ROADMAP TO BILLIONS
Conference 2018
FEBRUARY 28- MARCH 1, 2018
Black Women Talk Tech’s 2nd annual conference is focused on tearing down roadblocks and promoting #blackgirlmagic in the tech industry. It will include two full days of expert panels and workshops, keynotes, a $10,000 pitch competition, founder showcases, performances, celebrations and much more!
The first day is made for black women founders, giving them the blueprint of how to build a billion dollar company. Attendees will connect one-on-one with investors, listen to workshops tailored to their business and have exclusive opportunities to promote their companies to the media. This day is invite or application only.
The second day of the conference is giving our black female founders the spotlight. If you’re interested in starting a business, want to support black women founders or want to learn more about the tech industry, this day is for you. Attendees will get unique content, tons of swag and the opportunity to networks with incredible people. And we’re celebrating our strides and accomplishments in tech, so don’t forget to buy your ticket to the after party!
SCHEDULE
Day 1
February 28, 2018
8:30-9:00am
REGISTRATION & BREAKFAST
Black Women Talk Tech Staff
9:00-9:15am
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Host: Sequoia Blogdett
Welcome by Laura Clayton McDonnell
9:15-10am
MORNING KEYNOTE: BUILDING WEALTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR
Rich Dennis
Interviewed by Kim Weisul
10-10:45am
BUILDING ROCKETSHIPS: THE REALITY OF SCALING
Kelechi Anyadiegwu
Juanita Lott
Chrissa McFarlane
Moderated by Jessica Collins
11-11:45am
RAISING A MILLION DOLLARS WORKSHOP
Samira Salman
11:45am-12:30pm
FINDING PRODUCT/MARKET FIT: DISTRACTION OR PIVOT?
Barbara Bickham
Dawn Dickson
Tereza Nemessanyi
Moderated by Kwadwo Nyarko
12:30-1:45pm
INVESTOR & ADVISOR NETWORKING LUNCH
Various Investors, Incubators and Accelerators
1:45-2:30pm
MANAGING THE MENTAL HEALTH ROLLERCOASTER
Tonya Ladipo
2:30-3:15pm
CREATING A COMPELLING BRAND STORY
Rakia Reynolds
in conversation with Jennifer Usdan McBride
3:30-4:15pm
THE COMPANY YOU KEEP: FOUNDER RELATIONSHIPS
Denise Hamilton
Candace Mitchell
Alicia Thomas
Moderated by Danielle Skeen
4:30-5:30pm
EVENING KEYNOTE
Tonya Lewis Lee
Interviewed by Judith Jacques
Day 2
March 1, 2018
9:00-9:15am
REGISTRATION & WELCOME
Welcome by Chris Lwanga
9:15-10am
MORNING KEYNOTE
Jean Brownhill
Interviewed by Jenna Wortham
10:15-11am
TECH TRANSFER: TECH’S BEST KEPT SECRET
Janeya Griffin
Karina Montilla Edmonds
Mande Holford
Rick Shindell
Moderated by Julius Maina
11:15-11:45am
BLACK GIRL MAGIC TALKS: SHOWCASING OUR EXPERTISE
3 Chosen Founders: will it be you?
12-12:45pm
INTERSECTIONALITY IN TECH: THE IGNORED DIVERSITY
Sarah Kunst
Lauren Maillian
Jasmine Greenaway
Moderated by Chana Ewing
1-2pm
LUNCH & TECH TRAILBLAZER AWARD
Musical Guest: DELLA$IE
2-2:45pm
THE REALITY OF REALITY TV PITCH SHOWS
Brandon Andrews
Chuck Pettid
Alicia Syrett
Moderated by Regina Wallace-Jones
3-4pm
$10,000 PITCH COMPETITION
6 Finalists, 3 Winners: will it be you?
Introduction by Angel Rich
Prizes presented by Candice Matthews
4:15-5pm
EVENING KEYNOTE
Heather Hiles
Interviewed by Sandra Bookman
5:30-8pm
AFTER PARTY
The Fishbowl at Dream Midtown
Hosted by: Junae Brown & Kim Chanel
SPEAKERS
Are you ready? Our dynamic list of speakers will keep it real and tell you all the secrets of building your billion dollar business and they have the track records prove it.
Name
JEAN BROWNHILL
Sweeten
Founder & CEO
Name
RICHELIEU DENNIS
Sundial Brands
Founder & CEO
Name
HEATHER HILES
The Hiles Fund
Founder
Name
TONYA LEWIS LEE
Movita & ToniK Productions
Founder
Name
Brandon Andrews
Shark Tank/Values Partnerships
Serial Entrepreneur
Kelechi Anyadiegwu is currently the Founder + CEO of multivendor African Design marketplace, Zuvaa. With a background in marketing and user experiencer technology, Kelechi created Zuvaa to to showcase the beauty and vibrancy of African culture and designs. The multivendor marketplace is home to over 50 of the best designers on the African continent. Since launching in 2014, Zuvaa has been featured in The New York Times, Essence Magazine, Ebony Magazine and Fast Company to name a few.
Kelechi has been recognized by Forbes Magazine has 30 Under 30 in the Retail & Ecommerce Category. Kelechi has also been recognized by Inc, CNN and Voices of America for her contributions.
Kelechi Anyadiegwue
Zuvaa
Founder & CEO
Barbara Bickham, CTO with extensive experience in Technology, Monetization,
Digital/Mobile and Entrepreneurship. Her current areas of expertise are in Internet of
Things, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence.
Barbara is currently a Fractional CTO for several companies and a team member for Hyperloop
Transportation Technologies (HTT). Previously, Ms. Bickham was the Director of Engineering
for Flexeye where she architected, designed and coded the 2014 Gartner Cool Vendor Award
Winning REST API for their IoT Platform eyehubiot.com.
Ms. Bickham founded TechGenii, Inc., a digital strategy company; Wilderforex.com, a Forex
Software company; and PCNLA an investment association connecting Southern California
businesses with venture funding.
She is on the Advisory Board of the MIND Institute, MindMusic and Yummy Society; a Mentor
for Springboard Enterprises, Stubbs Alderton PreCellerator, MakeInLA and VSEDC; and an EIR
for Bixel Exchange.
She holds degrees from University of Chicago, New Entrepreneurs Program, an MSCS from
West Coast University and a BACS from University of California, Berkeley.
Digital/Mobile and Entrepreneurship. Her current areas of expertise are in Internet of
Things, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence.
Barbara is currently a Fractional CTO for several companies and a team member for Hyperloop
Transportation Technologies (HTT). Previously, Ms. Bickham was the Director of Engineering
for Flexeye where she architected, designed and coded the 2014 Gartner Cool Vendor Award
Winning REST API for their IoT Platform eyehubiot.com.
Ms. Bickham founded TechGenii, Inc., a digital strategy company; Wilderforex.com, a Forex
Software company; and PCNLA an investment association connecting Southern California
businesses with venture funding.
She is on the Advisory Board of the MIND Institute, MindMusic and Yummy Society; a Mentor
for Springboard Enterprises, Stubbs Alderton PreCellerator, MakeInLA and VSEDC; and an EIR
for Bixel Exchange.
She holds degrees from University of Chicago, New Entrepreneurs Program, an MSCS from
West Coast University and a BACS from University of California, Berkeley.
Barbara Bickham
Startup Growth Advisors
CTO
Sequoia Blodgett spent the bulk of her professional career as a producer/director, focused on music videos, commercials, and branded content, working with top pop artists and international brands.
Within the last few years, she moved to Silicon Valley and dove, head first, into the tech startup scene. She is currently the Silicon Valley, Tech Editor for Black Enterprise.
Sequoia Blogdett
Black Enterprise
Tech Editor
Name
Junae Brown
Browned 2 Perfection Agency
Founder
Name
Kim Chanel
Trappin for the 99 & 2000s
Founder
Name
Laura Clayton McDonnell
Microsoft
Vice President, Enterprise Commercial, New York Region
Name
Jessica Collins
Bumble
Product Marketing Lead
Name
DELLA$IE
Singer & Songwriter
Name
Dawn Dickson
PopCom
Founder & CEO
Name
Chana Ginelle Ewing
Geenie
Cofounder & CEO
Jasmine is an NYC based developer and Cloud Developer Advocate at Microsoft. With words and code, she uses Azure to illustrate the awesome things developers can do with the cloud. Her 8 years of development experience has led her to different development environments and industries, such as in retail with Sears, gaming with Rockstar Games, and prior to Microsoft, .NET developer tooling as a software engineer at GitHub. She also teaches the basics of web development as an adjunct professor at LaGuardia Community College in Queens, NYC. Outside of work, she volunteers as a co-organizer at BrooklynJS, a monthly meetup held in the Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn, NYC. Aside from those responsibilities, you can find Jasmine advocating for remote work environments, easier access to technology for all, and a personal and familiar motivation of unifying and elevating other people of color in technology to tackle social issues in the workplace in STEM.
Jasmine Greenaway
Microsoft
Cloud Developer Advocate
Name
Janeya Griffin
NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center
Lead Technology Transfer Specialist
Denise is the CEO and Founder of WatchHerWork.com and WatchHerWork.TV which are digital platforms for video based professional advice for women. Denise is a critical thinker and powerful communicator. Her 25 years of diverse experience working in Fortune 100 companies, large non-profits, educational institutions and her own entrepreneurial pursuits have made her a savvy, well rounded business leader who can thrive and excel in virtually any environment.
Denise is also the co-founder of my.harveyneeds.org which is platform she created to support the relief effort after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston. My.harveyneeds.org connects donors interested in donating directly to families in need.
Denise is a problem solver who lends her creativity to many non-profit organizations and initiatives in Houston and throughout the United States most recently contributing to the HeForShe campaign of the United Nations, the Rise School of Houston, Dress for Success, the Greater Houston Women's Chamber of Commerce and many others. Denise cares deeply about the community and serves as a board member and community leader in numerous charitable and quasi-governmental organizations.
Denise is a gifted speaker and presents often on a number of topics including executive female leadership, professional growth and empowerment, education, and diversity.
You can find out more about her work with female leadership and empowerment at WatchHerWork.com.
Denise Hamilton
WatchHerWork
Founder & CEO
Name
Mandë Holford
Hunter College, CUNY-Graduate Center
Associate Professor
Name
Judith Jacques
Black Women in Media
Founder
2015 Forbes 30 Under 30 Award Winner and Cool Hunting Most Innovation Person. Founder of Proday.
Former VC. Contributing Editor at Marie Claire Magazine.
Former VC. Contributing Editor at Marie Claire Magazine.
Sarah Kunst
Proday
Founder & CEO
Name
Tonya Ladipo
The Ladipo Group
CEO
Name
Juanita Lott
Bridgestream Software (now Oracle)
Former Founder & CEO/Investor
Name
Chris Lwanga
Microsoft
Senior Director, Software Partnerships
Name
Lauren Maillian
Quit Your Day Job
Host
The Path Redefined: Getting To the Top On Your Own Terms
Author
Bio coming soon!
Candice Matthews
Hillman Accelerator
CoFounder & Executive Director
Name
Chrissa McFarlane
Patientory
CEO
Name
Candace Mitchell
Myavana
Cofounder & CEO
Name
Karina Montilla Edmonds
Google
Google Cloud University Relations Lead
Name
Tereza Nemessanyi
Microsoft
Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Name
Kwadwo Nyarko
Microsoft
Technical Evangelist
Chuck Pettid
Republic
Partner
Coming soon!
Rakia Reynolds
Skai Blue Media
Founder & CEO
Name
Angel Rich
WealthyLife
Founder & CEO
Name
Samira Salman
Salman Solutions
Founder & CEO
Rick Shindell, president of Zyn Systems, is a long time SBIR and federal technology transfer advocate. Rick has been providing support to the small business community and the 11 SBIR agencies for many years. He is the editor of the ``SBIR Insider`` newsletter and host of the SBIR Gateway web site.
Rick has provided support and outreach services to the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for 3 decades and has served as a consultant and proposal reviewer for many agencies including the Navy, SBA, and NSF.
In 2017, the Small Business Administration (SBA) honored Rick with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ``extraordinary contribution to the SBIR program``. The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) awarded Rick a Lifetime Achievement Award for SBIR Advocacy, and in 2006 the SBA presented him with a Tibbetts Award for excellence in SBIR.
Rick also enjoys doing SBIR and technology transfer outreach to the states, especially underserved states. In 2016 he was honored as a Fellow from the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation for advocacy services to small businesses in the state of Kentucky.
Rick has provided support and outreach services to the Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) for 3 decades and has served as a consultant and proposal reviewer for many agencies including the Navy, SBA, and NSF.
In 2017, the Small Business Administration (SBA) honored Rick with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his ``extraordinary contribution to the SBIR program``. The Small Business Technology Council (SBTC) awarded Rick a Lifetime Achievement Award for SBIR Advocacy, and in 2006 the SBA presented him with a Tibbetts Award for excellence in SBIR.
Rick also enjoys doing SBIR and technology transfer outreach to the states, especially underserved states. In 2016 he was honored as a Fellow from the Kentucky Science and Engineering Foundation for advocacy services to small businesses in the state of Kentucky.
Rick Shindell
Zyn Systems
President
Name
Danielle Skeen
Microsoft
Account Manager – Bing
Alicia Syrett
CNBC Power Pitch/Pantegrion Capital
Host/Founder & CEO
Alicia Thomas is the founder and CEO of Dibs Technology, a B2B pricing platform that is bringing true transparency to the health and wellness industry. California native, former developer turned director of data strategy for the City of New York, Alicia started Dibs in 2015 after her prior business, KiwiSweat, proved to be unscalable. Dibs uses data to maximize revenues for SMBs in real-time. Dibs strengthens the business-consumer relationship by providing complete transparency and facilitating even exchanges of value. Instead of dropping prices at the last minute, or offering secret discounts, Dibs prices every individual spot according to real-time demand. Customers are rewarded for actions that bring the business value (like booking early and often).
B.S. Math/Econ, Computer Science, UCLA
MBA Columbia University
Alicia lives in New York City with her husband and 2 kids.
Alicia Thomas
Dibs Technology
Founder & CEO
Name
Jennifer Usdan McBride
J. Walter Thompson New York
Director of Digital
Name
Regina Wallace Jones
eBay, Inc.
Chief of Staff, Head of Product Operations
Kim Weisul is an award-winning writer, editor, and all-around media pro, speaking frequently on entrepreneurship and women and business. She is currently the Editor-at-Large for Inc magazine and Inc.com., where she shares her experience without giving up her byline: she writes columns and feature stories, mostly (but not exclusively) about women, business, and entrepreneurship. Kim mentors entrepreneurs through three accelerator programs: Springboard, Circular Board, and BIG.
In 2013, the U.S. State Department, as part of its program in Economic Statecraft, sponsored Kim for an eight-day speaking tour of Belgium and The Netherlands, addressing entrepreneurs, women, and business. Before joining Inc., Kim was a senior editor at BusinessWeek, where she directed all coverage of small business and entrepreneurship and was the founding editor of a spin-off publication devoted to small business.
Kim Weisul
Inc Magazine/Inc.com
Editor-at-Large
Name
Charreah K. Jackson
Essence Magazine
Senior Editor
LOCATION
We’re proud to hold our conference at the New York City headquarters of our title sponsor, Microsoft. After party location to be announced.
11 Times Square
New York, NY 10036
TICKETS
This year we have tickets for founders, investors, founders-to-be and supporters of diversity in tech. We are excited to bring you two full days of of jam packed content and activities. This conference will have you inspired. #CanYouFeelTheMagic
| VIP | Founder Pass | General Admission | Student | After Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Founder's Retreat | |||||
| Full Day One | |||||
| Exhibition Booth* | |||||
| Investor Reception | |||||
| Special Founder Swag | |||||
| Full Day Two | |||||
| Swag Room | |||||
| Beauty Lounge Access | |||||
| Headshot Photo Booth | |||||
| After Party Access w/drinks specials | |||||
| Special Gift | |||||
| VIP Lounge | |||||
| Priority Seating | |||||
| Day 2 VIP Lunch w/special guest | |||||
| After Party Access w/open bar and food | |||||
| Access to recruiting booths | |||||
| Price:
$499.00Book Ticket |
Price:
$299.00Book Ticket |
Price:
$199.00Book Ticket |
Price:
$99.00Book Ticket |
Price:
$50.00Book Ticket |
SPONSORS & PARTNERS
Big shout out to our sponsors for supporting #blackgirlmagic and making this possible through their generous contributions! We’re so excited to partner with companies that are committed to supporting black women tech founders. Show your love by checking out their links below.
Unicorn Sponsor
Series B Sponsor
Series A Sponsors
Seed Sponsors
Friends & Family Sponsors
Media Partners
