Startup Challenge

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Start up Challenge

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Mentor Program

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Startup Networking

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Location

Grand Conference Hall - 881 7th Ave New York, NY

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Conference Schedule

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  • Day 1

    April 20, 2026

  • Check-In and Badge Pick up for Pitch Elimination Attendees only. All other Badge Pick-up and Check-In begins on Tuesday, April 21. See Schedule for different Ticket Tier Badge Pick-up times.
    Where
    The Box Office @ The Deluxe Theatre - 3303 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX 77020

  • The Top 15 Pitch Competition Finalists Battle it out to see who makes it to Finale. 5 Startups will be chosen to compete on the Main Stage on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    The Deluxe Theatre - 3303 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX

  • The Top 15 Pitch Competition Finalists Battle it out to see who makes it to Finale. 5 Startups will be chosen to compete on the Main Stage on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    The Deluxe Theatre - 3303 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX

  • The Top 15 Pitch Competition Finalists Battle it out to see who makes it to Finale. 5 Startups will be chosen to compete on the Main Stage on Thursday, April 23, 2026.
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    The Deluxe Theatre - 3303 Lyons Ave. Houston, TX

  • After the Pitch competition, Founders meet up for an evening of networking & Connections (open to Founders in all ticket tiers)
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    69 Lounge Houston - 5219 Washington Ave. Houston, TX 77007

  • Day 2

    April 21, 2026

  • Registration Hours Open for Corporate VIP & All-Access tickets (Workshop Attendees.)
    Where
    The BIT Registration Desk @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Most people talk about AI. Melessa Lawson built a $1.4M business with it. No venture capital. No computer science degree. No permission. Starting with a single van during a pandemic, she deployed 70+ custom AI tools to automate operations, build a 12-member AI team, and slash her workweek from 80 hours to 25. Her proprietary C.E.O. Framework and QUIET Method have since helped business owners across industries stand up their first AI systems in hours, not months. In this session, Melessa pulls back the curtain on exactly how she did it and hands you the same playbook.
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • "Agentic AI systems promise autonomous decision-making, task execution, and continuous reasoning—but most implementations struggle to move beyond experimentation. In production, agents must operate within strict boundaries to ensure reliability, security, cost-effectiveness, and accountability. This session explores how to design, deploy, and operate production-grade Agentic AI systems on AWS that deliver measurable business value while remaining observable, controllable, and safe."
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • As IoT ecosystems and cloud-native platforms scale, traditional security models are proving insufficient against increasingly adaptive threats. This workshop explores how intelligent security architectures, powered by AI and decentralized trust mechanisms, can strengthen resilience across distributed environments. We examine AI-driven malware detection achieving 98% accuracy and reducing mean incident response time by 68%, alongside blockchain-based trust systems that improved latency by 32% and enhanced resistance to insider threats. The session introduces a hybrid framework integrating federated learning, edge AI, adversarial training, and dynamic trust evaluation, highlighting measurable trade-offs in privacy, scalability, and energy efficiency. Attendees will gain practical architectural patterns and implementation guidance for deploying scalable, privacy-aware, and high-performance security systems across modern digital ecosystems.
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Claude Code is changing how software gets built, and engineers who figure it out early are going to have a real edge over those who don't. This workshop is hands on. You're going to set it up, run it on an actual project, and by the end of the session you'll know how to use it in your day to day workflow to ship products faster. Whether you're early in your career or already deep in it, this is a session instrumental to your career. Come ready to build something."
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 1 - 031 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Boardroom-Ready Cloud & AI: A Step-by-Step Executive Communication Framework is a practical workshop for technical leaders who need executive buy-in without drowning stakeholders in details. You’ll learn a repeatable 6-step method to translate cloud/AI work into clear business outcomes, options, tradeoffs, ROI, and risk. Attendees build a “Decision Pack” in real time: a 1-page decision memo, a 1-slide executive summary, and a confident talk track—plus a privacy-first AI drafting workflow to speed preparation.
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • All Attendees Badge Pickup/Registration. Note: Only Attendees with Corporate VIP and All-Access tickets will be given admission into the Workshops.
    Where
    The BIT Registration Desk @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Kiro is a new agentic IDE from AWS that turns your ideas into working software through specs, not just prompts. In this hands-on workshop, you'll use Kiro to build a website from scratch using spec-driven development — where requirements, design, and tasks are generated before a single line of code is written. Then you'll use Kiro's agent skills to generate a polished, tailored resume in minutes. No prior Kiro experience needed. Every attendee gets a free Kiro Pro coupon
    Workshops
    Where
    Workshop Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Join us as we officially welcome Attendees to Black Is Tech Conference 2026. This will be an evening of networking & connections for all attendees as we launch the 2026 edition of Black Is Tech. (Venue is now moved to Harold's Sports Bar due to Inclement Weather)
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Harold

  • Day 3

    April 22, 2026

  • Where
    The BIT Registration Desk @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The future of tech is being shaped in real time — by emerging technologies, bold builders, and the power of community. In this dynamic opening panel, industry leaders will explore what’s next across AI, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and beyond, while unpacking the strategies required to win in a rapidly evolving landscape. From leveraging community as a competitive advantage to building resilient, future-ready organizations, this conversation will set the tone for the conference and challenge attendees to think bigger about their role in shaping what comes next.
    All Things AI
    Career Development
    Community & Tech
    Engineering
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Thirty-four days ago, Rebecca Metters pushed her first line of code, ever. Today, Gythr is in the hands of people at Black Is Tech 2026 to check in, find sessions, meet each other, and navigate the conference. She's not an engineer. She doesn't have a technical co-founder. She did it with AI. This session breaks down exactly how: the stack, the workflow, the cost, the mistakes, and the moment she realized the old rules about "needing a CTO" don't apply anymore. Rebecca will work live during the session so attendees see the real environment, the real tools, and the real decisions in motion — not a rehearsed demo, but actual building in the room.
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • "React Server Components (RSC) promised to solve the hydration gap and eliminate bundle bloat, but they also introduced a steep learning curve and new architectural constraints. As we settle into this new era of React development, it's time to understand some new mechanics. During this session, we'll take a candid look at the state of RSCs today. We'll dissect the technical differences between Server and Client components, examine the performance gains of zero-bundle rendering, and discuss the friction points. Whether you're migrating a legacy codebase or starting fresh, you will leave with a clear understanding of how to leverage RSCs, when to opt out, and how to navigate the new complexities of the React lifecycle. "
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Building a startup is an exercise in managing chaos. In this high-impact session, Sr. ML Engineer and Founder Chanel Power shares the blueprint used to scale the Mentor Me Collective to 40,000+ members. We move beyond the "chatbot" hype to explore the transition from manual "hustle" to self-optimizing business systems. Using MMC as a live case study, you’ll learn how to leverage Google Cloud’s Generative AI framework to automate the 80% of operational heavy lifting, allowing you to focus on the 20% that drives growth. What You’ll Learn: The 80/20 of AI Ops Infrastructure Selection Case Study Gen AI Certification & Exam Voucher
    All Things AI
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • This talk explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping access to careers in tech and how long standing barriers can be deliberately removed. We will challenge myths around traditional tech paths, highlight the skills that actually matter today, and show how learning, tools, and community can level the playing field.
    All Things AI
    Career Development
    Engineering
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The biggest trap is celebrating a raise over a customer. Pitching opens doors, but strategy keeps them open. Join Kameale Terry to move Beyond the Pitch. Learn to build a real sales pipeline, define your ICP, and leverage government relations to turn a founder’s vision into repeatable revenue.
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029-030 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The world isn't just changing—it's shattering. The VUCA framework that guided leaders for decades can no longer capture the reality we're living in. Welcome to the BANI world: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, and Incomprehensible. In this transformative session, we'll explore why the Institute for the Future's BANI framework is the new leadership compass for our chaotic times. Through real-world examples—from supply chain collapses to viral misinformation campaigns—you'll see how yesterday's leadership playbook falls short when systems break without warning and cause-and-effect becomes impossible to predict. But here's where it gets interesting: Add artificial intelligence to this new BANI world, and everything accelerates. AI doesn't just operate within this chaos—it amplifies it, creating unprecedented opportunities for leaders who know how to navigate the storm. You'll leave with practical strategies to not just survive but thrive as a leader when everything feels brittle, anxiety runs high, outcomes defy logic, and the impossible becomes routine. This isn't just future-forward thinking—this is survival-forward leadership for the world we're actually living in. Key discussion points include: • VUCA and BANI definitions • Impact of AI on the new BANI framework • 10 AI-augmented leadership skills • CTA: How leaders can shift into action, today!
    Career Development
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The entry-level software engineering market is in a state of "Systemic Shock." Graduates are entering a workforce where AI has fundamentally rewritten the rules of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), yet they are still being trained on a legacy syllabus. While the industry is flooded with AI-generated code, a critical tension has emerged: Nearly 50% of developers do not trust the code AI produces. This trust gap is well-founded. Unchecked AI output is currently generating millions of dollars in Technical Debt, creating architectural collapses that will haunt enterprises for the next decade. In this proprietary session, Aliyah Gibbs—a Fortune 100 leader currently directing a 60,000+ AI-assisted coding initiative—moves past academic theory to reveal the operational reality of engineering in 2026. This is not a "how-to-prompt" workshop; it is a strategic briefing on how to survive the automation of the industry by becoming the "Architect" the market desperately needs.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • From cyberattacks and ransomware to large-scale outages and global disruptions, modern cloud infrastructure must be built to survive constant uncertainty. This panel will focus on how organizations can create resilient cloud ecosystems that maintain operations even during high-impact events. By connecting legacy disaster recovery lessons with emerging cloud resilience strategies, industry leaders will outline what the future of cloud security, cyber recovery, and infrastructure stability will look like in the years ahead. Key Themes: Designing Resilient Cloud Ecosystems Preparing for Cyber and Infrastructure Disruptions Zero Trust as the Foundation of Future Cloud Security Ransomware and Enterprise Recovery Readiness Lessons from Historical and Modern Crisis Events
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • AI adoption and development is a constantly evolving landscape. With new technologies from your standard chatbot, to agentic and swarm systems, securing AI systems requires a new paradigm. Zero Trust Architecture and AI focused security is poised to protect enterprises as they rapidly adopt non-human intelligence in Enterprise environments. In this session, we'll explore the various AI technologies being adopted, and methods of securing the future.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Ensuring ethical and inclusive machine learning during this time is a challenge. In this eye-opening technical talk, we’ll dive into case studies that illustrate the critical need for fairness in machine learning. Through demonstrations, we’ll explore how fairness toolkits can be leveraged to uncover and mitigate societal biases in machine learning models. Attendees will get an insider’s look at the practical techniques used by model practitioners to assess model fairness, diagnose the root causes of unfairness, and implement effective bias mitigation strategies. By the end of the session, the audience will walk away with a toolbox of resources and a new sense of purpose. After this session you should have a starting point for building ethical and accountable models, so don’t miss an opportunity to be a force for positive change."
    All Things AI
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Many people in tech work closely with complex systems without directly building or owning them. This talk explores how technical fluency develops from that position: through proximity, observation, and collaboration rather than code ownership. Drawing from my experience across roles at Goldman Sachs, Visa, and Ramp, I’ll share what it looks like to understand system behavior, constraints, and tradeoffs while working alongside large-scale and regulated technology. The session focuses on how engineering-adjacent roles can deepen technical skills responsibly: learning what to pay attention to, how to ask better technical questions, and how to reason about systems with limited access. It also addresses growth in the era of AI and why relying on AI tools as shortcuts can stall real understanding, emphasizing how to use AI intentionally as a learning aid rather than a replacement for technical thinking. Rather than positioning technical depth as something reserved for those who write code, this talk reframes it as a skill built over time through exposure, curiosity, and disciplined learning. Attendees will leave with practical guidance for growing technical fluency and developing durable, transferable technical skills without skipping foundational understanding.
    Career Development
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • This panel explores Physical AI as the next logical step beyond chat-based systems. We will look at how world models, sensors, robotics, and embodied systems are coming together to allow AI to perceive, reason about, and act in the real world. Rather than focusing on a single technology, the talk maps the broader landscape of Physical AI, from simulation and digital twins to autonomous systems and real-world decision-making. The goal is to help the audience understand what Physical AI actually is, why it matters now, and how these technologies are beginning to reshape industries well beyond software.
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Legacy monoliths carry technical debt, tight coupling, and infrastructure lock‑in that limit cloud‑native adoption. This session shows how containerization transforms these systems into modular, scalable architectures using OpenShift and Kubernetes. We’ll cover strategies for decomposing workloads, isolating dependencies, orchestrating containers, and deploying across hybrid clouds with Helm. Learn how containers accelerate delivery, improve portability, automate scaling, and optimize resource usage to drive digital competitiveness
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • This session explores how blockchain is evolving beyond cryptocurrency to drive real-world solutions across industries such as finance, supply chain, healthcare, and digital identity. Attendees will learn how decentralized systems work, key enterprise use cases, and the infrastructure powering modern blockchain ecosystems. The session will also highlight emerging trends like smart contracts, tokenization, and decentralized identity, giving participants a clear view of blockchain’s real impact today and its future potential.
    Community & Tech
    Engineering
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The workforce is evolving into a dynamic partnership between people and their AI counterparts. This session explores that evolution, examining the interplay between the growing capabilities of AI and our own shifting expectations of technology. We will delve into what an 'agentic teammate' is and explore the critical shift in job roles from being a software 'user' to an 'AI Orchestrator.' By demystifying the 'Human-in-the-Loop' model, we will define the distinct responsibilities of both humans and agents in this new collaboration. The discussion will highlight why skills like creativity and strategic thinking are more valuable than ever, providing a framework for building true 'Agentic Literacy' and using it to architect a career that evolves with AI. This session is for anyone looking to understand the human-agent workforce. The talk will conclude with a Q&A, so come with questions!
    All Things AI
    Career Development
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Agentic AI is reshaping how work gets done, yet almost no case studies reflect the reality of minority-owned businesses in this space. This session changes that. As an MIT-certified Agentic AI professional and co-founder who has deployed autonomous agents across operations, finance, and client delivery, I'll share a candid, data-driven account of what it actually takes to restructure a business around AI. We'll examine the platforms we chose, the implementations that failed, and the measurable gains in productivity, decision speed, and economics that followed.
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Join us as we partner with Mingle and Muse to host Tech Tonic - A curated experience designed for the professional. It's an evening of networking, connections and all-around great vibes.
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Victory Houston - 711 Main Street, STE 100, Houston, TX 77002

  • An evening of elegance with curated Fine Dining, drinks, great music and a lot of connections. This event is only for All-Access ticket tier holders & speakers. Dress code: Dress to Impress recommended : Cocktail, Business Casual.
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Venue TBA to All-Access Ticket Holders & Speakers

  • Day 4

    April 23, 2026

  • Check-In and Badge Pick up for all Attendees.
    Where
    The BIT Registration Desk @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Step inside Zscaler’s 'Challenge Culture' for an unfiltered look at how continuous feedback, deep ownership, and mutual trust and support drive innovation within the hyper-growth engine of the world’s largest security cloud. Join Sr. Director of Employee Experience, Rochelle, alongside a dynamic panel of Zscaler leaders—Joel, Jeff, Ranae, and Darius—for a high-energy "Real Talk" session. We are pulling back the curtain on what it truly means to operate in an environment that values Trust Through Outcomes. Join us to hear real stories and actionable insights on: How to build a career where your expertise and outcomes dictate your trajectory. Why navigating tough feedback and calculated risks is your biggest career advantage. What real, cross-functional collaboration looks like when the stakes are at their highest. Whether you are an individual contributor scaling your impact or a leader driving results, pull up a chair. Come learn how to show up with passion, stay authentic, and thrive at lightning speed.
    Career Development
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston

  • Experian hosts its Recruiter Office Hours, offering select attendees the opportunity to connect directly with Brand Ambassadors and the team in a more personalized setting for conversations, interviews, and career exploration. Invite-Only
    Career Development
    Where
    Recruiter Office Hours Room - Room 028 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The technology industry is undergoing a quiet but profound shift. While most professionals focus on learning new tools, frameworks, and cloud certifications, the fastest-growing investment in the industry is happening somewhere else: physical infrastructure. Hyperscale cloud providers and AI companies are investing billions into new data centers, GPU clusters, networking infrastructure, and global regions to support the next generation of AI workloads. As a result, many of the fastest-growing roles in technology are becoming data-center-centric, spanning infrastructure engineering, networking, distributed systems, AI infrastructure, and cloud architecture. At the same time, many experienced professionals are struggling to navigate the job market because they were never taught how modern infrastructure actually works. In this technical session, Dr. Lonneishea Meeks (Data & AI Architect and former NASA infrastructure architect) breaks down the infrastructure layer beneath modern computing and explains why understanding it is becoming essential for today’s tech workforce. Attendees will explore: • How hyperscale data centers power cloud platforms and AI systems • Why GPU clusters and high-performance networking are driving infrastructure investment • How cloud regions and availability zones map to real physical infrastructure • How AI workloads, applications, and data platforms run inside hyperscale environments • Why infrastructure literacy is becoming one of the most valuable skills in the current tech job market This session helps engineers, architects, and aspiring technologists build the systems-level understanding needed to navigate the evolving technology landscape and align their skills with where the industry is actually investing.
    All Things AI
    Career Development
    Community & Tech
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • In this talk, we’ll understand how AI works by exploring the infrastructure that powers it, with a focus on small language models (SLMs) and the GPUs that make them possible. We’ll dive into why GPU demand is skyrocketing, what’s driving their scarcity, and why they are far better suited for AI workloads than traditional CPUs. From massive data-center LLMs to small models running on phones and edge devices, we’ll show how AI scales and adapts across hardware. Audience will leave with a small hands-on exercise to run a Small language model on their personal mobile device. Attendees will leave having run a small language model on their own mobile device through a guided hands-on exercise.
    All Things AI
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • AI is reshaping every industry, but the rules governing it remain fragmented, contested, and often invisible to the people most affected. This panel cuts through the noise to examine who's actually setting the agenda — governments, corporations, or the public — and what's at stake when those interests collide. From federal legislation to corporate ethics frameworks to grassroots advocacy, panelists will explore the gap between AI policy as written and AI policy as lived, and what it takes to build governance that's both technically sound and fundamentally just.
    All Things AI
    Community & Tech
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The way we work in tech is transforming—roles, responsibilities, and opportunities are shifting in real time. This session explores how tech professionals can architect their careers for the future of work, balancing technical skills, adaptability, and strategic thinking to succeed in an AI-driven and dynamic industry.
    Career Development
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Behavioral economics provides a framework for understanding how humans make decisions in real-world conditions—accounting for context, perception, and cognitive limitations. From pricing and purchasing to resource allocation, our economic systems have long been designed around how humans interpret information and respond to uncertainty. Today, that foundation is beginning to shift. As AI evolves from passive tools to autonomous agents, we are entering a new paradigm: the Agentic Economy—a system where decisions such as negotiation, procurement, scheduling, and market execution are increasingly handled by data-driven, autonomous systems. This session explores the transition from Behavioral Economics, which models human decision-making, to Algorithmic Utility, where decisions are continuously optimized based on real-time data. In this model, humans remain the Architects of Intent, defining goals and constraints, while agents become the Engine of Execution. As a result, the economy becomes increasingly De-Rendered, shifting away from interfaces designed for human interaction toward systems optimized for machine-to-machine communication. We will examine key technical signals already pointing in this direction, including the rise of LLM-powered agents with tool use and memory, multi-agent systems coordinating across APIs, and emerging standards like Model Context Protocol (MCP) that enable structured context sharing between systems. We will also explore real-time data pipelines and optimization systems used across pricing, logistics, and financial systems to reduce inefficiencies in decision-making. For engineers, this shift introduces new design priorities: building for non-human users, enabling safe autonomous execution, and designing systems where trust, constraints, and outcomes are embedded by design. The era of human-driven decision systems is beginning to fade. The era of the Agentic Economy is emerging.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • PyTorch has evolved from a research-focused deep learning framework at Meta into the backbone of modern AI development. In this talk, Joseph shares insights from his experience building AI infrastructure at Meta and supporting the systems that power today’s most influential tools. We explore PyTorch’s journey to becoming the standard for training and deploying large-scale systems, including code generation tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, and OpenAI Codex. These frameworks also support modern AI environments like Cursor and assistants like ChatGPT and Claude. Attendees will gain a deep understanding of the engineering decisions, infrastructure, and open-source collaboration required to scale these systems. Discover how PyTorch became the essential framework behind the AI-assisted software development landscape, enabling the tools that developers use to write code every day.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • OpenClaw has 361,000+ GitHub stars, 5,700 community skills, and connects to 22 messaging platforms. It is the fastest-growing open-source project in GitHub history. It also has six layers of architecture that most people never look at before giving it access to their email.This session covers the system design behind autonomous AI agents. You'll see how the Gateway routes messages from Telegram and Slack, how the Brain reasons through multi-step tasks (think, act, check, repeat), how Memory persists across sessions, how Skills load on demand, and how the Heartbeat keeps your agent running at 2 AM without waking you up for spam. We'll cover real use cases: a car negotiation that saved $4,200 while the owner slept, a morning briefing that arrives before your first coffee, and a team of five AI agents that analyze 200 business signals overnight for ten cents. We'll also cover the security architecture, approval gates, sandboxing, session scoping, that separates a tool you'd trust with your inbox from a chatbot that once sold a Chevy Tahoe for a dollar. No prior OpenClaw experience needed
    All Things AI
    Community & Tech
    Engineering
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • When AI agents have to execute complex, multi-hop reasoning across interconnected knowledge domains, traditional Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems fail. Although vector-based retrieval is very good at finding content that is semantically similar, it is unable to find meaningful connections between related data points, which leads to fragmented insights. In this talk, we will dive into how engineering teams can use GraphRAG and knowledge graphs to ground agents and large language models (LLMs) to uncover connections in enterprise data that are often missed by conventional RAG techniques. Attendees will learn how this improved architecture makes accurate, explainable, and reliable answers to complex business problems, possible.
    All Things AI
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • In this talk, we’ll explore how keeping people closely involved in AI-supported design work leads to better stories, better decisions, and ultimately better products for real humans. Rather than asking computers to decide what matters, we’ll look at how UX Designers use AI as a helpful assistant to solve complex business goals. We’ll walk through simple, concrete examples of how watching people use products, listening carefully to their words, and noticing the small details can completely change how we read the same charts or summaries an AI tool might produce. Throughout the session, the focus stays on the human skills that make the biggest difference—curiosity, empathy, and thoughtful judgment—and how those skills can guide AI so that the work feels grounded, responsible, and genuinely useful.
    All Things AI
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Schedule for Zscaler's Office Hours: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: The Next Security Paradigm: Securing GenAI with Zscaler Zero Trust 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM: Break 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM: Your Tech Sales Career in 2026: A Roundtable with Zscaler 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM: 1:1 Informational Conversations (Invite-Only)
    Career Development
    Engineering
    Where
    Recruiter Office Hours Room - Room 028 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Healthcare is entering a new era driven by data, AI, and intelligent systems. This session explores the shift from traditional clinical software to technology platforms that enable smarter diagnostics, personalized care, and more efficient health systems. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies are transforming healthcare delivery—and why technologists, founders, and innovators should pay close attention to the opportunities ahead.
    All Things AI
    Community & Tech
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Most organizations are surrounded by data locked inside systems that were never designed to work together. This session explores how modern AI is making it possible to interact with data conversationally and connect systems that have traditionally been difficult or impossible to integrate. We will look at how teams are using AI to bridge gaps between tools, reason across disconnected information, and turn fragmented data into something usable and actionable. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how AI moves beyond chat to become a connective layer across systems, workflows, and knowledge.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • As enterprises move from simple chat assistants to fully agentic systems, a new challenge is emerging: agentic sprawl. Organizations are rapidly deploying AI agents connected to overlapping tools, APIs, and workflows, often without clear ownership, governance, or security boundaries. At the same time, SaaS platforms and solution providers are introducing their own agents, creating an ecosystem in which multiple agents perform similar tasks and compete to execute actions. In this session, I will explore how enterprises can design governed agent ecosystems by clearly defining agent scopes, managing tool access, and introducing architectural patterns such as agent registries and decision boundaries. Attendees will learn practical approaches for scaling agentic AI securely while maintaining clarity, trust, and operational control across enterprise systems.
    All Things AI
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • What does it really take to scale an idea into a venture-backed company, especially in one of the most complex industries in the world? Nimbus Aerospace CEO Adrian Groos and CTO Akim Niyonzima share how a single LinkedIn connection evolved into a funded aerospace company at the intersection of AI, sustainable aviation, and advanced engineering. As one of the few Black-owned aerospace companies globally, the Nimbus Aerospace journey offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at building credibility, capital, and cutting-edge technology in a highly regulated, capital-intensive industry. This session breaks down the path from idea to prototype, securing over $1M in funding, and developing hybrid-electric aircraft models - while showing how innovation, representation, and community impact can scale together.
    Community & Tech
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Black innovation is not underfunded because of a lack of talent or ambition. It is underfunded because readiness is rarely defined, measured, or built intentionally. In this session, I break down the Readiness Gap and how investors evaluate market fit, business model, traction, and team strength. Attendees will leave with a practical framework to identify gaps, strengthen their business model and traction, and become investment-ready with clarity and confidence.
    Career Development
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • "You scaled to $1M on scrappiness. Now you're at $2M–$5M ARR—and those same moves are creating chaos. You're the bottleneck. Revenue is up, margin is flat. Welcome to the messy middle. This workshop exposes the 5 operational traps that sabotage Seed–Series A founders—and the exact systems to escape them. Drawing from 100+ scaling journeys and $30M+ in collective client revenue, you'll run the SCALE diagnostic, identify your top 3 sources of operational debt using the GEAR framework, and map your 3 critical handoff moments in sales, delivery, and decision-making. No theory. No ""hire a VP of everything."" Just live pattern recognition from founders navigating this stage right now—distilled into frameworks you can use Monday morning. Leave with clarity."
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Breakout Room 2 - Room 029 - 030 @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Prices are no longer fixed numbers on a paper price tag. They are set by algorithms optimized to your disadvantage. Surge pricing, surveillance pricing, and near-zero interest rates on savings accounts aren't accidents; they're products of systems designed to find exactly what you'll pay and keep you from demanding more. What does it look like when technology works for you instead? Big-tech algorithms know your habits, your location, even your battery level. This talk challenges you to start playing offense with financial algorithms that work on your behalf.  Drawing on the founding insight behind Peerfolio, this session walks through the access gap that keeps sophisticated financial technology out of most people's hands, and why the current regulatory moment is the inflection point that changes it.
    Community & Tech
    Where
    Main Stage - Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Emerging technologies are redefining how financial systems operate and who they serve. This session explores how fintech, AI, and digital platforms are expanding access to capital, investment opportunities, and wealth-building tools. We’ll discuss how these innovations can empower Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and communities to build stronger financial futures and create new pathways for long-term economic growth and generational wealth.
    Community & Tech
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Accessibility as Engineering- Research to Reality: Prototyping Assistive Tech that works for everyone  How do we design accessibility tools that don’t just work in the lab—but in life? This session examines the intersection of human-computer interaction, perception, and rehabilitation robotics, drawing from projects like my eye-gaze tracker and spatial audio navigation toolkit for blind and low-vision users. I’ll discuss how rapid prototyping, participatory design, and field testing reveal the hidden emotional and sensory layers of assistive technology. This talk is for researchers, designers, and engineers looking to make inclusive design both practical and scalable.
    Community & Tech
    Where
    Accessibility as Engineering- Research to Reality: Prototyping Assistive Tech that works for everyone (Josephine Odusanya): 4:45pm - 5:30pm

  • This Session details the rising practice and operational framework of FinOps (Financial DevOps) and the journey that many companies and Government Entities go on to continually optimize and shift cloud operations. As a framework, FinOps serves as an enablement tool for engineers to monitor and understand the impacts of their architectures, and as a method for C-Suite executives to access the cost, usage, and overall business intelligence needed to make enterprise-scale decisions. Over the short seven years it's been growing, FinOps has gained even more acceleration after being absorbed by the Linux Foundation and has since expanded to cover not just cloud but all technology, especially AI.
    All Things AI
    Engineering
    Where
    Breakout Room 1 - Room 031 @ The Ion Houston - 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • The Top 5 Finalists from the Pitch Competition Eliminations battle it out for the grand prize of $10,000.
    Startups, Founders & Entrepreneurship
    Where
    Main Stage - The Forum Stairs @ The Ion Houston, 4201 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002

  • Join us on Thursday as we partner with ReMarkable Affairs for a curated experience that transitions from Happy Hour to Dinner to Late Night Social. Expect a refined atmosphere, great music, and a room full of guests who understand the assignment. Dress Code: Cocktail Chic. RSVP: https://posh.vip/e/the-remarkable-table-dinner-party-social
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Heii Keii - 3300 Kirby Drive Suite 9-A, Houston, TX 77098

  • A Special Premier Viewing of Micheal The Movie. Watch it before it hits Theaters the next day. This is more than a movie night. It's a chance to be in the room for a limited capacity experience with the Black Is Tech Community before the Buzz hits everywhere else: Limited Seating. Register your Interest to attend on the Event App.
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Location TBA to Attendees

  • Day 5

    April 24, 2026

  • Expo Day Check-In and Badge Pickup
    Where
    The BIT Registration Desk @ The Marriott Marquis Houston - 1777 Walker Street, Houston, TX 77010

  • The Last day of Black Is Tech Conference closes with an Expo featuring Recruiting Companies, Startup Showcases & The Mixle Networking Area for Intentional Networking. (Open to all Attendees)
    Career Development
    Where
    The Marriott Marquis - 1777 Walker Street, Houston, TX 77010

  • Let's close out Black Is Tech 2026 with a party like no other.
    Networking Events, Happy Hours & Parties
    Where
    Monroe Houston - 2600 Travis St. Ste 100, Houston, TX 77006


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