CINCINNATI (WXIX) – Black Tech Week returns to downtown Cincinnati starting Tuesday.

The three-day conference celebrating Black innovation and excellence in technology runs through Thursday at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

This year’s keynote speaker is acclaimed filmmaker, director and social justice advocate Ava DuVernay.

She is the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival.

For her work on the 2014 biopic “Selma” about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., DuVernay became the first African-American woman to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director. The film went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Her other film credits include the Academy Award-nominated Netflix documentary “13th” and the 2018 Disney fantasy film “A Wrinkle in Time,” making her the first African-American woman to direct a film with a budget of $100 million.

Since its inception in 2015, organizers say Black Tech Week has grown into a cornerstone event for the tech industry, attracting thousands around the globe.

This year’s event promises to be the most impactful yet, organizers say, with more than 10,000 founders, investors and creatives engaging in more than 100 keynotes, workshops, fireside chats and networking events.

Last year’s conference resulted in a $10 million economic impact on the Cincinnati area, according to the event’s website.

The conference provides a unique platform for Black entrepreneurs, professionals, creatives and students to connect, learn, and showcase their talents.

It also serves as a critical forum for addressing diversity and inclusion within the tech sector.

Here is the entire three-day schedule.

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