Gems can truly be found in a dumpster. That’s the story of a young Chicago middle schooler who uncovered a cancer-fighting compound in goose poo. As part of a summer STEM program, the teen collected samples of different animal waste. Little did she know this assignment would lead to a groundbreaking discovery in cancer research.

Dive into today’s newsletter to learn more.

Top Stories 📰

Story 1: 13-year-old Camarria Williams collected droppings containing a novel compound toxic to human skin and ovarian cancer cells.

Story 2: Check out this deep dive on the journey of global sensation, Kai Cenat, ranked the fourth most followed Twitch streamer with over 43 million combined social media followers.

Story 3: We interviewed Jerome Dorn, a photojournalist who has photographed six US presidents and covered the White House during both Obama administrations.

Hot News 🔥

1. Jay-Z’s Roc Nation has partnered with a South Korean music fintech platform to allow fans to earn money from streaming songs.

2. Visa has joined African fintech unicorn Moniepoint as a new investor to accelerate financial inclusion for African businesses.

3. Aliyah Jones’ fake LinkedIn profile exposes racial inequity in hiring.

4. SeamlessHR, a Nigerian startup helping businesses manage HR functions, has raised a $9 million Series-A extension round.

5. OpenAI has announced the appointment of Nigerian billionaire Adebayo Ogunlesi to its Board of Directors. 

6. 3 Reasons why hosting a podcast will benefit you as a technical professional.

Opportunities - Accelerators/Funding, Events, and Jobs💼 

Accelerators 🚀

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

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

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

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

5. Village Capital’s US Women in Tech Accelerator is for full-time founders who identify as wome, including cisgender, transgender, and non-binary individuals. 

    Grants💰

1. $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:

2. Up to $25k | The Evolve Small Initiative grant funding for historically marginalized, disabled, and woman-owned small businesses in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Diego, Toronto, Washington, DC, or Vancouver. 🗓️ Apply by 02/17: 

3. Up to $50k | The Athene’s Black & Brown Business Summit Pitch Competition grant funding for 51% minority-owned small businesses. 🗓️ Apply by 01/31: 

4. Up to $10k | Restaurant Disaster Relief grant funding for restaurants impacted by natural disasters, severe weather events, or major infrastructure failures. 🗓️ Apply by 03/03:

5. Up to $15k | The Catalyst Fund hands out grants between $2.5k - $15k to anyone with an early-stage idea or project that addresses pressing global challenges.
   🗓️ Apply on a rolling basis:

   Events🎟️

 Diversity Reboot Summit + Job Fair Series 2025 combines 100+ expert speakers, the enthusiasm of 10,000 participants, cutting-edge tech, meaningful virtual networking, and best-in-class virtual job fairs. Altogether, it makes for a truly epic multi-day experience. Attendees will gain valuable insights from industry leaders, network with over 100,000 professionals, and access thousands of career opportunities, including remote roles at Fortune 500 companies and innovative startups.

Date: February 4–7.

Location: Virtual

Africa Tech Summit brings together African tech entrepreneurs, investors, and global partners, focusing on innovation and scaling African-led solutions.

Date: February 12 and 13, 2025

Location: Nairobi Kenya

Technology leaders, stakeholders, and influencers at all levels who participate in the 5th Annual DE&I In Tech Summit will gain invaluable insights into the importance and urgency of broadening participation in the tech industry in Central PA. This summit will delve into the current barriers that hinder diversity, equity, and inclusion within the tech sector

Date: March 03 2025

Location: Penn State Harrisburg

Thank you for joining us in this edition of Geekz Insider. We hope our shared stories and opportunities ignite your entrepreneurial spirit and fuel your drive to innovate. From dynamic founders to transformative AI programs and life-changing grants, something here inspires everyone.

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If you're interested in sponsoring our newsletter, Geekz Insider, 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