Blavity Inc.'s AfroTech Conference Unveils Lineup of Top Tech and Business Executives, Entrepreneurs and Innovators as It Returns In-Person to Austin, Texas

Blavity Inc., the corporation behind AfroTech, 21Ninety, Travel Noire, Shadow and Act, and Blavity News, today unveiled the lineup for the AfroTech Conference - a global gathering of inclusive tech companies and innovators. This year's event expands into Austin, bringing together more than 300 brands and thousands of Black professionals, many of whom are shaping equity and DEI initiatives at America's largest corporations including Amazon, VMware, Google, American Express, Salesforce, Apple, Gap, Dreamville,Intuit and Shopify and more. AfroTech Conference returns in person, Nov. 13-17, 2022, at the Austin Convention Center. 

AfroTech Conference will also welcome key innovators and entrepreneurs across tech, entertainment, and business industries. This year, the AfroTech Conference will also introduce its inaugural music experience, with special musical performances from Bas, Bia, MÉLA, DJ MOMA, Chief Cleopatra, Zaytoven, The Sauce Trio, and more, including a performance from Wale at the AfroTech Official Day Party.

Highlights include:

• NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace will speak in partnership with DoorDash to discuss strategies to thrive while being the First, being the Only, and being Different in your industry, company, or boardroom. 
• Rapper and businessman Chamillionaire will take the stage with Silicon Valley Bank to share his journey from rap star to successful founder and investor. He will discuss his entrepreneurial ventures, investment philosophy, and how he's working to make the tech ecosystem more inclusive and accessible to the Black community. 
• Mark Cuban, Governor of the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team of the National Basketball Association, Co-Founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, and Investor on ABC's Shark Tank, Haywood L. Perry III and Ansley Carlisle of Mark Cuban Companies will share insights from their journeys to entrepreneurship and how they support emerging founders and investors today. 
• Creative director, activist, and fashion designer Aurora James will be joined on stage by Blavity CEO and Founder Morgan DeBaun to discuss how to hold corporations accountable. 

Web3 companies and startups will have the opportunity to pitch their business and product(s) to be voted into the Finals, where they will compete to win a $50,000 grand prize at the AlphaNoire™ Web3 Pitch Competition Finals. Disney will host a screening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, opening with a fireside chat with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams). 

"We are continuing to tackle the diversity gap in Big Tech and AfroTech Conference serves as the destination for those fueling more inclusivity in the industry. As we return in person, our mission remains the same: to further build the Black Silicon Valley by helping fast-growing businesses effectively hire Black professionals and close the wealth gap," said Morgan DeBaun, CEO and Founder of Blavity Inc. "We are thrilled to announce our largest lineup of diverse industry speakers and brand partners looking to engage in meaningful discussions about tech disruption and Black innovation. I am excited for the ideas, funding, and career advancement that will come out of this experience and can't wait to enhance the celebration with our first-ever music festival of Afro-Latinx and Black artists." 

More than 100 speakers will participate in this year's AfroTech Conference, which will cover such timely topics as: Securing the Bag: Navigating Tech from Cradle to Career; Climbing to the Top of the Tech Ladder for Engineers and Managers; Web3, Crypto and the Black Economy: Unlocking Inclusive Access with a New Wave of Commerce; Inclusive Product Design: What It Is and Why It Matters, and more. 

The news of the lineup comes on the heels of the recently announced relocation of the conference to Austin, TX, to accommodate the thousands of attendees expected to experience AfroTech Conference in person for the first time in two years.

The 2022 AfroTech Conference will see new and existing partners activating this year, including VISA, Riot Games, Meta, Indeed, Salesforce, Unity Technologies, Intuit, Expedia Group, Apple, Dell, DoorDash, American Express, Gap, Amazon, and more.

AfroTech Conference's 2022 full agenda is now live HERE - Programming will feature panels and Q&As with speakers such as:

• Mark Cuban, Governor of the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team of the National Basketball Association, Co-Founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, and Investor on ABC's Shark Tank
• Bubba Wallace, Driver - NASCAR with DoorDash
• Anré Williams, Chief Executive Officer American Express National Bank, and Group President Enterprise Services - American Express 
• Cristina Jones, Chief Engagement Office - Salesforce.org 
• Krista Bourne, Chief Operating Officer - Verizon Consumer Group 
• Arlan Hamilton, Founder and Managing Partner - Backstage Capital
• Benjamin Bronfman, Founder & CEO - Electric Tree
• Nikki Forman, Head of Amazon Global DEI Communications - Amazon 
• Rob Collier, Chief Executive Officer - Rally 
• Aurora James, Founder and Director - Fifteen Percent Pledge, Brother Vellies 
• Ruben Harris, Chief Executive Officer - Career Karma Inc
• Chelsea Roberts, Chief Operating Officer - HBCU Venture Capital
• Daquan Oliver, Founder & CEO - WeThrive Education
• Samir Goel, Co-Founder and Co-CEO - Esusu
• Felecia Hatcher, Chief Executive Officer - Black Ambition
• Frederick Hutson, Chief Executive Officer - Pigeonly
• Hope Wiseman, Founder & CEO - WISECO
• Iman Abuzeid, M.D., Co-founder & CEO - Incredible Health
• Isaac Addae, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer - Pivot Technology School
• Julia Collins, Founder and CEO - Planet FWD
• Melissa Bradley, Founder - 1863 Ventures
• Travis Holoway, Co-Founder & CEO - Solo Funds
• Telva McGruder, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer - General Motors
• Tanya Van Court, Founder & CEO - Goalsetter
• Jasmine Crowe-Houston, Founder & CEO - Goodr

To purchase your tickets for the 2022 AfroTech Conference, please visit https://experience.AfroTech.com/tickets/, and to stay up-to-date on speaker and entertainment announcements, follow @afro.tech on Twitter.

ABOUT BLAVITY INC.

Blavity Inc. is a technology and news media company founded in 2014 around a simple idea: enable Black millennials to tell their own stories. Today, we are home to the largest network of platforms and lifestyle brands serving Black millennials & Gen Z through original content, video, and unique experiences. The company has grown into a market leader for Black media, reaching over 250 million millennials per month through our growing brand portfolio, including Blavity News, 21Ninety, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Blavity TV.

Journalists interested in covering the event may apply for credentials here. Please note an application does not guarantee entry.