Striving to change a dramatically low participation rate of black women and men in technology, the Blacks in Technology Foundation hosts BITCON 2021, a conference that this year will be held virtually on October 13th through the 15th.
The event will feature a broad range of disciplines in the field of technology including computer science, cryptocurrency, information technology and other tech areas. The event will attract IT practitioners, technology leaders, startup founders, and all who are seeking to pursue or advance their tech careers.
In their event announcement Blacks In Technology addresses the significant gap that exists between African Americans and the rest of the tech industry. The organization’s mission is to inspire and educate black women and men in technology, as well as host events that showcase Black tech excellence.
Their efforts seek to increase black participation from the very low 3% of workers at the top 75 technology companies and to also improve upon the approximate 3% of identified Black and Black founders who received US venture capital in 2020.
The BITCON agenda includes tools, resources, workshops, and discussions to help attendees move past this great divide in technology. In addition, BITCON will host hackathons, a startup pitch competition with a $10,000 cash prize, a diversity career fair, and have over $15,000 in giveaways for attendees. A major goal is for attendees to leave having gained a supportive network for them to advance their tech careers.
Speakers at the event are well known experts that includes Shark Tank’s, Daymond John, the managing partner of Backstage Capital Arlan Hamilton, international crisis management expert Judy Smith, motivational speaker Dr. Simon T. Bailey, and over 50 of the most influential Black thought leaders in tech.
Arlan Hamilton is the founder of Backstage Capital and she released her first book in 2020 entitled It’s About Damn Time based on her personal journey into entrepreneurship and venture capital. Backstage Capital’s fund invests in founders from underestimated groups that the fund defines as women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ community. The fund has raised more than $15 million and has invested in more than 150 startups that include black founders and CEOs, women and all people of color.
Judy Smith, an international known crisis management expert and entrepreneur, helms Smith & Company, a strategic advisory firm in which serves as an advisor for a host of corporate, celebrity, non-profit and government clients. Prior to founding her firm, she served as Deputy Press Secretary and Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush.
Smith’s book Good Self…Bad Self: How to Bounce Back from a Personal Crisis draws upon her years of experience to help individuals develop the tools needed to face mistakes and overcome challenges. As a highly successful black woman, she now seeks to inspire women of color to overcome barriers and advance their careers in all fields.
The Blacks In Technology Foundation has the support of dozens of technology organizations and companies from Silicon Valley and across the U.S. that includes Google, Disney, Square, and Palo Alto Networks. These are tech companies that have committed to creating a diverse workforce.
“What’s always excited me most about BITCON is that we pride ourselves on being a true tech conference,” says Founder of Blacks In Technology, Greg Greenlee. “We are not a diversity conference so don’t attend this event expecting us to preach to the choir on issues we face as a marginalized group in this industry.”
In addition to its many activities to support black women and men in technology, in 2021 the Blacks In Technology Foundation will give out over $1M in scholarships and grants for technical certifications and trainings resources to members who are part of the 48 chapters led 100% by volunteers.
Through these many efforts more people of color will pursue technology careers that will result in greater diversity and inclusion in the tech industry.
