Black Tech Weekly brings extraordinary voice and leadership to the tech ecosystem
Lightship Foundation CEO Candice Matthews unveils new Black Tech Weekly media division at P&G Signal, featuring several partners.
The annual P&G Signal Innovation Summit, in its 12th year, once again sparked thrilling conversations about cutting-edge technology and innovation. The most electrifying announcement of the day, however, came from Candice Matthews, founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation, which owns Black Tech Week. Matthews announced the launch of Black Tech Weekly, a new media division dedicated to highlighting diverse voices in the tech industry.
Matthews, with excitement and pride, shared her vision for the future of tech entrepreneurship on stage at the summit. "Today, I want to redefine who you keep top of mind when you think who's an innovator, who's a creator, who's an entrepreneur?" Matthews asked the audience.
Her words underlined an issue often overlooked: the severe underrepresentation of Black-led companies in the tech world. Despite venture-backed companies driving the U.S. economy, Matthews pointed out that less than one percent of all venture capital goes to Black-led companies. This figure emphasizes the need for platforms like Black Tech Weekly to promote diversity and inclusion in tech entrepreneurship.
Matthews' entrepreneurial journey has been full of inspiring highs and educational lows. After her first tech company failed, she dedicated herself to helping other tech founders succeed. Matthews launched a series of initiatives providing educational programming to diverse founders, culminating in Black Tech Week, a conference where industry leaders share their experiences and insights, which was acquired by the Foundation earlier this year.
Matthews' announcement of Black Tech Weekly brought to light a desire for change in the way stories of black entrepreneurs are told. "Black Tech Weekly will be sharing multi-dimensional stories of black founders about tech from the black perspective, with full editorial control by black editors," she stated.
This bold new venture has attracted support from major players in the industry, including Inc. Magazine. Matthews recounted an experience when an article about her husband, a successful Black tech entrepreneur, was rejected because he did not fit the stereotypical narrative. However, through an unexpected twist, her husband ended up forging a bond with Scott Omelianuk, the current editor-in-chief of Inc. Magazine, leading to a partnership with Black Tech Week and Black Tech Weekly.
Even NBCUniversal and MSNBC have recognized the potential of Black Tech Weekly, offering to share its stories. Matthews further shared that the media brand would also collaborate with "Rolling Out, The Black Wall Street Times, Brand&Culture, and many others." With these partnerships, Black Tech Weekly's stories can reach over a hundred million people each month, significantly amplifying the platform's impact.
"It's truly inspiring to witness the powerful collaboration between Black media, NBC, Inc. Magazine, and Black Tech Week as they join forces to create an unparalleled partnership," says Nehemiah D. Frank, founder and editor-in-chief of The Black Wall Street Times. "This groundbreaking alliance for Black Tech Week celebrates the rich diversity within the media industry and amplifies the voices and contributions of the Black community in the tech sector."
Matthews concluded her speech with a call for a shift in the narrative surrounding black entrepreneurs: "Let's move away from the emphasis on black suffering and make the celebration of Black excellence the new norm." Her goal, through Black Tech Weekly, is to promote stories that uplift, inspire, and acknowledge the diversity within the Black tech community.
Looking ahead
At Black Tech Week's conference this July and beyond, audiences will have access to nearly 20 pieces of engaging, curated content wherever they choose to tune in across NBCUniversal's One Platform ecosystem from linear to digital and more on CNBC, MSNBC, NBC News and Peacock as well as Black Tech Week's Channel on the Apple News app.
"Black Tech Weekly is an incredible organization, whose marquee event has become a transformative place to discuss content, connection and culture," said Barrett McCree, vice president of advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal. "We are thrilled to partner with them, and to further extend the reach and impact of Black Tech Weekly's community across NBCUniversal's One Platform."
The unique agreement with its media partners allows Black Tech Week to retain full editorial control across all channels, ensuring the highest standards of consistency and integrity across content. Black Tech Weekly's media partners have also committed to cross-posting content across outlets and platforms, all published under the Black Tech Weekly brand. This is a horizontal media strategy that ensures Black Tech Weekly brand consistency across networks.
"We were honored to bring Inc. Founders House to Black Tech Week last year," said Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. Business Media. "And we are thrilled to return in 2023, but partnering on a storytelling destination with Black Tech Weekly will give Inc. the real opportunity to expand our mission and bring a broader community of founders together to offer the inspiration, information and solutions that will help them succeed better and faster."
Matthews adds, "Imagine a media landscape where Black creators and entrepreneurs are at the forefront, where their ideas are not only acknowledged but celebrated. This is the future we must strive for at Black Tech Weekly, and it starts today."