February is Black History Month. It’s a month where we honor those who have made an impact on American culture for equal rights, those who have invented, those who have a helped others and those who have inspired everyone to be the best they can be, not only as a person of color but as a human. For the past two years for Black History Month, I started an online series called 28 Days Diversity where I would feature someone new everyday during the month of February for just being awesome in their own right. Even though it’s black history month, the goal for 28 Days of Diversity is to feature not just African-Americans but other minorities in the web/tech space. Also note that 28 Days of Diversity is not a popularity contest or an influencer list but a list of thought leaders in the social web sector, including entrepreneurs, bloggers, conference organizers, IT professionals and friends not ranked in any particular order who I have either met in person or followed online.

For 2012 it’s 29 Days of Diversity since it’s a leap year and I wanted to not just feature individuals but also ask a question to where each featured person could share their passion with others. For 29 Days of Diversity 2012 each post/person will answer the question “What motivates you to become successful?”

The past two years BlackWeb 2.0 has syndicated the daily post but for this year we decided to post weekly recaps. Here’s week two of #29daysofdiversity

February 6:
Christine Celise Johnson

Twitter: @iamdtech

Website/Blog: About Christine

Read More: About Terrance

February 10:
Melinda F. Emerson

Twitter: @SmallBizLady

Website/Blog: www.succeedasyourownboss.com

Read More About Melinda

February 11:
Anthony Frasier

Twitter: @AnthonyFrasier

Website/Blog: playd.it

Read More About Anthony

February 12:
Bren Herrera

Twitter: @BrenHerrera

Website/Blog: FlanboyantEats.com

Read More About Bren

Though the pleasant insanity of 2011 is a not-so-distant memory its an exciting time to both look back and move forward with NewME.  When I use to edit BlackWeb20.com it was a great outlet to share what was going on in my business and also pontificate on industry news.  However, as I got busier and my role changed I wasn’t able to write as much as I’d like.  So writing this update is long over due for me, I’ll try to spare you all the gory details in an effort to avoid writing a novel despite having so much to I want to share.  Where to begin…!?

Founders Got Funding
The Founders from last cycle have been killing it as entrepreneurs!  Several have launched products and iterated on those products with new releases and features.  You can read more about what they are doing individually and in their own words here [insert link to personal narratives].  After watching Black in America 4 I’m sure you may be wondering who succeeded in raising money in the group beyond CNN’s documentation of that cycle.  Collectively, 60% of the Founders in first NewME Accelerator cycle raised money.  Of the 60% that raised money the average investment amount was about $92,000 with a total investment amount of a little over half a million dollars.  It’s important to note that this was accomplished without NewME making any financial investments into the companies.  Isn’t it amazing what a few resources and access to a network can do?  Not too shabby for a first time program too if I must say so myself!

Apps On Apps On Apps
You may remember a mention of us having somewhere around 75 applications received from individuals wanting to be in the first cycle.  Since the airing of Black in America 4 we’ve had over 300 applications!  Not only that, word about the program is spreading and folks are itching to apply to cycle 4 (Summer/Fall 2012) and so we’ve opened up the application process again, you can apply at http://www.newmeaccelerator.com/apply.  We want to help more entrepreneurs so we’ve decided to have two cycles in 2012.  The next one starts February 20th and the other in August.  Stay tuned if you’re interested in applying.

The Support is Awesome
We thought it was going to be hard to out do ourselves in support from speakers, mentors, and sponsors but we were wrong.  In addition to having folks like Mitch Kapor, Ben Horowitz (not shown in Black in America), Navarrow Wright, and Vivek Wadhwa involved again some pretty impressive individuals were added to the roster.  People like Eric Ries (Lean Startup), Eva Ho (Exec at Factual), Cory Ondrejka (Now at Facebook but coFounder of Linden Lab/ Second Life), and other top notch folks.

I can’t count the number of people who’ve ask me how we are able to pull off this type of program at the level we are doing it.  Aside from having a team that hustles HARD the companies that support the program financially are more than just cutting a check. They believe in what we are doing and are putting in sweat equity and resources too.  For instance, Google is the presenting sponsor for 2012 but that isn’t enough.  When we decided that it would be best for the Founders to work out of the city in 2012 so that we didn’t have to incur transportation costs, they were not only fine with changing the location from the Googleplex to San Francisco they made it possible for us to work out of the HUB SoMA for the year.  The HUB SoMA is an amazing co-working space in the heart of one of SF’s bubbling start-up districts that caters only to organizations who are setting out to do good and change the world; the synergy couldn’t be better.  This is all great but to make my point and so that you really understand that it doesn’t stop there:  Tagged is throwing the Founders a welcome party (our program doesn’t have any social activities baked into it so this helps), HP is hosting the mid-way checkpoint (this is the start of Founders getting ready for demo day), Wilson Sonsini is allowing us to send Founders that need it to their long standing Entrepreneur’s College and Gunderson Dettmer has regular weekly legal office hours for the Founders.  NewME would not be such a strong program without things like this that directly add to the Founders being successful.

NewME Community
One thing I realized after Black in America aired was the demand for what we are doing.  We got hundreds of emails in a short period of time; all of which I read, most of which I or someone from the team replied back to; and I noticed a few key things:

• Folks wanted something like NewME locally;
• Regardless of educational background people really just wanted to know ‘How do I start?’ and ‘I have an idea, what now!?’; and
• There are already really smart and impressive people, both technically and entrepreneurs, in areas that aren’t traditionally looked in who just need connections.

I think what folks in-grained the tech industry are missing (myself included pre- ’Black in America’) is that being a tech Founder and executing on an idea isn’t an accessible concept for most of America.  Generally, people (Black, White, Latino, and anyone else) don’t know the first steps to take.  The number of messages we got were so overwhelming we decided to launch NewME Community, something I was originally planning on rolling out in year 2 or 3.  In a short period of time we have close to 650 members and have communities in over 78 cities!  The mission of NewME Community is really simple, it’s to make the tech industry accessible to regular folks around the world not just ivy league drop-outs so it’s exciting to see so many people on-board so early in this journey.  We plan to make tech entrepreneurship accessible in a variety of different ways but mainly by educating (talks, workshops, classes, etc.) people and finding talent that exists in those communities already but are hidden or hard to find.  We’re off to a great start and just announced that NewME Community members can attend several Google Tech Talks across the country, something that typically isn’t accessible to everyone.  We also rolled-out our Start-up Directory and Talent Database.  So now, in addition to joining your local NewME Community, you can submit your startup to the directory or add yourself to our Talent Database.  We’re already working with Andreessen Horowitz (kind of a big deal, their total fund management is $2.7B) to source entrepreneurial and technical talent that meet certain criteria and will be funneling the best and the brightest to them.

Realizing what makes NewME different
With all that’s been going on it can get hard to take a step back and realize what you’re doing, the effect that you’re having on others for the better, and making sure you stay grounded in the DNA of what got you to where you are.  Recently, the latter has been top of mind when I get a chance to reflect, typically before my kids wake up or right before I go to sleep at night.  I’ve realized that what makes NewME different is not just that we are focusing on the underrepresented in the tech space.  It’s the DNA of who NewME is and the Founders that we help.  It’s the connection that you may have had to myself (as a young single mother), or to Anthony (as an inner city kid), or to Tiffani (a highly technical girl who never tried to ‘fit in’).  There are more people in the world who can relate to that than there are that can relate to dropping out of an ivy-league school to start a tech business.  And honestly that’s a big part of what gets me excited about NewME.  I’m more aware now that as we grow this can’t get lost and it’s just as important as helping Founders; the current (and growing) Team NewME subscribe to this ideology as well.

What you’ve been waiting for
Like I mentioned when I opened up this article I had tons I wanted to share!  By now you’re probably wondering ‘So who the heck is in the next class?!’  I won’t delay in letting you know who the lucky few are that got selected for the Winter/Spring 2012 cycle.

The Modul.us
Founder: Rachel Brooks
Website: http://themodul.us/
Desription: TheModul.us allows small businesses to affordably configure products through their software.

Butlr
Founder: Andre Gabriel
Website: http://www.butlr.com
Description: Butlr gives you the easiest, funnest way to find any kind of deal on the Web.

Ubi Video
Founder: James Norman
Website: http://myubi.tv/
Description: We are a discovery entertainment platform that offers the only digital video experience you can call your own.

AgLocal
Founder: Naithan Jones
Website: http://aglocal.com/
Description: AgLocal connects independent farmers and producers with the demand of local business and consumers.

Helpr
Founder: Tendekai Muchenje
Website: http://www.helpr.me/
Description: Helpr is a one stop customer care portal that literally makes customer care as simple as @#*!.

Kairos
Founder: Amanda McClure
Website: Private Alpha/Beta
Description: Kairos overlays data on top of real life interactions in the enterprise market using facial recognition and augmented reality.

pictureMENU
Founder: Christopher Lyons
Website: Private Alpha/Beta
Description: pictureMenu allows restaurants to bring their menu’s into the 21st century by allowing them to create “smart menus” accessible via tablets and mobile phones.  pictureMenu’s tie into a restaurants POS system.

While we’ll be having a private welcome event for the Founders at Google (think the ‘Dragons Den’ you saw on Black in America) you can meet the new Founders at a party we’re having at Tagged.  If you’r in San Francisco you can RSVP here:  http://newme-tagged-rooftop.eventbrite.com/

What a crazy 8 months this has been!  If you’ve made it this far down I appreciate it.  You can follow NewME on Twitter @NewMEAccel, like us on Facebook, add us to your circle on Google+, or sign up for our newsletter on our website to stay up to date on what we’re working on.

Onward and Upward,

Angela

Tyler Perry is stepping into the live streaming world for his upcoming film Good Deeds. Perry will be answering fans questions live about the film and then will make his red carpet premiere available to his fans via an official livestream on the Good Deeds Facebook page and Yahoo.

Good Deeds will be  in theaters Feb. 24

(Photo: The  Hollywood Reporter)

Chrome for Android Ice Cream Sandwich

Many Android users have long wondered why Google Chrome doesn’t exist for mobile devices, but that is all about to change. Available immediately for Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Chrome for Android (Beta) brings the speed and simplicity you’re used to to the palm of your hand. Until now, users have had to stitch together a fabric of random apps, alternative browsers, and hacks to get a cohesive mobile browsing experience between desktop and mobile device. Chrome Beta is poised to solve all of these issues. Notable features include Incognito mode, easy tab switching with a stack interface, and bookmarks sync.

Amazon Deal with Viacom Looking Like Netflix Competitor

A recent deal with Viacom will add over 15,000 titles to the Amazon Prime Instant Video service. Netflix is still reeling from their price hike last year, with subscriptions just now picking up after a down third quarter. Netflix could face some stiff competition with the likes of Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, and an upcoming service from Redbox and Verizon. At the end of the day, this is a win for those of us looking to cut the cable. New titles from the Viacom deal include:

• Comedy Central: Chappelle’s Show, The Sarah Silverman Program
• MTV: Jersey Shore, The Hard Times of RJ Berger, The Hills
• Nickelodeon: iCarly, Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Yo Gabba Gabba
• Spike: Deadliest Warrior: The Show and the Aftermath
• TV Land: Hot in Cleveland
• VH1: Love & Hip Hop, Mob Wives

via GigaOm

Path Jacks User Contacts

Path made a grave mistake with user data this past week and has since apologized. The question is whether this will be enough. The problem the social mobile app made was in its Add Friends feature. Without asking users to opt-in or requesting permission, the app uploaded all user contacts to Path servers in an effort to figure out which of your friends were already there. Since the incident, Path has released an update (2.0.6) that requires users to opt-in to sharing their contacts. They also say they have removed all uploaded user contacts from their servers. Partly because there is no way to verify this, it seems Path may have an uphill credibility battle ahead. I think Path is a really nice and useful app and I will continue to use it, but most others are not so forgiving.

Google Wallet Security “Flaws”

There are actually two “issues” being reported with the new Google Wallet service. Basically, the service allows you to buy stuff using your phone to facilitate the transaction, so it’s natural that any security issues with it could be dangerous. The first issue uncovered is the ability to “crack” the PIN on the Google Wallet service on rooted Android devices. The second perceived flaw allows a thief to simply reset the Google Wallet data but still use the available funds on the pre-paid card attached to your account.

While these two flaws have made headlines, they appear a bit trumped up to me. In the first case, you would have to root your device and then have it stolen. The person acquiring your rooted phone would need to realize it was rooted and then run a brute force algorithm to crack your PIN. In essence, you made your data vulnerable by rooting your device. The second “flaw” only points out that losing your wallet could result in someone spending your money. The fact that your phone is now doubling as your wallet doesn’t change this simple fact. At least with your phone, you can lock it with a security lock.

via The Verge

The Root highlights 25 young innovators on its Young Futurist list for 2012.  

The Young Futurists are between the ages of 16 and 22 and are committed to making the world a better place through innovative ideas.  Each year, The Root conducts an open nomination process, seeking candidates who are not only achievers but also innovators in the worldsof green innovation, science and technology, arts and culture, social activism and business enterprise.

One of this year’s innovators, Myles Miller, is a journalist and digital-media strategist. At the tender age of 18, he launched the Huffington Post High School platform at the request of founder Arianna Huffington and  has worked on planning social media, communications and digital strategy for clients including American Express and Google.

President Obama and his 2012 Campaign are making sure they cover all social media avenues, even digital music. The president and his campaign released a Spotify playlist called the 2012 Campaign Playlist, but what’s on it?

The playlist consist of 28 songs from a variety of different artists. There are about five R&B tracks incorporated like Let’s Stay Together by Al Green and Raise Up by Ledisi.

It’s clear the playlist had to include all different types of genres to relate to different people’s taste. It’s reported that his campaign choose most of the  songs, but doesn’t indicate how they were selected.

More than 1,000 users have subscribed to the playlist already.

What songs would you add to the President Obama’s Spotify playlist?

As everyone know it’s Black History Month and Google which one of NewME Accelerator’s sponsors has provided us with a list of events they are planning for the month.

Google is proud to celebrate Black History Month by hosting technically focused events in five cities which includes Los Angels,CA, Atlanta,GA, Chicago,IL, Mountain View,CA and New York. NewMe Community members have a special opportunity to join the conversation and celebration by expressing interest in attending the tech talks can click on the following link to RSVP http://sws.me/yspPKV

Detailed information about the event you selected will be sent to you shortly after Google receives your submission.

Here are additional site specific details:

Los Angeles – February 16th
Program highlights include a panel discussion with several c-level executives in technology.

Atlanta – February 28th
Program highlights include a special networking mixer with NSBE alumni, NSBE students from surrounding colleges.

Chicago – February 28th
Program highlights include a special networking mixer with NSBE alumni, NSBE students from surrounding colleges.

Mountain View – February 28th
Program highlights include keynotes by Googlers David Drummond, Sr. VP and Sr. Director Stacy Brown-Philpot followed by a panel discussion with Google engineers.

New York – February 28th
Program highlights include conversations with Google Engineering Director Marcus Mitchell and other Google engineers.

Cross posted on NewME Community Blog

Shadow and Act , a blog turned online film competition with focus on black cinema through the African Diaspora launched its third round of the Shadow and Act Digital Filmmaker showcase this week.

The Shadow and Act Digital Filmmaker Showcase is an online film competition designed to make filmmakers of color that are creating original, artistically inspired, and culturally relevant work  visible. Its goal is also to persuade viewers that digital streaming is a viable way of consuming high?quality cinematic content.

The showcase comes through a partnership with with CEI Media that began March 2011 with its first cycle. This year it will premiere Will Raee’s Faith and Dreams, a look at the brutal recruitment of child soldiers in Uganda.

Also featured will be the short documentary Corrective Rape, directed by Joel Edwards,  which explores a troubling trend in South Africa involving the rape of lesbians by men in an effort to change their sexual orientation.

Viewers can vote for their favorite short films and the winning filmmakers will receive cash prizes.

For more information go to IndieWire.com  

CNN Wednesday suspended commentator Roland Martin over the tweets that the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has denounced as anti-gay.

Roland MartinA CNN spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the network issued this statement:

“Roland Martin’s tweets were regrettable and offensive. Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being.”

Spokesmen for TVOne and the syndicated “Tom Joyner Morning Show,” where Martin also appears, did not respond to requests for comment.

At 10 p.m. Eastern time, Martin tweeted that he would reverse course and meet with GLAAD, which tweeted back, “We look forward to a productive dialogue and to working together as well.”

“Fam, late last night I received word of GLAAD’s invitation to meet with me, and as I have informed CNN…  I look forward to meeting with GLAAD in the near future and having a productive dialogue,” Martin said in words spread across two tweets.

Read the rest of this article at Journal-isms

(Photo: NYTimes)