Black Is Tech Week 2025 Turns Houston Into the Epicenter of Innovation, Culture, and Community Power

For one electrifying week, Downtown Houston wasn’t just a city—it was the global stage where tech brilliance met cultural pride. Black Is Tech Week 2025 drew thousands of innovators, creators, and dreamers into a vibrant mash-up of AI summits, hackathons, career fairs, workshops, and concerts—all designed to spotlight Black excellence in technology while keeping the doors wide open for collaboration and growth.

With over 8,000 attendees from across the globe, this year’s edition didn’t just aim for inclusion—it delivered it. The best part? Most activations were completely free, giving students, job seekers, and industry newcomers the same access as seasoned pros, with VIP passes offering exclusive networking lounges, reserved seating, and intimate meet-and-greets.

Tech That Talks Back: AI, Web3, and Founders’ Insights

The week’s programming was a masterclass in breadth and depth. Attendees could jump from a hands-on AI coding lab to a Web3 strategy panel, then slide into a Founders Summit talk on funding without sacrificing equity. The “Evolution of A.I.” panel on opening day set the tone, featuring heavy-hitters like Allen Thornton, Trice Johnson, Wale Akinfaderin, and Jason Michael Perry—all exploring the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence.

Speakers Who Inspire and Build

With 75+ speakers spanning giants like AWS, Amazon, and Salesforce, the lineup read like a who’s-who of leaders shaping the next decade of tech. Standouts included:

• Ebony Beckwith – Former Salesforce CBO, now founder of Framework.

• Tope Iluyomade – CISO at BetterUp.

• Kanika Tolver – CEO of Career Rehab, helping professionals reboot their career narratives.

• Teneika Askew – Principal AI Engineer at BICTECH.

Even the finance-savvy side of tech got its spotlight with sessions like Adam Constantine’s “Capital-Efficient by Design: Finance for Founders”.

Career Moves, Cultural Grooves

Beyond the tech talk, Black Is Tech Week made sure the vibe was as essential as the value. Career fairs, networking mixers, and developer challenges gave attendees real tools and connections to take home. Evenings brought a cultural switch-up—concerts, happy hours, and community events that reminded everyone that tech doesn’t just live in the lab; it lives in our stories, music, and shared experiences.