Thousands attend AfroTech conference in downtown Austin
AUSTIN, Texas - Thousands traveled from across the country to meet with tech professionals at the annual AfroTech conference in Austin.
"This has become, they call it baby Silicon Valley, so I feel like it is the best space for it, and we need more people that look like us and more diversity in this city," said festival goer Bobbie Mack.
The fifth annual AfroTech conference kicked off on Wednesday. It is the largest black tech conference, according to the organization.
"I think it’s a really great thing for them to come here and learn what they need to learn and experience something that we do here in Austin," Mack said.
According to AfroTech, the conference connects a global community of over 20,000 black tech innovators for a series of digital and in-person events.
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"People are coming from all over, Los Angeles, all over, I have met this many people that has come from all different cities to come check this thing out," Mack said.
Saturday, AfroTech's official music stage brought in several musicians to showcase their talents, and the opportunity to try local eateries set up at Republic Square.
"It's just a place where the community can come together and learn new things, learn about evolving industries in tech, AI, it just means so much to me, it’s like a pot of tech," Mack said.
This is the second-year AfroTech has been held in Austin .
"This is where it needs to be and to stay, you know what I mean," Mack said. "They don't need to move it nowhere else, keep it here, because this is where it's at, ain't no better place to have it."