Catapult Innovation and Learning
Increasing the more than 600,000 African-Americans in information technology demands raising the visibility of those currently excelling in the fields. Through outreach events across the nation, selectees of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology are encouraging new entrepreneurs to create jobs which can address endemic unemployment and underemployment and inspiring new generations of technologists to take demanding coursework.
One centerpiece is the Catapult Innovation Competition, an effort to spawn 10,000 new businesses across the country by National Black Business Month in August. Fifty semi-finalists will receive business plan links to comprehensive networks of “angels,” private investors who back startup companies. Participants can use a series of online courses which draw on the experience of top performers in their industries.
As part of Catapult, we are recruiting more angels to focus on African-American information technology companies, which employ ten times more employees than the typical black firm and have the greatest growth prospects. Angels can mentor paticipants and have up-front access to the most promising firms. They receive the weekly newsletter Innovation & Equity and the annual report Silicon Ceiling 9.
Catapult Learning is providing demonstration projects across the nation to demonstrate the power of instructional technology solutions to close the achievement gap. 50 Most selectees demonstrated a number of these options during the Jan. 15 Innovation and Equity symposium in San Francisco.
To become a Catapult Angel, register online today.
