Black Tech Week opens in Cincinnati with national lineup of tech, media and startup leaders

Black Tech Week kicks off today in Cincinnati, bringing a national roster of executives, founders and creators to the city for three days of programming focused on entrepreneurship, capital access and inclusive innovation.

Conference starts July 14

The culture-driven conference runs July 14–16 and is organized by Cincinnati-based Lightship Foundation, which has spent more than a decade building Black Tech Week into a platform for Black and underrepresented talent in technology and business. The event is presented by JobsOhio, with support from regional partner REDI Cincinnati.

Programming spans keynotes, panels and meetups across topics such as scaling startups, building inclusive workplaces, investing in diverse founders and navigating disruption in legacy industries. Attendees include founders, investors, corporate innovation leaders and talent from across the country.

Who’s on stage

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun will deliver one of the conference’s headline talks, focusing on leadership, reinvention and what it takes to transform legacy brands in a period of constant change. Adamolekun previously served as CEO of P.F. Chang’s, leading the chain through a period of renewed growth.

“Damola’s leadership exemplifies vision, courage and execution,” said Candice Matthews Brackeen, Founder and CEO of Lightship Foundation. “He represents the next generation of business leadership and embodies the kind of innovation that extends beyond technology into every industry."

He’ll be joined by a broad mix of operators, investors and storytellers, including:

• Angel Suttle, producer and radio host at NPR
• Emmanuel Ojo, managing director and CEO of Redtech Limited
• Eugene Partridge III, global head of strategic sourcing and supplier management at Pinterest
• Denim Richards, founder and CEO of Opulent Entertainment Group
• Ramon Ray, producer at ZoneofGenius.com
• Charlene Polite Corley, vice president of content and insights at Nielsen
• Anquan Boldin, co-founder of Players Coalition and Sport for Impact
• Dr. Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of COSI
• Antoinette Houston, staff researcher and strategist at CNN

Organizers say the mix of speakers is designed to connect founders and operators with voices from media, corporate procurement, venture capital, sports impact, AI and healthcare, reflecting the conference’s emphasis on cross-sector collaboration.

JobsOhio’s role

JobsOhio, the state’s private nonprofit economic development organization, returns as presenting sponsor and is using the conference to connect talent and founders to statewide resources. The group is hosting several events aimed at giving attendees direct access to employers, investors and support organizations.

On July 14, the Find Your Ohio STEM Career Mixer will match Ohio-based employers with STEM professionals and students in science, technology, engineering and math. On July 15, Ohio Opportunity Day will offer one-on-one meetings with investors, industry partners and statewide resources by advance registration, designed to help founders plug into capital and support networks.

“Our state supports businesses from globally recognized brands to growing community start-ups—each playing a critical role in building a strong economic future for Ohio," said J.P. Nauseef, President & CEO of JobsOhio.

Cincinnati’s innovation pitch

Black Tech Week’s organizers describe the event as rooted in community and powered by collaboration, with programming that spans keynotes, panel discussions, networking and talent-focused sessions. For Ohio’s tech community, the conference functions as both a recruitment venue and a showcase for emerging founders alongside established brands.

More information on the schedule, speakers and registration is available at blacktechweek.com.