UrbanGeekz

LYS Beauty, the clean cosmetics brand founded by Tisha Thompson, has secured $15 million in Series A funding to support its next growth phase. The round was led by San Francisco-based private equity firm Encore Consumer Capital, which has previously invested in brands such as Supergoop! and Tarte Cosmetics. LYS Beauty’s new funding will support the growth of its team, product innovation, marketing initiatives, and inventory scaling. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/eyEgVapb

As we come to the final day of Women's History Month, we're highlighting seven changemakers making waves in STEM and Technology. This spotlight celebrates Black women who have achieved remarkable success in their respective domains and elevated the stature of Black women globally. These trailblazers have each shattered significant barriers, paving the way for future generations of women of color in their fields. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/eXTVBG2S #WomensHistoryMonth #WomeninSTEM #WomeninTech #WomenofColorSTEM #SheLeads #TechAdvocates #RepresentationMatters

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate all the phenomenal women of color making waves in the STEM 👩🏾🔬 and tech spaces! ⁠ You deserve your flowers 💐today and every day!⁠ Keep innovating. Keep leading. Keep rising. Timnit Gebru - Founder & Executive Director at The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) Bianca Maxwell Harris - Founder at Skinary App Elizabeth Ameke - Co-founder at Ed Emporia #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInSTEM #WomenInTech #WomenOfColorInSTEM #Innovation #AI #TechAdvocates #STEMLeaders #RepresentationMatters #CelebrateWomen #Trailblazers #ImpactMakers #TechForGood #SheLeads #UrbanGeekz Follow UrbanGeekz for more stories about diverse innovators.

This Women’s History Month, we celebrate all the phenomenal women of color making waves in the STEM 👩🏾🔬 and tech spaces! ⁠ Whether it’s pioneering innovation in AI research, driving technological advancements in skincare and beauty tech, championing STEM advocacy in their communities, or breaking barriers in labs, classrooms, and boardrooms — your contributions are powerful, impactful, and inspiring.⁠ ⁠💫 You deserve your flowers 💐today and every day!⁠ Keep innovating. Keep leading. Keep rising. ⁠ ⁠ Aisha Bowe - Founder & CEO of STEMBoard Dr. Joy Buolamwini - AI Changemaker Hadiyah-Nicole Green, PhD - Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation #WomenInSTEM #WomenInTech #WomenOfColorInSTEM #Innovation #AI #TechAdvocates #STEMLeaders #RepresentationMatters #WomensMonth #CelebrateWomen #Trailblazers #ImpactMakers #TechForGood #SheLeads #UrbanGeekz Follow urbangeekz.com for more stories about diverse innovators

Melissa Bradley-led Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund is halfway through its goal of raising $50 million to support young and underserved startups. According to a report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission last week, the fund has raised $28.5 million and is led by serial venture capitalist Melissa Bradley. The D.C.-based fund will focus on serving a broader range of “overlooked and underserved” entrepreneurs and companies beyond the seed stage up to Series B rounds. Read the rest of the @urbangeekz story here https://lnkd.in/eH824bQh

Marlon Nichols is one of the most prolific venture capitalists in the United States. Since launching his first venture fund in 2015, Nichols has invested directly and indirectly in over 200 startups. His impressive U.S. and African portfolio has included Airspace, Blavity, FINESSE, MongoDB, Pipe, and Shekel Mobility, among others 👏🏾. The Cornell grad's unique eye for global trends and shifts in consumer behavior has helped him capture many high-potential investments.   Nichols' talent hasn't gone unnoticed. He is the recipient of many awards and honors, including MVMT50’s SXSW 2018 Innovator of the Year and Business Insider’s Seed 100 Top Early-Stage Investors list. He also ranks 25th on the Kauffman Fellows Fund Returners Index. Still, most days, Nichols is busy scaling his VC firm, MaC Venture Capital. But who's the man behind the rave, and what is his venture capital story? Let's dive in. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/eFThx8ds #venturecapital #fundraising #investor cc Marlon C. Nichols

Campus, an online accredited two-year community college focused on delivering debt-free degrees, has secured $46 million in a new funding round. General Catalyst led the Series B round, which included participation from Sam Altman, Founders Fund, 8VC, Discord founder Jason Citron, Bloomberg Beta, Rethink Education, and others. Campus plans to use this latest funding to expand its academic offerings, grow its faculty network, and enhance student support services. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/ecny3D6U

Earlier this month, BronzeLens Film Festival of Atlanta hosted its annual Sunday Brunch with the Brothers. This year's theme was The Family Business Edition. This event brought together influential men of color from the television and film industry🎥. They shared insights, celebrated achievements, and discussed the intricacies of working in family-centric productions. The brunch kicked off in the morning, offering attendees a rich blend of networking opportunities and engaging discussions. The panel featured prominent cast members from the popular series "The Family Business. Up on stage were creators Trey Haley, David Banner, Brandon Jackson, Arrington Foster, Ben Stephens, and Carl Gillard, with the incomparable Roy Cornelious guiding the conversation. The men shared what it takes to be successful and how each has learned to overcome adversity. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/epb99V8R

Looking forward to joining an impressive lineup of powerhouse women speakers 👩working in STEM and Tech at next month's BCH2025 🔥in Atlanta. Organized by blackcomputeHER, BCH2025 is an annual empowering three-day conference that kicks off on April 4. The goal is to support our community of Black women and girls in technology through education and workforce development. Check out the agenda to find out who else is speaking, and register to attend while tickets last! 👇🏾👇🏾👇🏾 https://lnkd.in/efb-ryQ4 https://lnkd.in/ew4X_m3s cc blackcomputeHER Be sure to check out some of the other speakers: Tamara Pearson, PhD  Khalia Braswell, Ph.D. Titilayo Craig Zariah Nicole Raquel Hill Dr. Shaundra (Shani B.) Daily Cara J. Person, PhD, MPH, CPH Ida Pierce Errika Moore Allison Higgins Anu Bourgeois #BCH2025 #UpSkillInTech #ModernFigures #ItsAboutYou

Michael Seibel, an influential Black entrepreneur and investor in Silicon Valley, is transitioning to a "partner emeritus" role at Y Combinator. He made the announcement late Wednesday on his X account after more than 12 years at the famed startup accelerator. “This role allows me to continue to do office hours with the 1000+ companies I’ve worked with in the past decade while giving me the free time to explore new adventures,” he said on X. “It also means that the W25 batch was my last batch funding new YC companies.” Seibel first joined YC as a partner and Ied the accelerator at YC from 2016 to 2024. Notably, last year, Seibel stepped back into a less operational group partner ahead of this week's announcement. Read the rest of the UrbanGeekz story here https://lnkd.in/ezvB48VH