Stacey Abrams, Roy Wood Jr., former Apple executive Denise Young Smith and TikTok storyteller Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson are among the authors scheduled to speak at the Authors Pavilion during AFROTECH™ Conference 2026 in Houston.
The AFROTECH™ Authors Pavilion, presented by Penguin Random House in collaboration with Storehouse Voices, runs on the expo floor Nov. 3-6. Most sessions are 25-minute moderated talks with a single author, followed by panels that pair speakers from earlier in the day. When authors leave the stage, they go straight to the Book Nook, a pop-up bookstore run by Houston’s Kindred Stories, to sign copies.
Penguin Random House staff will also be on site between sessions. The publisher plans open Q&As, office hours with editors for attendees working on their own books, conversations with its HR team about publishing careers and giveaways of advance copies of titles that aren’t on sale yet.
Here’s the full schedule. All times are Central.
Tuesday, Nov. 3
- 12-12:25 p.m.: “When the Heart Becomes the Empire’s Sharpest Blade” with J. Elle (The Heart Trails)
- 1:10-1:35 p.m.: “Building Worlds, Building Confidence” with Michael A. Tinsley (May a Divine Awaken)
- 1:45-2:15 p.m.: “Heroes Among Us” panel with J. Elle and Michael A. Tinsley
- 2:25-2:50 p.m.: “Your Career Is More Than a Job” with Chauncéa (The Commission: Ten Commandments to Make God Your CEO)
Wednesday, Nov. 4
- 10:30-10:55 a.m.: “From Apple to AI” with Denise Young Smith (When We Are Seen)
- 11:05-11:30 a.m.: “Women & the Workforce: Laws of Success in Leadership” with Elaine Meryl Brown and Rhonda Joy McLean (The Little Black Book of Success)
- 11:40 a.m.-12:05 p.m.: “The Intersection of Media, Faith, and Storytelling” with Albaner C. Eugene Jr. (Momentum)
- 12:15-12:50 p.m.: “Legacy Is a Business Strategy” panel with Denise Young Smith, Elaine Meryl Brown and Rhonda Joy McLean
- 1-1:25 p.m.: “Still in the Room” with Loida Nicolas Lewis (Look Younger When You’re Older)
- 1:35-2 p.m.: “Let’s Talk for Real” with Dr. Sharon Malone (Grown Woman Talk)
- 2:10-2:40 p.m.: “Longevity Is a Leadership Strategy” panel with Loida Nicolas Lewis and Dr. Sharon Malone
Thursday, Nov. 5
- 10:30-10:55 a.m.: “Grounded, Then Cleared” with Capt. Nia Gilliam (Cleared for Takeoff)
- 11:05-11:30 a.m.: “The Man of Many Fathers” with Roy Wood Jr. (The Man of Many Fathers)
- 11:40 a.m.-12:05 p.m.: “Make It Ours: How Outsiders Rewrite the Rules of Luxury” with Robin Givhan (Make It Ours)
- 12:15-12:50 p.m.: “The Algorithm Changed Who Gets a Microphone” panel with Roy Wood Jr., Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson and Robin Givhan
- 1-1:25 p.m.: “Dating with Strategy” with Anwar White (Girl, Get Your Guy!)
- 1:35-2 p.m.: “From Viral to Published” with Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson (What (TF) Do I Do Now?)
- 2:10-2:40 p.m.: “Love & the Algorithm” panel with Anwar White and Tareasa “Reesa Teesa” Johnson
- 2:50-3:15 p.m.: “Greenwood and the Future of Black Wealth” with Damario Solomon-Simmons (Redeem a Nation)
- 3:25-4 p.m.: “What Do We Owe Each Other? Reparations, Ownership, and Legacy” panel with Ashley D. Farmer (Queen Mother), Damario Solomon-Simmons and Arian Simone
- 4:10-4:35 p.m.: “How to Stop Waiting and Start Building” with Arian Simone (Fearless Freedom)
Friday, Nov. 6
- 10:35-11 a.m.: “Coded Justice: Power, Technology, and the Fight for Fairness” with Stacey Abrams (Coded Justice)
The pavilion is open during all expo hours.