The opening ceremony of the 2025 AFROTECH Conference showcased recruiters’ optimism amid the hardships professionals are facing in the current job market, especially Black talent.
The ninth annual assembly, dubbed “the world’s largest” gathering of the Black tech community, returned to Houston for the second year in a row. Over 40,000 innovators, entrepreneurs, employers and job seekers from around the world are on the ground for the conference. The excitement filled the air in the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown as attendees waited for the kickoff event ahead of the week’s main stage programming.
Opening with purpose and power at the 2025 AFROTECH Conference
Will Lucas, the brand manager at AfroTech, and DJ Kreme set the tone as registrants entered the Innovation Stage area, welcoming them to the next few days of a lineup filled with curated education sessions focused on the latest and greatest news and trends in the ever-evolving tech industry.
To make sure everyone was in the right headspace, Lucas asked if anyone in the crowd could provide some affirmations. A ticket holder hailing from D.C. gladly accepted the challenge, sharing three affirmations, the first being “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams,” which resonated deeply with the crowd.
What brought attendees to the 2025 AFROTECH Conference?
Making his way around the room, Lucas spoke with audience members who repped different cities and countries to gauge why they had come to the convention.
“I’m seeking to make impactful connections with companies that have experienced job opportunities available in corporate event marketing or sales enablement and project management,” Houston resident and first-time attendee Jessica Price said.
For Omotola Ogundsola, a student at Prairie View A&M University, the conference felt like the ideal place for prospective employees looking for a new job to connect face-to-face with recruiters rather than applying online, given the nation’s workforce landscape.
“There’s nothing that matches using confidence in person, you know, seeing people and not just seeking a role in person, right?” Ogundsola said. “Having the chance to understand better what the company does, see the gaps, and how the skillset you have measures what the company needs, right? Nothing compares to this kind of chance to see things on that kind of scale.”
He added, “Aside from that, seeing people who have gone ahead of you who are doing really well in the industry, getting to network with them, and getting to ask a couple of questions exposes my mind [to more] and expands my reasoning. It’s just a gift to have this kind of opportunity.”
Others Lucas gave the mic to were representatives from companies like Patreon and LinkedIn, as well as smaller Black-owned businesses, who shared open roles and encouraged the crowd to find them. Their enthusiasm to meet potential employees on-site and support the community was evident.
Co-founder of the Houston-based company Code BLK Agency Chynell Lee said she came to AFROTECH to grow her network and improve her approach to AI in her business.
“I came to AFROTECH this year as an entrepreneur to expand my network of decision makers looking to expand their agency network,” Lee said. “I also came to learn more about AI and how I can use it to be more efficient in my business practices. I felt this was the right place to connect with people who are driven and seeking genuine professional connections that we can all build on.”
As the opening ceremony concluded, the message was clear: Confidence, preparation and community matter most. Attendees left the Innovation Stage with names to follow up on, sessions to catch, and a renewed sense of what’s possible when access aligns with intention.