ST. LOUIS — A minority IT conference is coming in late October to St. Louis, and organizers are urging professionals to attend.
5 On Your Side is partnering with the Information Technology Senior Management Forum (ITSMF), Oct. 31 through Nov. 2 at the Marriott Grand Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
The event is titled the S2-S4 Symposium, and the organization’s mission includes:
- Fostering networking opportunities for minority IT professionals;
- Provide professional development programs;
- Mentoring; and
- Supporting career advancement.
Organizers said major sponsors include World Wide Technology, Microsoft, Cortex and Kwame Building Group.
Johanna Jones serves as ITSMF president and CEO.
“We offer different leadership academies that are meant to groom, to cultivate, to inspire and to take IT executives to the next level,” ITSMF president and CEO Johanna Jones said. "So, think about chief information officers, chief technology officers in Fortune 500 companies. This organization was started 28 years ago at a time that only three percent of the most senior level roles in information technology were held by Black people.”
“ITSMF is an amazing national organization,” said Michael Whitley, ITSMF vice president of development and external partnerships and events. “Not only do we get to partner with more than 50 national companies from all across the U.S., but these partners have customized relationships with us because they send their people to our symposiums for professional development and to increase their skills.”
ITSMF Director of Development and Engagement Cedric Cobb said principals in that organization talk about outcomes and results.
“As you look at all of these amazing individuals, we are our own form of Wakanda, so to speak,” said Cobb. “And for those who really understand the movie, 'Black Panther,' they know exactly what I'm talking about.”
Jones said 14 Black executives launched ITSMF to make sure there is barrier-free access to the C-suite.
“So, we partner with tech companies as well as tech-reliant companies to groom and develop their best and brightest talent for the future,” she said.
“We have Emerge Academy that is for women in technology. We have a management academy that is for managers and an executive academy that is for executives. We also have an academy that is for entrepreneurs called Ignite and an academy that is for people that aspire to be on public and private boards that is called Board Bound. We are the go-to organization for inclusive excellence in tech.”
Whitley discussed ITSMF partnerships.
“It’s part revenue, but it's really relationship and branding,” he said. “We have local partners that have joined us as well in the likes of BJC Healthcare because our symposium will be in their backyard. We have Maryville University signing on with us. We have Cortex and World Wide Technology. World Wide is a key partner that has been around for many years and that's the leading Black tech organization in the country.”
Cobb continued with his famous movie analogies.
“Our symposium ticket is one of the Willy Wonka tickets of the year for sure,” said Cobb. “So, we have two major symposiums a year, one and one is done in March-April and the other one is done either October or November. And this is the first time in 28 years that we're having our symposium in St. Louis."
