Newsletter

Philly daily roundup: LifeBrand finances; TikTok ban; New digital connectivity timeline

Plus, Crunchbase found that the amount of U.S. venture funding that went to startups with at least one female founder hit a new high in 2023.

CITIZENS BANK PARK (SARAH HUFFMAN/TECHNICAL.LY)

LifeBrand’s finances before the layoffs

LifeBrand laid off its entire team of 30 a few weeks ago, CEO Thomas “TJ” Colaiezzi previously confirmed to Technical.ly. Employees at the Philly-area startup describe weeks of missing paychecks and leadership disruptions leading up to the mass layoff.

➡️ Read about the financial and leadership problems prior to the layoffs

Asian Americans take on the TikTok ban

Congress passed and President Joe Biden in April signed a bill that would ban TikTok nationwide unless it’s sold to a non-Chinese parent company.

“The singling out of TikTok makes Asian Americans feel they have a target on their backs,” said Cynthia Choi, who is co-executive director of the advocacy group Chinese for Affirmative Action.

➡️ Read more about why Asian Americans are concerned for their communities

News Incubator: What else to know today

• The University City Science Center announced its new cohort of Founders Fellows. The five members of this cohort are working on research related to aging and/or Alzheimer’s Disease. [The Science Center/Techncial.ly]

• HR tech company Phenom released its annual State of Candidate Experience: 2024 Benchmarks Report. The report found that most Fortune 500 companies are not taking advantage of data and personalized information to help job candidates find roles that are a good fit. [Businesswire/Techncial.ly]

• Crunchbase found that the amount of U.S. venture funding that went to startups with at least one female founder hit a new high in 2023. [Crunchbase]

• The Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority released details about the timeline for its Digital Connectivity Technology Program, which will distribute devices to institutions across the state. [DCED/Technical.ly]

🗓️ On the Calendar

• Philadelphia Chapter of the Open Organization of Lockpickers is hosting a TOOOLBox open house on June 7. [Details here]

• Attend rePhil on June 10 to connect with the local tech scene. Proceeds go toward organizations aimed at promoting diversity in tech. [Register here]

• Philly JS Club is hosting its next meetup on June 13 at Indy Hall. [Register here]

Sarah Huffman is a 2022-2024 corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The Groundtruth Project that pairs young journalists with local newsrooms. This position is supported by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

Welcome to the daily roundup of the latest from Philly's tech and entrepreneurship scene. Want this in your inbox? Subscribe for free.

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Trump may kill the CHIPS and Science Act. Here’s what that means for your community.

Election results: Live updates on presidential, Senate, House and PA races

A week before Election Day, some Philly city employees question unexpected website change

A Pennsylvania voter’s guide to tech policy on the ballot in the 2024 election

Technically Media