Bridging the Divide: Black & Brown Leaders in Tech

The future of technology is being built right now, and the question is who gets to build it. On Saturday, March 18, 2023, Bridging the Divide brought that question to The New School, with an afternoon designed around Black and Brown leaders in tech: the founders, executives, investors and technologists already doing the work, and the next generation coming up behind them.

Presented by Gentlemen's Factory with Parsons ELab and Innovation Collective, the conference took over the Theresa Lang Community and Student Center for three panel discussions, a hands-on mission workshop, a start-up pitch competition and networking.

Opening the room

The afternoon opened with a welcome from Cynthia Lawson Jaramillo, Dean of the School of Design Strategies at Parsons, The New School, followed by Rhea Alexander, founder and director of Parsons ELab, and Jeff Lindor, CEO of Gentlemen's Factory.

Panel: The Future of Tech

The first conversation looked ahead. Moderated by Swale, the panel brought together Nikki Merkerson, Anthony Edwards and Tim Allen to talk about where technology is going and where Black and Brown talent fits into it, followed by questions from the floor.

Panel: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech

The second panel, moderated by Julius Caranda, took on DEI in tech with Craig Wesley, Ibrahim Jackson, Nikki Evans and Emily Davila: what it takes to get in the door, to be heard once you are inside and to open the door for the next person.

The mission workshop

While the panels ran in the main room, a breakout Mission Workshop in the Hirshon Suite, led by Rhea Alexander and Kiely Sweat of Parsons ELab, walked participants through a mission board exercise and a "value star," then had them share their work before rejoining the main room.

Panel: Raising Capital

The third panel went straight to the hardest part of building a company. Moderated by Dana Wilson, it featured Jeptha Stewart, Niles Stewart, Ramphis Castro and Darren Yee on how founders find, pitch and close the capital they need.

The start-up pitch competition

Then founders took the stage. Five start-ups each had three minutes to pitch and four minutes to answer questions from the judges:

• Campgrnds, Brandon Webster
• Libbie Health, Colette Ellis
• WorkEverywhere, Shegun Holder
• OMA Mirrors, Christopher Gustave
• Rush Roto Inc., Christian Morris

The judges were Rhea Alexander, Kiely Sweat, De-Ann Abraham, Jeff Lindor, Arthur Godiva and Emily Davila. After deliberation, Jeff Lindor led the awards ceremony, Arthur Godiva spoke for Innovation Collective, and Yvonne Watson, Interim Executive Dean of Parsons School of Design, closed the event.

Why it matters

Black and Brown founders and technologists do not lack talent or ideas. They too often lack the room: the introductions, the investors, the mentors and the platform. Bridging the Divide was built to be that room. It is the same work behind our AI & Future of Work cohort, our Build Your Business cohort and our annual Black Men in Tech convenings.

Thank you to Parsons ELab, Innovation Collective and The New School for partnering with us, to every panelist, judge and founder who shared the stage, and to the full room that showed up to build.