Black Women Talk Tech

What Black Women Talk Tech does

Black Women Talk Tech (BWTT) is a New York-based community platform and event business founded in 2017 by Esosa Ighodaro and Regina Gwynn to support Black women building scalable, technology-enabled businesses. The company operates a tiered membership program (Student at $0, Founder at $249.99/year, Professional at $299.99/year) with 2,500+ active paid members, and reaches a broader community of 150,000+ Black women tech founders and professionals through its weekly newsletter, social channels, and programming. BWTT's flagship product is the Roadmap to Billions conference, held annually in New York City, Toronto, and London, which convenes 500+ founders, investors, and technologists per event and is supported by headline sponsors including Microsoft, Walmart Connect, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, PayPal, and Intuit.

The company monetizes through six distinct revenue streams: membership subscriptions, corporate sponsorships (advertising-style deals with Fortune 500 brands), event ticketing, premium newsletter and social advertising placements ($750-$1,500 per placement), a partner-exclusive job board, and branded merchandise. Its core technology is a community platform and event management system; no public API or AI capabilities are disclosed. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through the self-serve membership portal, supplemented by direct enterprise sales for corporate sponsorships and a field-based talent exchange event co-hosted with the New York Tech Alliance.

BWTT runs an extended ecosystem of sub-brands including Black Students Talk Tech (HBCU pipeline), Talk Tech Learning Series (with JP Morgan), Talk Tech Association (501(c)(3) research arm), and Talk Tech Media (content production). Cumulative reported impact includes 3.4+ billion media impressions, $30 million in venture funding facilitated for member companies, and $500,000+ in cash and prizes distributed to 50 Black women entrepreneurs. The organization is founder-controlled, private, and operates with a small core team (1-10 employees) augmented by volunteers.

Name

Black Women Talk Tech

Legal name

Black Women Talk Tech, Inc.

Website

https://blackwomentalktech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Women Talk Tech is a New York-based community platform and conference business that supports Black women tech founders and professionals through a tiered membership, the annual Roadmap to Billions conference (NYC, Toronto, London), investor matchmaking, and corporate-sponsored programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Community & Founder Support

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Computer Training (611420), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Group Chat Platforms (BPAMACAH)

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship community
• Tech founder network
• Membership platform
• Startup events
• Investor matchmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Tiered annual membership program with Student ($0), Professional ($299.99/year), and Founder ($249.99/year) tiers providing access to community, resources, events, and investor matchmaking.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from major corporations including Microsoft, Walmart Connect, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, PayPal, Intuit, SheaMoisture. Sponsors receive brand visibility, access to founder network, and recruitment opportunities.
3. Event Tickets: Revenue from Roadmap to Billions conferences and other events. Major events include 9th Annual NYC conference, Toronto and London editions.
4. Advertising & Premium Placements: Email newsletter placement ($1,000), social media posts ($750), email and social bundles ($1,500), and custom event sponsorships targeting 25,000+ verified tech professionals.
5. Job Board: Partner-exclusive job posting platform connecting employers with Black and Brown tech professionals.
6. Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including Billion Dollar Founder apparel, accessories with proceeds supporting operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Black Women Talk Tech operates a community platform and conference ecosystem for Black women tech founders, technologists, and students. The organization runs a tiered membership program, the annual Roadmap to Billions conference series, career events, HBCU programs, learning webinars, investor matchmaking, and a job board, all supported by corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Black Women Talk Tech is a community platform and ecosystem designed to support Black women in building billion-dollar tech businesses. The core offerings include the flagship Roadmap to Billions Conference (the largest gathering of Black women tech entrepreneurs globally), a tiered Membership Platform ($0 Student, $249.99 Founder, $299.99 Professional), and programs including Tech Talent Exchange, Black Students Talk Tech, Talk Tech Learning Series, Investor Matchmaking, and Job Board. Additional programs include the Face of a Founder Summit, Ideas on Tap events, InnovateHER, and Founder Friday Series. The ecosystem is supported by the Talk Tech Association (research arm) and Media studio. The organization also operates a Swag Store with branded merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Roadmap to Billions: Annual tech conference designed by Black women founders for Black women founders and their allies
• Black Students Talk Tech
• Talk Tech Association
• Talk Tech Learning Series
• Talk Tech Media

Products and services

• Membership Platform Tiered membership platform for Black women in tech with Student ($0/mo), Professional ($299.99/yr), and Founder ($249.99/yr) tiers. Provides community access, vetted business content, investor matchmaking, group mentor sessions, video library of past events, and partner discounts.
• Roadmap to Billions Conference Flagship annual tech conference created by Black women founders for Black women founders; the largest convening of Black women tech entrepreneurs globally. Features workshops, networking, pitch competitions, and direct investor access. Now in its 9th year, with editions in NYC, Toronto, and London.
• Tech Talent Exchange Career event connecting Black tech professionals with job opportunities, free for job seekers. Features workshops on salary negotiation, resume writing, and interviewing, plus industry roundtables and direct recruiter engagement. Employers pay to participate.
• Black Students Talk Tech Immersive experience for HBCU students led by Black tech leaders, providing multidisciplinary workshops, mentor sessions, and panel discussions to develop skills for technology careers or businesses, culminating in a pitch competition.
• Talk Tech Learning Series Webinar series in partnership with JP Morgan & Chase Co. that teaches founders how to build and scale a tech business, including 'Back to Basics' curriculum and battle-tested business frameworks.
• Tech 101: Introduction to Working in Tech Udemy course designed to help beginners and career transitioners develop a tech mindset, overcome barriers to entry in the tech industry, and navigate careers in tech.
• Face of a Founder Summit On-demand virtual conference connecting Black women founders, investors, and partners to address funding needs across the tech startup sector, promoting strategic conversations and collaborations to scale businesses.
• Investor Matchmaking
• BWTT Job Board
• Swag Store

Quantifiable outcome

• $30 million in venture funding facilitated for Black women-led businesses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• DiageomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Ideas on Tap: A Pitch Practice Social event series, spanning four cities plus virtual component in 2024. Diageo collaborates with BWTT for Black History Month programming.
• New York Tech AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosting the 2025 Tech Talent Exchange event. Partnership to advance diversity in tech careers through joint programming.
• NobellummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner for Roadmap to Billions Toronto 2025. Nobelum collaborates to support Black women founders in Canada.
• PitchBettermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner for Roadmap to Billions Toronto 2025. PitchBetter provides pitch coaching and competition infrastructure.
• Black AmbitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew partnership announced for Roadmap to Billions Toronto 2025, reinforcing commitment to building ecosystems of support for Black women tech founders.
• Black Men Talk TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate organization under BWTT founders. Collective of Black men tech founders with aligned mission. Joint Unicorn Ambition Conference launched in 2019.
• Talk Tech AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by BWTT founders, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization developing data and insights on Black women founders to promote wealth generation. Tax-deductible donations processed through this entity.
• CareerConmajorTechnology or IntegrationPowers the Tech Talent Exchange event platform. CareerCon provides technology infrastructure for the talent exchange recruiting event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Founder Gym: A pre-seed accelerator and curriculum for underrepresented founders, with cohort-based programs and an alumni network. Cited in BWTT member testimonials as part of the member journey — operates in the same founder-development niche with online-first delivery similar to BWTT's Talk Tech Learning Series.
• Camelback Ventures: Accelerator and pre-seed fund identifying and supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs, with curated cohorts and sponsor-backed programming. Comparable to BWTT's pitch-competition and Black Students Talk Tech programming targeting the same founder pipeline.
• Lightship Capital: An early-stage VC fund focused on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color founders, whose general partner (Candice Matthews Brackeen) is a BWTT member and quoted sponsor. Directly engaged in BWTT's investor-matchmaking flow and a credible ecosystem peer.
• WOCSTAR Capital: Minority-certified investment platform funding women-of-color-led businesses, with pitch-competition and event programming. Sponsors BWTT's Roadmap to Billions — operates an adjacent community-plus-capital model targeting the same founder segment.
• BLCK VC: A nonprofit community of Black venture capitalists mobilizing capital into Black founders, with chapters, events, and a national conference. Comparable community-driven model focused on the Black founder/investor intersection adjacent to BWTT's investor matchmaking services.

Broad incumbents

• Backstage Capital: A venture fund that has backed hundreds of companies led by underrepresented founders (including ReflektMe via BWTT's pipeline). Functions as both an investor and ecosystem builder — a broader incumbent in the same DEI-in-tech founder ecosystem BWTT cultivates.

Direct peers

• Lesbians Who Tech & Allies: A community of queer women, non-binary, and trans technologists running the Lesbians Who Tech Summit and corporate sponsorship programs. Directly comparable community-plus-conference-plus-sponsor business model serving an underrepresented tech demographic.
• All Raise: Nonprofit accelerating diversity in tech leadership, focusing on women founders and the VCs who back them, with chapters, peer networks, and signature events. Directly comparable to BWTT as a membership- and convening-led community serving women tech founders and investors.
• AnitaB.org: Nonprofit advancing women in tech through the Grace Hopper Celebration and other programs supporting technical women, founders, and ally sponsors. Comparable to BWTT as a longstanding women-in-tech organization blending conferences, community, and corporate partnerships.
• Black Men Talk Tech: An affiliate collective of Black men tech founders founded by the same BWTT co-founders and host of the annual Unicorn Ambition Conference. Closest possible peer — same operational model (community + flagship conference + sponsor roster), parallel mission targeting the adjacent demographic of Black tech founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BWTalkTech
• Facebookfacebook.com/blackwomentalktech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackwomentalktech
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackwomentalktech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Women Talk Tech