RenderATL continues to set the bar higher each year. This year, the Black-owned tech conference will feature Shannon Sharpe as keynote speaker and DJ Pee .Wee will be the special musical performer for the RenderHouse after-party. DJ Pee .Wee is the DJ alias of soulful superstar artist Anderson .Paak.
After the organization’s announcement on April 19 at The Gathering Spot, Briana Holmes, RenderATL’s director of marketing and communications, spoke to rolling out about what to expect at this upcoming summer’s event.
Is Anderson .Paak going to be singing at all during his DJ set?
I cannot confirm or deny.
Last year, RenderATL landed a rare live American DJ performance from Kaytranada; this year is DJ Pee .Wee. What does the continued growth of the conference mean to you?
Some of the things that RenderATL prides itself on [are] being able to bring not only the best talent t[o the conference but also the best knowledge] to our conference attendees.
Having acts like Kaytranada and DJ Pee .Wee allows us to give back to our amazing community of supporters, and seeing the growth from 1,000 to 3,000 to 5,000-plus people is such an honor. [I’m] so excited for the continuation of how we grow and how we impact the city of Atlanta to help us continue to grow into one of the top five tech hubs in the entire country.
What is the current state of the Black community and its relationship to the tech industry?
I think Black people have [had] unique experiences in the tech industry … but as we continue to see leaders immerse, people like myself and Justin Samuels, our CEO, and founder of RenderATL, you see there’s an ability, hope, and talent that [deserves] an equal playing field.
That’s worth creating ourselves through taking opportunities we never thought we would, obtaining VC funding, [and obtaining] all the certifications we had the opportunity to do boot camps [for].
I think the Black community, specifically, is in a very unique situation. [They’re] going to be able to grow even further and [ensure] that they’re not only creating an opportunity to grow, learn, and scale their abilities and talents but also, by doing so, [creating] an opportunity to change the entire trajectory of their entire family.
How can people get tickets and when is the conference?
We can’t wait to see people [from] June 12 to June 14 here in Atlanta at AmericasMart.
They can purchase their tickets at renderatl.com. [There,] you can find all the information you need about tickets, speakers, workshops, and everything in between.
