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It is safe to assume that you must live under a rock if you haven’t heard about AFROTECH Conference ’23. AFROTECH Conference isn’t holding back on anything with this year’s conference. As always, the event will be power-packed with information and opportunities to allow each ticket holder to grow and develop beyond their imagination. This year’s speaker lineup is out of this world too, with industry experts and influencers such as Grammarly’s Chris Locklin, Google’s Adrienne Lofton, venture capitalist Ashley DeWalt, and Sylvia Obell of “The Scottie & Sylvia Show.” This fire speakers’ list is guaranteed to leave people inspired with gems and tools to take their careers and business ideas to the next level. But don’t get it twisted. AFROTECH Conference isn’t just about work. The conference is curated in a way that amplifies the “work hard, play hard” motto in all of the best ways. AFROTECH Music is bringing social vibes with performances from major artists including Rick Ross and...
In 2016, Solange released her critically acclaimed album, “A Seat at the Table.” The album spoke to the Black experience and some of how the community navigates culture. One of the songs from this album that fully embraces the concept of the challenges, range, and beauty of the Black experience is “F.U.B.U.” In it, she opens by declaring, “…Made this song to make it all y’all’s turn. For us, this sh-t is for us.” In just a few short months, the Solange-inspired calling card will have undeniable evidence as members of the tech and business communities gather in Austin, TX, for AfroTech Conference. On Nov. 13-17, 2022, conference attendees will participate in panel discussions and keynote addresses, network with industry experts, and engage in various entertainment experiences guaranteed to keep the vibes high. While the conference is open to everyone, there is no doubt that AfroTech is a F.U.B.U (for us, by us) situation. So, check out these tips to help maximize your experience at...
The annual AfroTech Conference is officially coming back in person, and it’s going to be even bigger than ever! While being widely known as the largest event for Black techies to network and build community, for the first time ever, there will be an inaugural music experience at the AfroTech Conference 2022, and tickets are now live. Hosted in Austin, TX — the “live music capital of the world” — it’s only right to bring some of today’s hottest Black artists center stage during the nation’s largest multicultural tech gathering. The lineup features Bia, Zaytoven, Bas, DJ Moma, Mélat, and more. Attendees will also have the chance to party with Broccoli City — the host of one of Washington, D.C.’s biggest music events — and RNB House Party — the traveling unique party experience that delivers nostalgic vibes — following the music festival. What’s more, the after-party is expected to host over 10,000 attendees from across the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AfroTech...
Living in a time where Black representation in media is still needed, we love to see the faces seated at this news station’s desk. BET reports that local Texas news station KCEN — an NBC affiliate — has a show where its hosts are all Black women. The show — “Texas Today” — is led by Jasmin Caldwell, Taheshah Moise, and meteorologist Ashley Carter, according to the outlet. Residents of Temple, Waco, Killeen, and surrounding areas are able to start their mornings by tuning into the show for the news. Although being a part of the trio herself, the hiring move from KCEN still feels surreal in a sense. “Growing up, I always saw all-white news anchors,” she said, according to BET. “I didn’t think that there would ever be Black newscasts. I knew there was always room for one, but I didn’t think that I would see three African Americans — male or female — permanently, all at one time. No way.” Being a part of a dream come true happened for Caldwell about five years after first joining KCEN,...
With the debate on filters being a harmful tool or not, Texas has enacted a change that establishes its stance on the matter. CBS 19 reports that the city’s Attorney General sued Meta — Instagram’s parent company — in February for its “misuse of their facial recognition technology.” On May 11, as a result, Texas fans of Instagram’s filters are no longer able to use a handful of its selection. While many use filters with no foul intent, it appears that they go against the Texas Capture or Use of Biometric Identifier Act — facial recognition laws which were emplaced to keep social media companies like Meta from tagging users without consent. According to the outlet, a similar move was made in Illinois based on its Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. “The technology we use to power augmented reality effects like avatars and filters is not facial recognition or any technology covered by the Texas and Illinois laws, and is not used to identify anyone,” the Communications team at...
Shaquille O’Neal is always raising the bar! As AfroTech previously reported, the basketball legend and serial entrepreneur became a co-owner of Big Chicken in 2018 before introducing the restaurant chain to Las Vegas and California. Now, it appears Shaq is still on the move! Houston Chronicle reports Big Chicken will be opening 50 locations throughout Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin. The first restaurants are expected to open at an undisclosed date later this year and it appears Houstonians and Austinites will have first dibs. “Big Chicken is exactly the kind of brand that succeeds in Texas: pioneering and bold, yet rooted in delicious tradition. Our restaurant industry’s rich diversity is our greatest strength, and we’re absolutely thrilled that Shaquille O’Neal and the Big Chicken team are joining us,” said Emily Williams Knight, president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, according to the Houston Chronicle. “Welcome back home to Texas, Shaq.” Big Chicken’s...
A Texas man will reportedly be facing more than nine years behind bars for a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application filed, CBS News reports. To help small businesses stay afloat amidst the pandemic, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) offered PPP funds until May to remediate the financial turmoil many entrepreneurs faced. According to authorities, 30-year-old Lee Price III applied to two different financial institutions to obtain $1.6 million in funding, KHOU11 reports. In September, Price pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Prices’ plan was carried out by falsely representing the number of employees and payroll expenses of three businesses, CBS News reports. O ne of the applications claimed a small business had 50 employees with a monthly salary of $375,000. After further investigation from authorities, it was revealed the business had neither employees nor payroll or any evidence that the individuals had been hired.
Houston, TX is said to be welcoming its first Black-owned supermarket, and it’s called the District Market! According to FOX26, the Black-owned District Market Green Grocer opened its doors during the holiday weekend after Robert Thomas decided to shift the narrative when the pandemic put a wrench in the plans of his original business. Originally operating as District 1960 Nightclub, Thomas owned and operated the nightclub for five years before the COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the business. Instead of leaving his life as an entrepreneur completely, he decided to use his passion for nutrition to create a grocery store that is made with the Black community in mind.
Nine-year-old Aanya Thakur and her 14-year-old brother Ishaan are not your typical siblings. It became clear this past summer in Frisco, TX when the siblings wanted to learn how to mine digital coins while earning money. Little did they know their curiosity would lead to earning over $30,000 per month by tapping into cryptocurrencies. How you may ask? The duo mined bitcoin — the world’s leading cryptocurrency — ether and ravencoin, CNBC reports. “Crypto mining is just like mining for gold or diamonds,” Ishaan said in an interview with CNBC. “Instead of using shovels, you mine with computers. Instead of finding a piece of gold or a diamond in the mine, you find a cryptocurrency.”
Bun B is headed into the restaurant business! Chron reports that the Houston rapper will open his very own restaurant i n his home city. It’s only right that Trill Burgers is the name of the latest venture for the rapper whose known to the world as “Trill OG.” Born Bernard James Freeman, Bun B is known as one half of the iconic southern rap duo, UnderGround Kingz (UGK), formed alongside the late Pimp C in 1987. The rapper has always been one to make smash hits and now his restaurant will specialize in smashburgers specifically with burgers that have super-thin, crispy-edged patties. While further details on what an official menu will look like for the restaurant, customers can also expect an Oklahoma-style burger that comes with onions fried directly into the burger patty. Initially, Bun B will partner with Afters Ice Cream’s Andy Nguyen and Sticky’s Chicken owners Benson and Patsy Vivares to bring Trill Burgers on the scene. The burger spot will first operate as a pop-up at...
A Black woman is making history at NASA once again! According to Texas Public Radio, Vanessa Wyche will become the first Black woman to serve as director of a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) center. Wyche, a 30-year- NASA veteran, will lead efforts in human spaceflight missions, the nation’s astronaut corps, International Space Station mission operations, and the Orion Program at the Johnson Space Center. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, located in Houston, Texas, is ready to embark on a new era of space flight and exploration led by Wyche. “We’ll have the opportunity to have robotic missions as well as human missions going to the moon and working in tandem together,” said Wyche in an interview. “So, yeah, now is an extremely exciting time.” That excitement includes partnering with SpaceX and Boeing on missions to the ISS which will eventually lead to missions to the Moon, reports Houston Public Media. “SpaceX has been successful at having our astronauts fly on...