Be Nimble Foundation Launches Inaugural Black Innovation Week
Be Nimble Foundation Launches Inaugural Black Innovation Week
Indianapolis-based organization aims to celebrate and cultivate a community of diverse and inclusive leaders in the tech space with a week of events
Monday, July 19, 2021 9 AM Eastern Standard Time
INDIANAPOLIS – (PRESS RELEASE) – Be Nimble Foundation, a 501(c)(3) soial enterprise creating fully diverse and inclusive tech ecosystems, announces its inaugural Black Innovation Week presented by Morgan Stanley and BC Forward, kicking off on Monday, July 19, and culminating in the organization’s sold-out Garden Pardi fundraiser on Saturday, July 24.
During Black Innovation Week, Be Nimble Foundation will highlight Black tech leaders making an impact and award grants to the most innovative creatives in the city. Black Innovation Week carves out time to celebrate, honor and ignite the community the organization is serving and building.
“Our Black Innovation Week events are a testimony to the hard work and innovation that Black creatives, leaders and entrepreneurs contribute to the tech space in Indianapolis and throughout the state,” said Kelli Jones, co-founder of Be Nimble and managing partner at Sixty8 Capital. “We believe in creating a safe space where Black professionals can network, celebrate Black excellence, and advocate for themselves and others, with the understanding that similar networking events don’t always offer the same level of accessibility to our communities,” says Be Nimble co-founder Jeff Williams.
Black Innovation Week will feature educational panels, discussions, and networking opportunities for professionals in the tech industry. With the exception of Garden Pardi, Pardiway, and RNB Houseparty, all events during Black Innovation Week are free and open to the public, but RSVP is required. Black Innovation Week is supported by AT&T Foundation, Genesys, KAR Global, Fifth Third Bank, AES Indiana, OneAmerica and other local and corporate businesses and organizations. Event highlights will include:
Protect Your Peace: Health and Wellness Panel (Monday, July 19): Presented by BU Wellness, this panel will take place at the Indianapolis Public Library — Central Library (40 E. St. Clair St., One Library Square) from 6 - 8pm. Panelists will explore the intersection of innovation and mental / physical health.
“InnovatED” education Panel (Tuesday, July 20): Powered by EdChoice, Vanguard and Thrival Academy, “InnovatED” will focus on local education thought leaders and educators from the Indianapolis area. This event will take place in the Central Library from 6 - 8pm.
Black Innovation Week Career Fair and Conference (Wednesday, July 21): The virtual career fair and conference, presented by Morgan Stanley and Genesys will feature a fireside chat with Carla Harris, Vice Chairman of Wealth Management, and will be simulcast on Afrotech’s Lunchtable live platform.
Black Innovation Week Pitch Pardi & Mixer (Wednesday, July 21): Twelve Black-led start-ups will pitch their ideas to win one of 5 prizes during the inaugural Garden Pardi pitch competition. After the pitch competition, they will host the Black in Tech Rooftop Mixer from 7 - 9pm. All events will be hosted in the High Alpha Studios (830 Massachusetts Ave., Suite 1500, Floor 4).
For the Pitch Competition, Be Nimble Foundation will award $15,000 to five Black founders to help them launch their innovative ideas. The top founder will be awarded $5,000, and the three runner-up founders will be awarded $2,500 each. Pitch finalists will be sharing their ideas with a panel of judges at 5pm, and winners will be announced on Saturday, July 24th at Garden Pardi.
Pardiway: The Fest (Thursday, June 22): Pardiway: The Fest is the second installment of the 7House and Be Nimble collaboration highlighting the business and culture of the local Indianapolis art scene and its connectivity to the tech space. This year’s event will take place at 7pm and will feature creatives driving innovation in art, fashion, music and tech, and food, with specially curated sample menus by the chefs from the Melon Kitchen accelerator and other local partners.
VIP & Sponsor Mixer & RNB Houseparty (June 23): Be Nimble Foundation will kick-off the big events of the weekend with the private VIP & Sponsor Mixer (invite only), and RNB Houseparty which will be open to public.
Garden Pardi (Saturday July 24): Wrapping up Black Innovation Week, Kenny Burns, Uncle Nearest brand ambassador, will be hosting Garden Pardi, a one-of-a-kind experience celebrating Black excellence. This event will take place from 3 - 8pm at the Lucas Estates. Garden Pardi tickets are sold out at this time.
To learn more about Be Nimble Foundation and Black Innovation Week events, including Garden Pardi, visit benimbleco.com.
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About Be Nimble Foundation
Be Nimble Foundation is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise taking a qualitative and quantitative approach to creating fully diverse and inclusive tech ecosystems. Our career training and placement programs up-skill unemployed, under-employed, and career-transitioners who are interested in careers in the tech industry. Our entrepreneurship programs support Black and Latinx tech start-up founders to get them the resources, support and funding they need to build high-growth, high-scale tech companies. To learn more about the Be Nimble Foundation, visit benimbleco.com.
Contacts
BLASTmedia for Be Nimble Co.