To honor Hip-Hop 50, Google and Techsgiving teamed up with Buckhead Art & Company for the event, “Beats & Brunch.” The event allowed Black professionals and individuals across the technology industry to connect and enjoy, food, art, and hip-hop.
Owned by Atlanta native and Howard University graduate Karimah McFarlane, Buckhead Art & Company served as the location for the event which featured art pieces of OutKast, 2 Pac, Biggie, Nipsey Hussle, Snoop, Beyoncé, and more.
“I am an ex-Googler,” McFarlane said. “And so it was really important for me to partner with organizations that have really put their money where their mouth is. And so they’re constantly giving to underrepresented individuals. We all know how hip-hop has been on the landscape and the intersection of hip-hop, art and the Black community.”
McFarlane was The Head of Market Human Resources for Southeastern US Google for two years, a Googler for four years, and an Atlanta Site Leadership team member. A few years ago, she co-founded and became CEO of Akinship, a professional networking platform for Black, Indigenous, and POC(People of Color) to share experiences and transfer knowledge and Human Resources Consulting Agency.
“It’s about representation and community and finding space where we can be ourselves,” McFarlane said. “Our entire mission statement in our organization is to create community spaces. We wanted to create a place where we can come and enjoy what we do as a Black community.”
Launched in November 2018, Techsgiving responds to the lack of minority representation in tech. To mitigate this, the organization realized the value of providing early access to resources for underrepresented communities to pursue a career in the industry.
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