Leadership in Memphis tech rarely announces itself with a title. More often, it shows up in rooms where someone feels unsure, unqualified, or unseen. Then leaves with a clearer path forward.
Lawrence D. Lockhart, Jr. is one of those leaders.
Today, he serves as a Senior Developer Advocate at Beefree, working at the intersection of full-stack web development, scalable Spring Boot backends, and front-end email marketing systems. But his story began much earlier, shaped by community.
Career Journey
Lawrence’s entry into tech didn’t follow a traditional pipeline. He transitioned from restaurant management into software development, a leap that can feel insurmountable without guidance.
That turning point came at his first Code Connector meetup.
In that room, he met leaders like Ted Patterson and James Quick. People who didn’t just talk about careers in tech but made space for someone trying to enter it. Ted reviewed Lawrence’s portfolio and offered actionable feedback. A year later, James’ wife helped refine his resume.
Those moments mattered.
They reframed what was possible. And more importantly, showed Lawrence that Memphis tech was not gated by credentials, but unlocked through people willing to teach.
Community wasn’t a bonus.
It was the bridge.
Teaching Moment
“If getting a tech job is the goal, then you need a strategy. Not just effort.”
In nearly every mentoring conversation Lawrence has, he returns to strategy.
He teaches mentees to work backwards:
Who has already done what you want to do?
What gaps exist between you and the role you want?
How are you demonstrating, not just claiming, readiness?
Where are you visible?
What’s working, what isn’t, and how are you truly spending your time?
This framework anchors his mentorship because it replaces anxiety with agency. It transforms vague ambition into a playable plan.
That’s why his teaching resonates. It equips people, not just encourages them.
Giving Back Through Teaching
A moment from the Community
At a Design and Code meetup, Lawrence Lockhart stood in front of a packed room and delivered a session titled “Control Freaks Don’t Scale — How to Score Wins in UI Creation with Shared Workflows.” What unfolded wasn’t just a technical talk. It was a lesson in leadership.
He reminded the room that sometimes our own strengths can unintentionally hold teams back, and that real leadership looks like creating space for others to grow.
As he told the crowd that night, “Leadership is building people up so they can do it too.”
Having benefited so deeply from Memphis tech, Lawrence feels a responsibility to return that energy forward.
He actively mentors junior and mid-level developers across LinkedIn, Twitter, Topmate.io, and in person. Teaching, by his own admission, feels innate “in his blood.”
Conference stages may bring nerves, but they’re also where he feels most alive. Just as meaningful, though, are the moments after the talk. When someone approaches with a technical question, a career concern, or quiet doubt, and leaves with clarity.
That’s how momentum spreads in Memphis tech.
One conversation at a time.
Tools & Tech Stack
Lawrence’s technical depth spans both enterprise and modern front-end ecosystems.
Earlier roles, including work at FedEx, placed him deep in:
Java, Spring Boot, MySQL
Eclipse, SQL Workbench
Grafana, AppDynamics
Angular, JMS
Heavy terminal workflows
Today, his work leans toward front-end and developer advocacy:
JavaScript frameworks in VS Code
AI-assisted tooling: Gemini CLI, Antigravity, and Bolt
Sample projects designed to educate, not just ship
His credibility isn’t theoretical. It’s lived, evolving, and continuously shared.
Advice
For Memphians in tech, Lawrence’s message is direct:
There is a thriving ecosystem here, from Memphis Technology Foundation (MemTech) to BDPA to grassroots meetups happening every month.
Join.
Participate.
Show up consistently.
And yes, stay plugged into the Memphis Tech Scene newsletter.
Because the future of Memphis tech isn’t built by a few loud voices. It’s shaped by educators, mentors, and builders who choose to pull others up with them.
Lawrence Lockhart is one of them.