By Shirley Hawkins
Contributing Writer
LEIMERT PARK — TEC Leimert, a nonprofit organization based in South Los Angeles, will once again welcome entrepreneurs, innovators, tech enthusiasts, creatives and students to the fifth annual TEC Leimert conference to be held in Leimert Park Village from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 24.
“Black to the Future” is once again the theme of the largest Black-owned and operated technology and entertainment conference where thought leaders, influencers and industry experts, including representatives from Fortune 500 companies, will discuss the newest innovations in entertainment, technology and the digital economy.
TEC Leimert seeks to bridge the growing digital literacy divide in South L.A.’s underserved Black and Latino communities and expose them to opportunities in music, film, tech, TV, video gaming fashion and more.
The day-long program begins with the Los Angeles Urban League’s young profesionals presenting “Cultural Currency; Building Black Wealth Through L.A.’s Creative Economy.
At 12:30 p.m., a panel entitled “Unlocking the Possibilities in Web 3.0” will be held along with a separate workshop “The Future in the Music Industry.
At 2 p.m., panels entitled “Fashion Forward: The Art of the Collaboration” and “Work Hard, Game Harder” will be held followed by two 4 p.m. panels, “The Disney Takeover” and “L.A. Culture Influencers.”
Attendees also will be able to enjoy a virtual reality arcade and tournament, a virtual reality hip hop cypher in the metaverse, an e-sports tournament, a VIP lounge and a Black to the Future Photo Booth.
There also will be demonstrations by the music industry’s hottest hip hop band, 1500 or Nothin’, a Grammy-award winning musical ensemble of producers and songwriters based in L.A.
“I think (TEC Leimert) is a great way to expose people to what’s going on,” said Kierra Vinson, the diversity, equity and inclusion manager at BCG Digital Ventures that will be sponsoring the “Unlocking the Potential in Web 3.0” TEC panel at 12:30 on the South stage.
“I’m someone that loves community and I love the idea of bringing Black folks together and bringing our minds and spirits together to talk about some cool tech things that we are doing and will continue to do,” Vinson said.
Shantal Anderson, creative technologist at Reel Mood who will also speak at the Web 3.0 panel, added, “I’ll be speaking about unlocking the possibilities of Web 3.0. I’m an executive producer in a space that most people might call new media or what we call the Metaverse. I think it’s really important for creators to start thinking about the interscope of Web 3.0.”
TEC Leimert will be held throughout the Leimert Park Village. Admission fees range from $20 to $75. Tickets can be purchased at TECLeimert.org and a registration table will be located on Leimert Boulevard.
Shirley Hawkins is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers. She can be reached at metropressnews@gmail.com.
