SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Senate can advance two critically important bills to protect the economic well-being of African-Americans, as hundreds of African-American world-class experts in medicine, technology and infrastructure will promote during the silver anniversary of Innovation&Equity25: 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology.
The U.S. House has passed an extension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, which has been responsible for a significant boost in African economies in the past 25 years, and a three-year extension of ObamaCare subsidies which are a vital safety net for African-American business owners. Sessions on the impact of each piece of legislation are a highlight of Innovation&Equity25, which is the beginning of a year-long effort to reach the goal of Our10Plan: the African-American economic strategy, 10 percent of U.S. GDP by America’s 250th anniversary.
Unprecedented trade and investment between African-Americans, Africa and the Caribbean is key to that transformation, as well as taking control of African-American health care, the largest business sector and largest occupational group.
Texas leaders will also raise a five-alarm fire about a move by state leaders to gut a very successful contract monitoring system that has been in place for 40 years.
The 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology began in 1999 following an exhibition at The Tech Museum of Innovation on the impact of African-Americans in the development of Silicon Valley and has become the most respected designation of excellence in the category. In the past 50 years, the BlackBio100 and the 100 Most Important African-Americans in Infrastructure have been split off from the original list because of growth in those fields.
Our10Plan: the African-American economic strategy, developed in 2014 by a group of national organizations at a retreat in Silver Spring, MD, has resulted in a 60 percent gain in employment among Black owned businesses, a 50 percent increase in Black nurses, doubling Black employment in construction since 2021 and a $9,000 average increase in Black income from 2021 to 2022. The African continent has seen a ten fold increase in GDP in the past 30 years.
The economic integration of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement and Caribbean Single Market Economy along with the activation of the African Union 6th Region Global, which just held Sixth Region Sunday on Dec. 28 and International Day for Peoples of African Descent on Aug 31 are the on-ramp to acceleration of those trends in 2026, despite the predictable backlash to Black progress.
“This week’s legislative victories are turning the tide on the forces that seek to perpetuate old inequalities,” says John William Templeton, author of ReUNION: State of Black Business, 22d ed. “History, faith and the U.S. Constitution are on our side.”
- Opening Describing the 25th 50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology. 9 a.m.
- Africa in Space and Technology. Yeshurin Alemeyehu, Chair, African Aeronautics and Astronautics Center, former Ethiopian ICT minister. 10 a.m.
- Leveraging Critical Minerals for Africa’s Benefit. Maynard Holliday, VC advisor and former assistant deputy secretary of defense for critical technologies. 11 a.m.
- How African Science Sparks Economic Development Yahaya AbdulQudus Shola, Nigerian Geologists Society. 11:30 a.m.
- AGOA BONANZA: Accessing Prime Deals with the Extension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. Obi Onuchukwu, Vice President, Busara Advisors
- Describing the 100 Most Important African-Americans in Infrastructure. 12:45
- California makes climate deals with Kenya and Nigeria Samuel Assefa, Director, Land Use and Climate Innovation, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Office. 1:15 p.m. Ikechi Agbugba, Co-founder, African Organization of Technology in Agriculture
- Texas v. Black Business. Charles O’Neal, Chair, US Black Chambers and President, Texas Association of African-American Chambers and Gary Bledsoe, President, Texas NAACP and chair, NAACP national legal committee 2:30 p.m.
- Defending Black History .John William Templeton, Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Distinguished Curator, California African-American Freedom Trail. 4 p.m.
- Preventing an Extinction of Black Health Care. Dr. Miriam Burnett, chair, international health committee, AME Church and Dr. George Woods, MD, chief science officer, Crestwood Health. 5 p.m.
- Presenting the BlackBio100
- Reaching the Promised Land in 2026. 7 p.m.
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