Here are five standout moments from this year’s hybrid event, which took place Sept. 12 through 16:
Metaverse Madness: Don’t Get Left Behind
The metaverse is more than a buzzword, said Issac Barnes, president and cofounder of Eminent Future, a tech firm that recently secured a $13.4 billion federal government contract. Though this mix of virtual reality and
other technologies is still in its infancy, Barnes was adamant: The time to get involved is now.
“Adopt it, dive into it, learn, become a part of some of the communities that are out there,” Barnes urged, addressing the metaverse’s impact and future for underserved communities. To ensure that Black America has access to the career and wealth-building opportunities the metaverse will offer, Black technologists must help shape
it, he said.
Barnes, who served in the U.S. Marines as a software engineer and data analyst, recently launched Unified Black America, an online platform that offers an entry point into the metaverse and its potential for social change.
ISAAC BARNES
President & Cofounder,
Eminent Future
The biggest thing that we can do as a people right now is not run away from this opportunity. Don’t let the fearmongering push us away from this technology.”
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