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Richard King Mellon Invests in Black Founded Ed-Tech Startup PITTSBURGH PRNewswire -- RK University and a dual Mechanical Engineering Mellon Foundation makes a project-relatand Economics Major at 16-years-old. Later ed investment in a Black father-son-led transferred to Howard University, and as a junior company that aims to increase diversity in and at 18, won a university engineering design STEAM fields so disadvantaged populations competition. are included in the future of work. DamoChief Technical Officer and Damola’s son, la and Wole Idowu - engineers, creatives, Wole Idowu, knows the impact of access to educators, and entrepreneurs - founded Toyz mentorship and learning opportunities. Raised in Electronics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Washington DC’s Ward 8, became a Thiel 20 unSwartz Center for Entrepreneurship in Pittsder 20 finalist at age 15 as he was graduating high burgh, Penn. school. “My dad’s support gives me opportunities Using its Social-Impact Investment Prothat I can build on,” Wole explained. “It allows gram, the Richard King Mellon Foundation me to grow and pass it on to more people, making invests in for-profit companies looking to it widespread equitably so access can truly reach accomplish a public good that aligns with its beyond the limits we imagine are capable today.” Strategic Plan. These investments are known Enrolling at Carnegie Mellon University at as Program-Related Investments. The Conage 15, he was featured on CNBC’s 20 under 20 vertible note investment leads a $500,000 Transforming Tomorrow documentary. Wole holds Toyz Electronics with high school students during a workshop at the Swartz Center seed round for Toyz Electronics and proan Electrical and Computer Engineering degree, of Entrepreneurship. PRNewsFoto vides resources for: also minoring in Business Administration and EnImproving the Dah-Varsity Android and trepreneurship for Creative Industries. iOS Apps Since 2020, Toyz Electronics has been involved Refining and developing the TOYZSTEAM curin various activities and challenges. The company was riculum a semi-finalist for the BNY Mellon and Innovations Increasing the scalability, measuring and evalWorks social innovation challenge, Upprize. It was uating the effectiveness of both TOYZSTEAM and also an MIT Solve finalist for Antiracist TechnoloSuperhero Rap program for difficult learners gy and in the MIT Solve Incubator for Unbundling Raising educators’ and learners’ awareness of the Policing. With the assistance of a faculty advisor and Dah-Varsity app to increase its reach and impact Executive Director of the Entertainment Technology Hiring two full-time employees in 2022 Center at Carnegie Mellon University Drew Davidson, “As we celebrate Black History Month, the Toyz completed National Science Foundation I-Corps historical significance of the Mellon Family investing research. in the Idowu Family does not evade me,” expressed Toyz was also involved in the Startup Boost PittsScreenshot of Dah-Varsity App.PRNewsFoto CEO Damola Idowu. “I am inspired by Booker T. burg Spring 2021 Cohort and recognized as an X4-ImWashington, who received funding from Andrew Carn- Superhero versions of themselves and foster skills that pact Top-Ranked Impact Tech Solutions for Black egie and endowed Tuskegee and Hampton Universities allow them to overcome obstacles that hinder their Leadership in 2021. educational paths or to create new trails to sustainto train former slaves to capture the opportunity of Toyz Electronics has impacted more than 2,000 able creative, software, manufacturing, hardware, and the industrial revolution. This investment allows us students, using its Dah-Varsity App, Superhero Rap entrepreneurship careers. The key is to give disadto empower disadvantaged populations to upskill for concept, and TOYZSTEAM curriculum to empower vantaged students the power to engage in an equitable the future of work by using our Dah-Varsity App, our diverse and disadvantaged students to maximize their Superhero Rap concept, and culturally relevant TOYZ- metaverse economy and give them opportunities to superhero capabilities careers in the technical, crecontrol their lives. STEAM curriculum to make emerging economies, ative, maker-related industries and entrepreneurship. The history of Toyz Electronics stems from the such as the metaverse, more equitable for everybody.” For more information, visit https://www.rkmf. duo’s own STEAM superhero background. In 2022, Toyz Electronics strives to empower org/pages/toyz-electronics or https://toyzelectronics. At 15-years-old, Damola enrolled at Syracuse 5,000 diverse and disadvantaged students to become com/.
What would a fully funded Black Futures look like? BALTIMORE PRNewswire -- This Black History Month, CLLCTIVLY, a place-based social change organization that centers Black Genius, Narrative Power, Social Networks, and Resource Mobilization, is honoring Black leaders in their community who are making history every day with #28DaysofBlackFutures. #28DaysofBlackFutures is a crowdfunding and narrative power campaign that amplifies and mobilizes resources for Black-led organizations serving Greater Baltimore. Since its launch in 2019, CLLCTIVLY has mobilized over $500,000 for Black-led organizations. Throughout the month, they will highlight 28 dedicated Black leaders and organizations on the ground creating programs and initiatives that drive health, wealth, safety, and culture in Baltimore. Their goal is to raise $100,000 to support organizations that have historically
been underfunded. The collective proceeds will then be divided amongst the groups. The theme for the campaign is Black Joy, Black Liberation, and Black Futures. CLLCTIVLY asked each organization to envision where their organization would be in ten years if they were fully funded. “We believe narrative power and resource mobilization work hand in hand. Black-led organizations are competing against a narrative in corporate media that often pathologizes Black bodies. Subsequently, organizations are asked to focus on the problems in the community and then tasked with challenges addressing them with little to no resources. We wanted to give Black-led organizations a moment to breathe and dream. It’s important that we reclaim our narrative and speak to the everyday genius that keeps making a way out of no way.” said Jamye Wooten, founder of CLLCTIVLY and creative director for the #28Day-
sofBlackFutures campaign. Since its launch in 2019, CLLCTIVLY has worked to shift capital to Black-led organizations through a participatory no-strings-attached grantmaking process. Their monthly Black Futures Micro-Grant offers community organizations the opportunity to submit a two-to-threeminute video highlighting their mission and vision. Once applications are closed the community at large votes for the winners. Over 70,000 votes have been cast. “We believe those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. We are looking for individual donors and philanthropic partners to help us get funding in the hands of those on the ground,” said Wooten. Our mission is to end the fragmentation and duplication of programs, to learn from and about each other, and to be a resource for the Greater Baltimore community that seeks to find, fund, and partner with Black social change organizations. CLLCTIVLY IS A PLACEBASED SOCIAL CHANGE ORGANIZATION CENTERING BLACK GENIUS, NARRATIVE POWER, SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND RESOURCE MOBILIZATION. – cllctivly.org
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