Source: Verge – “What would a martian habitat look like? And how would we handle food shipments and radiation management?”
This Is an Awe-Inspiring and Comprehensive Look at How Humans Will Colonize Mars
Travel Noire: Cultivated Insights from a Global Community of Black Travelers
Traveling gives one a sense of cultures, gratitude, empathy, perspective, personal development and much more. Some say that you learn more about yourself when traveling; you become more observant, open to receive and make connections. But with traveling being so fun, enlightening and important, it begs the question of why most Americans, let alone African-Americans, do not travel outside of their own country. This was a question that Zim Ugochukwu had while traveling around the world and noticing that there weren’t many people of color enriching their lives with such a meaningful experience.
Travel Noire is a beautifully designed platform featuring cultivated insights from a global community of Black travelers. Founded by Glamour Magazine award-winning entrepreneur Zim Ugochukwu, Travel Noire is a necessity in every traveler’s toolkit. The site is filled with traveling guides — involving group getaways, traveling on a budget, food exploration, studying abroad, etc. Travel Noire breaks down information to visitors by allowing them to consume it by people, culture, experience, destinations, food and style. It’s like going to a friend and asking how was your trip to [insert country here]. That’s the beauty of pulling from curators all around the world — these people have been there, experienced the good, the bad and the plentiful.
They hand select the most amazing individuals from the African diaspora, who reside all over the globe, to share their love of culture and exploration with their viewers — in hopes that you will hop out of your neighborhood and across one (or a few) of the seven seas.
Their curators live in major cities, sprawling metropolises, countrysides, on boats and in mountains and everywhere in between. They span from the Americas to the dunes of the Middle East, from Europe to Oceania and from the tip of Africa to the paddy fields of Asia.
You also get an up-close and personal moment with their favorite curators on Travel Noire TV. Here you’ll hear insightful stories and go on a journey with them. Travel Noire TV offers all things travel and lifestyle, from learning how to book a cheap flight to maximizing your experience while away.
One point that resonated with me about the folks at Travel Noire is when they said, “When you learn about who you are in the context of other cultures, you open yourself up to be of service.” Let that marinate.
Check out Travel Noire and Travel Noire TV. Happy Traveling!
Quiessence is an Information Security Professional with over seven years of experience. She is also the Curriculum Development Lead for Black Girls CODE NY, creator of the Girltechie Campaign, and a workshop called “Securing Your Web.” Quiessence gravitated to technology at an early age and has been captivated ever since.
7 Black Women Science Fiction Writers Everyone Should Know
Sci-fi and fantasy are two genres dominated by white, male voices. It can be extremely exhausting to see the same themes written by people with the same or similar perspectives. Here are seven prominent African-American women working in these two genres who have made a name for themselves by telling unique stories.
N. K. Jemisin
Jemisin found acclaim after the release of her first novel The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. She has been short-listed for major awards in such a young career and was awarded the Locus Award for Best First Novel.
Nnedi Okorafor
Okorafor writes African-based science fiction stories and children’s books. Her novel Who Fears Death won the World Fantasy Award for best novel. Her works include Akata Witch, Zahrah the Windseeker, The Shadow Speaker and a children’s book Long Juju Man. She is a professor of creative writing and literature at the University of Buffalo.
9 New Game-Changing Technologies to Expect in 2015
Smartwatches
Perfect for business professionals operating on the go, this lightweight, flexible smartwatch takes the power of the iPhone and puts it right on the wrists of wearers. With rumors that Microsoft, Apple and Google have all been working on their own watches to work with their respective smartphones, we’re bound to see some of that hard work in the next year. Word is, Apple has hired a number of fashion executives in recent months, including former Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve, who joined the tech company this year to work on “special projects,” one of which is the rumored iWatch, according to Snap Fulfil.
Compact Projection
Travel presentations will be transformed in 2015, thanks to the world’s smallest projector. The tiny keychain projector eliminates the need for heavy equipment or the expense of having to pay for projection equipment to be delivered. This Sekonix DLP Keychain Projector works with smartphones, tablets and personal computers through a USB connection, as reported by Forbes. Not only can compact projection transform the business world, it can also truly innovate our educational system if it is provided in classrooms around the country.
Imagine the Possibilities of What This Innovation Hub in Kenya Could Develop in the Next Few Years
Source: Design Indaba – “If you want to know what’s happening in the digital and tech space in Kenya, pay a visit to the iHub in Nairobi. Established in 2010, it has become “ground zero” for digital innovation in East Africa, an open space for technologists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business people to network, collaborate and work on new ideas.”
From Dream Viewer App to Africa’s Financial Terminal, This Serial Entrepreneur Gives Tech Startups New Life
After years of launching and growing his own businesses, serial entrepreneur Jon Gosier is giving new life to innovative tech startups.
Gosier has successfully launched and scaled an abundance of businesses and now he’s ready to lend innovative tech startups his expert advice and some substantial financial backing.
The long-time investor and philanthropist is one of eight partners behind the Third Cohort Capital, a seed-stage investment group that focuses on “high-potential technology companies,” according to the company’s official website.
While the entire team is comprised of successful business-minded individuals, Gosier explained that his experience as a serial entrepreneur makes him incredibly valuable to both his clients and partners.
“I’ve started companies and scaled them several times,” he told AtlantaBlackStar. “Having experience as an entrepreneur is invaluable when it comes to investing. It makes me more valuable to my partners who mostly haven’t been entrepreneurs and it makes me more valuable as a mentor and advisor to the companies we invest in.”
Third Cohort Capital offers two financing vehicles to its clients with one option specifically for other fellow Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program alumni, graduates and participants.
While all clients are eligible for equity investments for any amount up to $25,000, only those who have graduated from or are currently working with the Goldman Sachs program are eligible to receive low-interest loans for up to $10,000.
While the company is still relatively new, it already boasts two successful clients who have created innovative mobile apps that are taking tech markets by storm.
Shadow, a mobile application based in San Francisco and Berlin, helps users remember and record their dreams.
By incorporating a social media aspect, the app’s users are also allowed to view the dreams of others around the globe who have decided to share their dreams.
In a more revolutionary aspect, experts believe the dream-viewing app could help make major scientific advancements in the psychology and other health-related fields.
Gosier has also helped to launch Market Atlas, which is described on the company’s website as a “modern financial terminal that uses real-time information and graph search to improve emerging market investment decisions.”
The internationally recognized data scientist serves as the chief technology officer of the self-proclaimed “Bloomberg for Frontier Markets,” which has the ability to help hedge funds, private equity firms and impact investors in Africa make informed business decisions.
These types of revolutionary ideas have led to publications recognizing Gosier as one of the “20 Angel Investors Worth Knowing” and “Innovators of the Year 2013” by Black Enterprise Magazine.
10 Black Sci-Fi Characters Who Weren’t Turned into ‘Cannon Fodder’
In horror and sci-fi films, there are very few minority characters. The few who are part of the cast tend to be used as a plot device or are killed off. The term “cannon fodder” literally means cannon food. Soldiers are the metaphorical food for enemy cannon fire, or, in this case, they are the reason other characters fight on in sci-fi films. Here are characters who go against the trend:
Selena from 28 Days Later
Selena was the smartest person in the film. She managed to escape the fastest zombies up to that point by not being stupid.
Zoe Washburne in Serenity and Firefly
Washburne is one of writer Joss Whedon’s underrated female characters. She is the most resourceful and reasonable character in Firefly, and her death would have only ruined the show.
14 Young Entrepreneurs Using Technology to Change the Continent of Africa
Lorna Rutto, Kenyan, 28 years old
Green tech entrepreneur, founder of EcoPost
EcoPost is a company that produces environmentally friendly fencing posts. The company collects plastic waste to create the fencing posts.
Patrick Ngowi, Tanzanian, 28 years old
Ngowi set up Helvetic Solar Contractors Limited, a company that installs and maintains solar power systems throughout the northern circuit of Tanzania.
Evans Wadongo, Kenyan, 26 years old
Chairman, Sustainable Development for All Kenya
Wadongo, an engineer, designed a solar-powered LED lantern called MwangaBora (Swahili for “Good Light”). It replaces dangerous kerosene lamps and firelight in rural Kenya. His company also helps people sell the lamps.
This Is a Really Scary Look into the Future of What Police Tracking Could Become if Nothing Is Done to Stop It
Source: ACLU Videos – “Law enforcement is taking advantage of outdated privacy laws to track Americans like never before. New technologies can record your every movement, revealing detailed information about how you choose to live your life. Without the right protections in place, the government can gain access to this information — and to your private life — with disturbing ease.”
Media Maverick Brings Headlines From the African Diaspora to Free Thinkers Around the Globe
In an industry that has long struggled to highlight the voices of Blacks across the globe, another startup has joined the battle to bring news of the African Diaspora to the media’s main stage.
After years of “push back” against article ideas that focused on the voices of the African Diaspora, Nsenga Burton took matters into her own hands.
The award-winning media entrepreneur launched The Burton Wire in 2012 and officially joined the battle against the dominance of white voices in the media industry.
Before Burton was the owner of her own media organization, she wrote for other publications who often rejected many of her pitched story ideas that focused on the interest of people of African descent.
“I also wanted to highlight news stories that reflected the many experiences of people of African descent worldwide,” Burton told Atlanta Black Star in an interview. “I got a lot of push back and resistance from editors about stories that I pitched about Black and brown global populations as well as stories about African-Americans that didn’t fall into sports or entertainment news categories.”
With mainstream media posing incredibly high barriers to entry for Blacks, the Internet has become the dominant point of entry for people of color to add diversity to news topics and shed light on the issues that they face in their own communities.
“I created a destination for people that wanted this type of news—people living here in the continental United States and abroad,” she said. “I knew what I wanted to see in the news…so I created it.”
Burton explained that The Burton Wire gives priority to a group of voices that “are not necessarily valued by advertisers, cultural critics or society.”
According to Burton, who also serves as editor-at-large for TheRoot.com, her website will fill the void of content online that not only focuses on “African-American users” but takes a particular interest in “Black and brown global populations as users,” while also elevating “philanthropy in the news cycle” and promoting “cultural events, activities and news stories that are often not covered deeply or consistently by larger outlets.”
“The Burton Wire helps people learn more about diverse cultures throughout the African Diaspora…and offers global perspectives on many national and international issues and events,” Burton added.
The introduction and growth of such online content is key to revolutionizing the media industry and forcing even mainstream TV and radio stations to take a closer look at the issues Black people face all across the globe.
Currently, African-Americans alone represent nearly 13 percent of the U.S. population but less than 10 percent have any ownership or involvement with American media – leaving news coverage and agendas up to white people who may have no knowledge of or are unsympathetic to issues of the Black community on a global scale.
“If you consider yourself a global citizen with a free mind and an indomitable spirit, then this site is for you,” a message on TheBurtonWire.com reads.
While the website is relatively new when compared to other media outlets, it managed to pull in 500,000 views in 2013.
It has also been recognized by The National Association of Black Journalists, thus earning Burton the Ray Taliaferro Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
The annual award is granted to “an entrepreneurial venture that informs, engages and empowers a local, national, or global audience of readers and listeners.”
In addition to launching The Burton Wire and serving as editor-at-large at TheRoot.com, Burton is also the Chair and Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Goucher College and Executive Director of the National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepreneurs. She has been a consistent go-to commentator for major media outlets such as CNN and is currently working on a book that will take a closer look at the relationship between race and reality television.