Hope you techies are enjoying your TechConneXt experience, thus far. It is now Day 2 of the summit, and the event is full steam ahead.
Today the agenda is full of informative sessions on trends, gaming, music, strategizing, and more. See below for a little guide of what you can expect of today’s activities:
- The BE SMART Hackathon hackers are still at it with their App Creation: Financial Management Re-imagined, hosted by Capitol One. Each team is deep in the trenches of creating an app with the ability to govern user finances by creating budgets, tracking spending, managing expenses, executing a savings and investing plan, and reviewing credit history. The teams will be judged on the efficacy of the app. The hackathon begins at 6:00 a.m. PST. The winner will be announced later this evening.
- At 8:00 a.m. the Honorable Kevin Johnson, mayor of Sacramento, will speak with interviewer Earl “Butch†Graves, Jr., president & CEO, Black Enterprise, about Reinventing Urban America. This discussion will focus on Mayor Johnson’s views on how 3.0 cities are building “next†economies as hubs of entrepreneurship and innovation.
- Intel will be presenting a Corporate Showcase from 9:20 a.m.-9:40 a.m. with Anthony Neal Graves, vice president, Internet of Things Group.
- A panel of tech executives including Kate Mitchell, Co-founder & partner, Scale Venture, Mark Mathewson, VP risk & finance technology, Capital One, Frank Sanders, vice president, Technology and Manufacturing Group, Intel Corporation, and Michael DeAngelo, head of people, Pinterest, will host a discussion on diversity in Silicon Valley at 9:45 a.m. This session will be moderated by Belinda Grant-Anderson, vice president, diversity and inclusion, AT&T, and will focus on the tools Silicon Valley needs to deal with its diversity problem and the constraints placed on the pipeline in minority recruitment.
- As the morning continues, there will be a Tech Hubs Replicating Silicon Valley roundtable (11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) that will look at cities that are becoming blossoming tech centers. Tech power players Jill Ford, head of innovation & entrepreneurship, City of Detroit, Earl Robinson, CEO, PowerMoves.NOLA, and Rodney Sampson, founder & CEO, Opportunity HUB, will discuss growing markets around the country in terms of venture dollars and deal flow.
- At 1:00 p.m., visionaries will be excited to check out the Spotting the Next Big Tech Trend session featuring Cannabis Marketing Consultant Amber Senter, founder & CEO of THRONE, Emeka Anen, and founder & CEO of Rocket Lawyer, Charley Moore. Moderated by Cross Valley Capital Founder, Jon Gosier, this panel will bring insight into which ideas investors are funding, expanding into new markets, and understanding the relevance of having a strong advisory team of mentors. New entrepreneurs should be sure to check this session out.
- Gamers looking for insight on the fastest way to well-paying, high growth tech jobs must check out the Opportunities in Gaming & Apps session (2:05 p.m.-2:50 p.m.) with speakers Derek L. Manns, CEO, Sungura Games, Lisette Titre-Montgomery, art manager, Ubisoft, and Leo Olebe, vice president, marketing, at GreatSchools. This session will be moderated by Michelle Fisher, founder & CEO, Blaze Mobile.
- The goal of it all is to succeed in Silicon Valley, right? Listen to leaders in the tech industry discuss the unique Silicon Valley culture, and hear advice on building great tech companies at the Succeeding in Silicon Valley session (3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m.) CEO of TwitChange, Shelton Mercer, III will moderate this panel with speakers CEO Eric Kelly of Sphere 3D, founder & managing director of Base Ventures, Erik More, and Serial Entrepreneur and Investor, Clarence Wooten, Jr.
- Immediately following the Succeeding in Silicon Valley session, the winner of the first TechConneXt Summit Hackathon will be announced. See who developed the best and most efficient financial app.
- At 4:35 p.m., AT&T will host an Intersection of Music & Technology Tech Talk with industry innovators Young Guru and VP of Diverse Markets for AT&T, Jennifer Jones.
- It’s then time to Master Your Winning Strategy as CEO of MetricStream, Inc., Shellye Archambeau, and Google Ventures Partner, Laurence Toney, share their journeys to tech and financial success.
- The final day of the inaugural TechConneXt Summit closes out with a ConneXt Reception featuring the artistry of engineer and DJ, Young Guru.
- Take a break throughout the day to connect with fellow TechConneXt attendees at the AT&T Innovation Showcase and Tech Lounge. Stop by to try on stylish, ultra-modern wearables, and preview their newest devices and gadgets.
Be sure to check out @BlackEnterprise via Twitter and Instagram for live BE TechConneXt updates. Use #TECHCNXT on your social media channels to share your TechConneXt experience. Also, download the BE Events App, available on iOS, Android, and other smartphones, to connect with other attendees, check the day’s schedule, network, learn about the speakers, and more.
For a live stream of today’s sessions visit https://blackenterprise.com/events/techconnext/livestream-schedule/​. For additional coverage, be sure to check out the TechConnext Summit page.
*Please note that information is subject to change.