New portrait of Queen Victoria's African goddaughter unveiled.
PEOPLE / ANNOUNCEMENTS
Congratulations to our friends Andy Ayim and June Angelides for their recognition in the Queen's Birthday Honours for 2020.
Princeton building once named for Woodrow Wilson to be named after Black alum Mellody Hobson.
Tyler Perry Studios’ Tracy McGraw is Twitter's new head of consumer communications.
Salesforce Ventures Launches Second $100 Million Impact Fund.
Michele Meyer-Shipp is the new chief people & culture officer at Major League Baseball.
Malcolm Jenkins starts venture capital fund, Broad Street Ventures, with NFL Players.
The Ford Foundation announced $180 million in new grant funding for U.S. racial justice and civil rights groups.
Walter Delph is the new chief business officer at Magic Leap.
A heartfelt thank you for reading and see you next week!
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