Close Menu
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI
  • Apps
  • Crypto
  • Security
  • Startups
  • TechCrunch
  • Venture

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

What's Hot

Sri Mandir keeps investors hooked as digital dedication grows

July 1, 2025

Instagram lets you share Spotify songs with your story to your sound

June 30, 2025

At every stage of TechCrunch, Charles Hudson tells us what investors really see

June 30, 2025
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
TechBrunchTechBrunch
  • Home
  • AI

    OpenAI seeks to extend human lifespans with the help of longevity startups

    January 17, 2025

    Farewell to the $200 million woolly mammoth and TikTok

    January 17, 2025

    Nord Security founder launches Nexos.ai to help enterprises move AI projects from pilot to production

    January 17, 2025

    Data proves it remains difficult for startups to raise capital, even though VCs invested $75 billion in the fourth quarter

    January 16, 2025

    Apple suspends AI notification summaries for news after generating false alerts

    January 16, 2025
  • Apps

    Sri Mandir keeps investors hooked as digital dedication grows

    July 1, 2025

    Instagram lets you share Spotify songs with your story to your sound

    June 30, 2025

    The best iPad app to unleash and explore your creativity

    June 30, 2025

    Privacy-centric app maker Proton sues Apple over anti-competitive practices and charges alleged

    June 30, 2025

    Google is adopting AI in classrooms, including new Gemini tools for educators and chatbots for students

    June 30, 2025
  • Crypto

    Vitalik Buterin reserves for Sam Altman's global project

    June 28, 2025

    Calci will close a $185 million round as rival Polymeruk reportedly seeks $200 million

    June 25, 2025

    Stablecoin Evangelist: Katie Haun's Battle of Digital Dollars

    June 22, 2025

    Hackers steal and destroy millions of Iran's biggest crypto exchanges

    June 18, 2025

    Unique, a new social media app

    June 17, 2025
  • Security

    US government overthrows North Korea's major “workers” management

    June 30, 2025

    Mexican drug cartel hackers spy on FBI officials' phones to track and kill informants, the report says

    June 30, 2025

    FBI, cybersecurity firms say prolific hacking crews are currently targeting airlines and transportation sectors

    June 28, 2025

    Prolific cybercrime gangs currently targeting the airline and transportation sector

    June 27, 2025

    US and French authorities confirm arrest of a violation form hacker

    June 26, 2025
  • Startups

    7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

    March 24, 2025

    AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

    March 24, 2025

    20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

    March 22, 2025

    Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

    March 21, 2025

    Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

    March 21, 2025
  • TechCrunch

    OpenSea takes a long-term view with a focus on UX despite NFT sales remaining low

    February 8, 2024

    AI will save software companies' growth dreams

    February 8, 2024

    B2B and B2C are not about who buys, but how you sell

    February 5, 2024

    It's time for venture capital to break away from fast fashion

    February 3, 2024

    a16z's Chris Dixon believes it's time to focus on blockchain use cases rather than speculation

    February 2, 2024
  • Venture

    At every stage of TechCrunch, Charles Hudson tells us what investors really see

    June 30, 2025

    From $5 to Financial Empowerment: Why Stash co-founder Brandon Krieg is a must-see for TechCrunch All Stage 2025

    June 30, 2025

    A comprehensive list of 2025 tech layoffs

    June 30, 2025

    How to prepare for a second semester salary increase now live in 2025

    June 30, 2025

    Tiffany is lucky to have won a VCS at TC at every stage.

    June 30, 2025
TechBrunchTechBrunch

The DEI backlash: Stay up to date on the latest legal and corporate challenges

TechBrunchBy TechBrunchJuly 29, 20245 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Telegram Email


The Great Rollback is here. The phrase refers to big tech companies starting to cut back on some of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs that were put in place shortly after the killing of George Floyd. Most recently, Zoom announced it had fired its DEI team. Google and Meta have cut funding to DEI programs, and funding for Black founders continues to decline. Lawsuits have been filed targeting DEI programs, forcing companies to hide their efforts at inclusion, while billionaires debate whether DEI efforts at X are discriminatory.

With states continuing to ban affirmative action and a presidential election looming, this year is clearly a turning point for DEI. To stay up to date on the latest on the backlash against DEI in the tech industry, here are all the articles you need to read.

This list will be updated so please check back regularly.

Read about the AAER v. Fearless Fund case

In August 2023, the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), founded by Edward Blum, who helped end affirmative action in education, filed a lawsuit against venture fund Fearless Fund for providing business grants to black women. AAER claimed that the grants discriminated against white and Asian American founders. The fund and AAER are fighting in court, and now Fearless Fund is barred from making grants to black women.

The fund's CEO, Ariane Simone, said on Instagram that the lawsuit has financially hurt the fund, causing it to lose millions of dollars in potential investments and facing staff cuts, cash shortages, expensive legal fees and threatening letters. But the impact of the lawsuit goes beyond one fund and could ripple through the entire ecosystem.

But Fearless Fund isn't the only organization being sued: the Small Business Administration, the Minority Business Development Agency, and even small businesses like Hello Alice have also been targeted and sued for trying to implement more diverse grant programs.

Contact Us Do you have any tips or stories to share about being a woman, person of color, or marginalized individual working in venture capital or a startup? You can contact Dominic-Madori Davis securely from a non-work device via Signal (+1 646 831 7565) or email. You can also contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.

Read what critics are saying about DEI

Opposition to DEI has proliferated. Many of the biggest names in venture capital, including Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and Y Combinator founder Paul Graham, have spoken out against DEI, while only a few, such as Mark Cuban, have spoken out in support of DEI. As long as billionaires continue to use their power and influence to speak out, this divide will continue and get worse.

At the same time, there are many who are working to change and become more inclusive, but change takes time and some promises remain unfulfilled.

See how the government is addressing DEI

California passed a bill last year that will soon require venture capital firms in the state to disclose the diversity profile of the founders they back, a move some have hailed as progress in a notoriously opaque industry.

But California isn't the only state trying to tackle diversity: Massachusetts is about to pass a bill that would extend its workplace laws to the venture industry, and New York City venture companies have formed an informal alliance to help promote diversity. Despite the promise of these efforts, there is also hesitation.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has been trying to pass legislation in Congress that would increase transparency in endowment investments, but he has stalled and said some education institutions across the country have been apparently “nasty” toward him and his efforts.

DEI has become an issue in Republican-leaning states, with many moving to ban affirmative action. Many tech hubs are actually just more liberal-leaning cities in Republican-leaning, or conservative-leaning, states. These include Tulsa, Atlanta, Miami, and Austin, all of which have been at the forefront of helping make tech more accessible to people outside the Bay Area. But will the states that govern these states undermine this progress?

Governor Ron DeSantis, for example, has been a pioneer in passing anti-DEI measures. He is one of the few governors to take aim at ESG investing, from book bans to restricting speech, and has proposed moves that could impact diverse fund managers in Florida.

At the national level, the CBC has begun looking into what's going on in the tech industry. Recently, the CBC sent a letter to OpenAI and the Ministry of Labour asking how the tech industry is trying to support black talent during this time.

OpenAI did indeed respond to CBC, and we now have the scoop on what happened next.

Read the latest DEI funding data

Funding for Black founders has been declining since 2020 and continued to do so last year.

Read DEI perspectives from abroad

The industry abroad is taking inspiration from the U.S., including how marginalized founders are treated. Stay up to date on how the global venture ecosystem is handling DEI and what it says about the progress of the U.S.

France is notoriously a challenging ecosystem for black founders. Learn how the country navigates one of the most opaque venture environments for people of color.

Meanwhile, the UK has made great strides in providing funding to black founders.





Source link

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025

Startup Weekly: Wiz bets paid off at M&A Rich Week

March 21, 2025

Wayve CEO shares his key elements for scaling autonomous driving technology

March 21, 2025

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Top Reviews
Editors Picks

7 days left: Founders and VCs save over $300 on all stage passes

March 24, 2025

AI chip startup Furiosaai reportedly rejecting $800 million acquisition offer from Meta

March 24, 2025

20 Hottest Open Source Startups of 2024

March 22, 2025

Andrill may build a weapons factory in the UK

March 21, 2025
About Us
About Us

Welcome to Tech Brunch, your go-to destination for cutting-edge insights, news, and analysis in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cryptocurrency, Technology, and Startups. At Tech Brunch, we are passionate about exploring the latest trends, innovations, and developments shaping the future of these dynamic industries.

Our Picks

Sri Mandir keeps investors hooked as digital dedication grows

July 1, 2025

Instagram lets you share Spotify songs with your story to your sound

June 30, 2025

At every stage of TechCrunch, Charles Hudson tells us what investors really see

June 30, 2025

Subscribe to Updates

Subscribe to our newsletter and never miss our latest news

Subscribe my Newsletter for New Posts & tips Let's stay updated!

© 2025 TechBrunch. Designed by TechBrunch.
  • Home
  • About Tech Brunch
  • Advertise with Tech Brunch
  • Contact us
  • DMCA Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.