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

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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.

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.

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]