Featured Programming

WELCOME

Learn all about how you can maximize your time at the Next Frontier Conference & Expo! Find out how to best position yourself and engage directly with the full slate of incredible speakers and leading organizations present. 

• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• Michelle Flowers Taylor, Ed.D., emcee,  Co-founder and CEO, Legacy First Partners
• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11

Why NFI, why now

What is the Next Frontier Initiative and how is it crucial to increasing diversity in STEM? Landon Taylor, Founder and Chairman of Base 11, discusses this initiative and how Base 11 plans to accelerate 100,000+ students and early-career adults into the Next Frontier Industries by 2030.

• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• David Wilson, President, Morgan State University

Accelerating Your success with Base 11 Digital

The conference may only last two days, but Base 11 Digital is always available! This all-in-one mobile and desktop platform provides the Access, Awareness, and Belief that students and early-career adults need to succeed in the Next Frontier industries. Jade Kim shows how you can have unlimited access to this amazing platform!

• Jade Kim, Student Success Specialist

SUCCESS STORIES FROM BASE 11 STUDENTS & EARLY-CAREER ADULTS: OUR NEXT GENERATION OF STEM LEADERS

It is a long established fact that the employment rate is higher for those with greater levels of educational attainment. But how does a student or recent grad position themselves for success within a highly competitive and rapidly changing economy? Base 11 members Michael Allotey, Maria Hernandez, and Serli Alexandi share their hard-earned insights into how they are finding success within the Next Frontier Industries of tomorrow, including cloud computing, electrical engineering, aerospace, and more!

• Francisco Gomez, Panel Moderator, Base 11 Member; Project Engineer, Evolution Spine
• Michael Allotey, Base 11 Member; Cloud Engineer, Amazon
• Maria Hernandez, Base 11 Member; Electrical Engineering student, University of California, Irvine
• Serli Alexandi, Base 11 Member; pursuing Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at University of Southern California

BE THE BEST Aerospace leader YOU CAN BE

 Learn directly from astronauts–both on Earth and in space–on how you can thrive in Aerospace and beyond! 

• Leland Melvin, Astronaut; Corporate Director, BWX Technologies Inc; National Spokesperson, Base 11
• Megan McArthur, Astronaut
• Jeanette Epps, Astronaut

Base 11 $1m+ Space Challenge update

The Base 11 Space Challenge was launched in 2018 with the mission to reward $1M+ to the first student-led rocketry team to launch a liquid-fueled rocket to the Karman Line by December 30, 2021. Astronaut Leland Melvin guides us through the many exciting updates that have happened since the challenge first launched, and what to expect next for the largest collegiate rocketry competition in the world.

• Leland Melvin, Astronaut; Corporate Director, BWX Technologies Inc; National Spokesperson, Base 11
• Jean-Philippe Laguerre, Director, Academia North America – 3DExperience
• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners

Support Next Frontier Initiative  •  Visit Booths  •  Network in the Lounge • Games & Trivia

the Parity project 

Although African Americans constitute 13.4% of the U.S. population, they are grossly underrepresented in the areas that create the most significant wealth and overrepresented in areas that lead to poverty. Hear from preeminent organizations who are leading the charge towards accelerating African Americans in the industries with the greatest opportunities to build wealth, and learn what role YOU as an individual can play in this crucial mission.

• Dwayne Murray, Grand Sire Archon, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, aka the Boulé
• Preston Castille, Chairman of the Grand Committee on HBCUs and Postsecondary Education Access for Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, aka the Boulé
• Paul Griffin Jr., Chair, Grand Social Action Committee, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity aka the Boulé
• Doug Bender, Vice Chairman, Base 11
• Michael Hyter, President, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11
• Leland Melvin, Astronaut

partnership announcement: Base 11 & the Executive Leadership Council (elc)

Strategic partnerships are key to achieving the Parity Project’s mission and the Next Frontier Initiative at large. Join us in welcoming our new partner The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), which is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-Suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises.  

• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• Michael Hyter, President & CEO, The Executive Leadership Council

Parity Project Innovation Challenge Official Kick-off

Calling all innovators and social justice advocates: join the conversation on how to achieve economic parity for Black America by 2030 with the Boulé’s very first Innovation Challenge!

• Paul Griffin Jr., Chair, Grand Social Action Committee, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity aka the Boulé
• Doug Bender, Vice Chairman, Base 11
• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• Leland Melvin, Astronaut; Corporate Director, BWX Technologies Inc; National Spokesperson, Base 11
• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11

Join this powerful and interactive session where members of the Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent global organization of Black executives dedicated to developing the next generation of Black C-suite and executive board leaders, will share how they have overcome obstacles and positioned themselves to flourish in their Fortune 500 corporate careers, and how they are using their valuable experiences and lessons learned to empower others.

• Danielle Brown, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), Whirlpool Corporation’s
  Global Information Systems

• Krista Satterthwaite, Vice President and General Manager, Mainstream Compute, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

• Jacqueline Wright, CVP, Chief Digital Officer, Microsoft Corporation

• Karen Nelson, Chief Scientific Officer, Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Smita Pillai, Chief Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Officer, Regeneron
• Ellie Mahjubi, Vice President & General Manager, Sample Preparation Life Sciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Candia Brown, Sr. Director, Market Development, Genetic Sciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Lyndon Mitnaul, Senior Director, Regeneron Genetics Center, Regeneron 
• Lori Morton, VP, Research, Cardiovascular/Fibrosis, Regeneron
  

• Nektaria Andronikou, Senior Research Development Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientific
• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11

Students and Early-Career Adults have the opportunity to interview with Base 11’s company partners. All interviews are pre-scheduled.

Support Next Frontier Initiative  •  Visit Booths  •  Network in the Lounge • Games & Trivia

Conference & Expo remains open until 2:30 p.m. PST/ 5:30 p.m. EST

Day 2 Welcome & Opening

Day Two of the Next Frontier Conference & EXPO kicks off with a welcome from Base 11’s Teniel Jones and Doug Bender, as well as an introduction to our latest NFI Partners and other exciting new developments for Base 11!

• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11
• Regina Stanback Stroud, CEO, RSS Consulting; Board Member, Base 11
• Al Bunshaft, Base 11 Board member
• Doug Bender, Vice Chairman, Base 11
• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners

The FinTech industry is expected to reach a market size of $300+billion by 2022. Leading cryptocurrency organization Coinbase brings powerful players to the table to share their insights on why the opportunity to enter this industry as a diverse tech worker or entrepreneur has never been better than right now. Speakers will reveal their biggest ideas and strategies for what students, graduates, early career professionals, and entrepreneurs should do to claim their share of this $300+ billion opportunity.

CRYPTO 101

Become fluent in the unique language of Cryptocurrency with experts Darin Carter & Trey Edwards!

• Darin Carter, Manager, Security Governance, Risk and Compliance, Coinbase 

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH Coinbase cfo ALESIA HAAS

• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11 and Co-founder, Legacy First Partners
• Alesia Haas, CFO, Coinbase

COINBASE INNOVATION CHALLENGE LAUNCH

Hear all about Base 11’s first ever cryptocurrency challenge. Have your questions answered!

• Darin Carter, Manager, Security Governance, Risk and Compliance, Coinbase 

Support Next Frontier Initiative  •  Visit Booths  •  Network in the Lounge • Games & Trivia

The Private Equity market is forecasted to grow from $4.4 trillion today to $9.1 trillion in assets under management (AUM) by 2025, according to Preqin. However, career opportunities and the pathways to success in this Next Frontier Industry are still largely unknown and inaccessible to aspiring students and early career adults of color. We are out to change that.

FIRESIDE CHAT WITH VERDUN PERRY: PATHWAYS TO A CAREER IN PRIVATE EQUITY

Join this intimate fireside chat followed by an interactive Q&A session with industry leader Verdun Perry, Global Head of Strategic Partners at Blackstone, one of the largest private equity & investment management companies in the world with over $684 Billion in AUM. Verdun will share his insights, experiences, and recommended pathways to having impact, building wealth, and giving back through a career in private equity.

• Verdun Perry, Global Head of Blackstone Strategic Partners, Blackstone
• Landon Taylor, Founder & Chairman, Base 11; Co-founder, Legacy First Partners

PANEL: PARITY IN VENTURE CAPITAL AND THE TECH START-UP INDUSTRY

The venture capital industry continues to see record growth with over $164B invested in companies in the US in 2020, according to NVCA.  Yet, the percentage of venture capital that is invested with Black and LatinX founders continues to be dismal at under 3%. We discuss what are the bold ideas and new models that (if successful) could finally make transformative change at scale and achieve Parity in this Next Frontier Industry.

• Nasir Qadree, Founder & Managing Partner, Zeal Capital Partners
• Tannis Fussel, Managing Partner, Ascentria Capital Partners

wearable tech giveaway winners announcement

All conference attendees are automatically entered for a chance to win a Tap Strap 2 Wearable Keyboard or a pair of Razer Anzu Smart Glasses. Tune in live to see if you’re chosen!

• Jade Kim, Student Success Specialist, Base 11

Next Frontier Conference & Expo Closing Session

• Teniel Jones, Director of Operations, Base 11
• Doug Bender, Vice Chairman, Base 11

Support Next Frontier Initiative  •  Visit Booths  •  Network in the Lounge • Games & Trivia

Conference & Expo remains open until 2:30 p.m. PST/ 5:30 p.m. EST

Students and Early-Career Adults have the opportunity to interview with Base 11’s company partners. All interviews are pre-scheduled.