For every completed applicant
One year of Bootup Studios access
Receive free access to an AI-powered platform for idea validation, execution planning, customer research, AI agent support, funding resources, and startup support.
Kepler Gliese Access Initiative · Houston
APPLICATIONS CLOSED.REVIEW IS NEXT.
Every completed applicant receives one year of free Bootup Studios access, whether or not selected for a sponsored conference registration. All complete, eligible applications received by the deadline are reviewed together using the published criteria.
Applications closed · September 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time
Employer sharing is optional and requires separate consent
What applicants receive
One application. Something useful for everyone.
Sponsored conference registration is limited. Applicant value is not.
Conference opportunity
At least 10 sponsored registrations
Kepler Gliese will directly fund AFROTECH 2026 conference registration for a minimum of 10 selected applicants. Ten is the floor. More is the goal.
One fair process
No advantage for applying first
Every complete, eligible application received by the deadline is reviewed together using the same published criteria.
Application timeline
One application. One shared review process.
A completed application is required to be considered for a sponsored registration. Direct messages, introductions, and conversations do not replace the application. Applications are not reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applications close
Complete applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Why this date: September 19 is NASA's International Observe the Moon Night. The next one will not arrive until September 10, 2027.
Review is completed
Every complete, eligible application will be reviewed together using the published criteria below.
Why this date: September 28 is the United Nations' International Day for Universal Access to Information, reflecting the purpose of this initiative: expanding access to information, resources, and opportunity.
Final notifications
Applicants will receive their final status by email, leaving four weeks to prepare before AFROTECH begins.
Why this date: October 5 is the first Monday of World Space Week, observed internationally from October 4–10.
Ten is the floor, not the ceiling. Additional seats or applicant-wide resources confirmed during the process may expand the initiative. Applicants will not need to reapply to receive newly confirmed applicant-wide resources.
Partner support
One year of access for every completed applicant.
Bootup Studios is partnering with Kepler Gliese to provide one year of free platform access to everyone who completes the AFROTECH 2026 Access Initiative application. Bootup Studios is an AI-powered operating system for entrepreneurs with tools for idea validation, execution planning, customer research, AI agent support, and access to funding and startup resources.
Bootup Studios access is available to applicants regardless of whether they are ultimately selected for one of the sponsored AFROTECH registrations. The conference sponsorship selection remains separate.
Learn about Bootup Studios →Who this is for
People ready to make the most of access.
Applicants must be at least 18, able to attend AFROTECH 2026 in Houston, and fall within one of the program tracks below.
Current college & university students
Community college & graduate students
Current technical, certificate & career-training students
Recent degree graduates: within 24 months
Recent bootcamp / certificate / technical graduates: within 24 months
Recently displaced professionals: within 12 months
Age 18+
Selection rubric
Published draft · September 14, 2026. The weights and scoring anchors below will be confirmed by Montre and at least one non-conflicted human reviewer before scoring begins.
How selection works: every complete, eligible application submitted by the deadline will be reviewed using the same status-neutral criteria:
- Access need · 35 pointsThe degree to which sponsored registration removes a meaningful barrier.
- Initiative and preparation · 25 pointsEvidence that the applicant is actively taking steps toward a technology, engineering, entrepreneurial, or career goal.
- Clarity of purpose · 20 pointsA specific, credible explanation of what the applicant hopes to learn, pursue, or build through AFROTECH access.
- Potential impact · 20 pointsHow likely the opportunity is to create useful forward motion for the applicant or the people and communities around them.
How the 100-point rubric is scored
At least two eligible human reviewers independently assess each application. Each criterion receives a score from 0 to 5, supported by a short evidence note.
- 0 · No usable evidence
- The application provides no usable evidence for this criterion. Missing or contradictory information is flagged for human follow-up rather than guessed.
- 1 · Limited evidence
- The response provides limited support for this criterion.
- 3 · Credible, specific evidence
- The response provides specific, credible support for this criterion.
- 5 · Exceptional, well-supported evidence
- The response provides exceptional, well-supported evidence for this criterion.
Scores of 2 and 4 fall between the adjacent anchors. For each criterion, the score is divided by 5 and multiplied by its point weight. The four weighted scores total a maximum of 100 points.
Reviewers with a conflict do not score or vote on the affected application. Montre and at least one non-conflicted human reviewer approve final selections. AI may organize evidence and check arithmetic; it does not score, rank, select, reject, or break ties.
Selection is not first-come, first-served. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee a sponsored registration.
Kepler Gliese does not make selection decisions based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or other status protected by applicable law. Focused outreach to particular schools or communities does not restrict who may apply.
Applicants may be asked to verify current enrollment, recent program completion, or recent involuntary employment separation, as applicable, before sponsored registration is issued.
Participant safety & conduct
Access should feel professional, voluntary, and safe.
If selected, recipients agree to follow Kepler Gliese participant expectations as well as all AFROTECH, venue, and applicable legal requirements.
Respect
Professional conduct
Harassment, discrimination, threats, violence, stalking, retaliation, unwanted sexual attention, or other conduct that creates an unsafe environment is not acceptable.
Boundaries
Optional means optional
No recipient is required to attend after-hours activities, meet privately, share transportation or lodging, provide personal contact information, or consume alcohol to receive or keep sponsorship.
Accountability
Protect the opportunity
Serious or repeated conduct violations, material misrepresentation, or failure to follow conference or venue rules may result in removal from Kepler-supported activities or withdrawal of sponsorship.
Scope of sponsorship: unless Kepler Gliese confirms otherwise in writing, the award covers conference registration only. Travel, lodging, meals, transportation, and optional activities are not promised by the application itself.
Applicant privacy
Your application is not a product.
Kepler Gliese treats applicant information as program data entrusted to us for a specific purpose. We collect, use, share, and retain it only as reasonably necessary to operate the initiative, deliver applicant benefits, protect the program, and meet legal obligations.
No sale
We do not sell applicant data
Applicant personal information is not sold for money or other valuable consideration and is not used for unrelated targeted advertising.
Sponsor boundary
Sponsorship does not buy access
Sponsor funding does not purchase applicant lists, identifiable applicant data, or influence over individual selection decisions.
Purpose limited
Sharing stays tied to the program
Limited information may be shared with service providers or program partners only when reasonably necessary to operate the initiative or deliver a specific applicant benefit, subject to applicable safeguards.
Retention and control: We aim to minimize how long we keep raw application material, especially optional video submissions. Program participation does not automatically authorize indefinite retention of a full application for unrelated recruiting or talent-network purposes. Where applicable, applicants may request access, correction, deletion, or other privacy rights. Read the full Kepler Gliese Privacy Notice →
Applications
Applications are closed.
The application deadline was Saturday, September 19, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. All complete, eligible applications received by the deadline will be reviewed together. Review is scheduled to complete Monday, September 28, with final notifications sent Monday, October 5.
Kepler Gliese is independently organizing this initiative. It is not presented as an official AFROTECH or Blavity program, partnership, or endorsement unless explicitly announced. This program is conference sponsorship, not employment, an internship, or an offer of employment. Additional experiences beyond conference registration are subject to funding, availability, and confirmation. Eligibility, verification, selection terms, participant obligations, and the Kepler Gliese Privacy Notice apply.