Black Enterprise’s TechConneXt Tech Summit 2016 is over. Although the event was a success in total, there were a few moments that really captured how unique, fun, and imperative TechConneXt is in bringing together those interested in furthering diversity in STEM.
Some moments were poignant and stirring, others, funny and light-hearted. Here are more of my favorites. See my first 10 highlights here.
Just “Everette†and “Tristanâ€
Left-to-right: Everette Taylor, Tristan Walker (Image: File)
There was standing room only in an incredible one-on-one session between millennial tech powerhouses, Everette Taylor, CMO of Skurt and marketing guru, and Tristan Walker, founder, and CEO of Walker & Co. Brands. Both are so well known in Silicon Valley that if you simply mention “Everette†or “Tristan†people know to whom you refer. The audience barely made a sound, captivated, as Everette interviewed Tristan about his life and lessons learned as an entrepreneur.
Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green Gets Blunt
Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green (Image: File)
Renowned for her research in using lasers to treat cancer, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green was a star attraction at TechConneXt as a participant in the women of color in tech panel. But Green, who averages 80 hours a week ensconced in a lab, was also there to talk business. If you really want to help me and help fight cancer, go to my website www.physics2cancer.org to donate, she told the audience. “No, I mean now. Pull out your phones and go to my website,†she then instructed. It was a spectacularly ballsy move and drove home the importance of her research.
Roboticists Disagree on Whether Robots Will Replace Us All
Left-to-right: Brian Brackeen, Terrence Southern, Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu (Image: File)
Robots tend to bring out anxiety in humans. “No they will not kill us,†assured Dr. Ashitey Trebi-Ollennu, a NASA roboticist who participated in a discussion on artificial intelligence and robotics.
Whether robots will take our jobs may be another story. They definitely will replace jobs, said Terrence Southern, a robotics engineer at GE who was also on the panel. “That’s what I do. I’m called in to automate a company,†said Southern about his work building robots to replace human labor and automate business tasks. “I’m like the Grim Reaper,†he quipped.
Trebi-Ollennu somewhat disagreed, pointing out that while robots will replace more low-skill labor, their proliferation into society will mean more jobs for people to program, build, and maintain them. The audience was spellbound in what was hands down the most techie of our panels.
Government Official Sheds Light on the Origins of Memory Foam
Demetria Gallagher (Image: File)
Demetria Gallagher, ‎the senior advisor for Policy & Inclusive Innovation Minority Business Development Agency at the U.S. Department of Commerce, traveled from D.C. to give a presentation on how the MBDA can help minority businesses succeed. She also showed a fascinating video on the origins of everyday tech. For example, memory foam mattresses came from the
material used to cushion impact inside spacecraft. And GPS was developed by the military. The MBDA facilitates the transfer of these technologies to small, innovative tech startups to use in their solutions.
Ryan Leslie Shines
Left-to-right: Paul Lane, Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Ryan Leslie, Corey Rosemond (Image: File)
Grammy-nominated producer and entertainer Ryan Leslie took the stage in a panel of all-stars including Ty Ahmad-Taylor, CEO of THX Ltd.; Corey Rosemond, business development director, Plantronics; and TV and radio personality Paul Lane. Leslie’s Harvard-educated background and tech savvy were on full display as he spoke about his company and service, SuperPhone. And, he was the only speaker at the conference sporting a mouth grill!