Detroit Pride Innovation Summit

Welcome to Detroit Pride Innovation Summit - "Break the Pattern in Michigan's Tech Ecosystem"

Call for Speakers: Submit Your Session(s)

Sign Up for Compass Detroit

Join us for Detroit Pride Innovation Summit on Saturday, June 20th at IBM Detroit for an energizing day of talks, workshops, and celebration dedicated to LGBTQ+ leaders, technologists, and allies driving innovation forward. Guided by the 2026 theme, “Break the Pattern in Michigan's Tech Ecosystem”, this summit will spotlight how LGBTQ+ voices are transforming technology—especially in AI and other emerging fields—through bold thinking, authentic leadership, and boundary-breaking creativity.

Attendees will hear from local and international speakers sharing breakthrough ideas, exchange best practices for career advancement and inclusive leadership, and connect with peers who are equally committed to equity, representation, and innovation in tech.

Hosted in partnership with Compass and GDG Detroit, this event is part of a broader movement to amplify LGBTQ+ technologists and create intentional spaces for visibility, opportunity, and celebration. Expect a vibrant day of panel discussions, technical sessions, and dynamic networking—each designed to spark collaboration and challenge the status quo.

We look forward to celebrating Pride with you and leading Detroit’s Tech Ecosystem to re-imagine and build a more inclusive, innovative future for all.

#DetroitPride #Pride2026 #BreakThePattern #DetroitInnovation #DetroitTech #OutInTech #CompassDetroit #GDG Detroit #WomenTechmakers

Agenda

8:00 AM: Check-In & Breakfast

8:15 AM: Morning Mindfulness & Meditative Yoga

8:45 AM: Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:00 AM: AI Fluency 101: Building Fundamentals to use any AI tool effectively

Nick Gordon, Lead Coding Mentor @ MSU | Co-founder of DevsCreate313

9:30 AM: Getting Started with Running AI Models Locally

William Bowen, Trainer / Developer @ JAC3D G33K Services LLC

10:00 AM: Eight Surprising Facts about Web Accessibility

Greg Miller, UX Engineer & Founder @ Shrinkray Interactive

10:30 AM: Before It Disappears: Personal Archiving and Preserving Your Digital Life

Tyler Musgrave, Assistant Professor @ WSU

11:00 AM: From 100 Views to Viral Momentum: How Viralizer Uses Reinforced Machine Learning to Transform Detroit’s Creator and Business Ecosystem

Yusuf Ansari, COO @ Intuition Intelligence, Inc.

11:30 AM: Coding at the Speed of Thought: Professional Portfolio

Shugmi Shumunov, Developer & Founder @ Shumunov Solutions

12:15 PM: Lunch Break & Networking

1:00 PM: Detroit Pride Innovation Summit Panel Discussion

Moderator: Nicholas Calderon - Cultural Connector, Creative Producer & Artist Manager & Founder @ Nicky Baby LLC

Panelists:
Elizabeth Badgett - Principal Supervisor, Project Cost Analyst @ DTE
Jacquise Purifoy - Trainer @ ProsperUs
Nick Gordon - Lead Coding Mentor @ Michigan State University & Co-founder of DevsCreate313
Rachel McCants - Program Director @ Boys & Girls Club of Greater Detroit

2:00 PM: From Code to Context: Leading Innovation Through Perspective

Lem Cartman, Manager of Community Relations Corporate Government Affairs, Chief Strategist @ Henry Ford Health & WE Inc.

2:30 PM: Self Advocacy: Do you have the courage to choose you?

Zara Northover, Founder @ Moving In Faith

3:00 PM: Community Solidarity: How do we help ourselves by helping others?

Chantel Watkins, Community Relations & Organizing Director @ DABO Detroit

3:30 PM: CROWNED QLUX: How AI, Allyship, and a Mother’s Love Reimagined Prom Fashion

Dichondra Johnson, Founder & CEO | Doctoral Researcher @ DRJ & Associates | University of Michigan Flint

4:00 PM: Closing Remarks & Prizes

4:30 PM: Techie Hour & Networking

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Speakers

Chantel Watkins - @ DABO Detroit (Community Relations & Organizing Director)

Chantel Watkins is a community organizer, advocate, poet, and proud mother with more than 16 years of experience building people power across Detroit and beyond. As the current Community Relations and Organizing Director at DABO Detroit, she works at the intersection of community engagement, advocacy, and grassroots organizing, helping connect residents to resources while advancing efforts tha…

Dichondra Johnson - @ DRJ & Associates | University of Michigan (CEO & Founder | Doctoral Research Associate)

Dichondra R. Johnson, MBA, MPA, CBSP is an economic development strategist, entrepreneur, and doctoral business scholar with more than two decades of experience working at the intersection of community development, public investment, and entrepreneurship. She is the founder of DRJ & Associates, where she advises municipalities, nonprofits, associations, corporations, and small businesses o…

Elizabeth Badgett - @ DTE Energy (Principal Supervisor, Project Cost Analyst)

Elizabeth Badgett, MBA, is Principal Supervisor of Cost Engineering at DTE Energy and owner of First Class Financial Associates LLC. With more than 12 years of experience in finance, project management, and data analytics, she leads strategic capital planning and operational intelligence initiatives supporting over $1.5 billion in utility investments between 2024-2026. Elizabeth is passionate …

Greg Miller - @ Shrinkray Interactive, LLC (UX Engineer & Founder)

Greg is a UX Engineer, full-stack developer, GDG Toledo Organizer, and the founder of Shrinkray Interactive. He engineers high-performance digital systems, focusing on core web vitals optimization, AI-driven automation pipelines, and strict WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA compliance. As the Engineering Lead for Compass Detroit, he orchestrates production workflows and continually refines the web delivery and …

Jacquise Purifoy - @ ProsperUs (Trainer)

Jazmyn Lee - @ VETTED (Founder)

Jaz Lee brings nearly 15 years of technology and digital transformation experience to every table, project, or big idea. As the founder of Vetted, a talent and workforce innovation studio, she prepares and places talent with a focus on digital and AI fluency, helping underserved communities access the future of work. As co-founder of GLU, she fosters a vibrant community for professionally esta…

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…

Lem Cartman - @ Henry Ford Health & WE Inc. (Manager of Community Relations Corporate Government Affairs, Chief Strategist)

Lem Cartman, MHA, is a public speaker, community strategist, healthcare leader, and founder of WE Inc. He currently serves as Manager of Community Relations and Corporate Government Affairs at Henry Ford Health, where he supports community engagement, civic partnerships, workforce initiatives, and strategy connected to the Future of Health, a nearly $3 billion development involving Henry Ford …

Nicholas Calderon - @ Nicky Baby LLC (Cultural Connector, Creative Producer & Artist Manager & Founder)

Nicholas Calderon (a.k.a. Nicky Baby) is a Detroit-based Cultural Connector, Creative Producer, Model, and Host working across music, fashion, live events, and community-centered programming. Through Nicky Baby LLC, he produces events, develops creative partnerships, and helps connect artists, organizations, and audiences across Detroit's cultural landscape.
Nicholas manages Detroit arti…

Nick Gordon - @ Michigan State University (Lead Coding Mentor | Co-founder of DevsCreate313)

Nick Gordon is a passionate coding mentor at the Academy, where he inspires fellow learners to think critically, explore creative solutions, and grow into self-sufficient, lifelong learners. Beyond the Academy, Nick is an active contributor to Detroit’s growing tech community. He frequently attends local networking events and speaks publicly on technology topics to share knowledge and uplift o…

Rachel McCants - @ Boys & Girls Club of Greater Detroit (Program Director)

Rachel Simone “Producer Bae” | Founder & Executive Producer, Production Bae Media
Rachel Simone, known professionally as Producer Bae, is a Detroit-based Executive Producer, Production Manager, and Media Educator reshaping how women build careers in media. As the Founder of Production Bae, a Creative Accelerator Program, she’s creating pipelines that move women from passion to payche…

Shugmi Shumunov - @ Shumunov Solutions (Developer & Founder)

Shugmi Shumunov is a full-stack software engineer who views code as a powerful medium for storytelling. Focused on the JavaScript and e-commerce ecosystems, he builds elegant solutions that enable his clients to engage their target demographics.
Beyond the terminal, you can find Shugmi lifting weight, exploring the outdoors, and laughing with friends.LinkedIn: