Atlanta Tech Conference Bridges Gap Between Music, Tech and Black Entrepreneurship – WABE

The Atlanta-based Render ATL technology conference begins Wednesday. The three-day event is intended to be a platform for Atlanta’s innovators.

Event CEO Justin Samuels says Atlanta’s ecosystem of innovators sits at the intersection of hip-hop and business, redefining innovation through the lens of young Black and brown.

“What I constructed it to mean is that the South is tired of being manipulated and tired of having our talents taken away from us,” Samuels said.

This year, Render is expected to host more than 5,000 attendees and more than 100 speakers, including Georgia Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe who will deliver the keynote address. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google and Amazon sponsor the event.

“We want to be a top five technology hub,” said Donnie Beamer, Atlanta’s first-ever senior technical advisor. “But what I will say is the fine print is to do it fairly.”

Organizers hope to leave attendees with meaningful connections in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and software development. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, about a third of workers in the tech industry are nonwhite.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said he would have loved something like this when he was a kid.

“These are things that people didn’t see much of 20 years ago, didn’t see much of African Americans being able to lead in technology,” Dickens said.

He said it was a great thing for the next generation of innovators to witness.

“People in future generations behind us and even kids who are in high school and college now are asking, ‘How can I be a part of this?’” Dickens said.

Dickens hopes Atlanta will see more events promoting the growth of local innovators so the city can benefit from the economic impact of the tech industry.

This is all happening during Atlanta Tech Week, a series of events across Atlanta aimed at engaging the city’s local startup community. The main conference will take place at AmericasMart in downtown Atlanta through Friday, June 14.

Grammy Award-winning DJ Pee Wee, aka Anderson.Paak, will perform at the conference’s after-party concert.