WCPO reported a few days ago that the one and only Serena Williams will be the keynote speaker for Black Tech Week, which is slated to take place at various locations throughout Cincinnati between July 18th and July 22nd. Williams' engagement was announced via BTW's social media channels on July 1st. Williams is one among numerous speakers featured throughout the week's events, some of which overlap with events for the Cincinnati Music Festival. Let's explore some of the other things Black Tech Week has to offer.
All About Black Tech Week
According to their website, Black Tech Week was "[f]ounded by Felecia Hatcher and Derick Pearson in Miami in 2016," and "has been a beacon for Black technology professionals for years. Each year thousands of people, from many different industries, backgrounds, and experience levels gather together to learn, fellowship, and find 'home'."
The event hopes to bring together Black tech entrepreneurs around the region to network with each other and learn about various developments in the tech sector. The event also hosts numerous venture capital firms, many of which are also Black-owned, looking to invest in the latest tech innovations.
The event also features panels and workshops about management best practices, how to build good governance in an organization, as well as tips on everything from customer development to fundraising to mergers to logistics and supply chains. In addition, the week features nearly a hundred different speakers from both national and local tech firms. To top it off, events are occasionally broken up with more relaxed get-togethers, including happy hours and even a yoga workshop.
Finally, one of the last events of the week is the BTW Career Fair, which, according to the website, grants attendees "access to startups, tech companies, global corporations and more." Job seekers who are interested in attending are encouraged to register beforehand so that employers can review their resumes.
Highlight on Black-Owned Cincinnati Businesses
Cincinnati plays host to numerous tech companies founded and owned by Black Americans. These include companies like Lisnr, which produces communications technology that employs ultrasonic broadcasting to quickly send information between devices. Another tech company in the local area is Wyzerr, which uses AI to help companies perform market research and survey customers. Finally, Cincy STEM Lab provides an array of learning opportunities and workshops for students hoping to pursue careers in science and technology. For a full list of local, Black-owned businesses in the Cincinnati area, check out The Voice of Black Cincinnati's business directory.
If you would like to get more involved in investing in Black-owned and minority-owned businesses and organizations in the Cincinnati area, check out the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce's Minority Business Accelerator. You can also take a look at the Cincinnati Minority Business Collaborative, which "consists of several local business development organizations that have been collaborating on minority business development for nearly 10 years."
If you'd like to learn more about Black Tech Week or sign up to attend, visit their website.
We'll be back soon with more tech news.