Whole Whale’s Advertising Fellow, Kariesha Martinez shares her experience and interviews at AfroTech 2019. AfroTech is the largest conference gathering of Black techies created by Blavity, an American Internet media company and website based in Los Angeles, created by and for Black millennials. Their mission is to “economically and creatively support Black millennials across the African diaspora, so they can pursue the work they love, and change the world in the process.
Learn more about MediaHaven, an online community of diverse professionals navigating the early stages of their careers. NYC meetup coming in 2020.
People Interviewed
Will McLemore:
- Supportability Specialist of ProConnect Tax Online at Intuit
- Will sees the importance of community and is working on his own app to connect mentors with new mentees.
Tiffany Black:
- Senior Marketing Manager at Airbnb
- Tiffany has been attending Afrotech from its inception, being one of the first 250 attendees.
David Barthwell:
- Founder of Chicago’s Wakandacon
- David is a major believer in Afrofuturism and the importance of Black people’s ability to participate and be accepted in “nerdy” spaces, which have been and are predominantly white.
- International Art Advisor and Entrepreneur
- “Autumn Breon Williams works to reimagine a global narrative of Africa through the lenses of education and art.” -autumnbreon.com
IB Majekodunmi:
- Engagement Manager at Tradeshift
- IB knows that there is a strong need for Black people in leadership and has worked towards that shift throughout her career.
