LONDON, UK. August 2nd, 2023 - Award-winning serial-entrepreneur and community leader, Dexter Simms, launches the UK’s first Black Tech Day, an event that seeks to encourage young people in underrepresented communities to consider careers in tech, with backing of TV personalities Emmanuel Asuquo and Big Narstie.
The event takes place on 19th and 20th of August, at London South Bank University. With over 40 speakers and special guests, it hopes to attract 1600 attendees over two days and promises to be one of the biggest annual community tech events in the area.
Black Tech Day, an inaugural two-day interactive, educational tech-focused event aims to bring young people, parents and entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds and disadvantaged communities together with leading experts to explore the impact of technological advancement on the future of work.
With the UK Tech sector now worth $1 trillion and set to grow to $4 trillion over the next decade, Black Tech Day seeks to encourage more people from the BAME community to pursue tech careers and hopes to facilitate an upward trend in underrepresented demographics entering the industry.
It’s reported ethnic minorities make up just 22% of the workforce in tech organisations across the board. In cybersecurity, only 12% of teams are women or from ethnic minorities. In AI, analytics, data science, and data management teams, ethnic minorities make up just 12%.
Simms’ vision for creating equal opportunities for young people in South London and beyond inspired the idea behind Black Tech Day. Commenting on his decision to spearhead the event, he states: “There’s lack of representation and access to technology, particularly within the Black community. Black individuals are significantly underrepresented in the tech industry, both in terms of employment and entrepreneurship. Additionally, there is a lack of financial education being taught within schools, often leaving Black children at a disadvantage”.
He continues: “For many young Black people from disadvantaged backgrounds, a career in tech space feels out of reach. Irrespective of race, Black Tech Day seeks to provide a space for everyone in the community to give them access to those opportunities."
The event is open to a varied audience from young people exploring career options in tech; to parents wanting to know more about how technological advancement will impact their children’s future career options; to business owners looking for innovative ways to grow their company with tech solutions; to educational institutions looking to connect with prospective students for their courses or apprenticeships.
The vision behind BTD has attracted a high calibre of speakers and panelists from as far afield as USA and India respectively, including, Malik Stout - Executive Producer and Host of On The Bloc Chain Show and Yuvika Gupta - Mindset and inspirational speaker.
Lavinia Osbourne, Host and Founder of Women in Blockchain Talks who explains the importance of encouraging diversity in the tech industry: "Diversity in Tech is not just a 'nice to have,' it's imperative to the exponential growth of emerging tech and global equity. Black Tech Day is a great start, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
Other special guests include: BGT’s Damien The Magician as well as BAFTA winning poet Big Scoop.
Highlights of the event include an opening address by the Mayor of Croydon, a live FIFA gaming competition hosted by Big Narstie with a cash prize and face off against the popular host, and a live Q&A on finances with TV's Emmanuel Asuquo.
Panels will explore topics including latest trends in Web 2 and Web 3 technologies, coding and gamefi. The Guardian Foundation team are hosting a workshop on The Future of News.
The event has gained traction with numerous organisations offering support through sponsorship and collaborations including; Croydon College, LSBU, Mula Cake, and NBA 2K. The event is also being supported by Capcom, Bandai Namco, GLA and DWP.
Black Tech Day will be a platform to explore cutting-edge technology, learn valuable skills and to engage in interactive workshops embracing the power of education, technology and community to shape a brighter future for all.
For more information about the event, including the agenda and ticket purchase, visit: https://blacktechday.com/
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