DC Daily Roundup: Black Innovators Conference Returns; DMV Heat Wave; Google’s antitrust lawsuit goes to court

The Black Entrepreneurship Conference returns

After launching last year, the HUxPNC Black Commerce conference, hosted by Howard University and its National HBCU Entrepreneurship Center in conjunction with PNC, returns on a larger scale. About 1,000 people are expected to attend the conference, which will take place from June 19 (i.e. June 11) to June 22.

“We are scaling this exponentially,” said Erin Horne McKinney, national executive director of the HUxPNC Center. “People heard and saw what we did last year and they really see the difference. …There is a lot of interest in the work we do.”

This year’s conference will feature six programming tracks, including “Dream to Dollar Academy,” which will focus on teaching how to start a venture, and “Strengthening the Ecosystem,” which aims to build resources for Black entrepreneurs.

➡️ You can read more about the conference in my latest report here.

Strengthening entrepreneurship in health care

Health care, although an extremely expansive industry, is one of the most consolidated in the U.S. economy. Only a handful of suppliers cover 90% of total expenses.

Yes, this is a difficult sector to break into and there is much less room for error as startup founders establish themselves. However, Technical.ly CEO Wink writes that there are many opportunities for innovation and that solving problems in the health sector is extremely rewarding.

“Health care is a little more difficult than other sectors. You can’t just bulldoze into these companies; this requires a well-thought-out and coordinated plan,” said one healthcare CEO. “But here you can have an impact like nowhere else.”

➡️ You can read more about the importance of entrepreneurship in health care here.

Incubator News: What else is worth knowing today

• The DMV (and much of the Midwest and Northeast) will be hit this week. Here’s what you need to know and how to stay calm. (WTOP)

• The president and CEO of Tysons-based media company Tegna is retiring. David Lougee will now become a senior advisor to Tegna. (Washington Biz Journal)

• According to the city’s latest data, speeds have dropped dramatically on D.C. streets where speed cameras have been installed. (Washington Post Office)

• Vice Adm. Vivek Murthy, the current U.S. Surgeon General, is calling for warning labels on social media platforms to improve teen mental health. The plan would have to be approved by Congress. (New York Times)

• The antitrust case involving Google will go to court. The Justice Department has sued the tech giant, maintaining it has a monopoly on digital advertising. (Reuters)

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Chris Wink
Co-founder and CEO of Technical.ly