afrotech conference · houston · nov 2–6, 2026 · 100 sponsored insider memberships

AfroTech Community Support Initiative.

Laid off? You've been a member of the AfroTech community, and your job title doesn't change that. Come back to celebrate our ten-year milestone, on us.

You invested in us. Now we invest in you.

Hundreds of thousands of talented tech employees have been laid off in the past year, including some of the most experienced people in this community. People whose companies proudly sent them to AfroTech, until the budget line disappeared with the role.

who this is for

This is for the experienced and technical folks who were recently impacted.

  • You work in tech, or you did until recently.

    Engineers, data scientists, product leaders, security folks, technical program managers: if you've shipped, scaled, or led technical work, this is you. Certifications, a clearance, or a decade of production systems behind you are all a plus.

  • You were laid off or hit by restructuring in the last year.

  • You can get to Houston, November 2–6.

    Your membership covers Conference, and travel and lodging are on you, so plan for that before you apply.

what you receive

AfroTech Insider, and your seat at Conference.

Selected members receive a full AfroTech Insider membership, with your Conference 2026 ticket included. A year of community, covered by the community.

  • Four days of general access: every keynote, stage, and expo floor
  • Year-round professional development, with continuing education credits
  • Access to year-round meetups across the country

the process

How selection works.

We review applications to confirm eligibility, and recipients are randomly selected from the eligible pool as sponsored seats become available, on a rolling basis through the fall.

the application

Apply now.

Applying doesn't guarantee a seat. Recipients are randomly selected from eligible applicants.

By applying you agree to sign up for Blavity Inc. emails so you don't miss deadlines, updates, and future opportunities like this one as well as have Blavity Inc. store these details to run the initiative and contact selected applicants. See the Privacy Policy.

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