This past weekend, BDPA Memphis answered a question many of us have quietly asked: 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴? The event proved the answer comes in three parts: 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐰𝐡𝐲”, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞: 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲
The event kicked off with Naim Hakeem, who demoed sketches from a digital book project he’s co-writing. His presentation went deeper than visuals. It was about how art and animation elevate storytelling. That sparked a lively Q&A on design tools like Adobe InDesign and MyFonts, which quickly expanded into a bigger discussion on print design and image optimization. It was a reminder that these events aren’t just networking. They’re real-time knowledge sharing.
𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐖𝐚𝐯𝐞
Next came the AI conversation. Tools like Replit and Loveable are making prototyping faster and more accessible, but the room didn’t stop at hype. A group roundtable dug into how creatives are experimenting with AI while also wrestling with ethical and legal questions. It was the kind of debate that sharpens ideas and perspectives. Shout out to Lauren Brown for facilitating this conversation.
𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The night also spotlighted Memphis talent in action.
▪️ Tremaine Mckinley demoed a concept for a mobile card game.
▪️ Marcus Kelly showed an RPG D&D-inspired video game he’s building with C++ and Unity.
▪️ Felicia Phillips, a recent CodeCrew graduate, announced an upcoming design workshop she’ll be leading.
Each project was a spark; proof that innovation is happening right here in the community.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡
Some of the most powerful conversations weren’t about tools or trends, but about Memphis youth. The city is investing in the pipeline of future builders:
💻 CodeCrew — In-school tech classes, summer bootcamps, hackathons, and more.
🎮 BDPA Memphis + Memphis Dawah Association — Hosting a free hands-on workshop Sept. 20 at Whitehaven Library, where kids will design their own video games. RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/intro-to-game-creation-and-design-for-kids-tickets-1646841259539
🎧 CLOUD901 Teen Learning Lab — Inside Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, offering a video studio, music studio, makerspace, VR gear, and even a robotics team.
𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠
BDPA Memphis hosts this networking and showcase event every month on the second Saturday. If you’re looking for exposure, dialogue, and inspiration, this is where to find it. RSVP at: https://www.meetup.com/memphis-technology-user-groups/events/310168572