Showing 12 results for:
AfroTech Conference
Popular topics
All results
Conference season is upon us, and AFROTECH™ is gearing up for an unforgettable experience, offering intentional opportunities to learn, grow, and develop. Billed as “The Global Gathering for Innovators and Inclusive Tech Companies,” the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference will take place in Houston, TX, from Nov. 13-16, and this year is expected to be bigger and better. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH™ Conference (@afrotech.conference) The main stage will be the epicenter of this year’s gathering, with heavy-hitting speakers and discussions designed to ensure ticket holders have a top tier experience. In addition to the coveted main stage, the AFROTECH™ Conference has added a few new options in the Cybersecurity, AI, and Data and Engineering stages. The Women’s Summit will also be returning with some new additions in the Founder’s Summit, Health & Environmental Equity Summit, and Creative & Design Summit. This year’s speaker lineup is truly exceptional, featuring top...
Storytelling uses a plethora of mediums, and animation is one of them. During the 2023 AFROTECH ™ Conference, director and animator Chaz Bottoms and singer Dawn Richard led a session called “World Builders: The New Storytelling Frontier” to discuss how the technologies within the animation industry are creating revolutionary ways for people to tell stories. In their respective career journeys, Bottoms founded CBA Studios — one of the few Black-founded animation studios globally — and has worked with companies such as Disney, Hulu, and Adult Swim, per Forbes. Aside from Richard’s music career, she has a passion for animation. She created a comic book series called “Danity Kane” and works with Adult Swim as a creative consultant, as AFROTECH ™ previously reported, to amplify and create opportunities for Black animators in the space. “We are a beautiful people to draw, but we are a difficult people to draw in the sense that for people who aren’t us, they don’t know what they’re doing,”...
The 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference is just months away, and the countdown has begun with even bigger and better ways to empower the community. As one of the largest cultural events dedicated to individuals evolving the tech space, AFROTECH™ offers something for everyone — whether you’re an industry enthusiast, hold a C-Suite position, or are the CEO of your own company. The conference’s latest initiative is designed specifically for founders. Since its inception in 2016, AFROTECH™ has been committed to empowering the community. The new AFROTECH™ Founder Circle intends to continue this mission by focusing on reducing attendance costs, enhancing skill sets, and expanding access for founders within the community. The all-new program will operate under a three-pronged strategy: enhancing executive presence and leadership, broadening access to venture capital networks, and fostering peer-to-peer learning and support. In collaboration with Blavity.org, AFROTECH™ will sponsor 200 tickets for...
AFROTECH™ Conference is coming back bigger and better! From Nov. 13-16, thousands of Black techies will be coming together once again for the largest annual Black tech conference. This time around, the networking and knowledge sharing is set to take place in Houston, TX. AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 was held in Austin, TX. The experience included a stellar lineup of speakers such as Issa Rae, Timbaland, Marsai Martin, and more discussing topics ranging from fintech disruption to generative artificial intelligence. “I think just coming here [AFROTECH™] to fellowship could be the timing for your next step,” Timbaland told AFROTECH™ following his panel on the Innovation Stage in 2023. “I’m just meeting these great-minded people and gathering all the information. You can never stop getting information. And that’s why I think just being in a room is not about your business flourishing. It is about connecting with like-minded people to get your business to flourish. And I think this is a...
AfroTech is a platform on a mission to uplift the Black tech community, and it’s a safe space for people to take their innovative ideas to the next level. Over the past few years, various AfroTech events have set the stage for career development and elevation like never before. While the AfroTech Conference is one of the more popular, large-scale events, we also have you covered with more intimate meet-ups throughout the year. Take, for instance, AfroTech Executive — the multi-city event series which empowers corporate executives, investors, and tech moguls. On March 30, AfroTech will take over the northwest region with a stop in Seattle, WA. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech) There will be a fireside chat with Laxman Narasimhan, the leader who has officially become the chief executive officer (CEO) of Starbucks, succeeding Howard Schultz, the company’s founder and former CEO. There will also be a chat with Uncharted founder and CEO Jessica O....
“For those of you that think gospel music has gone too far, you think we got too radical with your message, well, I got news for you. You ain’t heard nothin’ yet.” If those lyrics resonate with you in any way, it’s likely because you remember the 1997 gospel hit “Stomp” by Kirk Franklin that had the church rocking. While the song is based around lifting radical praises despite life’s circumstances, the opening line offers a bold and audacious declaration that the innovation and creativity of Christians cannot be boxed in. A textbook example of this radical innovation is Touré Roberts. Roberts is the current pastor of ONE (Formerly One Church LA), serving over 7,500 local members and an online viewership of more than 700,000 subscribers. And while his faith and work in the church have catapulted him to success in the religious sector, Roberts had a lucrative career in the tech industry. During an April 2022 conversation with Blavity, Inc. CEO Morgan DeBaun on her Work Smart podcast,...
The AfroTech Conference schedule has been released. And, needless to say, it proves that some things are worth the wait. After nearly two years of virtual conferences, thanks to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Blavity family is pleased to announce the return of an in-person gathering for the preeminent Black in tech conference in the United States. The AfroTech Conference schedule features fireside chats with thought leaders and intimate performances with some of the industry’s hottest artists. What’s more, it’s a chance to connect with a global community of more than 20,000 Black tech innovators during a series of digital and in-person events filled with dynamic programming on emerging trends, networking opportunities with industry leaders, and conversations with top tech recruiters. The 2022 installment of the conference will take place from November 13-17, 2022, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX. Tickets are on sale now and are available for every budget and...
In 2016, Solange released her critically acclaimed album, “A Seat at the Table.” The album spoke to the Black experience and some of how the community navigates culture. One of the songs from this album that fully embraces the concept of the challenges, range, and beauty of the Black experience is “F.U.B.U.” In it, she opens by declaring, “…Made this song to make it all y’all’s turn. For us, this sh-t is for us.” In just a few short months, the Solange-inspired calling card will have undeniable evidence as members of the tech and business communities gather in Austin, TX, for AfroTech Conference. On Nov. 13-17, 2022, conference attendees will participate in panel discussions and keynote addresses, network with industry experts, and engage in various entertainment experiences guaranteed to keep the vibes high. While the conference is open to everyone, there is no doubt that AfroTech is a F.U.B.U (for us, by us) situation. So, check out these tips to help maximize your experience at...
The annual AfroTech Conference is officially coming back in person, and it’s going to be even bigger than ever! While being widely known as the largest event for Black techies to network and build community, for the first time ever, there will be an inaugural music experience at the AfroTech Conference 2022, and tickets are now live. Hosted in Austin, TX — the “live music capital of the world” — it’s only right to bring some of today’s hottest Black artists center stage during the nation’s largest multicultural tech gathering. The lineup features Bia, Zaytoven, Bas, DJ Moma, Mélat, and more. Attendees will also have the chance to party with Broccoli City — the host of one of Washington, D.C.’s biggest music events — and RNB House Party — the traveling unique party experience that delivers nostalgic vibes — following the music festival. What’s more, the after-party is expected to host over 10,000 attendees from across the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech...
Amazon employs 1.3 million people worldwide, 950,000 of which work in the U.S. That means one in every 153 American workers is an Amazon employee, Business Insider reports, and the tech giant also boasts a team of 1,200 recruiters. Simone Porter is a part of Amazon’s recruitment team. She focuses on attracting talent for non-tech roles. She’s been working for the company for roughly four and a half years in various roles, so she knows what it takes to land a job and climb the ladder. In case you missed it, Porter shared some of her recruiting and hiring tips at AfroTech Conference during her “Getting Hired Hacks: The Resume that Wins the Job” solo session. And it is safe to say, she took a deep dive into how to personalize your resume and make it stand out. “You can think of the resume as your 30 second, written elevator pitch,” Porter said in the AfroTech metaverse. “It’s the way that you are able to brand yourself in a short amount of time and describe who you are in a very clear,...
Meta’s (formerly Facebook) Head of Network Investments Emerging Markets Aaron Russell has worked for the tech giant for nearly seven years. In his current role, he manages and helps develop strategic partnerships to address and create solutions for the connectivity barriers in Sub-Saharan Africa. Russell is on a mission to better connect the world to faster and reliable internet. “Connecting the world is really one of the fundamental challenges of our generation. And that’s an idea that we really embrace,” Aaron Russell told AfroTech. “We work with partners to develop innovative technologies around the world that help some of the biggest connectivity challenges and solving them, and together we’re bringing more people online to a faster internet.” Russell and Meta think Internet connectivity issues can be solved by tapping into subsea cables. But what are those? Subsea cables are fiber optic cables that are laid in the ocean and connect two or more landing points. Ships drop these...