BDPACON™ 2023:
45th Annual BDPA Technology & Career Expo • 20th Anniversary I.T. Showcase
August 17-19, 2023 | Atlanta, Georgia
ATLANTA, GA—During this year’s BDPACON, the inaugural national esports tournament and tech exposure expo was powered by State Farm, STEAMSport, Inc., and participating U.S. BDPA Chapters.
(Right) BDPA Student Members, sponsors, and attendees participated in STEM workshops, eSports elimination gameplay, and tech exposure expo during BDPACON23 in Atlanta, GA.
Photo ©2023 bdpatoday®
BDPACON™ South ’23:
South Regional Summer Tech Splash • July 24, 2023
MONROE, LA—National BDPA’s Monroe Chapter (BDPA) is a non-profit organization (NPO) focused on nurturing and developing diverse working professionals and future IT leaders in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and all digital technology fields. BDPA Monroe will host BDPA’s 2023 Southern Summer Camp, (BDPACON South ’23) from July 24-28, 2023, at the Emily P. Robinson Center, 3504 Jackson Street, Monroe, LA 71202. Registration is free.
In Louisiana, BDPA Monroe offers a unique opportunity to connect with others to share knowledge amongst a community of peers through various programs such as Youth STEM Programs, High School Programs, College Programs, Adult Digital Workforce Transformation Programs, and Leadership Development Programs.
(L-R) EJ Maxwell, President, BDPA Monroe, joins Ashley Doughty on Louisiana Living. EJ’s interview and her latest podcast with Monroe’s Chamber of Commerce can be viewed on one of bdpatoday’s playlists → PTTV.
Photo and video ©2023 KTVE Fox 14
CINCINNATI, OH—Black Tech Week 2023 (BTW23) featured Issa Rae—writer, producer, entrepreneur and founder of HOORAE—during BTW23 to share her energy, experiences and insights. Best known for her groundbreaking work as the creator and star of the hit HBO series “Insecure,” Issa Rae is also a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry with a commitment to supporting and amplifying Black and female voices in the space. Ms. Rae was this year’s Keynote Presenter during BTW23.
Black Tech Week is an annual event where thousands of people from different industries, backgrounds and experience levels gather together to learn from and network with other technology professionals. It was founded in 2013 by Felecia Hatcher and Derick Pearson in Miami, Florida. Black Tech Week has since been acquired by Lightship Foundation. Lightship Foundation serves underrepresented entrepreneurs and ecosystems. They leverage corporate partnerships, specialized programming, meaningful mentorship, and capital investments to drive growth within the minority innovation economy.
(L-R) Candice Matthews Brackeen, Founder and CEO of Lighthouse with American actress, writer, and producer, Issa Rae.
Photo ©2023 Lightship Foundation
BDPACON™ East ’23:
Northeast Regional APBI, Technology, and Innovation Summit • June 17, 2023
BALTIMORE, MD—East ’23 was filled with insightful discussions, engaging activities, and networking opportunities. A variety of sessions and fireside chats covered topics such as industrial control systems, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (Ai). This year’s speakers are leaders in their fields and remain excited to share their knowledge with tomorrow’s workforce.
(Left) Indigo Emanuel, Vantage Systems, Inc., is a BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) alumna and 2019 National HSCC Championship team’s Co-Captain. During East ’23, Ms. Emanuel shares her experiences as an HSCC coder, an intern, the career development process, and how BDPA’s student memberships and youth programs helped prepare her.
bdpatoday® photo ©2023
CyberEarth23™: 2023 Annual Earth Day Tech Summit • April 22, 2023
RESTON, VA—(Left) Vanessa Davis, Octo’s Senior Manager for Corporate CSR, launches the “Design our Future” challenge using Kahoot! during CyberEarth23™, BDPA’s annual Earth Day Tech Summit. Search bdpatoday.com for “Octo” to discover related mission-partner stories.
bdpatoday® photo ©2023
Career Day with local schools • April 19, 2023
PHILADELPHIA, PA—BDPA’s mission-partners support tomorrow’s digital workforce at community outreach events with classmates and shipmates. During Earth Week 2023, Regional BDPA members co-hosted events while visiting next generation innovators at Pennell Elementary School and other campus locations.
Supporters included alumni from Pennell, Wagner Middle School, Central High School, Girard College, University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), UPenn NROTC, Penn State University, and Temple University.
Mission-partners included U.S. Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER), Amtrak, BDPA, bdpatoday, Community College of Philadelphia, Constellation Energy, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), The Fresh Grocer (of LaSalle), and Philadelphia Police Department (Special Operations).
bdpatoday® photo ©2023
Featured Publications, Articles, and Special Editions
AUGUST 17-19, 2023 • ATLANTA
Participation During Annual BDPACONs Increases Professional Development, Sustainment, and Start-Up Opportunities with Tech Talent Pipelines in the same venue
HBCU Alumni, IT Showcase finalists, and BDPA Student members win technology awards or scholarships during annual or regional BDPACONs.
Pre-Register now to attend BDPACON23!
View last season’s recap of BDPACON22
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BDPA BDPACON HBCU STTR technology
Recent articles via bdpatoday®
ATLANTA (BDPACON23) —The winner of BDPA’s 2023 PACESetter Career Achievement Award is Ms. Rupal Thanawala (2nd from right), CEO of Trident Systems LLC. Recipients of this annual award are individuals […]
In Memoriam Indianapolis, IN—BDPA’s Indy Chapter was founded in 1980 with vision, faith, fervent prayer, and a commitment to strengthen diverse information technology talent and opportunities in the Indianapolis community. […]
WASHINGTON—This year’s U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision on affirmative action, ending the use of race as a factor in college admission decisions, is an unresolved complex issue yielding many new […]
. . . more articles via bdpatoday®
BDPA Chapters host Earth Day Tech Summits with Industry Mission-Partners
RESTON, VA —For Earth Day, D.C. area high school student coding competition (HSCC) and robotics teams visit oLabs™, Octo’s innovation center. oLabs™ is where cross-functional teams of engineers, academics, technologists, thought leaders, and domain experts rapidly prototype emerging technology solutions for the US Government’s intractable problems. CyberEarth™, BDPA’s annual Earth Day Tech Summits, have evolved to allow young IT professionals, or those interested in ICT career opportunities currently attending College, Community College, Vocational Technology, High School, JROTC, and GED programs, to establish new relationships, launch tech start-ups, and partner with Industry during tech and career expos
bdpatoday® photo ©2023
BDPA Members return to CES 2023 with emerging Tech Industries
ARLINGTON, VA — Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2023 will take place in Las Vegas on Jan. 5-8, 2023, with bdpatoday and PTTV staffers attending Media Days taking place Jan. 3-4, 2023. According to CTA, attendees will experience new technologies from global brands, hear about the future of technology from thought leaders and collaborate face-to-face with other attendees. This year’s show will highlight how innovations in sustainability, transportation and mobility, digital health, the metaverse and more are addressing the world’s greatest challenges. CES audiences and BDPA Members will hear from industry experts during live keynotes.
(Photo) Rodney Williams, LISNR Co-Founder and CEO, addresses the audience at CES 2018 during a CES Smart Cities panel. Mr. Williams is a Howard University Alumnus and BDPA Member. Photo credit LISNR
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