AfroTech Conference has continued to grow since its inception in 2016, and after the COVID-19 pandemic forced Black techies to assemble virtually for two years, the conference finally made its highly anticipated in-person return.
Held in Austin, TX, from Nov. 13-17, an estimated 25,000 people participated in AfroTech Conference events. The vibes were nothing short of amazing as the conference turned the Lone Star State’s capital city into real-life Wakanda, featuring thousands of melanated people from various stages in their tech career networking, learning, and partying together.
If you missed out on AfroTech Conference, or want to relive the experience all over again, here are 20 recap videos from conference attendees that perfectly capture the essence of Black tech’s biggest week.
Joshua Mundy, CEO and co-founder of Pivot Technology School, attended the AfroTech Conference as a speaker and attendee, and shared three highlights from his experience at the conference.
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There were many learning opportunities available with a great set of speakers. One of the most anticipated panels of the event was the “From Rapper to Investor” discussion that took place in the Learning Lab with rapper-turned-tech investor Chamillionaire. During the discussion, the Houston native discussed how he maintained a quality lifestyle through his investments in technology through transferrable skills.
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Although recent layoffs have shaken the tech industry, AfroTech Conference’s massive Expo Floor was filled with 40+ major corporations looking to connect and recruit amazing Black talent for open roles within their organizations.
Grace, a Cloud engineer and Web3 enthusiast, highlighted just a few of the companies that were hiring on the AfroTech Expo floor.
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Can we also get into the fits? The fashions were on point with Black techies showing up and showing out in their fresh and unique style to enjoy the conference.
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Networking was the name of the game at AfroTech Conference. Not only were conference attendees landing new jobs on the spot, they were networking amongst each other, handing out business cards, meeting new friends, and asking engaging questions during panel discussions to put their best foot forward.
Cassie, an HR Pro and resume writer, shared a recap video of how she best utilized her networking skills while attending AfroTech for the first time.
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Ashley, a web designer, and Jessica, founder of GRTRMgmt, both had great recap videos that included time spent at the AfroTech Conference Expo Floor and scoping out some amazing panel discussions. They looked like they had a blast!
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Nneka Ichu also enjoyed her first time at AfroTech Conference and can’t wait to return next year.
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Normally, Black people don’t see many others that look like them in the corporate world, especially in executive roles. There might be one to two handfuls of people they relate to within the workplace which can leave a person feeling iced out to where their voice may not matter. As Content Marketing Expert Mikos shared, AfroTech created a safe place for Blacks in tech to feel seen, heard, and motivated through authentic connections.
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The opportunities to meet other people in and outside of the tech space were limitless. Attendees could meet people in passing, at wellness events, happy hours, recruitment mixers, the small business expo, panel discussions, music showcases, and experiential events. Byron, a senior software engineer for Capitol One, made it his mission to speak to at least five people at AfroTech. Check out his recap video to see if he reached his goal.
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Event producer, Joelle Dyanne, accompanied speaker Hope Wiseman to the AfroTech Conference and shared the amazing time she had behind the scenes.
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What set this year’s AfroTech Conference apart from the rest is the inclusion of music. Now officially a tech and music conference, AfroTech had stellar performances and DJ sets to accompany its variety of panel discussions and learning lab sessions.
Bia’s performance during Day 1 of the Music Stage absolutely stole the show.
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DJ Stakz set the vibes.
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RNB House Party closed out the week with a performance by Dru Hill that was a perfect send-off.
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Of course Team Blavity was in the building, working diligently behind the scenes.
However, when time permitted the team took the opportunity to have some fun too. Check out a few videos from a few members of Blavity’s onsite team.
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