This year, we gather under a theme that honors heritage while forging the future. Through curated sessions, dynamic speakers, and immersive experiences, we’ll explore how Black leaders are shaping legacies rooted in purpose, power, and progress. Join a vibrant community of entrepreneurs, innovators, wealth creators, and professionals from Austin and beyond for a day designed to elevate leadership, celebrate identity, and ignite transformation. Backed by a bold visual identity inspired by tech innovation and Adinkra symbolism, this year’s conference is where tradition meets trajectory.
Be part of a movement that’s defining what’s next.
At the intersection of progress and persistence lies a question we must all face: Where do we go from here?
This powerful fireside chat opens the 2025 Black X Conference with an honest and stirring reflection between transformative leaders. Together, they will explore the origin story of the African American Leadership Institute and the bold vision behind Black X: how it emerged as a radical response to the isolation of Black leaders in Austin and has since become a catalyst for legacy, leadership, and liberation.
But this conversation won’t just celebrate what’s been built—it will confront the tension that still lingers.
Why do Black leaders in Central Texas continue to fight for access, visibility, and sustainability in a city that thrives on innovation but struggles with inclusion?
How do we prevent this work from becoming a moment instead of a movement?
And what does true power-sharing look like in a city where Black presence is often acknowledged, but rarely centered?
From grassroots resistance to boardroom leadership, from silent exits to visionary returns, this conversation will trace the road we’ve walked—and chart the road ahead—for Austin, for AALI, for Black X, and for every Black leader in Central Texas
