Victor Glover is a U.S. Navy captain who was born in Pomona, California, Glover was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2013. He previously became the first Black astronaut to live aboard the International Space Station for an extended period during the 2020 SpaceX Crew-1 mission. 

Now, on April 1, 2026, he made history as the first Black man to fly around the Moon while serving as the pilot for the NASA Artemis II mission. 

Dive in to read the rest of the story.

Top Stories 📰

Story 1: Victor Glover Becomes First Black Man to Fly Around the Moon on NASA’s Artemis II Mission

Story 2: How Two Media Veterans Are Reimagining Sales Coaching With AI

Story 3: Rihanna's Fenty Beauty Launches AI Advisor ‘Rose Amber’ on WhatsApp

Hot News 🔥

1. Gateway Capital Partners reaches first close of $25 million Fund II to back Midwest Startups.

2. 9fin Raises $170 million Series C, to become one of Europe’s few Black-Led Unicorns.

3. Here's why OpenAI is shutting down its video generation App, Sora.

4. Malala Fund appoints First Nigerian-Based Global Chief Executive Officer, Nabila Aguele.

5. Elon Musk’s Starlink faces New Setback as Namibia Denies License.

Opportunities - Accelerators/Funding, Events.

Grants

1. $150K Investment | The Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation aims to identify social entrepreneurs with dynamic ideas and nurture them in their early stages with maximum leverage and total commitment. 

   🗓️ Application on a rolling basis:

2. $155K | The Da Vinci Fellowship offers an equity-free grant of €150 000 per fellow to young, contrarian Europeans.

   🗓️ Application on a rolling basis

3. $155K | Open Pitch is a startup competition partnering Open Opportunity Fund and Earn Your Leisure (behind Invest Fest) to award a $125,000 investment to the most promising early-stage tech companies.

   🗓️ Apply by Apr 10. 2026

4. $100K | The Thiel Fellowship is a two-year program for young people who want to build new things. Fellows receive a $100,000 grant and support from the Thiel Foundation’s network of founders, investors, and scientists.

   🗓️ Application on a rolling basis:

5. $100K | The O'Shaughnessy Fellowship supports the builders, researchers, and creatives advancing civilization with up to $100,000 in equity-free funding.

   🗓️ Apply by Apr 30, 2026

6. Up to $30K | The $30,000 Makers Mindset Grant (from a $30,000 pool) awards three $10,000, equity-free grants to support founders and entrepreneurs at meaningful moments in their journey.

   🗓️ Apply by Apr 10, 2026

7. 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

   🗓️ Application on a rolling basis:

8. 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.

   🗓️ Application on a rolling basis:

9. Up to $20K | Stanley 1913, and the fastest-growing women’s sports media company, TOGETHXR, have launched the Changing the Game Grant for the founders creating community-centered, food and beverage-focused spaces where women’s sports are the main event.

   🗓️ Apply by July 31, 2026

Accelerators 💼

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

2. Square One’s remote-first pre-accelerator has helped 70+ founders move from idea to traction—raising capital, securing early customers, and continuing to build beyond the program.

3. 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.

4. Peachscore + Dealum hosts 12 cohorts annually, offering startup founders the flexibility to join immediately upon acceptance and receive up to $150k, regardless of when they apply.

5. Forum Ventures' accelerator helps SaaS and AI startups grow with pre-seed funding, mentorship, and expert guidance.

Events🎟️

Next Impact Europe Opens Nominations for the “Next Impact Europe 50”: The initiative will spotlight startups that may still be under the radar but are building meaningful solutions with the potential to scale. 

Nominate a startup here: https://nextimpacteurope.com/

A major Black tech ecosystem conference bringing founders, engineers, investors, and innovators together for talks, workshops, panels, pitch events, and networking. Great for content on careers, community growth, and emerging tech in Black communities

Date: April 20 -24, 2026

Location: Houston, Texas

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.

Enjoy our newsletter? Share it with your network and sign up here to stay informed about the latest in tech, business, and innovation.  Until next time, keep hustling and making those geeky dreams come true!

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Written by Stephen Oluwadara and produced by Gugu Nxumalo