Cyber Week Sale! 50% Off All Access

AfroTech Inspires African-American Millennials AfroTech, an informative and inspiring conference, featured a wide array of panels for aspiring entrepreneurs.

By Jaia Thomas Edited by Dan Bova

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Andre Pennycooke

During the weekend of Nov. 11 and 12, hundreds of entrepreneurs from around the country descended on San Francisco to attend the inaugural AfroTech Conference sponsored by Blavity.

The conference, whose aim was to connect founders, techies and employees with the fastest-growing tech startups, was completely sold out. Founded in 2014, Blavity is a technology and media company aimed at black millennials. Over the past two years Blavity has grown to become one of the fastest growing digital media outlets on the web, reaching more than 7 million readers a month. Co-sponsors of the event included: Facebook, Airbnb, YouTube, GitHub and eBay, to name a few.

Related: Black Is the New Black: An African-American Entrepreneur's Manifesto

AfroTech featured a wide array of panels such as, "Being a Digital Brand" and "Start-Up Survival: Building a Small Business from the Ground Up." While several speakers hailed from corporate behemoths as BuzzFeed and REVOLT, many speakers were entrepreneurs such as Rodney Williams, founder of LISNR (a high frequency, inaudible technology that sends data over audio) and Emeka Anen, founder of THRONE (a mobile-first marketplace created to facilitate buying, selling and discovery within the footwear community). There were also several recruiters in attendance from companies such as Uber and Google in attendance.

One of the keynote speakers at AfroTech was Ben Silbermann, CEO of Pinterest. One of the first things Silbermann said once he took the stage was that there should be more African-American entrepreneurs. He shared the trials and triumphs he experienced on his journey to becoming co-founder of Pinterest. Perhaps, most interestingly, was Silbermann's story into how raised his initial capital. After repeatedly being told "no' by investors, Silbermann, entered Pinterest into a business plan competition at NYU (even though he wasn't a student at NYU, the contest rules didn't stipulate that entrants had to be enrolled in the school to qualify). Although the business plan came in second place, it eventually opened up the doors to his initial round of funding.

Related: This Group Mentors African American Entrepreneurs in Seattle

Netta Dobbins, a New York resident, said her desire to learn the intricacies of raising startup capital was the primary reason she decided to attend AfroTech. She is a social strategist at Translation and co-founder of MiMiConnect, a networking platform for professionals of color to access job opportunities, resources and a nationwide digital community.

AfroTech was as equally informative as it was inspiring. Zim Ugochukwu, founder of Travel Noire, a digital platform showcasing the experience of black travelers, was one of many inspiring speakers who shared her entrepreneurial journey. She imparted several nuggets of wisdom on the audience, including a reminder to "always value time over money." Diamond Newman, a Washington D.C. resident, said seeing so many young African-American in an entrepreneurial space helped make her own dreams seem attainable. Newman, a librarian by day, hopes to launch an entrepreneurial platform similar to TED Talks, geared towards people of color in arts and entertainment.

Related: This Detroit Entrepreneur Is the First African-American Woman to Score a Patent for a Natural Haircare Product

Jonathan Jackson, co-Founder of Blavity, says they plan on making AfroTech an annual event, with the next one scheduled for Nov. 10 to 11, 2017 in San Francisco.

Jaia Thomas

Attorney and Entrepreneur

Jaia Thomas is a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment attorney. She also assists business owners with intellectual property matters, such as copyright and trademark registrations.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

This Breakthrough Technology is Poised to Accelerate Your Company's Growth

Discover a breakthrough technology stacked on top of generative AI, now poised to revolutionize businesses across nearly every sector. Unlock unprecedented growth and profitability potential, achieving levels once thought unattainable.

Science & Technology

You Have 1 Month Left to Prepare for These 5 AI-Powered Marketing Changes — Act Now Before It's Too Late.

Big changes in 2025 will redefine marketing as AI evolves rapidly, offering growth opportunities but also risks. Learn how to stay ahead in this week's video, covering new search platforms and avoiding over-automation.

Business News

Google CEO Sundar Pichai Says 'You'll Be Surprised' By How Google Search Changes Next Year

AI has already changed the look of search, but Google's CEO says there are more changes to come.

Side Hustle

'I Just Hustled': She Earned More Than $300,000 Wrapping Gifts Last Year — and It All Started With a Side Hustle

When Michelle Hensley lost her husband to cancer, she needed to figure out how to earn an income for her family.

Leadership

How to Master the Art of Delegation — Lessons From Andrew Carnegie's Legacy

Here's what Andrew Carnegie can teach today's entrepreneurs about leadership, teamwork and effective delegation.