Black Tech Saturdays

Thank you Black Tech Saturdays for inviting Bodman’s David Walker and Alexis Smith-Scott to participate in the 2024 Black Tech Saturday Digital Empowerment Summit. ? During the summit, BTS hosted a variety of sessions on sustainable technology, real estate, coding, branding, entrepreneurship, sales, and more.

After a short social media hiatus to focus on delivering our first kits to customers (update coming soon!), I’m back to reflect on the profound experience we had at Walker-Miller Energy Services' RECESS24. This wasn’t just a conference; it was a gathering of hearts and minds, united by a shared commitment to transforming communities through clean energy and mobility solutions. Thanks to the incredible Black Tech Saturdays founded by Johnnie Turnage and Alexa Turnage, I was able to connect with Detroit in a way that felt authentic and deeply personal. I am beyond grateful to Carla Walker-Miller, who saw a spark in me and welcomed me into this remarkable community. Her belief in inclusion and equity resonated powerfully throughout the event, reminding me that change is possible when we stand together. A special thank you to Tim Slusser, Justine Johnson, and Komal Doshi for their inspiring work and for helping us forge connections that are quickly becoming action plans. Together, we’re committed to breaking down barriers to mobility because we know that when people can move, they can access opportunities that can change their lives. I would be remiss to not mention Darnell Johnson, Paul Francis and Wafa Dinaro for their impactful work in the clean energy space. As a Chicagoan, I am humbled by the support Arke Inc. received from Detroit. The acceptance and camaraderie I’ve received makes me more determined than ever to advance Arke’s mission. We’re on this journey not just to grow a business but to build a movement that empowers people and creates pathways to a better future. To everyone who’s been part of this journey: thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your support means the world. Let’s keep pushing forward—together.

?? Celebrating Creativity & Collaboration! ?? I'm thrilled to extend my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s Month of Design. Here at Ford Design, we are proud to have shared our passion with you and the entire city of Detroit. ? ? At Ford Design, we're all about creativity and innovation. Sponsoring the Month of Design lets us celebrate and inspire fresh ideas and diverse voices. We look forward to more opportunities to amplify our community and talents in the future. A special thank you to our incredible Design Core Detroit team - Kiana Wenzell Bonnie Fahoome Frances Bernardo Ashley Seay-Green Kevin Gilboe, and Lizz Cardwell - your partnership and dedication were truly outstanding. I'd also like to express my gratitude to my colleagues who helped create fantastic graphics to promote our people and events: Rufaida Abdalla and Emma Eble Lastly, a big thank you to our leaders - Joel Piaskowski and Earl Lucas - who prioritized the importance of this work by participating in interviews and panel discussions #blacktechsaturdays. ? Here's to more creativity and collaboration in the future! ??? #FordDesign #MonthOfDesign

I’m a semi-finalist for the TechRise Chicago finale and I need your vote to get to the finals round for the chance to win $100K in grant funding! This is the semi finals for the pitch contest I won $25K for last year just a couple of weeks after I gave birth to my first child ?????? I had her strapped to my chest cropped out of the Zoom shot ?? It’s only right to close this loop! You can vote once a day here for Opnr Andrea Wallace - we are in “block A”: https://lnkd.in/ggdghTAr The more votes we get, the better our chances are of being able to pitch Opnr live at the Techrise finale next month. Feel free to share this post with your connections to help us gain more votes! As always, thank you for all your support on this journey! Let’s go!!! ????

A late post is better than no post! Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending the Digital Empowerment Summit, hosted by Black Tech Saturdays. It was a great experience to dive deeper into the tech world and explore its applications across various fields . Additionally, none of this would have been possible without the support of BIPOC Builders and Aja Gore, M.ED, who informed and sponsored me for this event. Shout out to them! As the Head of Communications for BIPOC Builders, this experience was priceless. It helped me understand how to better connect with the communities around me, and I look forward to applying the skills I gained from this conference in my journey at the University of Michigan

SYSTEMS UNLIMITED LLC is in Full Effect. the business of IT consulting, staffing, and IT development, has some new players. Congratulations to KARON HAMIEL, Esabell Cuevas, Steven Alexander Jr, Nathan Patterson, Maverick Brazill, and Courtney Prater on being awarded a grant from Apple to build the GETT Smart App and Web-based platform that teaches computer literacy to returning citizens and the tech disenfranchised. We are excited and in the Lab as we speak.

Peadbo is seeking a VP of Client Success and Engagement!

"I feel very welcomed here" #DetroitDigitalEmpowermentSummit #BlackTechSaturdays #keepgoing #togetherwecan #strongertogether #bridgethedivide ##closethegap #blackintech #womenintech #latinxintech #diversityintech #Detroittech #blackexcellence #blackjoy #blacklove #cybersecurity

A few of my favorite moments from BTS (Black Tech Saturdays)

?? ?? Congrats to fellow Techstars Detroit Class member David R. Medina álvarez who is building LIVAQ - Awesome profile of what is happening in Detroit. In 2021 in the height of the pandemic one of the persons I met was Joey Mullick. The idea for Keepingly? was still in the infant stages. When I announced that I was a part of the Techstars Detroit 2024 Fall Class Joey was one of the first persons who reached out to congratulate me and asked if I am moving to Detroit. I do love Newlab and those offices are awesome. Spending 2 weeks in Detroit...I can confirm awesome things are happening in this city and the people are committed to the ecosystem. Newlab Monica Wheat Chacho Valadez Johnnie Turnage Joey Mullick Samantha Katz Katy Kelly Paris Plain Jibreel Lockhart Laura Grannemann This article shows why Detroit is on ?? ??- https://lnkd.in/ejznQxTZ