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Black Women Talk Tech hosted their 6th annual Roadmap to Billions conference this past weekend at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Downtown Brooklyn. The annual conference, created by Black women founders, provides entrepreneurs, start-ups, jobseekers, investors and even those just curious, the space to network, recruit, and gain a wealth of knowledge. Offering their first in-person experience since the start of the pandemic, Roadmap to Billions 2022 did more than just deliver, it provided a wealthy and dynamic experience to every attendee, virtual and in-person.

The incredible in-person experience began the moment I walked in, with a warm and lively check-in, a welcome gift that included Road to Billions swag, a personalized badge and sponsored products. Black, woman-owned coffee company,  Black By Demand was the first stop on everybody’s list, their welcoming assortment of hot and iced coffees and teas was the perfect start to a high-energy experience. The venue itself was amazing; the huge open layout allowed for COVID-friendly exploration of the many vendors, lounges, social-media activations, stages and breakout corners that filled the space. Although the Road to Billions conference is created exclusively by Black women founders, the warmth of community extended to all supporters (there were many men taking in the amazing offerings as well). From morning to afternoon there were so many amazing sessions that I found myself running from one side of the conference to the other to catch the talks I had bookmarked. There was a wealth of knowledge being shared on all the panels, which included small-business owners like Brooklyn Tea to industry leaders from Amazon, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America.

 blk water company (which stands for balance love kindness) served as an official sponsor of the event; bottles lined every seat and provided tasty and healthy hydration to all. In addition to gaining priceless tips and gems from the panels and discussions, there was a lot of opportunity for one-on-one networking; speakers came off the stage and talked to guests throughout the day, and larger companies like Dell, JustWorks and Hinge had designated booths for on-the-spot recruitment.

Not only could one get career-advice, and perhaps a whole new career—the beauty and wellness lounges offered back massages, interactive photobooths and free gel manicures outfitted with NFC chips (and if you’re like me and hearing that term for the first time, NFC stands for near-field communication, and allows you to share a small amount of data, like your business card, cashapp or social media profile, with a device close by).

Even if you’re not in or think you’re interested in the tech world, Black Woman Talk Tech  is an amazing company, and information and networking resource for job seekers, business owners, entrepreneurs, women, and men! I plan to be at next year’s conference and you should too! 😊

You can follow @BlackWomanTalkTech on all social media platforms and look out for the Black Men Talk Tech conference coming soon as well!