Christopher Lafayette

Emergent Technologist

Christopher Lafayette is an Emergent Technologist in medtech, virtual & augmented reality, ai, climate and applied sciences.
He is a Silicon Valley national and international speaker.
Thought Leader. Culture & Inclusion Advocate.

Speaking Categories

Emergent Technology

Spatial Computing XR

Immersive Medtech

Climate Tech

Current & Future State of XR

Blacks in Technology May 14th, 2020

Much has changed in the world. We’ve become more digital in the past two months than in the past ten years. Where does virtual and augmented reality stand in the post COVID-19 world? Explore with Christopher Lafayette as he gives us insight into the future and current state of extended reality and emergent technologies.

Black Technology Mentorship Program

A Mentor Mentee program that inspires, educates and brings underserved black communities into technology.

  • Deliver coaching and mentoring support, so mentees are guided in the direction that best uses their strengths.
  • Create learning environments that encourage exploration and discovery which allows mentees to narrow down available career and entrepreneurship options before pursuing areas that don’t fit.
  • Prepare talent that is performance driven and has the necessary commitment and skills to work on dynamic product delivery teams.
  • Provide opportunities for engagement in team pilot projects and/or competitions to hone skills.
  • Provide mentor/mentee stipends and resources to ensure that typical barriers such as WiFi and hardware accessibility hardships are removed.
  • Create entrepreneurs of tomorrow in emerging tech through proper incubation and acceleration.

Mission Statement

Build a career pipeline of black talent that’s prepared for the evolution of industry 4.0 and emergent technologies.

Create environments where new entrepreneurs are inspired to contribute their complete working selves and are guided well.

Become a Mentor

We’re at the nexus adoption of emerging technologies. It’s pertinent to increase the impact of opportunity for black people. It is necessary for the survivability of technology itself, that every culture be afforded a part to play in this great build.

Our program provides mentors the tools needed to guide youth and adults toward careers and entrepreneurship in emerging technology sectors. We do this by leveraging resources and support services through our ally groups and community partners.

The first step for our mentors is to attend ( two minimum) our virtual summer training sessions on how to become a great mentor for black communities in technology.

Make the commitment.

Become a Mentee

Our Mentees are so very important to us.

The Black Technology Mentorship Program is a system focused on teaching emergent technologies to black communities.

Emergent Technology. The way to begin. The way forward. From adolescence, teens and onward to adulthood; the approach to career and entrepreneurship path is long, necessary and enduring. Giving each Mentee an experienced Mentor to help along the way.

Our program is about educating Mentees and demonstrating new and advanced technologies that youth and adults can actualize, understand and know that they’re the builders of today and the future.

Become a Sponsor

The Black Technology Mentorship Program Delivers coaching and mentor support, so mentees are guided in directions that best uses their strengths.

There is an opportunity to sustain and increase product demand by aligning the workforce with the trendsetters of mass adoption while at the same time creating entrepreneurial leaders for new companies and expanded economies in tech.

Two tracks. Two paths. One program.

This cataclysm of change ushers in a world of new opportunities for entrepreneurs and career minded people.

If you are interested in partnering with us, please fill out the form below. We will follow up with you as soon as possible. Thanks!

Mentor Training Schedule

Our areas of focus for Mentee developement

Week 1

Mentorship introduction 

(only required meeting)

July 8th

Week 2

Exploring Intersections of Culture and Technology:
Dealing with Racism, Implicit and Explicit Biases

July 29th

Week 3

Artificial Intelligence:
Identifying ai Bias and Professional recommendations that help to eradicate bias removal in artificial intelligence.

August 5th

Week 4

Climate Tech
Technical ideation towards climate responsibility.

August 12th

Week 5

Robotics
The most recommended paths for entering into the Robotic world.

August 19th

Week 6

XR and Immersive Technologies
“If we’re going to extend reality, then we must bring reality with it”
How do we do that?

August 26th

Week 7

Smart Cities
Why every culture matters in building Smart City developement.

September 2nd

Week 8

Technology and Distance Learning

September 9th

We host Q&A after each session, to facilitate candid and open discussion, while respecting diversity in thought and opinion.

FAQs

How much does it cost to participate?

The cost is free. The price is commitment.

What are the benefits of this program:

Benefits

  • Cultivating talent and influencing positive outcomes.
  • Expanded networking opportunities with industry leaders.
  • Participating in cutting edge strategies to improve livelihood in the wake of 4IR.
  • Contributing to the increase of advanced skilled workers in low-income areas.

How will sessions be conducted?

Each session is a 45 minute lecture with a 15min minute Q/A session at the end.

Some sessions will have guest experts to hold part or whole entire sessions.

The idea is for mentors to listen, learn and elevate your understanding when it comes to black community mentorship for emergent technologies.

When does this program start?

The first series is a 9-week, once per week program that starts Wednesday, July 8th 2020, for Mentor only training.

How do I sign up?

Sign up forms for Mentors, Mentees, Ally’s and Volunteers are all located on the Christopher Lafayette website.

How can I help?

We have those who will speak and lecture as well as handle Q/A sessions.

Logistically, we’ll need people and companies that can contribute useful information and Resources regarding technology careers and entrepreneurship geared toward and or welcoming to everyone in the black community.

Most importantly, we need you to share this program with others.

If you care enough to see this happen, we ask that you help share.

Awareness and lack of resources is the hardest part.

What do I need for this course?

A device with WiFi or 4G that can handle a Zoom conference.

Also, it’s recommended to take written or audio notes.

What will I learn from this experience?

Many people will come away with different yet refined understandings of career placement, development and entrepreneurship in technology.

What should I bring?

A desire to learn and grow.

Leadership focus.

How many people are attending?

We’re expecting dozens to join in, if not hundreds.

Spacing may become limited.

Become an Ally

Navigating the culture of those who have been systematically oppressed is a challenge. It is also confusing. No need to get caught up in the web of guilt and fear. We are engineers, technologists, teachers, developers who care about the future of work where we can all thrive.

Being an ally means using your gifts and privilege to ensure that black people are considered in everything we design, create, build and innovate.

Our ally program focuses on supporting our mentors and mentees by way of
ideation sessions and most importantly, action.

If you are committed to supporting us, please register as an ally and join us for our group sessions.

2020 Sponsors and Partners

Presented Soon

A Note

I’m such an advocate
For more Black people in Technology.
To build the next Google, Apple and Amazon.
For children to come home to a parent that works in Tech.

To see things differently in the necessary discussion of social equality for black communities, and to combat systemic racism by producing positive efforts towards driving actionable and scalable narratives for black communities.

Through the Black Technology Mentorship program, we’re connecting brilliant minds of technology to our black hidden genius youth-and-adult mentees.
To mentor progress in becoming entrepreneurs and career contributors.

We just can’t make social posts and forget about it.

We must live it.

The commitment of time is small. The impact is huge.

Christopher Lafayette

Companies, Cities and Countries

Past Speaking Engagements

The Linux Foundation

San Francisco, California

Stereopsia

Belgium, Brussels

Blacks in Technology Conference

Minnesota, Twin Cities

Laval Virtual

Laval, France

UCLA

Los Angeles, United States

Miami VR Expo

Miami, Florida

CoreTech

Silicon Valley

VR 4 Everyone Conference

Palo Alto, California

Holodeck Engineering Lecture

San Jose California

Virtual Reality Global Forum

Alberta, Canada

VRX Conference

San Francisco California

Augmented World Expo

Santa Clara, California

Mayo Clinic

Minnesota, Minneapolis

Featured In

Press

Chill Magazine

Black Men Can Tech

Insight News

Turning Silicon Valley into Melanin Valley

Venetoeconomia

Virtual reality, at the M9 the European Immersive Computing Summit

Giornale delle PMI

The European cultural and creative industry has 7 million people employed and 2.5 million companies

Startup Business

Virtual reality, appointment in Mestre at EICS, 27 and 28 June

3E @ VRX

San Francisco – Christopher Lafayette, The Armada

VR Scout

Vancouver VR/AR Global Summit

Industria Italiana

EICS-European Immersive Computing Summit 2019: the present of virtual reality and augmented reality

Filmmaker

A Film Maker & Producer, Christopher has directed and produced for many events, fashion shows, icon eateries and more. A few notable highlights:

First person to direct a 360 NFL video Trained San Francisco 49ers in 360 Media Technology

Has filmed a series of professional musicians:

E40, Michael Feinstein, Digital Underground, Mistah Fab, M.C. Hammer, Spencer Day and more.

19 Shades of Black Documentary

19 Shades of Black, a conversation about the experience of 19 Black woman from their eyes of perspective.

Holodeck Development

Building Holodecks for Location Based Education and Training spaces for immersive experiences.

Platforms

Transitioning platforms to virtual

Platforms across the globe are catapulting into Immersive and emergent environments. We’re listening to these companies everyday and lending guidance during the process.
Build Immersive
I’m often invited to speak around the world and lecture on the current and future states of virtual and intelligent emergent technologies. I’m leading a team to help make these technologies a reality on the client level.

Countries

Cities

Spoken Events

Focus Topics

Quality

We’re setting standards in virtual tech by building content with an emphasis on quality.

Building Immersive

Quality rendered is met at a premium standard. Content hyper realism is measured in everything we build.

#BUILDTOGETHER
#BUILDSTRONG
#CARE

Continents

Billion People

Countries

Earth

Reach Out

Location: Silicon Valley

Email: [email protected]