A delegation of 13 mayors from the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) will attend the AFROTECH™ Conference 2026 in Houston, Nov. 2-6.
During the conference, the mayors will take part in private roundtables with leaders from tech, public service and entrepreneurship. The conversations will center on three areas: health equity, the future of work and AI governance. Topics include how AI is deployed in public services, workforce displacement and retraining, and equitable access to emerging technology. The delegation will also attend AFROTECH™’s broader programming, including its startup and innovation tracks.
AAMA President and Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott said the technologies featured at AFROTECH™ already affect the people mayors serve.
“Whether it’s decisions about AI governance, workforce policy or digital equity, it’s critical for Black mayors to have a seat at the table,” Scott said. “We look forward to sharing our expertise with our private and public sector partners and bringing back lessons learned to our constituents.”
AAMA represents more than 500 African American mayors across the U.S. and takes positions on policies affecting cities, along with providing leadership tools and a forum for mayors to share best practices.
Morgan DeBaun, founder and CEO of AFROTECH™’s parent company Blavity Inc., said public sector leaders have always had a presence at the conference. This year, she said, AfroTech is being more intentional about it.
“The questions mayors are working through on AI and workforce are the most interesting questions in technology right now,” DeBaun said. “When the people writing the code and the people answerable to citizens work the same problem in the same conversation, both sides build something better.”
AFROTECH™ 2026 marks the conference’s 10th year. It is expected to draw more than 40,000 attendees and more than 300 speakers across 15 programming tracks covering AI, venture capital, product and entrepreneurship.