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Facebook Has A New Plan To Boost Internet Access In Developing, Urban Areas

Facebook has taken new steps in its quest to connect the entire world to the Internet — and to its social network. On Wednesday, the company unveiled two new terrestrial systems built to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of Internet connectivity around the world: Terragraph for dense urban areas and ARIES for developing countries. Facebook FB -0.01% announced its two new systems at its annual F8 conference in San Francisco, attended by about 2,500 developers.

The Racial Gap In Entrepreneurship Is Costing The U.S. Economy Billions

Minority businesses could boost the economy by as much as $300 billion. How? A new study from the Center for Global Policy Solutions titled, "The Color of Entrepreneurship: Why the Racial Gap Among Firms Costs the U.S. Billions," analyzed business owners by race from 2007-2012 and found that firms owned by people of color have contributed to the economic recovery. The research was based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners (SBO), which comes out every five years.

TaskRabbit teams with black lawmakers to boost tech diversity

TaskRabbit is the first company to sign on to a Congressional Black Caucus initiative to boost recruitment of African Americans in tech. The online marketplace, which offers on-demand help with chores, released its diversity and inclusion plan Thursday, saying the hiring and retention of underrepresented groups is a priority.

How Jim McKelvey’s Launchcode Is Helping Unconventional Tech Talent

LaShana Lewis knew she could find a better job than managing a help desk. Growing up, Lewis had been intrigued by technical problems, and a high school teacher, recognizing her aptitude, had encouraged her to pursue a computer science major in college. Lewis managed to complete three and a half years of a degree before running out of scholarship funding, but on the job market, her coding skills seemed worthless. "It was a lot of people asking me, ‘Did you complete your degree?’ Not, ‘Do you know how to code?’ " she says. Adding to her frustration, Lewis kept hearing companies claim that they couldn’t find tech talent in St. Louis. "You’re jumping up and down, waving your hand," she recalls. "[You’re yelling,] ‘I’m here! I’m here!’ " No one seemed to be listening.

Intel reaffirms its diversity commitment, even with 12,000 layoffs coming

Some foes of Intel’s diversity push were gleeful on Tuesday afternoon when the company announced that it had 12,000 layoffs coming. Critics posted on Twitter and Reddit threads with comments such as “don’t forget the cash for the diversity program.”

Startup Accelerator Targets Underrepresented Tech Entrepreneurs

A groundbreaking NYC-based technology accelerator is targeting under-tapped communities in a bid to increase diversity in the startup ecosystem. Startup52, the brainchild of Nigerian-born tech entrepreneur Chike Ukaegbu, is one of only a handful of diversity-driven incubators focused on identifying and developing high potential founders from underrepresented groups. The Harlem-based early-stage accelerator provides access to capital, resources, and a safe haven for entrepreneurs from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in the technology sector.