We will be bringing our Black founders together for a special meetup at The Black Tech Lab. Hear from local investors, culture bearers and businesses leaders sharing the importance of bringing culture to our work. Limited spaces available. #wearetheculture

We are super excited to host Kofi Ampadu, partner at Andreessen Horowitz, and culture bearers Queen Tahj and Flagboy Giz, as we dive into a panel discussion on "Bringing Our Whole Self" around the impact of New Orleans culture on technology and innovation. The event will connect Black founders leading tech startups in New Orleans and investors committed to investing in underrepresented talent.

Bios:

Kofi Ampadu leads the Talent x Opportunity Initiative (TxO), which aims to identify entrepreneurs who have the talent, drive, and ideas to build great businesses, but lack the typical background and resources to do so. Kofi Ampadu is a partner at Andreessen Horowitz . Before getting into the world of venture capital and entrepreneurship, he was a strategy consultant and engineer. Kofi earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.New Orleans’ own Jammaround has been accepted into the most recent cohort of TxO.

Tahj Williams, also known as Queen Tahj, has masked as a Mardi Gras Indian and participated in this rich cultural tradition since 2009. Previously a member of the Wild Magnolias Tribe under the leadership of Chief Bo Dollis Sr. (2009) and Bo Bollis Jr. (2016 - 2017), Queen Tahj is currently a member of the Golden Eagles Tribe under the leadership of Chief Monk Boudreaux. Queen Tahj is passionate about educating others on the art of sewing and beading a suit, speaking about the Black Masking Indian culture and traditions, mentoring young people interested in masking, as well as performing at events. She is also a cyber security engineer at Microsoft.

Flagboy Giz Flagboy Giz is a musician, cultural performer, beadworker, producer, and MC from New Orleans, Louisiana. For nearly a decade, he has been a member of the historic Wild Tchoupitoulas Black Masking Indians. His music is informed and inspired by the traditions of Mardi Gras Indian music, a uniquely New Orleans heritage combining elements of West African rhythms, funk music, chanting, and other Black folk music influences. On his debut album, Flagboy of the Nation, Flagboy Giz embraced his musical upbringing and merged it with early New Orleans brass-band music, hip-hop, and bounce, a signature sound he carried into 2022’s I Got Indian in My Family, which features among others the legendary Mannie Fresh.

NOLAvate Black convenes Black technologists each month to hear from local innovators and creatives changing the culture of tech in New Orleans. Meetups include panel discussions, networking and opportunities for job seekers to hear from employers dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams.

Agenda:

6:00pm Doors Open

6:30pm Program Begins

6:45pm Fireside Chat

7:15pm Message from our special guest a16z

7:30pm NOLAvate Black & NOLABA (Sponsor)

7:45 Networking

8:30pm Program Ends

Black Tech Meetup by NOLAvate Black - March