Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 39 | Inside the Vision of Diaspora District w/ Manal Al-ansi

Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 42 | The DMV’s Tech Rocketship: Techsgiving w/ Ayo Duyile

This week on Africans in Tech, we sit down with Ayo, founder of Techsgiving, and unpack how he built one of the most influential tech conferences for Black and Brown professionals in the DMV. From a humble rooftop meetup to Nationals Park Stadium with 7,000+ attendees, his journey is a blueprint for anyone scaling community with intention, culture, and infrastructure. If you're building a startup, conference, or career from scratch — this episode is a masterclass in staying mission-first while growing fast. ✨ What You’ll Learn: • How Ayo went from IT shop work at age 14, Lockheed Martin, Meta/Facebook • Why Techsgiving was born as a “pay it forward” movement tied to Thanksgiving • Scaling from 50-person mixers → Audi Field → Nationals Park level impact • The product mindset behind Techsgiving: listen to users, then build • How to build a mission-aligned team instead of just filling roles • Automations + systems: using Zapier, Airtable, Salesforce & AI to scale • Partnering with cities like Atlanta to upskill and certify residents • Fatherhood, leadership, and thinking long-term about legacy & exit strategy • Why relationships, money, and how community fuels growth 🎯 Attending Techsgiving for the First Time? Expect real value — not vibes alone: • Tech certs, workshops, hiring pipelines, on-site interviews • Mentor matching with leaders from Amazon, Salesforce & more • Pitch competitions — $10K for founders, $5K for students • A career-forward environment built on community, access, and opportunity 🌍 Connect with Techsgiving Website: techsgiving.co Email: info@techsgiving.org Socials: @techsgiving on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X 📡 Connect With Africans in Tech Speaking, partnerships, podcast features: Email: africansintechnology@gmail.com 🔥 If This Episode Hit You — Do This: Like the video, drop a comment, and subscribe to the channel. Hit the notification bell so you don’t miss our whiteboard sessions, deep-dives, and new episodes featuring tech builders rewriting the narrative across the diaspora. Africans in Tech — building bridges, creating access, and shaping futures in tech. 🌉🚀

Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 41 |Owning Your Confidence as a Woman in Tech w/ Banke Balogun

In this inspiring episode of the Africans in Tech Podcast, host Sahr Lebbie sits down with Banke Balogun, a LA based model turned Solutions Engineer, to explore her incredible journey from the runway to the world of tech. 💻 ✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn: 💪 Why confidence is the #1 skill to master when breaking into tech 💬 How to “fake it till you make it” — and still show up authentically 🌐 The importance of network building inside and outside your company 👩🏾‍⚕️ How to pivot from healthcare to tech using transferable skills 👠 Lessons from the modeling industry and how AI is reshaping fashion 🧠 How she landed her first tech role at a health startup, then joined DocuSign 🤝 Why networking, mentorship, and confidence open doors to global opportunities 🎤 About the Guest: Banke Balogun is a Los Angeles–based Solutions Engineer, model, and mentor helping others pivot into tech with confidence. She’s passionate about healthcare innovation, AI in fashion, and building global communities for women in tech. 📺 Watch the Whiteboard Session: Coming soon! 📲 Follow Banke: Instagram — @lebanke 🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube 🔥 Subscribe, like, and share if you believe in confidence, community, and breaking barriers in tech. #AfricansInTech #SahrLebbie #BankeBalogun #WomenInTech #CareerPivot #Confidence #Networking #TechPodcast #HealthcareTech #DocuSign #ModelToTech #AIInFashion

Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 40 | AI Chatbots Transforming Healthcare w/ TheGardenofAsh

🚀 From AI Solutions Specialist to Tech Founder — Ashley Robinson is on a mission to make the world a better place through technology. In this powerful episode of Africans in Tech Podcast, Ashley shares how she went from psychology and HR to becoming a Generative AI Engineer and now the CEO & Founder of Better Boost, a wearable tech startup creating AI-powered smart glasses that translate languages, assist with navigation, and enhance communication — all while protecting user data. 💬 “My mission is to make the world a better place. Technology for good — that’s what we’re here for.” — Ashley Robinson 💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: 🌍 Ashley’s journey from HR → AI → Startup Founder 🤖 Building AI avatars & chatbots for healthcare 👓 How she built Better Boost and landed Shaquille O’Neal as a Founders Club member 🧠 Smart Glasses that translate 12+ languages and work offline 🩺 The future of AI in healthcare, wearables, and accessibility ⚙️ AI ethics, ownership, and creating technology for good 🔥 Her goal to build the most advanced wearable tech startup in the world 💪 Why she believes in 100% ownership and impact-driven innovation 🔗 Connect with Ashley: 📸 Instagram: @thegardenofash 💼 LinkedIn: Ashley Robinson  ✨ “There’s no better time to be alive — build, upskill, and create your own AI-backed business today.” 🎧 Subscribe to Africans in Tech — where we’re building bridges and shaping futures in tech.

Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 43 | Monetize Your Expertise Beyond a Tech Job w/ Jarrett Albritton

In this powerful episode of Africans in Tech, host Sahr Lebbie sits down with Jarrett Albritton — tech sales veteran, speaker, and founder of Big Stage Energy — for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what it really takes to succeed in tech, business, and life. From door-to-door sales and landing an enterprise role at IBM, to speaking on stages with billionaires and building a platform rooted in relationships, results, and integrity, Jarrett breaks down the mindset shifts most people never hear about. This episode goes far beyond “breaking into tech.” It’s about staying valuable, monetizing your expertise, and building long-term security in an AI-driven economy. 🎯 In This Episode, We Cover: • How Jarrett Albritton broke into enterprise tech sales without a traditional path • Why results matter more than titles, certifications, or hype • The truth about tech influencers, lifestyle marketing, and fake success • How relationships create job security—even during layoffs • Integrity in sales vs. “whatever it takes” mentality • Turning subject-matter expertise into stages, podcasts, and income • Why personal branding is insurance in the attention economy • How AI is changing work—and how to stay irreplaceable • Faith, purpose, and building generational wealth with intention This episode is a masterclass in mindset, sales, leadership, and visibility — especially for Black and African professionals navigating tech and entrepreneurship. 🔗 Connect with Jarrett Albritton: • Instagram: @doctaj • Podcast: Big Tech Energy 🎙️ Africans in Tech — building bridges and shaping futures in tech. If this episode resonated with you, like, subscribe, and share it with someone who needs this message.

Africans in Tech Podcast Episode 39 | Inside the Vision of Diaspora District w/ Manal Al-ansi

In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, host S. Lebbie sits down with Manal Al-ansi — attorney, educator, and visionary founder of Diaspora District — to explore her remarkable journey from Ethiopia 🇪🇹 to Seattle, Washington 🇺🇸, and her mission to connect education, culture, and innovation across continents. From navigating identity in American classrooms to shaping policy at the City of Seattle’s Race & Social Justice Initiative, Manal’s story is one of resilience, purpose, and impact. She opens up about what it takes to redefine access to education for underserved communities and how diasporic collaboration can transform the future of African education systems. 💡 In This Episode, You’ll Learn: ✅ How socioeconomic background shapes educational aspirations, opportunity, and long-term success ✅ Why mentorship, representation, and culturally responsive teaching are essential for equity in learning ✅ Inside insights on Teach for America — the triumphs, the cultural blind spots, and what true inclusion looks like in education reform ✅ How Manal transitioned from law to education leadership and public policy, blending advocacy with systemic change ✅ What it’s really like to work inside government — lessons learned from the City of Seattle’s Race & Social Justice Initiative ✅ The story behind Diaspora District — a platform fostering collaboration between African educators, policymakers, and innovators ✅ A preview of the Global Education Conference in Ghana (Dec 17–20, 2025) — focused on cross-industry partnerships, policy reform, and sustainable innovation in African education ✅ The exciting announcement of Global Diaspora Day, launching July 25, 2026, in Atlanta, GA 🎉 — celebrating connection, creativity, and community across the African diaspora 🎙 Africans in Tech Podcast — Where stories of impact meet innovation. Building bridges, shaping futures. 📅 Diaspora District Global Education Conference 📍 Accra, Ghana | 🗓 December 17–20, 2025 🔗 diasporadistrict.com 🌐 Connect with Manal: Website: diasporadistrict.com Instagram: @diasporadistrict LinkedIn: Manal Al-Ansi Email: manal@diasporadistrict.com 🔔 Subscribe for more global impact stories!