There’s a saying that goes, “𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛.” At LeMoyne-Owen College, that spirit was alive and thriving during their inaugural cybersecurity conference. Hosted by Kimberly Bailey, Memphis tech leaders champion youths using their talents in the age of AI, cybersecurity, and community-powered innovation.

🔑 Gerald Keys – 𝐑𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡

Gerald Keys opened with a powerful message: 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘪𝘨. His framework was unforgettable:

▪️ Social media is the new resume. Your brand is your story.

▪️ AI is a teammate, not a cheat code.

▪️ Creating culture creates chances… and checks.

He reminded students:

“The scoreboard doesn’t know the journey.” Purpose matters. Progress counts. And action without community is Fragile!

🛡️ 𝐂𝐲𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 O Mabry

Mr. Mabry broke down real-world threats and how to build skills:

▪️ Learn Linux

▪️ Treat YouTube like a university.

▪️ Build your digital profile.

▪️ Practice talking as communication is key.

▪️ Knowledge > paper

🤖 Jacquelyn Thomas-Smith – 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐬

Mrs. Thompson explored AI’s promise and its risks:

▪️ Personalized learning, drug discovery, and reduced admin burdens

▪️ But also: bias in facial recognition and healthcare algorithms

🧠 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐥

Anthony Perry, MBA, CISSP, John Best, Tamarques Porter, MBA, and Ernest Strickland brought the heat:

▪️ Memphis must be a 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘳 of tech, not just a consumer

▪️ AI is entering classrooms

▪️ Access creates equality

▪️ Local media can demystify tech in trusted spaces.

Their message to youth:

▪️ Lead with passion

▪️ Use the tools at hand

▪️ Ask questions

▪️ 𝘋𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘉𝘪𝘨. 𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦.

🧪 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

As a first-time hackathon judge, I was blown away by the creativity and collaboration. Shoutout to winners: India Ratliff, Naim Hakeem, and Brandon Bobo 👏

At Tech Scene Media, our mission is to share stories reflecting the tech community and how it empowers Memphis. This conference was a vivid reminder of that purpose. I couldn’t have been prouder to see local tech leaders modeling to youths what it means to network, grow, and communicate with intention.

Let’s keep lifting. Let’s keep climbing.

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