What started as a spark in San Francisco, CA, has grown into a global hub for Black technology and innovation. Each year, the AFROTECH™ community convenes tens of thousands of professionals and students along with more than 150 global companies to exchange ideas, elevate representation, and celebrate progress. The weeklong experience is specifically curated to include top-tier keynotes, panels, networking events, and culture-driven programming that fuels the next generation of builders and leaders. The Beginning: From Idea To Impact In 2016, Blavity Inc. co-founders Morgan DeBaun and Jeff Nelson saw a gap in the tech industry. Major players hosted large conferences filled with opportunities, but those opportunities did not seem to be fully present for Black and brown people. Determined to change that, they launched the AFROTECH™ Conference in the Bay Area with 650 attendees, proving there was an audience ready for this kind of space. Photo Credit: AFROTECH™ By 2019, the conference...

You can feel it the moment you step into AFROTECH™. The vibe is top-tier, the energy is contagious, and the Black excellence and brilliance are on every corner. AFROTECH™ isn’t just a tech conference; it’s a movement. It’s where ambition meets opportunity, where culture and innovation collide, and where your next big break might be one conversation away. That same spirit of innovation and opportunity is what’s driving this year’s collaboration between Bayer and Howard University . People may know Bayer as a familiar name in their medicine cabinet, but the company is much more than that. The global life sciences leader in health and agriculture is partnering with the Washington D.C.-based HBCU for the second year in a row to bring The Yard to AFROTECH™ — a dynamic space to connect, unwind, and get real-time resume feedback from Bayer volunteers. Whether you’re job-hunting, internship-seeking, or just leveling up your personal brand, this is the moment to make sure your resume is...

Once a symbol of affordable indulgence and community gathering, Red Lobster has weathered years of financial turbulence, leadership turnover, and changing consumer habits. Now, emerging from bankruptcy, the iconic seafood chain is charting a comeback under the leadership of Damola Adamolekun, a 36-year-old Nigerian-born executive whose career has been defined by turning crises into opportunities, according to CBS News. From Finance To Food Before stepping into the restaurant industry, Adamolekun built his foundation in high-stakes finance at Goldman Sachs and TPG Capital, reports Fortune. That analytical rigor has shaped his turnaround philosophy to be data-driven, fast-moving, and people-focused. “When you’re in a distressed situation, you can’t waste months trying to figure out what to do,” he told Fortune, emphasizing speed and decisiveness as central to Red Lobster’s recovery. His prior success at P.F. Chang’s, where he became the first Black CEO and guided the company back to...

Few athletes have entered the NBA with as much anticipation as Zion Williamson. The Duke University alum, a 6’6″, 284-pound basketball player, was drafted first overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019, according to Basketball Reference. Zion Williamson quickly became one of the league’s most marketable players, drawing early hype for his tenure in the league. Staying True To His Love For The Game Despite the media frenzy that has followed him since high school, Williamson remains grounded. According to The News & Observer, he often recalls the days when he and his stepfather trained on empty outdoor courts, focusing on fundamentals and building the work ethic that fueled his rise. His mother, who served as his first coach, was the toughest coach he ever had — he told the outlet — a formative influence that helped keep his focus on passion rather than fame. Even at the height of his draft hype, Williamson told The News & Observer, “I don’t play basketball for the money; it was...

Sean Tresvant stepped into a historic role on Jan. 1, 2024, becoming Taco Bell’s first Black CEO. His appointment marked more than just a leadership change. It represented a new chapter for a brand that has consistently positioned itself at the intersection of food, culture, and innovation. For Tresvant, it is the culmination of a career filled with lessons that prepared him to lead one of the world’s most recognizable restaurant brands. From Seattle Roots To Global Leadership Tresvant’s story begins in Seattle, where sports and family shaped his early values. He played basketball at Washington State University and later returned to Seattle University for his MBA. His career did not follow a straight line. He started in sales at Campbell Soup, learning the fundamentals of business at the ground level. From there, he held roles at Pepsi and Sports Illustrated, each experience sharpening his understanding of branding and consumer behavior. At the Albers Executive Speaker Series,...

From the workplace to classrooms to personal use, AI is being woven into how society works and communicates. Among the most widely used tools is ChatGPT. Recently, the chatbot’s creator, OpenAI, came under fire after a 16-year-old California teen took his own life, according to the BBC. As adoption grows, so do the questions around how to protect users and ensure responsible engagement with the technology. Why AI Safety Matters As AI becomes more integrated into education, workplaces and personal life, the stakes of safety grow higher. Forbes reports that concerns about the technology range from bias and data privacy to misinformation. According to the BBC, a recent lawsuit claimed that interactions with ChatGPT may have encouraged 16-year-old Adam Raine to take his own life. Per the outlet, Raine discussed suicidality with the chatbot and even shared images of self harm. Despite recognizing Raine’s messages as a medical emergency, the chatbot continued to engage with him. Raine’s...

Naomi Osaka is a four-time Grand Slam tennis champion who rose to the world No. 1 ranking in 2019. She has since balanced her career on the court with growing influence in business, fashion, and media. Early Success And Tennis Stardom Osaka claimed her first Grand Slam title at just 20 years old, after defeating Serena Williams in a historic match during the 2018 U.S. Open. She quickly followed with another victory at the 2019 Australian Open, which propelled her to a world No. 1 ranking. By 2021, she was a four-time Grand Slam champion and a household name, according to a Harper’s Bazaar profile. After taking time away from the game to prioritize her mental health and later welcoming her daughter, Shai, in 2023, Osaka is now finding her rhythm again. BBC reported that she recently reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since 2021, showing flashes of the fearless baseline game that once made her unstoppable. Naomi Osaka Net Worth Naomi Osaka is among the highest-paid athletes in...

At this point, nobody needs convincing that artificial intelligence is here to stay. It is in the way we work, the way we connect, and the way opportunities show up, sometimes before we even go looking for them. The real question is not whether AI will shape the future, but who is shaping AI in ways that actually move people forward. That is where Paychex enters the chat. As one of the nation’s leading providers of human capital management solutions, Paychex is proving that technology is only as good as the purpose behind it. The company is taking AI and data analytics far beyond surface-level automation. Their focus is on building tools that make work smarter, more equitable, and more human. This is not about chasing trends; it’s about rethinking the systems businesses rely on so they can hire with intention, grow with confidence, and create workplaces where people can thrive. With more than five decades of HR expertise, Paychex has a perspective that most tech-driven companies do...

At age 21, Coco Gauff has already secured two Grand Slam titles at the U.S. Open in addition to her business ventures. Coco Gauff’s Tennis Career Gauff captured global attention as a teenager when she defeated Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019. In 2023, she won her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open, per AP News. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, in June 2025, she added a second major title at the French Open, defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a three-set match. Recently, Gauff has fought through challenges, such as an inconsistent serve, by bringing biomechanics expert Gavin MacMillan onto her team, as reported by AP News. Reflecting on her French Open victory, Gauff acknowledged the doubts she had once wrestled with in an Instagram post this June: “I thought I could never overcome the pressure, I thought holding this trophy would never happen. I thought my dreams were so close to happening, but would never come true. So to be here….means absolutely everything.” Beyond...

Aliko Dangote has become synonymous with Black wealth on a global scale. In 2025, he remains the richest Black man in the world, with a net worth of $23.9 billion, placing him 83rd on Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires. His success is a testament to Africa’s growing role in shaping global industry. From Nigeria To Global Industry Leader Born in 1957 in Kano, Nigeria, Dangote was introduced to trade and enterprise at a young age. According to a Bloomberg profile, his great-grandfather was one of West Africa’s wealthiest men, and his maternal grandfather raised him after the death of his father. Dangote studied business at Egypt’s Al-Azhar University before returning to Nigeria with the ambition to build a business empire. He began in the late 1970s as a cement trader, funded by a loan from his uncle, and by 1981, he had established the Dangote Group. Over the decades, he shifted from trading commodities like sugar and flour into large-scale manufacturing, building salt and...

Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, a founding member of TLC, revealed that the group paid $1 million per letter to reclaim the rights to their name. The total of $3 million ensured Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas retained full ownership of the TLC brand following the death of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes in 2002. In a Facebook video posted by DJ Envy of “The Breakfast Club,” Watkins revealed that the band paid $1 million per letter to own the rights to their band’s name. “A million dollars per letter, honey,” she said in the video. “To buy back the name TLC.” She did not disclose from whom they purchased the rights, adding only, “You know from whom. We ain’t gonna say.” As AFROTECH™ previously reported, the monumental success of their 1994 album, “CrazySexyCool,” produced hits like “Creep” and “Waterfalls” and earned the group two Grammys. While it made TLC the first girl group at the time to achieve diamond certification, the women faced severe financial hardship shortly after. In 1995, TLC...

When Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown walks onto the court, you see precision, focus, and intent. What you don’t see is the noise, the constant mental motion, the layered thoughts arriving all at once, and the lifelong challenge of navigating it all. For the first time, the NBA All-Star and entrepreneur is pulling back the curtain on that unseen world and sharing a personal revelation: he has ADHD. “I never even knew,” Brown told  AFROTECH™ in an interview with AFROTECH™. “My mom never told me. She knew I was diagnosed but didn’t want to make it a thing. So I just figured out how to push through.” Brown pushed through, knowing he had ADHD, into a purpose for something bigger: a movement to normalize tech-forward, non-invasive approaches to mental health, especially for Black men. At the center of that mission is Hapbee, a wearable device that utilizes patented frequency technology to deliver mental states such as Focus, Calm, or Alertness without the use of chemical stimulants....

What used to be a cluster of forgotten lots in the uptown section of Harrisburg, PA, is now a fully realized vision of hope and housing, thanks to NFL veteran and hometown son LeSean “Shady” McCoy. The former Philadelphia Eagles star returned to his old neighborhood not to bask in past glory but to plant seeds for the future, according to PennLive. On North Sixth Street, 41 brand-new affordable housing units now stand where blight once lived, anchored by a community center and a sense of pride that can be felt in the air. JMB Gardens, the $16.7 million project, is named after McCoy’s late grandparents, James and Maryann Branch. At the June 24 ribbon-cutting ceremony, McCoy described the initiative as a response to the conditions he witnessed growing up. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LeSean McCoy (@shadymccoy) “In some of these areas, it was drug-infested. It was abandoned buildings,” he said via WGAL. “Now, the purpose is bringing $17 million affordable housing. So,...

Westbrook Inc., the entertainment studio founded by Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, Miguel Melendez, and Ko Yada, is entering the anime world — and not quietly. According to a report from Variety, the company has announced a partnership with the newly formed Studio Azuki, signaling a global push that connects Hollywood storytelling with next-generation anime development. The collaboration pairs Westbrook with a new kind of anime studio, one rooted in Japanese tradition, driven by fan participation, and powered by digital culture. “…Our mission has always been to tell stories that connect, inspire, and transcend borders,” Yada, CEO of Westbrook, said via Variety. “…[Studio Azuki’s] creative vision and cultural insight align seamlessly with our global strategy.” Studio Azuki is a joint venture formed by digital-native brand Azuki, manga publisher Comisma Inc., and animation house Xenotoon Inc. Each brings something different to the table. Azuki, born from an NFT project, has already...

Long before he was hoisting trophies or signing the richest deal in NBA history, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) was known for his quiet confidence and studied calm. Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, he never forced attention. He earned it. The way he played, the way he carried himself, even the way he dressed — all of it pointed to someone who understood the power of balance. The Athletic states that balance is the key, and it has taken him to the top of the league. Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most dominant and composed players in basketball. His 2024–25 season included a scoring title, MVP honors, a Finals MVP, and a championship for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Off the court, the point guard and shooting guard leads with the same intention, building fashion partnerships and launching signature sneakers without losing his signature edge. “This isn’t just a win for me,” he said inside Paycom Center while holding the Finals MVP trophy, via the Athletic. “This is a win...