Announcing the Umoya Fellowship – Supporting Blackskyers at ATmosphere Conference
Published on March 3, 2025 by Rudy Fraser
Dear Blacksky Community,
We are excited to share an incredible opportunity made possible by Linda Maepa (Gogo Pebetse): the Umoya Fellowship, a new initiative to support Blackskyers in attending the ATmosphere Conference in Seattle, WA, on March 22-23, 2025.
This fellowship, fully funded by Linda Maepa, will award two Blacksky community members with financial support to attend the conference. In recognition of this initiative, Blacksky Algorithms Inc. will match Linda’s contribution, increasing each fellowship to $500 per recipient to help cover travel, lodging, or other related expenses.
Fellowship Details:
- Two fellowships of $500 each will be awarded.
- Open to active Blacksky community members (funders, posters, artists, or volunteers).
- You may apply regardless of whether you already have a ticket to the conference.
- Fellows must attend in person and, after the event, share a blog post or Bluesky thread highlighting their experience and key takeaways for the broader community.
- Applications require a one-sentence statement on what Blacksky means to you.
Apply Now:
The Umoya Fellowship is rooted in community support and shared growth. “Umoya” is a word found across several southern African languages, meaning air, breath, spirit, and soul.
We are incredibly grateful to Linda Maepa for leading this effort.
Thank you for being part of Blacksky and for making initiatives like this possible.
With gratitude,
Rudy Fraser
Founder, Blacksky Algorithms
Rudy Fraser
Founder, Blacksky Algorithms