This post was originally published on Defender Network
By Laura Onyeneho
When Janine Fleming walked into the AfroTech Conference, she wasn’t just looking for a new job opportunity; she was looking for answers.
The recent Stanford graduate, who studied Science, Technology, and Society, had spent months sending out résumés that seemed to disappear into a void. Every application felt like a gamble against algorithms.
“I’ve been told a hundred times, ‘Make sure your résumé fits the ATS format,’” Fleming said, referring to automated tracking systems used to scan applications. “You send it off, and sometimes you get a rejection, or nothing at all.”
Fleming is part of a generation of Black professionals trying to enter the workforce just as the tech industry undergoes another seismic shift. Despite graduating from one of the nation’s top universities, she’s found the path to opportunity obstructed by layoffs, automation, and a hiring process that feels increasingly less human.
In 2024, more than 150,000 jobs were cut across 549 companies, according to the independent tracker Layoffs.fyi. This year, an additional 22,000 tech workers have already been laid off, with a staggering 16,000 cuts reported in February alone.
And while some of those cuts are tied to cost-saving measures, others are linked directly to automation. A World Economic Forum report found that 41% of companies worldwide expect to reduce their workforce over the next five years due to artificial intelligence.
“I’m concerned,” she said. “It’s like a black box, you don’t know what’s happening on the other side. And if AI is replacing early-career roles, what happens to the people who need those roles to grow?”
A Space to Rebuild
That uncertainty is part of why AfroTech’s return to Houston, for the second consecutive year, feels so significant. The massive conference, which began as a small networking event in 2016, has grown into one of the largest gatherings of Black professionals in technology, venture capital, and entrepreneurship.
April Bradley, a cloud engineer with over two decades of experience in IT, views AfroTech as a reminder that surviving in tech means staying adaptable.
“One thing about tech, you have to be open-minded. It’s easy to get comfortable in your role, but the industry doesn’t stop. You have to keep learning, even outside of work.”
April Bradley
“One thing about tech, you have to be open-minded,” Bradley said. “It’s easy to get comfortable in your role, but the industry doesn’t stop. You have to keep learning, even outside of work.”
Bradley credits her longevity in the field to continuous education and accountability. She says certifications, reading, and mentorship are crucial tools, especially for young Black professionals navigating an industry that’s constantly in motion.
“Certifications are markers,” she explained. “They’re goals that keep you sharp. And reading, that’s something I tell everyone. Every great leader I’ve met always has a book they’re reading.”
For Carlynne Greene, AfroTech represents possibility. As a career coach turned content creator, she came to Houston from Dallas to learn how to scale her business and to prove that Black women can claim space in the tech ecosystem as creators and entrepreneurs.
“I want to build a team and take my business to the next level,” Greene said. “Right now, I do everything myself, but AfroTech motivates me to see what’s possible when you collaborate.”
Greene says the layoffs she’s seen among her peers, and even her followers, have made her more intentional about helping others pivot.
“A lot of people in my audience have been affected by the cuts,” she said. “So I started creating videos about six-figure careers that are less likely to be replaced by AI. It’s about helping people see that there are still opportunities, they just might look different now.”
She sees artificial intelligence not as a threat, but as a tool — one that Black creators and professionals must learn to use before it leaves them behind.
“AI is like a double-edged sword,” Greene said. “There are positives and negatives, but AfroTech does a great job helping people navigate the positives, how to use it, and optimize it, so our community isn’t left out of that conversation.”
Pushing Forward
Kyle Harris is betting his future on that same optimism. The 29-year-old founder launched his company, Paradigm, just two months ago after leaving a corporate job.
“There’s a lot of fear around AI taking jobs,” Harris said. “But I’m looking at it from the other side; how can AI improve our social standing? How can it close the gap between the working class and entrepreneurs?”
AfroTech is both a classroom and a launchpad for Harris. He didn’t know what venture funding or startup capital was a few months ago. However, the conference encourages him to learn from others who share his background and are already succeeding in this space. He believes that as automation reshapes industries, Black innovators must shape what comes next, not just react to it.
“AfroTech gives us access,” Harris said. “People who are established, people just starting out, we’re all learning together. That’s how we grow.”
AI may be rewriting the rules of work, but for thousands of Black tech professionals, they’re not waiting to be written out of the story.
“I’m hopeful,” Harris said. “Cautiously, yes, but hopeful. AfroTech reminds me that we’re still here, still showing up, still building.”
