Airbnb partnered with the NAACP to increase economic opportunities for Chicago’s South Side. This is part of an ongoing Airbnb program to help bring revenue to communities of color and increase host diversity. The two organizations hosted an event together where local hosts shared their stories about listing their homes on Airbnb. [Chicago Tribune]
UST Global is opening an office in Chicago. The company works offers digital solutions to its clients, which can range from data analytics to IT. UST is based in California, but has offices in over 20 countries. It’s planning to hire 100 employees in Chicago, and then add hundreds more over the next three to five years. [Built In Chicago]
Paro raised $10 million in funding. Paro has created a suite of automation tools for company finances and accounting, and the new funding will help Paro add even more products to its repertoire. The funding comes from Silicon Valley VC firm Sierra Ventures.
Chicago-based MATTER is expanding to New York City. The healthcare incubator has partnered with the New York City Economic Development Corporation to launch a life science innovation center. MATTER has helped grow over 200 startups since it was started in 2014. [Built In Chicago]
Codeverse partnered with Girl Scouts to provide coding classes for girls. The program is offered to girls from low-income families to help underserved communities. Partnering with the Girl Scouts also means that these classes are all-girl, which is intended to address the gender disparity in computer science careers. [Built In Chicago]
