Bezos' constellation of 3,232 broadband satellites eventually will compete for customers with SpaceX founder Elon Musk's sprawling Starlink network.

At a time when diversity, equity and inclusion principles are getting dismantled throughout the country, Maryland’s biggest city made a basketball tournament an opportunity to showcase Black excellence to the country — including in its tech scene. This year’s Tech Summit House took place toward the end of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) annual contest last month. The historic conference represents historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) across the East Coast. The CIAA’s decision for Baltimore — which has two HBCUs, but no schools in the conference — to host this tournament through 2026 is part of a multi-year agreement that recognizes the city as a hub for Black excellence. While it is foremost about basketball, it goes beyond to showcase Black leadership across different sectors. The Tech Summit House, which this year hosted a mix of innovation-focused programs at the Inner Harbor’s Rita Rossi Colwell Center, embodies this concept. “It is the only tournament that does more than sports,” said Paul Plymouth, director of state government affairs and local engagement for Tech Summit House title sponsor Verizon’s Maryland operations. “It also prioritizes community building, education and innovation.” This year’s event featured conversations chock full of lessons about AI, cybersecurity preparedness, youth entrepreneurship, social media and the African diaspora. Here are just a few of them. AI is the next gold rush, but who’s mining the wealth? Aaron Dante, host of the “No Pix After Dark” podcast and Technical.ly’s 2024 Creator of the Year, recorded a live episode with guest Amen-Ra Mashariki, AI and data strategies director at Bezos Earth Fund