3 Takeaways from AfroTech

Several members of our team recently headed to Austin, Texas. No, it wasn’t the warm weather and world-class BBQ they were after–although those were certainly perks of the trip–but rather to attend AfroTech.?

For context, AfroTech is the largest conference dedicated to celebrating all things Black in tech and web3. It’s four days of networking, programming and learning with industry leaders and top recruiters. It’s also just a lot of fun.?

We asked the Haven team who went–Frannie Melegrito, Tanahiry Sanchez, Mikhail Qader and Devon Cooke–to reflect on their experience and share a bit about the various discussions that emerged.?

Here’s what they had to say.

A conference dedicated to Black tech is a big deal

The fact that Afrotech exists as a conference is something to celebrate in and of itself.?

“As someone who has previously been the only Black software engineer in the room, having thousands of Black tech professionals gathered together was momentous,” shared Mikhail.?

He expanded by saying that, “It’s important to acknowledge that Black people have historically not had the access or opportunity to influence the industry in the way others have. And the industry certainly has a ways to go, but seeing how many people were there and celebrating the influence Black people have had on tech was powerful.”??

Optical allyship isn’t allyship

Among the various conversations and panels at the conference, there were several discussions about how brands can meaningfully engage with and support Black tech talent.?

As part of these conversations, Frannie highlighted how the theme of “optical allyship” quickly emerged–which occurs when brands use diverse people in their public facing content (think advertisements or career sites), but don’t actually invest in or support diversity internally. In other words, optical allyship is when companies make themselves seem like something they are not.?

Ultimately, true allyship–both in tech and other industries–happens when companies recognize the systemic barriers Black and other diverse individuals face when it comes to access and opportunities, self-reflect in order to understand their role in creating and sustaining such barriers, and implement changes. Ultimately, Frannie shared, when companies do this work, their allyship flows from within and speaks for itself.?

The many benefits of ERGs

So, how do companies actualize some of the self-reflection work they are doing to break down barriers to access and opportunities in tech? From Devon and Tanahiry’s points of view, many tech companies–Haven Tech included–are creating Employee Resource Groups (ERG) to foster a sense of community among employees with shared characteristics or life experiences.?

While creating a safe space for employees is paramount in and of itself, Mikhail added that many leading edge tech companies are recognizing the value ERGs can provide from a business perspective too.?

Take inclusive product design, for example. Some tech companies have discovered the hard way that there is bias baked into their products. By partnering with ERGs early in the product development cycle and ensuring direct lines of communication between ERGs and company leadership, brands can ensure their products are built from the start with intersectionality and inclusion in mind. Ultimately, that means the final product will be more accessible, available and relevant to a larger audience.

Did you attend AfroTech? Share more about your experience by commenting below. We’ll see you at AfroTech next year.?