A Year of Connection & Growth
Event Highlights
2025 Annual Convention
Over 15,600 attendees!
Date
March 5–9, 2025
Location
McCormick Place, Chicago
Chicago's McCormick Place was the epicenter of Black excellence in engineering, as more than 15,600 attendees gathered March 5–9 for the NSBE 2025 Annual Convention ("NSBE2025"). Anchored by the theme "Inspire! Excel! Impact!", the Convention celebrated NSBE's five decades, in the hometown of the Society's founders, while spotlighting the future of innovation, talent and community impact.
Across four high-energy days, students, professionals and industry and community leaders engaged in dynamic workshops, panel discussions, competitions and interactive experiences designed to fuel academic achievement, career readiness, entrepreneurship and leadership. Corporate partners such as Microsoft played a vital role, connecting directly with emerging talent, hosting sessions and building relationships that extend well beyond the Convention floor.
One of this year's main highlights was the NSBE Legacy Museum, a powerful new attraction that brought NSBE's 50-year journey to life through historical artifacts, immersive exhibits and appearances by founders, charter members and longtime champions. The museum underscored the organization's enduring influence on engineering, technology and the broader society.
The Convention concluded with the prestigious NSBE Golden Torch Awards, honoring outstanding individuals and organizations advancing innovation, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion across STEM.
What began in 1975 as a National Meeting of 91 students to launch NSBE has evolved into a multi-generational, four-day convening that brings together thousands of future and current engineers, hundreds of exhibitors and dozens of high-impact sessions. Today, NSBE's Annual Convention is a premier platform for talent development, corporate engagement and community-centered progress in engineering.
Other Events
2024 Fall Regional Conferences
With their career fairs, networking events, career opportunities, career development sessions, motivational speakers, awards competitions, tech and science workshops and competitions, and more, this year's Fall Regional Conferences (FRCs) continued NSBE's half-century record of generating engineers who make a difference.
These conferences, held annually in each of NSBE's six geographic regions, give our collegiate, pre-collegiate and professional members a much-anticipated opportunity to grow their technical, career and community leadership skills and renew their spirits through fellowship. The FRCs also provide NSBE's corporate, government and nonprofit partners and event sponsors with a perfect venue to connect with the nation's largest ecosystem of Black STEM talent.
These conferences, held annually in each of NSBE's six geographic regions, give our collegiate, pre-collegiate and professional members a much-anticipated opportunity to grow their technical, career and community leadership skills and renew their spirits through fellowship. The FRCs also provide NSBE's corporate, government and nonprofit partners and event sponsors with a perfect venue to connect with the nation's largest ecosystem of Black STEM talent.
Region I
NOV 15 - 17, 2024
Hilton Stamford Hotel & Executive Meeting Center, Stamford, CT
Region II
Nov. 1–3, 2024
Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, Philadelphia, PA
Region III
Nov. 8–10, 2024
Birmingham-Jackson Convention Center / Sheraton & Westin Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Region IV
Nov. 22–24, 2024
Baird Center / Hilton Milwaukee City Center, Milwaukee, WI
Region V
Nov. 8–10, 2024
Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, St. Louis, MO
Region VI
Nov. 22–24, 2024
Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa And Marina, San Diego, CA
2024 Professional Development Conferences
NEW RECORD!
550+ paid participants
Date
August 2024
Location
Grand Hyatt Washington, Washington, D.C.
The NSBE Professional Development Conference (PDC) set a new in-person attendance record with more than 550 paid participants at the four-day event, held last August, at the Grand Hyatt Washington, in Washington, D.C.
Attendees at the PDC came from all segments of NSBE Professionals' membership and the organization's 80-plus chapters in the U.S. and abroad. The conference attracted local early-career, mid-level and senior-level technical professionals eager to network with like-minded professionals. Sponsoring partners for the event included corporate, government and nonprofit organizations, including Fortune 500 companies and other large employers, who supported NSBE's mission and were excited to participate as recruiters and provide training and workshops to attendees.
Activities at this year's iteration of the annual conference ranged from workshops to panel discussions presented by educators, STEM professionals, entrepreneurs, collaborating organizations and more, all centered on the theme "A Purposeful Journey." The phrase expresses the need for STEM-trained professionals to take ownership of their personal and professional life journeys.
2025 National Leadership Conference
Date
June 25–29, 2025
Location
Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
Developing leaders who can transform both the engineering profession and their communities is central to NSBE's mission, and the 2025 National Leadership Conference (NLC) is where that transformation begins. Held June 25–29 at the Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor, this year's NLC brought together NSBE's newly elected National and Regional Executive Board members for the Society's most comprehensive leadership training of the year.
As a cornerstone of NSBE's National Leadership Institute, NLC equips top student leaders with the strategy, communication and organizational skills needed to guide our chapters worldwide. Through immersive workshops, collaborative planning sessions and leadership simulations, officers refined their ability to lead diverse teams, manage large-scale initiatives and deliver measurable impact.
A defining feature of NLC is its train-the-trainer model. National and regional leaders left Baltimore prepared to lead Regional Leadership Conferences (RLCs), where they trained thousands of chapter officers across North America, Europe and beyond. This ensured consistency, accountability and excellence across every level of the organization.
NLC also serves as a strategic hub, where officers align priorities, present their regional and national plans and share their innovative approaches to strengthening NSBE's programs and partnerships. Beyond organizational leadership, participants gain professional skills that boost their careers in engineering, technology and business.
By investing deeply in its leadership pipeline, NSBE ensures that every chapter — and every partner engagement — is powered by highly trained, mission-driven leaders ready to expand opportunity and make STEM a mainstream pathway in Black communities worldwide.
Don’t Miss the Opportunity to Elevate Yourself and Connect with the Best
We envision a world in which engineering is a mainstream word in homes and communities of color, and all students can envision themselves as engineers. In this world, all exceed parity in entering engineering fields, earning degrees, and succeeding professionally.
Join the movement.
Join the movement.
