Detroit Black History Month Innovation Summit

Lead the Future of Innovation in Detroit

Call for Speakers: Submit Your Session(s)

On Saturday, February 28, 2026, Detroit will become the epicenter of technology and innovation as local professionals, leaders and learners gather for a day of learning, building, and connecting.

Compass x NSBE Detroit in partnership with SHPE Detroit, GDG Detroit, Women Techmakers, DevOps Detroit, Detroit Hacker House, Automation Workz, CCS, IBM, and DTE Energy are hosting a day of learning, building, connecting, and celebrating Detroit's tech ecosystem. This large-scale, in-person summit at DTE Energy HQ will offer a full day on the latest advancements in tech and transformative impact of AI and open source technologies on industries. Content will be provided by local tech and business leaders, IBM, Google, and GDG Detroit, including Build with AI workshops.

This event is designed to showcase the incredible tech talent and innovation thriving in Detroit's ecosystem. From hands-on workshops and product demos to panel discussions led by industry SMEs and business leaders, attendees will leave with actionable insights and valuable connections. The day concludes with a vibrant social hour, offering opportunities to network and collaborate with like-minded individuals passionate about shaping the future of technology.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional, an ambitious innovator, a learner, a leader, or a creative, this is your chance to immerse yourself in Detroit’s renaissance and invest in the city's growing tech ecosystem.

This is a hybrid event. Join the event virtually at https://gdg.community.dev/events/details/google-gdg-detroit-presents-detroit-black-history-month-innovation-summit-1/
or in person at

DTE Energy Headquarters - 1 Energy Plaza Detroit, 48226

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Agenda

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Speakers

Steven Benyard, BSEE, MBA, PMP - @ DTE Energy (Vice President - Electric Capital Delivery)

Steven Benyard leads DTE Energy's Electric Capital Delivery organization, overseeing critical infrastructure investments that power Southeast Michigan. With his unique blend of engineering expertise and business acumen, he champions innovative approaches to modernizing the electric grid while ensuring reliable service for 2.3 million customers.
LinkedIn:
Jonah Smith - @ IBM (Vice President & Global Head Responsible Business)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcardozo;

Dean Hendricks - @ Hendricks Foundation (Director)

To teach is to live and to live is learn. This is the motto that Dean Hendricks adopted since childhood. He grew up helping his mother feed the homeless and has pivoted that passion into dedicating his life to philanthropy. He’s a member of the Detroit Rotary Club, and a proud Phi Theta Kappa member. At the beginning of 2022 He founded the Hendricks Foundation – helping students cross the digi…

Desmond Baker Jr - @ Digital Alchemy (Founder & Creative Technology Educator)

Desi Baker is the founder of Digital Alchemy, a creative technology community teaching everyday people how to build real apps using AI — no CS degree required. A Maywood native with 10 years in creative education, Desi coined "vibe coding" as a framework for creative professionals to go from idea to deployed application using AI-assisted development. He specializes in Google's AI ecosystem and…

Gerardo Lopez - @ Veritas Automata (Principal Engineer)

Gerardo Lopez is a Google Developer Expert in Cloud, Docker Captain, and CNCF Ambassador who genuinely loves being part of the tech community. HIs goal is to help companies reach their objectives by sharing what he's learned about Cloud Native technologies and modern infrastructure. He believes in the power of collaboration, and he's always happy to support teams in finding the right path for …

Gina Grant - @ CoreKind (Founder & CEO)

Gina Grant is a distinguished educator, innovation strategist, artist, and global speaker committed to helping people navigate learning, creativity, and technological change with confidence and humanity. As the founder of CoreKind, she leads human-centered initiatives that blend ethical AI, participatory design, and strengths-based practice to make conversations about digital futures, identity…

Hafeez Jimoh - @ Lawrence Technological University (Robotics Instructor)

Hafeez is a Robotics Engineer with active research in teaching robots how to see and move. More importantly, I love to teach and break down seemingly hard concepts into simple bits for people to understand.
He has led robotics labs, taught engineering students, built automation systems, and worked across robotics, analytics, and product-focused roles in industry and academia. Alongside h…

Hernando Gonzalez Malabet - GM (Battery Thermal-Electrochemical Interactions Researcher)

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering with a focus in R&D, specifically: energy conversion and storage devices (Li-ion Batteries), production processes, 5S implantation, economic analysis, and evaluation of projects. 5 years of R&D and 6 years of industrial working experience. Proficient in fabrication, testing, and electrochemical analysis for Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion batteries. Adept in usi…

Ida Byrd-Hill - @ Automation Workz (CEO)

Ida Byrd-Hill, MBA, catapulted from a roach-infested Flint housing project to CEO of Automation Workz, a behavior insights firm that engineers corporate revenue and profits increases through culture audits, executive coaching and training of 17,000+ front-liners in AI/ Machine learning, cybersecurity, Data Analytics, IoT and Network engineering. Ida is best known for increasing Dr. Bronner’s r…

Jamal Longwood - General Motors (Thermal Development Engineer)

JC Escalante - @ Ipsos (President of Artificial Intelligence)

JC Escalante is a Technology Product Manager based in Chicago, specializing in building AI-enabled products for the Insights & Analytics industry. His focus is on the practical application of AI—helping organizations accelerate their path towards actionable insights. With a background in deploying AI-enabled solutions globally and sharing his insights at industry events like Google Cloud N…

Jenna Ritten - Chief Developer Advocate & Architect @ IBM Research (Summit Organizer & Founding Executive Director @ Compass)

Jenna is the visionary behind Detroit's Innovation Summit series and Founding Executive Director of Compass (Collective of Minority Professionals and STEAM Societies), the organization bringing together Michigan's diverse tech talent to combat brain drain and create local opportunities. As Chief Developer Advocate & Architect at IBM Research, she leads IBM's technical community while scali…

Jeseekia Vaughn - @ TechTown Detroit (Tech Strategist)

Software Engineer with a passion for growing the community through teaching/promoting STEM education, youth mentoring, and entrepreneurship.
Over the years I have transitioned from front end web development to full stack software engineering including API development and vehicle connectivity.My longstanding interest has been in AI/ML, however, until now most of my work took me int…

Justin Turk - @ ConStrat AI + Livegistics (2X Tech Founder)

Justin Turk is a third-generation entrepreneur, construction-tech executive, and Founder & CEO of ConStrat AI, a Construction Financial Intelligence platform transforming contractor behavior into predictive financial foresight. With over 20 years in heavy civil construction and waste management, he previously co-founded Livegistics, a cloud-based logistics platform serving the built enviro…

Kamille Tynes - Konnected with Care (Konnected) (Founder and CEO)

Kamille Tynes is the Founder and CEO of Konnected, a technology platform building the modern operating system for child welfare and human services. A Fulbright Scholar and Techstars portfolio founder, she has managed over $4.6 million in human services government contracts and pioneered institutional models that later became nationally recognized programs.
Kamille originally helped desig…

Lanasia Angelina - @ Rise Coaching llc. (Life Coach & Business Consultant)

Lanasia Angelina is a best-selling author, dynamic speaker, certified Life & Business Coach, and trusted brand consultant known for helping powerhouse leaders step into their next level of authority with clarity, confidence, and impact. With a deep specialization in mindset transformation, she equips visionary women, entrepreneurs, and emerging thought leaders to align with purpose, break …

Lawrielle West - @ KwanzaaMe (Founder)

Lawrielle West is a Distinguished Professional Development Specialist, Executive Leader, and the Principal of LWest & Co., a consulting firm specializing in organizational development for nonprofits and small businesses. As the Founder of KwanzaaMe, West leads a vibrant lifestyle brand committed to celebrating and uplifting Black community, history, and culture year-round. Through creative…

Lorrena Black - @ She Served LLC (Keynote Speaker | Imposter Interrupter | U.S. Army Veteran)

Lorrena Black is a retired U.S. Army Major, Keynote Speaker, and Workshop Presenter who interrupts the idea of Imposter Syndrome so women and veterans have the awareness and audacity to go after the roles, raises, and recognition they’ve been avoiding.
As the Founder and CEO of She Served LLC, she transforms self-doubt into confidence, setbacks into resilience, and emotions into leadersh…

Lynn Hakim - @ General Dynamics Information Technology (Software Developer)

I am a senior at Wayne State University majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics. I currently work as a Software Developer Intern at General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), where I contribute to software development projects in a professional, team-based environment. On campus, I serve on the board of the Society of Computer Developers at WSU, helping organize technical workshops a…

Marilyn Nash - @ U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) (Interim Assistant Regional Director and Regional Outreach Officer)

A 19+ year federal employee with leadership experience spanning across industrial base studies, weapons system acquisition, program management, small business development, procurement policy, and business process analytics.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilyn-c-nash-3404a83;

Mattalynn Darden - @ Mattie D UC LLC (Founder & President)

Mattalynn Darden is a certified cybersecurity professional, and founder of Mattie D UC LLC, a Detroit-based cybersecurity consulting firm serving small businesses, startups, and nonprofits. She specializes in offensive security, penetration testing, and mentoring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
An active community leader and mentor with organizations such as Black Gi…

Merlinda-Loriane Sewavi - @ Syntheia Labs (Co-Founder, CEO)

Merlinda-Loriane Sewavi is a translational systems engineer with a cross-disciplinary foundation spanning human biology, microbiology, and chemical biology. A graduate of Michigan State University’s Honors College with dual B.S. degrees and minors in Health Promotion and Bioethics, she later earned her M.S. in Chemical Biology of Cancer from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, where she was …

Nathaniel Cook - @ Finys (Software Engineer)

Nathaniel Cook is a self-taught Software Engineer previously Finys and the founder of Greater Lakehouse LLC. With a focus on building scalable software solutions, Nathaniel is equally passionate about the human infrastructure of technology. He believes that the strongest code is written by developers who feel supported by their community. Based in the Detroit area, he advocates for early-caree…

Pedro Garcia - @ Stellantis (Manufacturing Process Engineer)

Product Development Engineer with 5+ years of experience in Automotive Product Development and Manufacturing Engineering. Passionate about turning ideas in to real word products.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-garcia-427843146

Priyal Sheth - @ Torc Robotics (Senior Software Engineer)

Priyal Sheth is a robotics software engineer specializing in autonomous systems for both ground vehicles and drones. He currently works at Torc Robotics and has built perception, planning, and control systems for production autonomous vehicles as well as high-speed, fully autonomous race cars competing in the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League. With a background in Computer Science and Robotic…

Rishiraj Sarkar - @ GDG Detroit (Co-Leader)

Experience in working with Network security, Trustworthy ML development, Hardware and Wifi security across various platforms and Cloud.Current Graduate student in University of Michigan, studying Cybersecurity and information assurance with focus on Network security, Cloud Security, Trustworthy AI and Security by design architecturesEx - Cyber strategy consultant at Deloitte, facilitating data…

Ronald Grover - @ General Motors (Staff Researcher)

Ronald (Ron) Grover Jr., Ph.D., is a Staff Researcher at General Motors Research and Development within the Propulsion Systems Research Lab. Ron earned his doctorate in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. With over 20 years of expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, Ron specializes in developing tools and methods to accelerate automotive vehicle efficiency…

Saamer Mansoor - @ BeAware ConferenceCaptioning (Founder & Chief Enablement Officer)

Saamer Mansoor is a Detroit-based founder, tech-enabler, software architect, and accessibility advocate. He is the founder of Conference Captioning, a event-tech platform that provides real-time captions and multilingual translations for live events, helping organizers create inclusive experiences for deaf and non-English-speaking audiences.
Saamer builds & designs practical, people-…

Silviya Topchiyska - @ Topchiyska Enterprises LLC (Founder)

Silviya Topchiyska is an entrepreneur, AI practitioner, and founder of Topchiyska Business Consulting, based in Southeast Michigan. She specializes in AI-powered business strategy, app development, and global market expansion, with expertise spanning the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. Silviya builds real products with AI — her flagship app, NoWaitInLine (nowaitinline.app), is a live progre…

Tatiana Jackson - @ Real Culture (Founder)

Tatiana Simone Jackson is an award-winning multimedia marketing leader with over a decade of experience shaping culturally driven campaigns that convert attention into impact.
As the Founder of Real Culture, a Black woman–owned media and strategy company, she specializes in bridging storytelling, digital strategy, and emerging technology to help brands and communities grow with intentio…

Terrell McKinney - @ Aaron Douglas LLC & Angi Home Services (Technical Consultant & Software Engineer II)

Terrell McKinney is an educator, software engineer, and community builder committed to helping people navigate technology, work, and change with clarity and confidence. With a background spanning youth education, international teaching, curriculum leadership, and software engineering, his work focuses on making complex systems—AI, technical interviews, and modern careers—more human and accessi…

Tim Bates - @ University of Michigan (Professor of Practice)

Professor Bates is a veteran technologist, AI systems architect, and educator with over two decades of experience designing and governing enterprise-scale technology systems. His work focuses on responsible and applied AI, with particular emphasis on small and edge models, AI governance, and secure human-in-the-loop systems. He advises organizations as a strategic technology leader, helping th…

Tinetta Wilson - @ Netta’s Hibachi LLC (Founder, CEO)

Tinetta K. Wilson is a Detroit based entrepreneur, community advocate, and the owner of Netta’s Hibachi LLC, a mobile culinary business built on innovation, culture, and community empowerment. Her journey reflects what’s possible when access to the right tools meets determination and vision.
Through the use of AI tools like ChatGPT, Netta has expanded her economic knowledge, strengthened…

Tracie Hightower - @ Collective Flow Learning (Principal and Coach - Strategy Innovation Coach)

Tracie Hightower is a strategic innovation consultant and facilitator focused on helping community-facing organizations build stamina for problem-solving, adaptive strategy, and future-ready decision-making. Her work blends innovation methods with practical tools, dashboards, and workshops which support leaders navigating complexity and rapid technological change. She is especially committed t…

Uday Shankar Bhowal - @ Cigna (Lead Analyst)

I have over 7 years of experience in deploying, managing and automating in various data technology infrastructures involving AWS, Github, Terraform, Python, Visual Basics, Open AI/Azure AI gateways, MCPs, Agentic AI development, Data Visualization, and more. I worked with a multitude of industries naming telecommunication, healthcare tech, education and sustainability.
LinkedIn:

Umelo Onyejiaka - @ DevOps Detroit (Cloud Solutions Engineer)

Umelo Onyejiaka is a cloud and DevOps engineer, community builder, and the founder of DevOps Detroit. He holds multiple industry certifications including AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional, Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA), and Terraform Associate.
Beyond certifications, Umelo’s work focuses on how people actually grow s…

W. Scott Richardson - @ Siemens Digital Industries SW (Information Product Architect)

W. Scott Richardson is an Aerospace Engineer, working for Siemens Digital Industries SW as an Information Product Architect. Scott's early exposure to STEM programming has been the driving force behind his passion drawing young people into STEM career opportunities. Scott co-founded the ABERN ERG at Altair Engineering, developing programming and events for Global Community Outreach over five…

Will Hill - @ ckingknowledge Institute (Executive Director)

Mr. Hill has been a Youth Robotics Competition Team Coach since 2014. He started coaching in the F.I.R.S.T. LEGO League Jr league, then moved to the VEX IQ league for his 5th season… where his rookie team earned a trophy at a tournament out of 40+ teams and won 4th place at a separate tournament out of 30+ teams.
Mr. Hill earned a B.S. in Computer Engineering from University of Illinois …

William Bowen - @ US Army (IT Specialist)

I currently wear multiple professional hats as an IT specialist and a fitness instructor / enthusiast.
On the IT side I have the responsibly for managing service orders, telecommunication contracts and services, along with support for iOS devices. I also have experience teaching networks, network security and software development. This work branches off to work I do with the National S…

William McLean - @ Glitnir Ticketing (CTO)

20+ years of experience as the CTO and co-founder of Glitnir Ticketing.
My previous experience includes a Chief Designer Role at IBM and Principal Consultant at Cap Gemini.I have a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Western University.My Master's thesis focused on Extensible Agent Technology and I completed graduate level AI courses.I currently hold 9 …

Yana Grant - @ Meta (Product Data Operations)

Yana Grant is a product data operations analyst at Meta, where she helps power the next generation of artificial intelligence and machine learning through high-quality data annotation, labeling, and quality assurance. A proud Long Beach, California native, Yana brings a unique perspective shaped by her West Coast roots and a passion for community empowerment.
Before joining Meta, Yana wa…

Dr. Zipporah Abla - @ Zippy Consulting Group LLC (Chief Happiness Officer)

Dr. Zippy - Leadership Consultant & Happiness Science Expert
Dr. Zippy is a leadership consultant, organizational behavior professor, and founder of Zippy Consulting Group and The JOY Institute. With a Doctorate in Leadership Studies and an MBA, she specializes in translating cutting-edge happiness science into measurable business outcomes for Fortune 500 companies, government agenci…

Panelists

Steven Benyard, BSEE, MBA, PMP - @ DTE Energy (Vice President - Electric Capital Delivery)

Steven Benyard leads DTE Energy's Electric Capital Delivery organization, overseeing critical infrastructure investments that power Southeast Michigan. With his unique blend of engineering expertise and business acumen, he champions innovative approaches to modernizing the electric grid while ensuring reliable service for 2.3 million customers.
LinkedIn:
Jonah Smith - @ IBM (Vice President & Global Head Responsible Business)

LinkedIn: