HOUSTON — For the first time, Houston is the home base for the AFROTECH conference -- a large gathering of business and tech innovators.
This year's event was at the George R. Brown Convention Center.
While it's the first year in the Bayou City, organizers said it's an ideal place to attract talent and tech industries.
Colombia University student Sikirat Mustapha is one of the estimated 30,000 to visit the conference.
"We have the tools. We have the brilliance," he said.
AFROTECH is the largest gathering of innovators and inclusive technology and it provides career opportunities along with industry expertise. It's a space where Black people have previously struggled to gain traction.
"We've seen Black women, especially, facing this crazy intersection of racism and sexism and it's just been really beautiful to see so many amazing Black women and Black men here ready to take on the space and take on the challenge," Mustapha said.
Organizers said technology will lead the future and this year's focus was on artificial intelligence with an emphasis on being at the forefront of using and developing AI.
"To simplify it, AI gives humans the ability to scale up our own intelligence. So, think about the best idea you've ever had and how hard and time-consuming it would have been to do that idea," AFROTECH's Jeff Nelson said.
Fund II Foundation is one agency leading the charge. It's collecting data right now to develop an AI database to address maternal mortality in Black women.
"We don't want technology to work against us. We know AI is popping right now. We want people to be at the forefront of how AI can help Black mothers," Dominique Young-Smith said.
Visitors and organizers have access to an array of programs at the conference, including an AI pitches competition, a women's health summit and a cyber security stage.
It will run through the weekend and other AFROTECH-related events are happening across the city.