50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology

50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology

The 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology has been selected by eAccess Corp. since 1999 to raise the visibility of African-Americans in cutting edge fields.

Innovation & Equity 2012: Capitalizing Creativity: Job Creation and Innovation

The 12th annual 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology Symposium

Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 Session  B. Smith-Union Station 50 Mass. Ave.

11 a.m.  Sign-In.   Advance Registration Only at souloftechnology.com

11:30 a.m.   State of African-Americans in Technology Luncheon  Cabinet Room

11:45 a.m.   State of African-Americans in Technology   John William Templeton, author, Silicon Ceiling 11: Equal Opportunity and High Technology

12 noon  Math and Science as a Civil Right  Sheilah D. Vance, Esq., President/General Counsel, Institute for Educational Equity and Opportunity, Philadelphia and Dr. Juan Gilbert, Chair, Human Centered Computing, Clemson University, Clemson, SC

1 p.m.   Job Creation and Procurement: Expanding the $2.7 billion in IT purchases  Dr. Gerald Boyd Sr.,  President, DB Consulting, Silver Spring; Nancy Scott, President, Powertek, Rockville; Miranda Bouldin, President, Logicore, Huntsville, AL; Joey Hutchins, President, Right Direction Technology, Baltimore, MD

2 p.m  Job Creation and Bioengineering/Health IT: Albert Woodard, President, Business Computer Applications, Atlanta; Dr. Jean Orelien, President, SkiMetrika, Research Triangle Park, NC; Gerald Commissiong, President and CEO, Amarantus Biosciences; Dr. John Commissiong, Chief Scientific Officer, Amarantus Biosciences

3 p.m. Job Creation and Intellectual Property: The Honorable Sharon Barner, partner, Foley & Lardner, Chicago; former deputy undersecretary of commerce for intellectual property;  Darrell Mottley, principal shareholder, Banner Witcoff, Washington; President, District of Columbia Bar; Phillip G. Hampton II, partner, Dickstein Shapiro; former assistant director, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

4 p.m.  Job Creation and Capital for Innovation  Dr. Daryl Williams, director of policy and research, Kauffman Foundation, moderator; Keith M. Spears, Managing Director, Legacy Capital Partners, Oakland; Micheal Hurst, President, ChloroFill, San Diego; Gordon Bellamy, Executive Director,  International Game Developers Association.

Award Presentation to 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology

It is the outgrowth of a 1998 exhibition in The Tech Museum of Innovation--Turning the Century: African-American Innovators at the Beginning of the Industrial Age and in the New Millennium, which presented 20 19th century inventors who shaped American and global commerce and 20 Silicon Valley innovators likely to have a similar impact over the next century. 

National Clout
National Clout
CIO featured the 50 Most Important African-Americans in this March 2002 story

  

Roy Clay and the late Dr. Frank Greene, the only two black members of the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame, encouraged John William Templeton, former editor of the San Jose Business Journal to undertake the project.

Throughout the year, selectees of the 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology engage in Catapulting Innovation and Learning through events across the nation which guide new inventors how to bring cutting edge products to market and to motivate youth to pursue demanding math and science courses to prepare them for the cutting edge careers of today and tomorrow.  Last year's symposium stressed the importance of bringing manufacturing back into African-American communities.

A long heritage of innovation
A long heritage of innovation
Roy Clay and the late Dr. Frank Greene before 50 Most in Palo Alto in 2009

In January 2012, the focus on the cutting edge economy continues with Capitalizing Creativity: Job Creation and Innovation as the theme of the Innovation & Equity Symposium.

Following the presentation of the State of African-Americans in Technology luncheon address,  distinguished experts will:

  • discuss how the 455,000 blacks in cutting edge occupations are faring,
  • look at the participation of black high school students in math and science courses;
  • tell how to increase procurement from African-American IT firms, learn how to navigate the new America Invents Act;
  • share advances in bioengineering, pharmaceuticals and health IT and
  • discover what angel and venture capital investors are looking for.
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