Inside the BDPA Winter Celebration: Where Memphis Tech Paused to Reflect, and Dance

BDPA Memphis closed out the year with one of the most intentional, community-driven tech gatherings of 2025. Intimate. Inspiring. Relaxing. It was a reminder of what happens when a tech community built on support, trust, and shared passion takes a moment to celebrate. Not just what’s being built, but who we’re becoming together.

Held inside The Listening Room at Central Station Hotel, the evening felt intentionally smaller, warmer, and more personal. This wasn’t a pitch night or a panel-heavy agenda. It was a pause: an intentional gathering of people who’ve been showing up for one another all year.

The evening opened simply: playing cards, light introductions, and small‑group conversations. But the simplicity was intentional. Each table invited attendees to reflect on what they accomplished in 2025 and what they’re aiming to build in 2026.

For new graduates, it was a chance to articulate ambition. For seasoned professionals, it was space to offer perspective. For everyone, it was a reminder that progress compounds when it’s shared.

One of the most revealing moments came from a roundtable question: What has this community meant to you?

The answers mapped out BDPA Memphis’ impact on the local ecosystem:

This is what ecosystem‑building looks like up close: people making room for one another.

BDPA President Naim Hakiem and Vice President Jacqueline Gladness grounded the celebration in real progress.

One highlight: the expansion of BDPA’s kids coding program. Inspired by the national BDPA conference, where busloads of students competed for scholarships, the Memphis chapter is scaling from five students in a single session to more than 20 across multiple sessions in 2026. That’s not just education. That’s pipeline strategy.

The night also marked a leadership transition. Jacqueline Gladness will step down as Vice President in 2026 to focus on a new organization supporting children in Memphis as her career accelerates.

And the momentum didn’t stop there. Attendees shared a wave of wins:

It felt less like a list of updates and more like a citywide victory lap for emerging talent.

As the night shifted from conversation to celebration, the culture came into focus. Jazz and R&B eased into hip‑hop and disco. Dance‑offs broke out. Someone pulled out Star Wars’ light sabres. Someone else demoed a project mid‑conversation.

It wasn’t chaos; it was identity. Memphis tech isn’t just productive. It’s expressive.

Belonging isn’t only about opportunity. It’s about feeling comfortable enough to be fully yourself in the room.

The Winter Celebration underscored something essential: innovation doesn’t only happen in accelerators or boardrooms. It happens in conversations over cards, in encouragement shared at a table, in kids learning to code, and in communities that choose collaboration over competition.

For newcomers, it showed what’s possible here.
For veterans, it reaffirmed why they stay engaged.
For the city, it offered a glimpse of what sustainable innovation looks like when it’s rooted in people.

The tone heading into the new year wasn’t anxious. It was confident.

Memphis tech isn’t just building companies. It’s building culture. And nights like this are where that culture becomes visible.

Join the scene. Feel the energy. Be part of the culture.