AFROTECH™ Conference to Take Place November 13-17 in Austin

March 8, 2022

AUSTIN, TX — Visit Austin and the Austin Convention Center are excited to announce that AFROTECH™ Conference 2022 will take place in Austin November 13-17 at the Austin Convention Center and Hilton Austin. This will be the first time the event has taken place outside of the state of California.

“We are so grateful that Blavity, Inc. has chosen Austin, the Silicon Hills, for this conference,” said Tom Noonan, President & CEO of Visit Austin. “This iconic event will provide much needed visitor spending to our local businesses, as well as a prime opportunity for high quality education and networking for our African American community, especially in our tech sector.”

Founded in 2016 by Blavity, Inc., AFROTECH™ Conference is the largest multicultural tech gathering in the United States, that convenes engineers, venture capitalists, recruiters, technologists, and culture enthusiasts from all over the world for thought leadership, networking, and community building. In past years, more than 10,000 programmers, engineers, entrepreneurs have attended the conference that features onsite interviews from companies like Amazon, Qualcomm and Bank of America.

“After two years in the Metaverse we are thrilled to be back together in person in Austin,” said Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity, Inc. “As our attendees have continued to grow from 650 attendees at our Inaugural AFROTECH™ to 20,000 annual participants, we searched for a host city that is accessible to our diverse audience and provides the infrastructure for the vibrant experiences and connection we craft for our attendees. Austin is that home. I can’t wait to see everyone in person in November to learn, make connections and revel in the Black excellence that has become a hallmark of our AFROTECH™ experiences.”

The 2022 event will be the first in-person event for Blavity, Inc. since 2019. Early Bird prices are available now for a limited time. Tech professionals are invited to join fellow engineers, designers, founders and entrepreneurs as they take a 360-degree look at culture and tech.

“Austin is a thriving national tech hub and home to tech mammoths such as Dell, Samsung, Google, Oracle, Tesla, Apple, NXP, IBM, Amazon and Facebook,” said Rodney Gonzales, City of Austin Assistant City Manager, overseeing Economic Opportunity & Affordability. “Austin is home to a young and talented workforce, who have graduated from our area colleges and universities. Austin is home to a vibrant music scene, beautiful and cared for natural environment, and countless quality of life amenities. And now, Austin is home to the AFROTECH™ Conference, the largest gathering of Black tech innovators from around the nation and globe. We welcome AFROTECH™ to their new home. The weeklong conference hosted at the Austin Convention Center is such a match for our collaborative tech community. We are eager to support connections between AFROTECH™ attendees, industry leaders, tech recruiters, community organizations, entrepreneurs and tech giants.”

“AFROTECH™ is the premier tech conference catering across the Black Diaspora,” said Tam Hawkins, President & CEO of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce. “People are discovering that not only is Austin a great place to visit and live; it’s also a profitable place to be a Black entrepreneur. This conference will help highlight the bevy of beauty within our economics and the culture.”

“AFROTECH™ aligns the greatest talent in the tech sector for optimal social, professional and civic engagement opportunities,” said Quincy Dunlap, President & CEO of Austin Area Urban League. “It is one of the top tech Intellectual gatherings in the hottest tech destination city (ATX) for tech equity and tech inclusivity in the United States.”

Event details and registration information can be found at www.experience.afrotech.com.

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 100 million millennials per month through our growing brand portfolio which includes: Blavity News, 21Ninety, AFROTECH™, Travel Noire, Shadow & Act, and Blavity TV.

About Visit Austin

Visit Austin is the official destination marketing and sales organization for the City of Austin. An accredited member of Destinations International, Visit Austin is charged with marketing Austin nationally and internationally as a premier business and leisure destination, thus enriching our community’s overall quality of life.

About Austin Convention Center

The Austin Convention Center is a LEED® Gold-certified and GBAC STAR™-accredited facility. Located in the heart of downtown, the Austin Convention Center Department operates the Austin Convention Center and Palmer Events Center. The Austin Convention Center Department is comprised of 301 full-time staff positions and is an enterprise department for the City of Austin. As an enterprise department, ACCD is not funded by property taxes, sales taxes, or through transfers from the electric and water utilities. Over 10 million people have attended 6,000+ events, including over 900 conventions, at the convention center since it opened in 1992.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Journalists interested in covering the event may apply for credentials here.

Please note, an application does not guarantee entry.