By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Donnel Baird first pitched his idea in 2014 to create a technology platform that could help small apartment buildings and other urban structures become energy efficient, he got the U.S. government to promise him $2.1 million, provided he could raise a similar amount from elsewhere.But not one of some 200 venture capital firms he approached agreed to invest back then.Baird believes that initial funding was elusive in part because as a Black man without a background in software development, he was an outsider. Investors did not grasp the opportunity that seemed...…By , NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Donnel Baird first pitched his idea in 2014 to create a technology platform that could help small apartment buildings and other urban structures become energy efficient, he got the U.S. government to promise him $2.1 million, provided he could raise a similar amount from elsewhere.But not one of some 200 venture capital firms he approached agreed to invest back then.Baird believes that initial funding was elusive in part because as a Black man without a background in software development, he was an outsider. Investors did not grasp the opportunity that seemed...WW…

By NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a record closing high on Tuesday as cyclical sectors gained on the prospect of more fiscal aid to lift the U.S. economy from a coronavirus-driven slump.The Nasdaq, however, dipped as technology stocks moved lower, while concerns over rising interest rates kept the benchmark S&P 500 little changed.Sectors poised to benefit the most from a reopening economy, including energy and financials, had the biggest percentage gains. President Joe Biden has pitched a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and is pressing Congress to pass...…By NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow Jones Industrial Average notched a record closing high on Tuesday as cyclical sectors gained on the prospect of more fiscal aid to lift the U.S. economy from a coronavirus-driven slump.The Nasdaq, however, dipped as technology stocks moved lower, while concerns over rising interest rates kept the benchmark S&P 500 little changed.Sectors poised to benefit the most from a reopening economy, including energy and financials, had the biggest percentage gains. President Joe Biden has pitched a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill and is pressing Congress to pass...WW…