Lupita Nyong’o and Other Black Voices are Taking Center Stage at Collision Conference

Opening Night + Day 1 of Collision Conference have been absolutely wonderful. It’s so uplifting to know Black voices are finally getting the opportunity to be heard and Black people are gaining greater access to spaces previously kept distant from us.

My top moments thus far were:

🖤 Lupita Nyongo’s panel with the creators of Super Sema

I remember as a small girl that there were no scientists around me who looked like me. When I thought science, I thought old white men. Ironically, I wanted to be a geneticist as a child but the thought seemed like a fantasy. By high school, the thought was a distant memory.

Super Sema is providing an opportunity for small Black girls growing up today to have an opportunity to have a role model they can grow with. Through the power of animation, Super Sema is changing the narrative of what it means to be a scientist.

🖤 Black Innovation press conference and panel with Kelly Burns, CEO Black Innovation Alliance, and US Rep. Stacey Plaskett

I believe strongly in investing in Black entrepreneurs. I believe that it not only goes a long way to improve economic constraints for Black people, but it’s good for innovation overall.

Diversity of representation in the tech space means diversity of thought. With that comes nuisanced thinking to solve our human problems.

Kelly is the CEO of Black Innovation Alliance, a US-based coalition of ecosystem leaders increasing Black access to the innovation economy. Kelly is the CEO of Founders of Color, helping entrepreneurs of colour to scale their businesses.

🖤 Q&A with Rashad Robinson of Color of Change

I wholeheartedly believe that censorship has no place in a free society. Working in countries where people can simply disappear for saying the wrong thing, has taught me to greatly appreciate free speech.

However speech is power and how one chooses to use their power, comes with consequences. Algorithms that prioritize inflammatory content and create incentives that motivate reckless (and hateful) actors to take our society back to its dark ages can’t be ignored.

Platforms and advertisers who support white nationalism through their decision to monetize hate speech should be be made known and they should bear the consequences of those decisions. ❤️🖤💚