bdpatoday®

REVOLT x AT&T release exclusive lessons learned from years of Summit success

ATLANTA, GA—As we approach the 2021 REVOLT Summit x AT&T in Atlanta, which goes down on Nov. 11-13, we can’t help but take a look back at the success of last year’s event by way of REVOLT x AT&T’s Black Paper study.

The facts are simple. REVOLT and AT&T have always had the secret sauce for leaving an impact on the culture whenever they’ve joined forces and this year’s festivities will be no difference. Last year’s just showed the world what they can do together against the odds. The pandemic didn’t stop a thing over here.

Simply put, we believe that brands should be creating experiences that give the next generation of cultural leaders platforms that speak to their needs and expand possibilities.

In that spirit, the 2020 REVOLT Summit by AT&T provided an opportunity to collect and share insights that we know can advance the collective interests of multicultural consumers, companies and the culture at large.

Whether you’re a thriving tech power, leading lifestyle brand or consumer product giant, moving culture and commerce forward in the changing economy requires investing in immersive experiences that authentically engage and empower Black creators globally. This collaborative case study of last year’s REVOLT Summit x AT&T shares valuable insights for marketers looking to establish impactful global partnerships and create dynamic experiences that expand your audience, build deeper cultural connections, and strengthen your relationship with Black consumers.

The pandemic put an abrupt end to live events and forced many brands to rethink their approach to delivering content, products and experiences in a newly virtual world. So, for the first time ever, REVOLT Summit by AT&T was completely virtual, delivering a more dynamic and expansive scope of programming to an audience.

We know today’s generation wants to be better, smarter and more equipped to achieve their dreams while actively designing a new world. As we reimagined the REVOLT Summit by AT&T for a digital audience, we were challenged with creating a global platform position that authentically captured the spirit, attitude and aspirations of Gen Hip Hop.

Our mobile app even provided users with a full lineup of featured speakers, programs, daily schedules, exclusive content and real-time updates. The platform also featured an in-app store to buy limited products, in addition to an on-demand library to rewatch highlights from previous years. By making the shift to a fully virtual event, we gave attendees the freedom to curate their Summit experience based on their personalized interests.

With REVOLT and AT&T once again collaborating for this year summit, and continuing to push the needle forward, we also want to encourage REVOLT fans to never be afraid of leaving their own mark or creating their very own initiatives that aim to elevate the culture. Climb as high as you can now, so those who come after you can soar.

Learn more. Download our Black Paper study here and we’ll see you at this year’s festivities!

^{— Source and images: REVOLT}

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Select here to register or join any online session

The Gula Tech Foundation Announces Winners of $1 Million Grant Program

COLUMBIA, MD—Gula Tech Foundation, a nonprofit focused on awarding $1,000,000 in competitive grants to cybersecurity nonprofits several times each year, announced the winners of its initial competitive grant program. This competitive grant focuses on funding nonprofits with the mission to increase African American engagement in cybersecurity.

“We reviewed over a hundred submissions from impressive nonprofits impacting the cybersecurity industry. So many of the nonprofits that submitted are making a noticeable change in the industry and driving our industry forward,” said Ron & Cyndi Gula, Co-founders of The Gula Tech Foundation. “It was difficult to choose, but the three winners truly exemplify the mission, persistence and vision needed to succeed in this environment.”

2021 Winners:

First Place: $500,000

Black Cybersecurity Association: BCA creates a multigenerational pipeline of qualified professionals to enter the workplace and has more than 2,000 cybersecurity mentors enabling a variety of programs.

Second Place: $300,000

NPower Inc: NPower’s advanced Cybersecurity program is currently offered two times per year starting March or July for 100 students. The program is 14 weeks of full-time virtual classroom training followed by 12 weeks of on-the-job training and professional development through a paid internship in the cybersecurity departments of NPower’s corporate partners.

Third Place: $200,000

Girl Security: Girl Security provides multi-disciplinary, equity-informed programming through its “SEA Model,” where girls and young women are Secured, Empowered, and Advanced.

“We are thrilled to be announced as the first place winner of this initial competitive grant program. With a keen focus on creating qualified Black professionals to enter the cybersecurity workforce, this grant will enable us to accelerate this effort to reach 10,000 professionals by 2030,” said Darold Kelly Jr., President & CEO of Black Cybersecurity Association.

The Gula Tech Foundation’s March 2021 grant will support nonprofits that demonstrably raise public awareness about cybersecurity. Public awareness about cybersecurity is part of the Gula’s initiative to expand cybersecurity into the “Data Care” industry. Applications for a competitive grant open March 22, 2021 and the winners will be announced May 20, 2021 as part of the 2021 RSA Conference.

“RSA Conference is very proud to partner with The Gula Foundation in their efforts to increase understanding of personal responsibility to care for data and, in doing so, positively impact inclusivity and diversity of those who seek out a career in our industry through their ‘Data Care’ grant,” said Britta Glade, Senior Director of Content & Curation for RSA Conference. “The ‘team sport’ vision that a Data Care term implicitly carries with it can help broaden the lens of who feels like our field is a possible career option. The Gula Foundation’s ‘Data Care’ Grant is a great way to move this important effort forward.”

To learn more about the next competitive grant competition, visit: https://www.gula.tech/foundation/.

About Gula Tech Adventures
Founded by cybersecurity entrepreneurs Ron and Cyndi Gula, Gula Tech Adventures invests in companies and nonprofits that help close the gap in needed technology and workforce to defend the country in cyberspace. They work directly with cybersecurity startups, investment funds and nonprofit organizations. Since 2017, the Gula’s have made more than 40 investments in cybersecurity startups like Automox, Cybrary, Huntress and Scythe, cybersecurity funds including Inner Loop Capital, DataTribe and Forgepoint Capital, and also supported cybersecurity nonprofits like Defending Digital Campaigns and voting.works.

^{— Source and images: Gula Tech Foundation}

Top 25 Tech Stories from 2020

Select here for dynamic Air Force careers in Cyber and Tech

WASHINGTON ―The wait is finally over for the very end of 2020. The latest lists from Industry of top stories in tech, cyber, and STEM likely will loom much larger in the fog of 2021. Topping the charts for 2020 during National BDPA’s 45th Anniversary year were stories directly and indirectly related to COVID-19, Big Tech, Cybersecurity, and Social Unrest amidst a wider and much deeper ‘Digital Chasm‘ connecting underserved communities with their respective populations during a pandemic.

The Top 25

Most of the top 25 stories highlighted below for 2020 previously were shared with Industry, communities of color, traditionally marginalized communities, and underserved communities inside or on the covers of weekly and monthly publications.

25. Earth Day Tech Summit: BDPA and UDC Earth Day Summits go virtual due to COVID-19. [April 2020 edition of bdpatoday]

24. Digital Divide: 51,000 laptops with Internet services were provided to students in Detroit, MI. [bdpatoday.com]

23. U.S. Naval Academy: Midshipman First Class Sydney Barber becomes the first Black female to lead Brigade of Midshipmen. Upon graduation in May of 2021, MIDN Barber will receive her commission as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. [bdpatoday 11.14.20 ICYMI edition]

22. Zoom: In order to meet exponential growth and unprecedented demand, Oracle is selected as a cloud infrastructure provider for Zoom meetings. [bdpatoday 05.02.20 ICYMI edition]

21. U.S. Navy: LTJG Madeline G. Swegle becomes the U.S. Navy’s first Black female Tactical Air (TACAIR) jet pilot. [July 2020 edition of bdpatoday]

20. NIST: The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Privacy Framework Version 1.0 was released to help organizations identify and manage privacy risk for building innovative products and services while protecting individuals’ privacy. [ bdpatoday 01.18.20 ICYMI edition]

19. Digital Divide: T-Mobile launches Project 10-Million. [bdpatoday 10.03.20 ICYMI edition]

18. COVID-19: Apple and Google partner on contact-tracing technology. [bdpatoday.com]

17. Tesla: Headquarters and Gigafactory moves are heading to Austin, TX. [bdpatoday.com]

16. HPC: Lewis Hamilton wins 7th FIA Formula One championship powered by edge-to-core analytics with high-performance computing (HPC) from HPE. [bdpatoday 11.28.20 ICYMI edition]

15. COBOL: Federal, State, and Local governments call for more COBOL programmers to assist staff with stimulus, relief, and unemployment checks. [bdpatoday 04.04.20 ICYMI edition]

14. Exascale Day!: October 18th is Exascale Day. HPE, JEF, and BDPA welcomed “10 to the 18th power” or “10^18” during Exascale Day Weekend launching a series of supercomputer, HPC, and artificial intelligence (Ai) webinars. [October 2020 edition of bdpatoday]

13. Digital Divide: Best Buy Foundation awards a community grant to BDPA’s Tablets For Teensprogram and regional initiatives. [bdpatoday.com]

12. BDPA2020: National BDPA’s 45th Anniversary, Annual Technology Conference, Diversity Career Fair, I.T. Showcase, Mobile App Showcase, and the annual National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) collectively go 100-percent virtual for the first time in the Association’s history. #BDPA2020 was successfully delivered across all mobile platforms. [August 2020 Special Edition of bdpatoday]

11. USASMDC: The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and BDPA Huntsville launch a new Cyber Workforce initiative with the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (USASMDC.) [bdpatoday 10.31.20 ICYMI edition]

10. Digital Divide: Microsoft awards $15 million in Community Skills Grants, an investment over three years to fifty (50) Black- and African American-led nonprofits that are working to increase skill development and economic opportunities. The H.O.P.E. Project DMV in partnership with National BDPA’s Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter (bdpadc.org) are one of Microsoft’s grant recipients for 2020. [bdpatoday.com]

9. AFRL: In fiscal year 2021 (FY21), the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program seeks to ink new and innovative deals with emerging small businesses and HBCU mission partners to meet or exceed the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF) priorities. [bdpatoday May 2020 edition]

8. Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin’s latest rise in 2020. For the first time in its history, Bitcoin reached $20,000. According to CNBC, the world’s most-valuable virtual currency traded 5.6% higher on Wednesday, December 16, 2020, to a new price of around $20,600, taking its year-to-date gains north of 180%! [bdpatoday.com]

7. SpaceX: The launch of two NASA astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) marked the first private spaceflight company to send a crewed spacecraft into space. [bdpatoday June 2020 edition]

6. SolarWinds: Government agencies ‘hacked’ again ― stories from Federal, State, and Local agencies are still unfolding as we venture deeper into 2021. [bdpatoday.com]

5. Wall Street: Nasdaq advances “diversity” as stocks in 2020 across most major indices reached record highs. Nasdaq soon may adopt new listing rules related to board diversity and disclosures. [bdpatoday.com]

4. White House: As the daughter of two immigrants from Jamaica and India, Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris’ historic election breaks several barriers. “All eyes are on Georgia” as the next President of the Senate awaits Georgia’s runoff election results to determine control of the U.S. Senate. [bdpatoday November 2020 edition]

3. Big Tech vs. Uncle Sam: On October 6, 2020, bdpatoday.com featured a story about the House Judiciary Committee’s Antitrust Subcommittee’s release of findings of its more than 16-month long investigation into the state of competition in the digital economy, especially the challenges presented by the dominance of Apple, Amazon, Google, and Facebook and their business practices. On October 20, 2020, bdpatoday.com shared a story from the Department of Justice (DOJ.) DOJ — along with eleven state Attorneys General — filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to stop Google from unlawfully maintaining monopolies through anticompetitive and exclusionary practices in the search and search advertising markets and to remedy the competitive harms. In 2021 and the foreseeable future, “Big Tech” will have its day in Congress and the Courts from at least two branches of government. In the pipeline will be renewed battles over Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934 (at 47 U.S.C. § 230). “Section 230” provides immunity for content providers and website publishers from third-party content. [bdpatoday.com]

2. COVID-19: “All Hands On Deck” for scientists, engineers, physicians, logisticians, STEM technicians, and I.T. professionals. “Digital divides” and “heath desert” challenges across the globe in underserved communities are hampering vaccine distributions as 2020 fades away. [bdpatoday December 2020 edition]

Number 1. Digital Divide and Social Unrest: Black Data Matters, Black Tech Matters, Black Consumers Matter, all lives matter, every student ― #BDPAfuture ― really matters. Founded by Earl A. Pace, Jr. in Philadelphia, PA as Black Data Processing Associates, BDPA was established in 1975 to promote and share awareness across traditionally underserved or marginalized communities of new “Data Processing” careers with related technical job openings in “Computer Science” fields. Today, BDPA’s mission has not waivered.

The pandemic of 2020 coupled with civil unrest across several U.S. cities revealed widening ‘digital chasms’ with news deserts, health deserts, and food deserts in every corner of America leading up to our top stories for 2020. Systemic racism, cultural biases, social discord, oppression from deep within our society’s soul, and gerrymandered redlining transgressions still are shrewdly perpetuated today through outdated laws, discriminatory policies, algorithmic bias, obsolete technology, and dilapidated infrastructures. To this end, our lead success stories feature BDPA, its ICT Industry partners, major corporations, and local BDPA Chapter mission-partners making impact investments to help eliminate “deserts” within digitally divided communities as millions of students, teachers, and parents where forced home; many with little or no access to high speed Internet services. [bdpatoday.com]

In Memoriam

Last October, National BDPA celebrated the life of Vivian C. Wilson, the first women elected to the Association’s chief executive role of National BDPA President.

BDPA Nation also said goodbyes in 2020 to iconic Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman; Dr. George Robert Carruthers, an inventor, physicist, engineer and space scientist; Roderick “Rod” Wesley Flakes, former President, BDPA (Boston) Mass MetroWest Chapter and engineer at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC); U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; one of NASA’s “Hidden Figures” Katherine Johnson; U.S. Representative John Lewis; Norman Shakespeare, former Vice President of Strategic Planning, BDPA (Boston) Mass MetroWest Chapter; model and restaurateur Barbara “B” Smith; and Charles “Chuck” Yeager, World War II ace fighter pilot and U.S. Air Force quintessential test pilot.

Up Next

2021 has arrived! In May 2021, bdpatoday (ISSN 1946-1429) launches its 15th year to proudly serve more I.T. technicians and cybersecurity professionals, new HBCU Chapters, new student members, and new consumers in every industry. To add your team’s success stories in tech, cyber, and STEM along with new campaigns or press releases, contact our team directly at: info@bdpatoday.org – or – press@bdpadc.org.

₵ode on¢e. $ell Many! bdpatoday.com

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D.C. Mayor Delivers a $4.6 Million Technology Investment with 16,400 Devices to Students

WASHINGTON – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Public Schools (DCPS) began delivering more than 16,400 technology devices to students across all eight wards as a part of the Empowered Learner’s Initiative. The initiative is a comprehensive three-year commitment by Mayor Bowser to close the digital divide and empower DCPS students through access to state-of-the-art technology.

“Last year, our community made clear that they wanted us to invest more in technology in our schools – and we answered that call with a $4.6 million investment in new devices for our young learners,” said Mayor Bowser. “But this investment isn’t just about buying devices – it’s about ensuring our students and teachers have the programs and resources they need to help us close the digital divide in Washington, DC.”

Last year, Mayor Bowser made an initial $4.6 million investment in technology to provide every student in grades 3, 6, and 9 with a device to use at school, and students in all other grades will have a 3:1 student-to-device ratio in the classroom. After ensuring schools had the necessary technology infrastructure and providing professional development to educators, classrooms are receiving the Microsoft Surface Go to enhance teaching and learning.

“DCPS is excited to begin delivering on our commitment to close the digital divide and empower students across the district in innovative ways,” said DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis D. Ferebee (above left, with students). “This year, students in grades 3, 6, and 9 will receive Microsoft Surface Go’s that will enhance their learning experience and advance college and career success. I thank Mayor Bowser for her investment in the Empowered Learner’s initiative and look forward to providing even more students with access to state-of-the-art technology over the next three years.”

After students and educators tested the Microsoft Surface Go, it was selected for its agility, durability, and long-battery life. The Surface Go has a world-facing camera for video and photography, and an inking stylus for drawing and writing.

Since the beginning of the school year, teachers, technology specialists, and operations staff engaged in professional development focused on this new technology. Students are receiving digital citizenship lessons, published by Common Sense Media, to make safe and responsible decisions online.

“We want to ensure the new technology provides the best experience for students and have been testing and optimizing to make that a reality,” said DC Chief Technology Officer Lindsey Parker. “Nearly 50 technicians are trained and ready to support students and teachers the moment the devices enter the classroom and students log-in.”

The devices will stay in the classroom so teachers can continue to use the technology to enhance their instruction. Families can expect to see their third grade students using the devices to apply the math skills they learn to control Sphero robots; high school students enrolled in credit recovery can have full access to digital resources and assessment that will help them master the course content; and teachers can provide personalized strategies to meet every student’s individual needs through both in-person and digital instruction.

Next fiscal year, Mayor Bowser plans to make another multimillion dollar investment in technology to provide a device for every student in grades 4, 7, and 10. To learn more about the devices, families can visit the District’s Empowered Learners Initiative website.

Source and photo: Office of the Mayor
Cover photo courtesy: Debbie Truong

* Resources for DCPS parents, teachers, and students are linked here.

** Related articles on BDPA-DC’s Tablets For Teens or National BDPA’s Mobile App Showcase programs are linked here.

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CTA Announces Official Media Days Schedule for CES 2020

Arlington, VA, November 14, 2019 – The Consumer Technology Association (CTA)® today announced the official lineup for CES® 2020 Media Days, featuring two days of exclusive news events from top exhibitors, CES Unveiled Las Vegas and a CTA presentation of anticipated technology trends for 2020.

This year’s Media Days lineup features top exhibitors breaking news and offering exclusive looks at what they plan to showcase at CES 2020. Exhibitors include: Bosch, Brunswick Corporation, BYTON, Continental Automotive, Faurecia, Hisense, Hyundai, Impossible Foods, Intel, LG Electronics, Living in Digital Times, Panasonic, Procter & Gamble, Qualcomm, Sony, Taiwan Excellence, TCL, Toyota, UHD Alliance, Valeo, ZF and more.

Open exclusively to registered CES media, Media Days programming will take place at Mandalay Bay and run Sunday, Jan. 5, from 1-8 PM and Monday, Jan. 6, from 8 AM-6 PM. Select here to view a full schedule.

Two major keynotes will immediately follow Media Day 2. Samsung will deliver a CES pre-show keynote address at 6:30 PM on Monday, Jan. 6 in the Venetian’s Palazzo Ballroom. And later that evening, Daimler will take the keynote stage at 8:30 PM on Monday, Jan. 6 at the Park Theater at the Park MGM Hotel. Visit the CES Keynote Addresses page on CES.tech for more information about keynote.

Owned and produced by CTA, CES 2020, the global stage for innovation, will run Jan. 7-10 in Las Vegas and provides access to the most transformative tech across various marketplaces, such as 5G, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, smart home, smart cities, vehicles, digital health and more. Industry leaders and rising stars will come together to pioneer future innovation driving the ever-evolving tech industry.

— Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Next Generation Digerati are no strangers to ‘Hidden Figure$’

Annual IT Summit in D.C. Broadens Tech-Inclusion and Community Outreach

WASHINGTON — Helping Other People Excel.

Now in its tenth year, H.O.P.E. Project DMV (HOPE) has successfully developed a proven approach to broaden community engagements within the tech industry and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). HOPE’s program sources untapped talent from traditionally underserved communities for classified and unclassified entry level technology roles. Starting salaries for GED credentialed candidates, high school graduates, and returning citizens with newly minted tech industry certifications approach $35,000 for tens of thousands of unfilled entry level and junior level technology positions. Several alumni already have reached HOPE’s “six-figure” club — some with Top Secret security clearances; A+, Network+, and Security+ certifications.

Opening these exciting new career pathways to a better way of life for families not only provides peace of mind, but significantly impacts economic growth for communities in the National Capital Region. Moreover, according to Defense One, technology is drastically altering what makes our nation strong, prosperous, and secure. The DIB is not only becoming a strategic innovation base, but a military artificial intelligence (AI) complex.

Founded by Raymond Bell, Jr., HOPE knows this all too well and has always recognized an urgent need to upskill local communities since inception. Over 25 cohorts later and owning unique relationships with industry trade associations such as CompTIA, HDI, and BDPA, HOPE continues to prepare HOPE alumni for advanced pursuits, and certifies cybersecurity professionals for trans-generational sustainment. Moreover, HOPE alumni are industry’s new project managers and hiring managers.

Sean G. Conner (left) of 22nd Century Technologies, Inc. was this year’s keynote presenter and one of HOPE’s panelists from industry. He listed career opportunities in Defense and Health IT. His firm has successfully captured new defense contracts in the Pentagon, in Maryland, and in Florida.

This year’s panel featured Richard Honesty from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bea Braxton, CEO of BeaKen Systems & Technology Solutions Inc., and Perry Carter, President of National BDPA’s Greater Washington D.C. Chapter. Panelists stated today’s leading digital companies have disrupted every industry they have touched, from publishing to automotive. Digital transformations determine how industry identifies and sources raw talent from every community. Yet far too often, future workforces are left out of groundbreaking innovations and economic development opportunities, especially those 18 to 24 years of age.

Sergeant First Class Warren Martinez (above) highlights current training opportunities in cyber, telecommunications, and information technology with the United States Army. For those entering technical fields or seeking security clearances with additional income as a reservist, access to the Army’s specialized training, high-tech equipment, and cyber operations are unavailable in most civilian jobs and becomes extremely invaluable on technical resumes when presented across growth industries.

New technologies notwithstanding, emerging success stories with industry and the DIB from suppliers and local communities hardly ever are deemed newsworthy. HOPE has changed this narrative. This year’s I.T. Summit was an annual value-packed information technology conference with Industry offered at no cost to District Residents, HOPE students and alumni, BDPA Members, and the public. Participants were able to discover new concepts while discussing industry’s requirements with HOPE alumni and Industry panelists. Government contracting with related start-up opportunities, acquiring security and facilities clearances, and pursuing degrees while entering technology fields were discussed.

The following workshops were offered this year:

Interviewing for I.T. Jobs, Building I.T. Resumes, Working with Recruiters and Job Boards
HOT Technical Certifications and Cybersecurity Tools
“Must-Have” Technical Skills for Entry and Mid-level I.T. Jobs
“A Day in the Life” of a HOPE Project’s World Class IT Help Desk Professional

Rocking her new ‘HOPE Hoodie’, Ms. Alaisha Etheredge (inset photo), shares dashboard and analytical reporting requirements during her session. Attendees discussed using the latest security information and event management (SIEM) tools such as Splunk and related certification tracks from novice to expert.

Conference and tech summit attendees met with IT professionals, small business executives, and workshop presenters, some of whom “walked in the same shoes” and recently launched their careers with HOPE.

During this year’s sessions, participants discovered how to prepare for an IT career within any vertical industry segment such as defense, healthcare, or transportation while acquiring practice skills that helps one succeed with certification testing toward any assignment.

For additional information, visit HOPE’s landing page at http://www.hopeprojectdc.org. HOPE is real.

— Photo credits: H.O.P.E. Project DMV (top) and BDPA-DC . Raymond Bell, Jr. and Theresa Caldwell contributed to this article for bdpatoday.

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CBC TECH 2020 delegation visits Silicon Valley

WASHINGTON—Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Diversity Task Force Co-Chairs Representatives G. K. Butterfield (NC) and Barbara Lee (CA) welcomed Representative Maxine Waters (CA), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee and Representative Gregory Meeks (NY), also a member of the committee, to the third CBC TECH 2020 delegation to Silicon Valley. On this trip, the members of Congress met with four technology CEOs — Brian Chesky (AirBnB), Tim Cook (Apple), Jack Dorsey (Square & Twitter), and Dan Schulman (PayPal).

Members proposed a Tech CEO summit, where leaders of major technology corporations must come together to determine specific actions needed to increase minority representation and inclusion across tech industries. See full story, read more …

— Story and cover photo credit: Keith Moore, Open Government TV (OGTV)

5th Annual SciFest Rocks D.C. and Tech!

WASHINGTON — The USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo, presented by Lockheed Martin, takes place this weekend April 7-8, 2018 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC.

“The USA Science and Engineering Festival focuses on meeting a critical need in America: motivating and invigorating the next generation of young innovators about science and engineering and, at the same time, expanding the public’s appreciation and understanding of science and technology.”
– Larry Bock, Founder

This event is the nation’s largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) featuring over 3,000 hands-on exhibits, 30 stage shows and tech attractions. As an extension of this year’s Festival Expo, the USA Science & Engineering Festival hosted its first ever STEM Career Fair Night. Friday afternoon’s STEM Career Fair on April 6, 2018, connected employers with potential recruits and showcased future opportunities for employment.

— Sources: BDPA-DC and NSBE-DC
Photos: bdpatoday
Video: USASEF

Register now for this month’s annual Earth Day Tech Summit in Washington, D.C. (April 20-21, 2018) or the annual Earth Day Weekend Golf Tournament in Huntsville, AL (April 20, 2018).

BDPA Washington, D.C.

BDPA Huntsville

FAMU Crowned 2018 HBCU Battle of the Brains Champion

AUSTIN, TX—The HBCU Battle of the Brains (BOTB) is a hybrid event between a “Hackathon” and a “Business Case Competition” where teams from HBCUs across the country develop a solution to a complex issue, then pitch that solution in front of Industry judges, as well as a live audience. HBCU Battle of the Brains was a weekend’s worth of official programming from its welcome reception and check-in through the Tech Tour early in the week. This event was hosted in conjunction with the South by Southwest (SXSW) film, tech, media, and music festival. Teams from universities around the country competed until the “Final Four” teams are identified. Teams were comprised of 3-5 undergraduate and graduate school students, as well as up to two optional designated student researchers. Teams that pitched live in front of an audience with crowd participation also received one of the five final votes.

One team, Florida A&M University (FAMU), was crowned 2018’s HBCU Battle of the Brains Champion. Participating teams were strongly encouraged to incorporate technology, design, policy, business and STEM components into their final business solutions. Each was judged on the following criteria:

Analysis – ability to thoroughly articulate the technology and business value of their solution
Business/Technology Solution – proposed solution using current and/or future technology trends
Presentation – the ability to pitch their solution effectively to the panel of participants
Q&A – demonstrated mastery of subject through by addressing the judge’s inquiries.

Participating teams had 24 hours to develop a solution based on the business challenges presented.