AfroTech Conference News

While coastal staples like New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas remain popular convention hubs, Texas offers a compelling alternative for industry events. Driven by the thriving commercial ecosystems of Austin, Dallas and Houston, the state naturally attracts diverse tech sectors spanning software engineering, health tech and artificial intelligence .

Attending these top Texas tech conferences provides a prime opportunity to expand your professional network, sharpen your industry knowledge and uncover exciting new career prospects.

AfroTech Conference 2026, Houston, November 2 to 6, 2026

The 21st-century healthcare landscape is moving at breakneck speed. Between AI integration, expanded telehealth options and evolving protocols for managing chronic diseases, providers are constantly navigating fresh tools and standards. While these digital innovations offer exciting possibilities for patient care, they also demand rapid adaptation from the professionals working on the front lines.

At the same time, persistent health disparities continue to affect marginalized groups, particularly within the Black community. Root causes like medical deserts, underrepresentation in clinical trials and a systemic shortage of culturally competent care make achieving true equity an uphill battle. Fortunately, Black-led healthcare organizations are actively tackling these issues through targeted conferences and advocacy. To help you stay connected with the leaders driving this change, here are eight standout medical organizations and conferences worth putting on your radar.

1. AfroTech HealthStack Conference, Houston, TX, November 4 to 5

To lead a Black ERG that lasts, you need structure, not just passion. The stakes are high. Black workers made up just 7.4% of the high-tech workforce in 2022, according to the EEOC . Yet they were 11.6% of the overall U.S. labor force. That gap is exactly why your group exists: it gives Black employees a place to belong when few peers share the room. Leading it well can accelerate your career, but doing it alone can quietly drain you. This guide covers five moves: purpose, buy-in, programming, measurement and burnout.

A Black ERG does more than plan events. At its core, it builds belonging for people who often feel like the only one in the room. Done right, it turns isolated individuals into a visible, connected community with real influence. McKinsey reports that roughly 90% of Fortune 500 companies now run ERGs, so the model is mainstream, not fringe. The group also develops leaders, shapes policy and feeds honest feedback to executives. It becomes a pipeline for internal leaders, not just a support circle.

Perceptyx found that ERG members are 1.4x more likely to feel a sense of belonging than non-members. McKinsey adds that members who rate their ERG as effective report far higher inclusion than those who do not. So your role is not activity for its own sake, but effectiveness that members can feel. The strongest groups feel less like a committee and more like a home base for Black talent.

AI is at the forefront of virtually every industry and career path. These days, recruiters, department heads and leadership are no longer asking if AI is useful for employees but instead asking how well-versed their workforce is in using the technology . One of the best ways to build a knowledge base and improve your career prospects is to immerse yourself in this technology.

This is true of the entire workforce, but especially for Black professionals , who often face a more difficult hiring process or a more difficult career trajectory. Being adept at AI can give you the edge you need to succeed. AI conferences continue to be a great place for education, networking, career opportunities and entrepreneurship . Here are 10 upcoming events you’ll want to put on your calendar.

1. AfroTech Conference, Houston, TX, November 2 to 6

To hire Black tech talent at scale, you need a sourcing engine, not just a single job post. The numbers explain why. In 2022, Black workers made up just 7.4% of the high-tech workforce, according to the EEOC . Yet they still represented 11.6% of the overall U.S. labor force.

At the largest tech companies, Black professionals hold only 3.7% of technical roles, per the Kapor Center and NAACP. That share rose barely 1 percentage point between 2014 and 2021. It’s clear that the talent exists, but most employers appear to be fishing in the wrong ponds. The rest of this guide walks through four operational moves: sourcing at scale, building a pipeline, closing offers and retaining the people you hire.

The fastest route to a diverse candidate pool is going where that talent already gathers. AfroTech built two channels for exactly this purpose. The first of these is Talent Infusion , an AI-powered sourcing platform that lets recruiters filter by skills, post roles, invite candidates and track engagement. Enterprise teams pay a subscription, then search a vetted database of engaged Black candidates. Once inside the platform, you can save promising profiles into pools, download resumes and hand them straight to your ATS. AfroTech built it to connect enterprises directly with diverse talent, not to sit as just another job board.

Finding a room where you’re not the only Black person in tech still takes effort. These 10 conferences fix that. They’re where Black engineers , founders, and product leaders go in 2026 to get hired, get funded, and meet the people who can move their careers, whether you’re job hunting, raising a round, or going to your first conference ever .

AfroTech sits at No. 1 because nothing else operates at its scale. The rest of the list runs from national career fairs to founder summits to regional developer events, sorted by what you can actually walk out with.

AfroTech Conference is the largest gathering of Black tech professionals in the world. It started in San Francisco in 2016 with 650 people. By 2024 it drew more than 37,500, and the 2025 conference passed 40,000. The 2026 edition, its 10th year, is built around 40,000+ attendees, 300+ speakers, 15 tracks, and 11 stages at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

After 32 years at Black Entertainment Television (BET), former CEO Debra Lee continues shaping culture and business. Today, she sits on the boards of Warner Bros. Discovery, Marriott International, and Procter & Gamble — but her legacy at BET remains untouched.

At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025, Lee reflected on how her leadership from 2005 to 2018 helped define generations of Black entertainment, from shaping beloved programming to setting new standards for representation.

Lee began at BET as the company’s first in-house counsel, building the legal department from the ground up. She later — and unexpectedly — became president and chief operating officer, succeeding founder Bob Johnson.

Generosity isn’t just about being nice — it’s the key to earning the trust of a Fortune 100 CEO.

At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, TX, Juan Bonilla, president of marketing agency Walton Isaacson, and Ayiko Broyard, executive vice president and head of account management, unpacked the power of strategic generosity as a growth strategy that strengthens relationships, unlocks bigger budgets, and leaves chief marketing officers (CMOs) feeling supported, empowered, and recognized.

Broyard shared how this philosophy shaped Walton Isaacson’s long-standing partnership with Lexus. Early on, she noticed how luxury buyers valued the brand’s respect and hospitality — something missing from competitors. To truly understand that experience, she and her team visited dealerships, sat in the cars, and immersed themselves in the customer journey.

AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 brought the magic of Disney to Houston with “An Inside Look at Imagineering Presented by Walt Disney Imagineering.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 29, Imagineers Lanny Smoot and Jonathan Becker shared their personal journeys, offering a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most innovative and immersive experiences in themed entertainment.

During the session, Smoot, who holds 107 United States-issued patents — the most of anyone at Walt Disney Company — discussed his latest innovation, the HoloTile floor, which he believes will transform the virtual reality landscape.

Stacey Abrams wears many hats. The first Black woman nominated for governor in U.S. history, she is a national leader, voting rights advocate, romance and thriller novelist, and serial entrepreneur with her own media and podcast ventures.

At AFROTECH™ Conference 2025 in Houston, Abrams joined Dr. Rachel Gillum, vice president of ethical and humane use of technology at Salesforce, for a session titled “Democracy in the World of AI,” highlighting AI’s rapid spread, its impact on every sector from health care to the economy, and its connection to democracy.

Abrams explained that her commitment to democracy is driven by her experience with poverty, which she called immoral, economically inefficient, and solvable — a reality she is determined never to return to.