Black History Month Resources to Build a Better Black Future

Black History Month is a time to honor legacy, celebrate progress, and invest in the future.

In tech, hiring, venture capital, engineering, and AI, representation and equity are not abstract ideals. They shape who gets funded, who gets hired, who gets heard, and who gets to build the systems that power our world.

If we want a stronger, more innovative future, we need to actively support the organizations and leaders doing the work today.

Here are powerful resources and communities helping build a better Black future in tech and beyond.

🚀 Black Girls Code

Training the next generation of engineers

Black Girls Code is preparing young Black girls to become creators in tech, not just consumers. Through hands-on programs in coding, robotics, AI, and game design, they are building a pipeline of engineers and innovators.

They are also amplifying the accomplishments of Black women in technology, helping shift the narrative about who belongs in STEM.

How to engage:

• Donate or sponsor a program
• Share their mission with your network
• Encourage young women in your community to explore their programs

🤖 The Algorithmic Justice League

Advocating for equitable and safe AI

Founded by Dr. Joy Buolamwini, the brilliant researcher who exposed racial bias in facial recognition systems, the Algorithmic Justice League is pushing for transparency and accountability in AI.

AI is reshaping hiring, finance, healthcare, and governance. Without oversight, it can amplify bias. With intention, it can expand opportunity.

The League works to ensure that AI systems are equitable, ethical, and safe.

If you are building or deploying AI in your organization, this work matters to you.

How to engage:

• Review your AI policies and hiring tools
• Follow their research and advocacy
• Support legislation and internal governance that promotes responsible AI

⚙️ National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

Supporting Black engineers entering the workforce

The National Society of Black Engineers is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the world. NSBE provides scholarships, mentorship, professional development, and a powerful community for Black engineers.

For employers, NSBE is a meaningful recruiting partner. For students, it’s a career-launching platform.

How to engage:

• Sponsor or attend NSBE conferences
• Partner with NSBE chapters for recruiting
• Mentor an engineering student

💸 Investing in an Equitable Future: Black-Led VC and Capital Initiatives

Capital matters. Who controls it, who distributes it, and who it reaches all shape the future of innovation. Black-led and Black-focused investment firms are unlocking opportunity, fueling startups, and expanding what’s possible for underrepresented founders — whether in tech, sustainability, or deep-tech ventures.

Here are key players and movements driving change in venture capital and investment (in alphabetical order):

Backstage Capital

Focus: Underrepresented founders globally
Founded by Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital invests in underrepresented founders — women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs — and aims to tackle funding gaps.
👉 https://backstagecapital.com/

Black Angel Group (BAG)

Focus: Angel investing across sectors
A global collective of angel investors supporting entrepreneurs through capital, expertise, and community, with a focus on inclusive early-stage funding.
👉 https://www.blackangelgroup.com/

Black Star Fund

Focus: Black founders, scaling capital
An emerging venture initiative that invests exclusively in companies led by Black founders, with the goal of increasing access to growth capital and strategic resources.
👉 https://blackstar.fund/

BLCK VC

Focus: Empowering Black investors, building venture leadership
A nonprofit ecosystem developer increasing Black participation in venture capital through education, networking, and community-based support for emerging investors.
👉 https://www.blckvc.org/

BLCK VC Directory & Ecosystem Partners

Focus: Venture ecosystem connections
A broader network and directory built out of BLCK VC’s research and community, useful for founders and investors looking to connect with Black-led funds.
👉 https://www.blckvc.org/partners

Brown Venture Group

Focus: Early-stage tech, diversity in leadership
A venture capital firm that backs underrepresented founders and invests in early-stage technology companies with high growth potential and cultural impact.
👉 https://brownventuregroup.com/

Collab Capital

Focus: Seed-stage ventures, Black entrepreneurs
A community-funded venture capital fund investing in early-stage startups led by visionary Black founders with strong community impact.
👉 https://collab.capital/

Concrete Rose Capital

Focus: Inclusive founders, community-centered ventures
A venture platform that deploys financial and social capital into startups led by underrepresented entrepreneurs building mission-driven companies.
👉 https://www.concreterosecapital.com/

Harlem Capital Partners

Focus: Early-stage, diverse leadership
A venture firm committed to backing minority and women founders, helping build companies that reflect the diversity of the future economy.
👉 https://harlem.capital/

Impact X Capital

Focus: Underrepresented founders (UK & global)
A UK-based venture fund investing in businesses led by underrepresented founders, across tech, healthcare, consumer, and climate sectors.
👉 https://www.impactxcapital.com/

Precursor Ventures (aligned with broader diversity goals)

Focus: Pre-seed, diverse early teams
While not exclusively Black-focused, Precursor Ventures emphasizes founding teams from diverse backgrounds and deep user empathy at the earliest stages of product market fit.
👉 https://precursorvc.com/

Vista Equity Partners

Focus: Software & tech, enterprise growth
A leading private equity firm founded by Robert F. Smith that invests in enterprise software and tech-enabled businesses, emphasizing operational excellence and long-term growth.
👉 https://www.vistaequitypartners.com/

Emerging and Global Voices

• Impact X Capital – A UK-based venture fund investing in underrepresented entrepreneurs across sectors like tech, healthcare, and media.
• Voltron Capital – A pan-African firm investing in pre-seed and seed tech startups across major African ecosystems.
  
  

Why This Matters

Black founders continue to face disproportionate barriers in raising funding — despite evidence that diverse teams often outperform their peers. Growing this ecosystem — and actively supporting Black-led investment vehicles — is a step toward a tech and innovation economy that works for everyone.

If you’re a founder, investor, or operator committed to equitable growth, take time this month to explore, follow, and engage with these capital partners and the networks they support.

🌍 Join the Community

Representation thrives in community spaces. Consider joining or encouraging your team to join:

• Black Women in AI (LinkedIn Group)
• Blacks in Technology (LinkedIn Group & global chapters)

These communities create mentorship, knowledge-sharing, and leadership opportunities across industries.

🎤 Conferences & Events Driving Impact

AfroTech Conference

The AfroTech Conference celebrates its 10th annual convention this year. It has become one of the most powerful gatherings for Black professionals in tech, startups, and venture.

Founders, engineers, operators, and investors converge to build, connect, and expand opportunity.

If you’ve never attended, it’s worth exploring.

Nextplay

Nextplay brings together diverse founders, executives, and investors in curated, high-impact environments. Events like these create real access to capital and opportunity.

Why This Matters in Hiring and Leadership

Hiring, investing, and building products are acts of power.

When we:

• Expand recruiting pipelines
• Support equitable AI adoption
• Diversify leadership and cap tables
• Fund Black founders and technologists

We shape a more resilient, innovative, and just tech ecosystem.

Black History Month is not just reflection. It is commitment.

Commitment to:

• Broader representation in engineering
• Safer and fairer AI systems
• Equitable access to capital
• Communities that uplift future leaders

A Simple Call to Action

This month, choose one action:

• Donate to organizations building the future like Black Girls Code or NSBE
• Review your AI hiring tools for bias
• Join a Black tech community
• Attend or share an event like AfroTech

Small actions compound.

The future of tech is being built right now. Let’s build it better.

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