To our American readers, Happy Independence Day! As fireworks light up the skies and grills fire up across the country tomorrow, it’s also the perfect time to celebrate the creators who are setting the internet ablaze in their own right.

Forbes has unveiled its annual list of the Top 50 Creators, spotlighting the world’s most influential digital personalities. 

From viral comedians and streamers to fashion tastemakers and lifestyle influencers, these standout figures are turning content into capital and cultivating communities that move culture forward. 

Put your seatbelts on; let’s dive in.

Top Stories 📰

Story 1: Meet the Black creators who made the Forbes Top Creators 2025 List.

Story 2: Black professionals at senior levels remain severely underrepresented in venture capital, according to the BLCK VC report.

Story 3: Redemption Bank makes history as West of Texas’ first Black-owned bank

Hot News 🔥

1. Pharrell Williams’s non-profit initiative has announced the startup founders selected as 2025 Black Ambition Prize Semifinalists.

2. African unicorn startup Wave has raised a $137 million debt round to bolster its working capital and drive expansion across existing and new markets.

3. Y Combinator-backed Ethiopia’s Better Auth has raised $5 million in seed funding to build a dev-friendly authentication tool.

4. Grammy-winning artist and producer Timbaland has launched a new AI‑driven entertainment company called Stage Zero.

5. AI-powered Avelis Health secures a $500k pre-seed investment from Y Combinator to lower patients’ medical bills.

   Opportunities - Accelerators/Funding, Events.💼 

Grants💰

• $150K Investment | Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation aims to find social entrepreneurs with dynamic ideas and nurture them at the early stages with maximum leverage and total commitment. 🗓️ Apply on a rolling basis:

• $50K | Apply now for the AT&T Small Business Contest for a chance to win $50,000 and the support of a growing community of over 20 athletes and entrepreneurs! 🗓️ Apply by 9/30

• $25K | The Power Forward Small Business Grant program by NAACP X Boston Celtics aims to create a lasting impact through the economic empowerment of Black-owned small businesses across New England.🗓️ Application on a rolling basis

• $20K | Santander’s Cultivate Small Business helps early-stage entrepreneurs build and sustain food industry businesses, focusing on historically underserved founders in low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods. 🗓️ Apply by 7/8:

• $25K | National recognition and cash prize for U.S.-based small businesses, with the top business standing a chance to win $25,000 and an opportunity to meet Daymond John 🗓️ Apply by 7/25

• Up to $15K | The Catalyst Fund by The Roddenberry Foundation makes grants between $2.5k - $15k to anyone with an early-stage idea or project that addresses pressing global challenges 🗓️ Apply on a rolling basis:

• Up to $10K | Each qualifying nonprofit has access to up to $10,000 per month in search ads shown on Google.com. Additional Google Ads may be purchased in a separate account. 🗓️ Apply on a rolling basis: 

  Accelerators 🚀

• Y Combinator is accepting applications for the Summer 2025 Batch funding cycle, which will take place from January to March in San Francisco.

• Techstars Accelerator provides funding, mentorship, hands-on training, and access to Techstars' global network of VC investors, corporate partners, and alumni founders.

• The Propellant Labs is a startup accelerator offering different programs to help entrepreneurs launch and scale their businesses.

• FoundersBoost, a global pre-accelerator program, is an equity-free opportunity to take your business to the next level. 

• Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator® invests in up to ten companies per year (two cohorts of five) focused on fintech, insuretech, digital health, and data analytics.

• Peachscore + Dealum hosts 12 cohorts annually, offering startup founders the flexibility to join immediately upon acceptance and get up to $150k, no matter when they apply.

Events and Discounts🎟️

Gemini Advanced is now free for college students until the end of the 2026 finals season. Sign up by June 30th to get the Google One AI Premium plan, which includes Gemini’s deep research tools, instant video generation with Veo 2, smart support in Gmail, Docs, Slides, and Sheets, plus 2TB of storage to power your studies, creativity, and career prep.

Founders, funders and corporations come to Black Tech Week with one goal— to identify and lock in their next win. With this in mind, our team creates strategic plays that guide investors, entrepreneurs, tech professionals, and creatives across 3 days of curated content, meaningful connections and incredible energy– empowering every attendee at BTW with unparalleled opportunities for success. Get tickets here

Date: July 14-16, 2025

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

AfroTech is having its signature “The Meetup” series, popping up in key cities to fuel connections and innovation among Black professionals in tech. On July 16, Cincinnati will host an evening of intentional networking and fresh ideas, followed by Detroit on July 26, where culture and creativity will take center stage. Then, on August 8, the series heads west to San Francisco, gathering the community for conversations around next-gen tech and creative collaboration. Each event promises vibrant energy, invaluable connections, and a chance to tap into AfroTech’s dynamic network. Don’t miss out on being part of the movement shaping the future of tech and culture!

Thank you for joining us in this edition of Geekz Insider. We hope that our shared stories and opportunities will ignite your career goals and entrepreneurial spirit, fueling your drive to innovate. From dynamic founders to transformative AI programs and life-changing grants, there’s something here to inspire everyone.

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If you're interested in sponsoring our newsletter, drop us a line at [email protected] with ‘Geekz Insider’ in the subject box. Until next time, keep hustling and making those geeky dreams come true!

Written by Stephen Oluwadara and produced by Gugu Nxumalo