In an era where technology shapes every aspect of our lives, Techsgiving emerges as a ground-breaking festival that fuses African culture, innovation, and empowerment in one immersive experience. Hosted annually in Atlanta, Georgia, this dynamic event is more than a tech conference or a cultural fair—it’s a movement reshaping how Black communities interact with and lead in the tech space.
The Vision Behind Techsgiving
Launched in the 2010s, Techsgiving started as a grassroots initiative by a group of Black engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs who saw a gap in the representation of African and African American voices in tech leadership. The name “Techsgiving” evokes a spirit of community, generosity, and celebration—a space where innovators across the African diaspora come to connect, learn, and build.
Techsgiving is not limited to showcasing gadgets or coding bootcamps. It’s a festival of Black brilliance, where traditional African values, future-forward ideas, and creative culture collide.
Core Themes and Tracks
The festival is structured around several core tracks, allowing attendees to navigate according to their interests:
Black Futures in Tech: AI, blockchain, and data ethics through a Black lens.
AfroTech Fashion & Design: Wearables, 3D-printed fabrics, and sustainable tech-based fashion.
Entrepreneurship & Startups: Funding Black-led tech startups, venture capital, and business scaling.
Digital Art and Web3: NFTs, virtual galleries, and digital storytelling by Black creators.
Tech for Social Justice: Tools and platforms driving social change in African and Black communities.
Workshops are led by top professionals from companies like Google, Meta, AfriLabs, Microsoft, and emerging African startups, offering both advanced insight and beginner-friendly tracks.
Performances and Culture
What sets Techsgiving apart is its unapologetic embrace of Black culture. The evenings come alive with Afrobeats concerts, spoken word poetry, DJ battles, and live coding with beats—a genre-bending fusion of computer science and music.
You’ll often find sessions like:
“Beats and Bugs” – a coding jam session accompanied by live DJs.
“Gele and Google” – a networking mixer where people wear traditional African headwraps while discussing tech disruption.
“Code & Cook” – a tech-themed culinary competition blending food from Ghana, Ethiopia, and Louisiana with STEM trivia.
Youth Empowerment and Community Inclusion
One of Techsgiving’s strongest pillars is youth education. The festival runs a Techsgiving Junior program that brings hundreds of high school and college students to workshops on:
Mobile app building
Drone coding
AR/VR game development
Scholarships and tech career pathways
There’s also a Women in Tech Lounge, dedicated to supporting African and African-American women in tech through panels, mentorship circles, and wellness retreats.
The Venue and Atmosphere
Set in downtown Atlanta, often at Georgia Tech or the Atlanta Convention Center, the venue is transformed into a digital village. Afrocentric art installations are paired with virtual reality booths, digital fashion showcases, interactive robots speaking Yoruba or Swahili, and African street food trucks serving suya, akara, and jerk chicken.
Why It’s Important
Techsgiving fills a void. It bridges the gap between African heritage and digital innovation, showing that African-descended peoples are not just consumers of technology, but architects of the future.
The festival also promotes cross-continental collaboration. African developers from Nairobi or Accra regularly connect with their diasporic peers in Atlanta or Oakland, sparking global Black tech ecosystems.
Looking Ahead
Techsgiving is gaining traction globally, with discussions underway to host satellite versions in Lagos, Nairobi, and London. Whether you’re a coder, artist, student, or investor, Techsgiving is your passport to a digitally vibrant and culturally grounded future.