Last week, Birmingham’s tech scene turned all the way up for Sloss Tech 2025, which took over downtown June 25–27. What started as a one-day gathering in 2016 has grown into the Southeast’s premier tech and innovation conference, and this year’s vibe proved it’s only getting bigger.

With a record-breaking 1,700 attendees, Sloss Tech 2025 drew founders, funders, developers, students, creatives, and community leaders all ready to tap in, level up, and shape what’s next for Birmingham’s future.

🌟 Who Showed Up and Why

People came for the connections but stayed for the community. Corporate leaders sat shoulder to shoulder with college students who scored free passes through the Next in Tech initiative. Freelancers swapped ideas with investors. Creators linked with coders. For many, this wasn’t just another conference, it was proof that tech belongs here too.

🎤 The Keynote Energy

This year’s speakers did not disappoint. Zack Kass, the AI futurist and former OpenAI go-to-market leader, laid out where artificial intelligence is really taking us and how the South can get ahead. Rashaun Williams, investor and Shark Tank guest judge, kept it real about raising capital and betting on overlooked communities.

Meanwhile, Johnny Cupcakes (aka Johnny Earle) dropped gems on turning a simple T-shirt hustle into a brand people tattoo on their bodies. And Dr. Ruha Benjamin gave everyone chills, reminding us that building tech responsibly means designing for justice and equity too.

Each voice challenged Birmingham’s doers to think bigger and do better.

✨ What People Took Home

The biggest takeaway? Real talk, real strategies, and real connections. Startups walked away with fresh eyes on funding. Developers left with new tricks for scaling apps. Students left with internships and a clearer sense that you don’t have to move to the coasts to make it in tech.

Sloss Tech didn’t just fill seats it filled people’s heads with ideas and their phones with new contacts.

Here’s to 2026

If you missed Sloss Tech 2025, one thing’s for sure: next year, you’ll want to be in the building. The energy, the talent, and the hunger to build something real in Birmingham are only growing.

So mark your calendar, polish up that pitch deck, and tell your group chat Sloss Tech 2026 is already calling.

See you there.