afrotech
The
Brief
AfroTech, the world's largest tech conference dedicated to connecting Black talent with leading tech brands and celebrating Black excellence in tech, is produced annually by Blavity Inc., a prominent multimedia platform since 2015. My affiliation began in 2017 as the lead event designer with Blueprint Studios, evolving into a rewarding journey of over five years.
My key contributions included crafting intuitive spatial flows within the brand fair, designing dynamic stages for speaker sessions, and ensuring the event’s creative atmosphere reflected innovation, celebration, and the vibrant ethos of being Black in tech.
info & credits
BRAND: Blavity Inc.
EVENT NAME: AfroTech Conference
LOCATION: San Francisco 2018 & Oakland 2019
AGENCY: Blueprint Studios
CONTENT CREDIT: Blueprint Studios
ROLE: Creative Director for Live Event
EXEC. PRODUCER: Jason Pulido
ART DIRECTOR: Stephanie Gaddi
PRESS: VIBE, Essence
standard booth design
The conference has significantly scaled, now featuring top global tech brands as recurring sponsors, requiring a dynamic exhibit floor with world-class booths to foster impactful recruiting conversations.
My annual approach involved visually and spatially distinguishing booth levels to ensure harmony and efficiency. Collaborating with a design team, I created booth designs, developed cohesive floor plans, utilized modular panels and SEG fabrics for rapid installation, and sourced furnishings and electronics.
general session
In addition to sponsor exhibits, the event’s key attraction was its lineup of prominent speakers across the General Session stage and breakout spaces. Each year, I collaborated with the Blavity team to design main stages that reflected the growing energy and momentum of the brand.
My stage designs aimed to boldly express the brand's identity while serving as vibrant yet complementary backdrops for impactful conversations. During my tenure, I explored shape, form, and dynamic structures, utilizing static graphics and effective color blocking, before the main stage transitioned to digital displays.
premium booth designs
Back in the exhibit hall, I focused on designing custom activations and anchor booths for top brands like Amazon, Google, and Facebook.
In addition to turnkey booth layouts and GS design, I collaborated with producers to craft large-scale spaces tailored to each brand’s identity and diversity hiring initiatives.
From cube displays to mini classrooms and bespoke cafés, every booth offered a unique, engaging experience that reflected each brand’s mission and values.
branding & activations
With over 8,000 attendees, I collaborated with the team to develop a bold branding strategy that ensured effective wayfinding and sustained visual interest.
Partnering with talented graphic designers and art directors, we transformed multiple venues into vibrant celebrations of Black talent in tech. We introduced confident taglines like "Black Tech, Green Money" to energize spaces, from entry points to lounge areas.
I also worked with key sponsors like GoDaddy to design engaging activations and environments that resonated with attendees.
afrotech world
I served as lead designer for the live AfroTech Conference for three years. When the pandemic hit, Blavity quickly pivoted to launch AfroTech World, a virtual experience hosted on the Virbela platform.
As virtual environmental designer, I helped recreate AfroTech’s signature energy in a digital space, featuring 20+ branded environments, three exhibit halls with 50+ sponsors each, scavenger hunts, resume portals, and branded presentations for general session speakers.
Designing AfroTech for four years remains one of my favorite professional experiences, and I’ll always be a proud fan of the brand.
