7 Reason I’m Excited For The Blockland Solutions Conference

The Blockland Solutions conference is returning to Cleveland this week. The tech conference in its 2nd year will take place from December 9th to 11th at the Huntington Convention Center. Being more of a creative than a tech person, I have found myself becoming more and more excited to return to this event again this year but also perplexed on why I’m excited as I didn’t understand half of what was said at least year event.

As I write this, I am reflecting on the conversations I’ve had with other African-Americans about the conference and I realize that some of you will be very disinterested and dismissive about this event and this blog. It’s okay, you don’t have to finish reading this. For others, you will write this off as “white people stuff” or claim this conference is all talk or “not for us.” That’s fine too, catch you next time, not trying to change your mind. But for the remaining people, I’ve decided to tell you why I’m looking forward to Blockland.

1. Who’s who at Blockland- The convention center is huge and there are so many people that attend and work the conference. Local people, international people, black, white, Asian, techies and non-tech folks… everyone. It’s fun to run into someone you didn’t think would be at the conference and also makes for great people-watching or ear hustling.

2. An opportunity to learn something new and network: There’s a quote that you should never be the smarted in the group. We at this conference, I definitely have nothing to worry about. Blockland lets me break from my routine thinking and processing to attempt to understand and make connections. I get to be a novice and get to exercise my brain muscles and by the end of the conference, I will automatically be smarter by just learning one thing. #success

3. Cleveland on display- I’m sure there are many large conventions in Cleveland but just knowing that people were so game for booking a flight to Cleveland in December for an event always makes my heart smile.

4. A year’s growth- I’ve spent most of the year either trying to understand all the words, concepts, and players related to blockchain. I’ve spoken to many of you about what it is…in a VERY basic way. I’ve listened to podcasts, I gained some cryptocurrency, and attended events, with the attempt to understand more and to have a better foundation for learning. It’s kinda like finding out if all the studying pays off on the big test. (Thankfully, there’s not test)

5. Access-I get to be a somewhat early adapter for something new. Since last year’s conference, I’ve been thinking about how many people don’t know about blockchain especially in our community. Many have heard of Bitcoin, but many still don’t understand or want to embrace it. With Blockchains potential to impact the healthcare field and many of us working in the healthcare field, I think it’s important to know what’s on the horizon. There may be new jobs or current jobs that need new skills so I think it’s imperative for us to learn now and become marketable, while opportunities are abundant as opposed to being forced to learn, just to keep a job.

6. Access part 2– Also I’m looking forward to the other people I know attending. Like many spaces, black professionals often feel isolated, or intentionally left out. I’ve heard so many friends talk about how white the tech industry is and how hard it is to get a seat “at the table.” This year I know of at least 3 people who are taking their seats at the table by attending with hopes to learn and help others. From Black lawyers to developers, IT personnel and a school teacher from one of an urban districts, it’ll be nice to touch base with them and unpack their learning for the next few days.

7. Time with my son- I have a teenage son that is…let’s say, unmotivated about school and just wants to code. Often it seems like we have nothing in common and conversations can be hard when I don’t know what update or system by laptop or phone is running. Seeing how going to school is a chore for him, I figured I’d use the scholarship option for him to learn about the future of tech. Who knows maybe he’ll learn something that will get him excited for his future or meet someone that could create an opportunity for him. We’ll also be able to talk about what we learned together on the commute for a few days.

To wrap up, I am reflective on someone’s question to be about this conference. What do you plan to get by attending? I don’t have an answer and I think that’s what makes me excited. This conference is one of the few times where I don’t feel pressured to learn and report back to a boss or stakeholder, no one really expectes anything from me, (maybe a wrap up article or podcast) but the pressure is off. I just get to attend, meet people, and take in whatever interest me.

Have you attended, did you like something in this blog? Leave a comment below, and if you’re attending, find me and say hello.