Join us on Wednesday, February 12th, for Tech@Night: Black History Month Edition, presented by Microsoft! This special event will highlight the invaluable contributions of Black innovators to the Washington tech industry while recognizing Microsoft’s 50th anniversary—a perfect moment to reflect on the past and shape the future of tech.
The evening will feature a panel discussion with Elita Walker, Partner at Microsoft AI, and Funmi Olowo, Partner at Microsoft Cloud+AI, moderated by Demetri Wilright, Sr. Customer Engineering Manager at Microsoft Cloud+AI.
Following this, a fireside chat with Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, will be moderated by Charles Takeh, Sr. Program Manager at Microsoft AI.
Together, these discussions will explore the contributions of Black innovators in shaping tech and the importance of community in building a thriving tech workforce and innovation economy in Washington and beyond.
Schedule for the Evening:
5:30 - 6:20 PM: Networking, refreshments, and Community Pillars showcase.
6:30 - 7:20 PM: Panel Discussion with Elita Walker and Funmi Olowo -- Celebrating Black Innovation in Tech and Building Community for the Future Workforce.
7:30 - 8:20 PM: Fireside Chat with Sarah Bond -- Celebrating Black Innovation in Tech and Building Community for the Future Workforce.
8:30 - 9:00 PM: Additional networking, refreshments.
We look forward to seeing you there as we honor Black innovators, connect through meaningful conversations, and envision the future of tech together!
Tickets: Free (seats are limited)
Location: The Vera Project - 305 Harrison St. Seattle, WA 98109
Light refreshments and two drink tickets will be included with each ticket. Must be 21+ to attend. IDs will be checked.
About the Speakers
Sarah Bond – President of Xbox
Sarah Bond is the President of Xbox at Microsoft, leading the brand’s operations, platform, and ecosystem, including hardware, player experiences, platform engineering, and business development. She joined Microsoft in 2017, previously serving as CVP of Game Creator Experience & Ecosystem and playing a key role in Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition bid.Before Microsoft, Sarah was SVP of Corporate Strategy at T-Mobile and an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company. She holds a BA in Economics from Yale University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.A recipient of the 2022 GamesBeat Visionary Award, she also serves on the boards of Zuora, Chegg, and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Passionate about diversity in tech and gaming, Sarah continues to shape the future of interactive entertainment while advocating for inclusivity in the industry.
Charles Takeh, Sr Program Manager Microsoft AI
Charles "Chuck" Takeh is a Sr Program Manager within the engineering org of Search Advertising at Microsoft AI, where he leverages his innate gift for fostering relationships and cross-functional collaboration to drive innovative solutions that enhance performance and optimization. He serves as the Chair of Blacks at Microsoft (BAM) Puget Sound, leading efforts to attract, develop, strengthen, and empower a strong network of Black leaders at Microsoft and throughout the Puget Sound region. Charles is passionate about community building, creating spaces for cross-cultural dialogue, and professional + personal growth. He's the founder of V.I.B.E (@VeryIntoBlackExcellence), a vibrant community initiative that celebrates the diaspora through curated activations geared at ensuring we are experienced fully, freely, and authentically. Commemorating its 1st year anniversary this Feb, the V.I.B.E is his love letter to the community, has been the foundation of his success in leading BAM Puget Sound, and continues to evolve into a platform that fosters a sense of belonging and inclusion by celebrating our diverse identities and experiences, while also encouraging allies to engage and experience the richness of the culture; Black Excellence at its finest!
Elita Walker, Partner Microsoft AI
Elita Walker is a Partner, leading Technical Program Management for Bing Places in Microsoft’s AI division. For the last two decades, she built consumer products at Google, AOL, and Microsoft, connecting with as many as one billion daily users. Elita specializes in program management with an emphasis on accelerating progress by accelerating problem solving. She’s a strong believer that organizations thrive, or fail to thrive, based on how resilient they are in navigating change and maximizing productive failure. Outside of work, she’s an avid reader, traveler, and documentary enthusiast.
Demetri Wilright Sr Program Manager Microsoft Cloud+AI
Demetri Wilright has worked at Microsoft for 10 years, is a Senior Customer Engineering Manager on the Azure CXP ACES Team, and currently serves as the Co-Chair of BAM Puget Sound. He began his career as a Support Engineer providing technical support to Windows customers, in 2016 became an Azure Ide”ntity specialist as a Field Engineer, and in 2020 transitioned to chat support while pursuing a master's degree in information technology management from Carnegie Mellon University. In his own words, “obtaining a Master’s would make him “bulletproof” in getting a manager position at a time when Black managers were less than 3% at Microsoft” and he was right; he successfully achieved his goal within 1.5 years into the program. Now a leader at Microsoft, Demetri focuses on coaching individuals holistically, helping each person recognize and effectively achieve their unique dreams and objectives. This has been the driving in him launching his own mentorship platform in Jan 2025, www.blkgradstudent.com.
Funmi Olowo, Partner Microsoft Cloud+AI
Funmi Olowo leads the WW Advanced Cloud Engineering and Supportability (ACES) team within Azure CXP, focusing on innovating and delivering engineering support capabilities that enable Microsoft’s strategic customers to be successful on Azure. She began her career at Microsoft in 2006 through the Aspire program and has held various roles aimed at enhancing customer experience and achieving business outcomes. Funmi co-leads the Women in CXP Employee Resource Group, mentors girls and minorities in STEM, and has been recognized as one of the 2023 40 under 40 by the Dallas Business Journal. She holds degrees in electrical engineering and engineering systems & management, and is a graduate of the ITSMF Executive Academy, an organization focused on cultivating Black leaders in tech. She resides in Dallas, TX with her husband and three young children, enjoys reading and spending quality family time, and serves on the board of the City of Sachse.
Thank you to SeaCiti Tech@Night Supporters