DC daily roundup: A conference celebrating Black innovators comes back; the DMV heat wave; Google’s antitrust suit goes to trial

A Black entrepreneurship conference returns

After launching last year, the HUxPNC Black Commerce Conference, organized by Howard University and its national HBCU entrepreneurship center with PNC, is back on a bigger scale. About 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference, which will take place from June 19 (a.k.a. Juneteenth) to 22.

“We’re scaling it exponentially,” said Erin Horne McKinney, the national executive director of the HUxPNC Center. “People heard and saw what we did last year and are really connecting the dots to the difference. … There’s so much interest in the work that we’re doing.”

This year’s convening will feature six programming tracks, including the “Dreams to Dollars Academy,” which will focus on teaching how to launch a venture, and “Empowering the Ecosystem,” which is all about building resources for Black entrepreneurs.

➡️ Read more about the conference in my latest report here.

Boosting healthcare entrepreneurship

Healthcare, while an incredibly expansive industry, is one of the most consolidated in the US economy. Only a handful of providers make up 90% of the total spending.

Yes, it’s a difficult sector to break into and there’s a lot less room for error as startup founders get their footing. But there are many opportunities for innovation, Technical.ly CEO Wink writes, and solving problems in the health sector is very rewarding.

“Healthcare is quite a bit harder than other sectors. You can’t just bulldoze your way into these companies; it requires a well thought out, coordinated plan,” one healthcare CEO said. “But you can have an impact here like nowhere else.”

➡️ Read more about the importance of healthcare entrepreneurship here.

News Incubator: What else to know today

• A major heat wave is hitting the DMV (and much of the Midwest and Northeast) this week. Here’s what you need to know, and how to stay cool. [WTOP]

• The president and CEO of the Tysons-based media company Tegna is retiring. David Lougee will now become Tegna’s senior advisor. [Washington Biz Journal]

• DC streets where speed cameras have been installed saw a sharp decline in speeding, according to recent data from the city. [Washington Post]

• Vice Admiral Vivek Murthy, the current US Surgeon General, is calling for warning labels on social media platforms in an effort to improve mental health among teens. The plan would have to be approved by Congress. [New York Times]

• An antitrust suit involving Google is going to trial. The Department of Justice sued the tech giant, claiming that it has a monopoly over digital advertising. [Reuters]

🗓️ On the Calendar