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Session Preview Guide

Here's what your team will actually walk away with

A preview of sessions across AfroTech 2026's conference tracks. Share this with your manager to show the real skills and connections your team brings back.

AI

AI Training

Hands-on AI workshops whether you're building it, buying it, or leading teams that use it

Workshop

AI in Production: From Prototype to Scale

Move beyond demos. Learn deployment patterns, monitoring, and cost management for production AI systems.

3 hoursIntermediate-AdvancedHands-on
Workshop

Prompt Engineering for Teams

Build a shared prompt library, set quality standards, and create workflows that make AI useful across your team.

2 hoursAll levelsHands-on
Panel

Building AI-First Organizations

How companies are rebuilding around AI instead of bolting it on. Real talk about where AI actually helps and where it's a waste of money.

90 minutesProduct, Strategy + Engineering
Keynote

The AI Leadership Gap

Black professionals are underrepresented in AI leadership. This keynote gets into why, and what it actually takes to own AI strategy at the executive level.

60 minutesAll levels
ENG

Engineering and Architects

For engineers, architects, and engineering leaders who build at scale

Workshop

System Design at Scale

Design systems that handle millions of users. You'll work through architecture reviews, trade-off analysis, and patterns from companies like Netflix, Stripe, and Google.

3 hoursSenior EngineersHands-on
Workshop

Cloud Architecture Patterns

Multi-cloud strategy, serverless at scale, and infrastructure-as-code patterns. Bring your laptop and build a production-ready architecture in the session.

3 hoursIntermediate-AdvancedHands-on
Panel

Engineering Leadership: IC to Manager

Senior ICs and engineering managers on what changes when you go from writing code to leading people, and how to stay technical while you do it.

90 minutesMid-Senior
Hands-on Lab

Performance Engineering Deep Dive

Profiling, optimization, and observability. Diagnose and fix real performance bottlenecks in a guided lab environment.

2 hoursAdvancedHands-on
LDR

Leadership Development

For managers, directors, and VPs growing into bigger leadership roles, across any function or industry

Workshop

Managing Up

How to influence without authority, communicate with executives, and make sure your team's work gets seen by the right people.

2 hoursManagers + DirectorsInteractive
Workshop

Building and Retaining Diverse Teams

What actually works when it comes to hiring, growing, and keeping diverse talent. No platitudes, just approaches backed by data.

2 hoursPeople ManagersInteractive
Workshop

Executive Presence Workshop

Communication coaching for mid-level leaders eyeing VP and C-suite roles. Small group, real feedback.

3 hoursDirectors + VPsSmall group
Keynote

The Path to the C-Suite

Fortune 500 C-suite leaders on how they got there, what they'd do differently, and what the next generation of Black executives needs to know.

60 minutesAll levels
SEC

Cybersecurity and Risk

Risk, governance, and hands-on security for teams of any size

Workshop

Zero Trust Architecture

Build zero trust from scratch. Network segmentation, identity-aware proxies, and continuous verification, all hands-on.

3 hoursSecurity EngineersHands-on
Workshop

Cloud Security Fundamentals

Secure your AWS, Azure, and GCP environments. IAM best practices, secrets management, and automated compliance scanning.

2 hoursIntermediateHands-on
Simulation

Incident Response Simulation

Live tabletop exercise simulating a breach. Run your response plan, coordinate across teams, and debrief with CISOs who've been through the real thing.

3 hoursAll security rolesTeam exercise
Panel

GRC for Business Leaders

Governance, risk, and compliance from people who run security programs. How to build a risk program your board actually understands.

90 minutesManagers + Directors

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