Lisa Trifone

CEO / Publicist

With two decades of experience in the independent film industry and a lifelong love of the movies, Trifone has always known she’d work in movies. To date, that work includes film festival management, programming and marketing (Heartland Film; Indy Film Fest); publicity management and logistics (Sundance Film Festival); arthouse distribution strategy, marketing and national publicity (Film Movement; Music Box Films) and now several years at the helm of Bright Iris Film Co, the boutique independent film publicity agency she founded in 2017. In addition to her agency work, Trifone is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and an adjunct professor at DePaul University. When not working on or watching movies, Trifone is an avid traveler, baker and Wordler.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Critics/Journalists, Publicity & Marketing, "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution".

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: LISA TRIFONE (BRIGHT IRIS FILM CO.)


Round Table: Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution: Amy Beecroft, Joe Yanick, and Shaked Berenson

Joe Yanick

Co-Founder

Joe Yanick is the co-founder of Yellow Veil Pictures, a New York-based sales and distribution company specializing in bold, boundary-pushing genre and arthouse cinema. Since founding Yellow Veil Pictures in 2018, he has helped bring attention to emerging filmmakers and ambitious indie projects, curating a slate that spans horror, thriller, comedy, science-fiction, and other works within the genre space. Known for championing daring, unconventional cinema, Yanick bridges the gap between creative vision and global audiences.

Shaked Berenson

Founder/CEO

Shaked Berenson is the CEO of Studio Dome, a streaming technology and content operations company. With one foot in tech and the other in creative, he has financed, produced, and distributed hundreds of films. His projects have premiered at SXSW, including Turbo Kid, Big Ass Spider!, Extra Ordinary, The Aggression Scale, and Rick Alverson’s Entertainment starring John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, and Michael Cera.

Shaked holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and is a regular speaker at USC, UCLA, and the American Film Market. A member of the Producers Guild of America, he has also served on the Board of Directors of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA). He brings deep expertise in global sales, digital rights management, and innovation across the entertainment supply chain.

Amy Beecroft

Head of Verve Ventures

Amy Beecroft joined Verve and launched Verve Ventures in 2015, establishing the agency’s independent film financing and sales division. Under her leadership, the group has grown into a powerful force in the independent film ecosystem - recognized for its creative taste, strategic rigor, and hands-on support of bold, filmmaker-driven work.

With a deep background in the global film market - having held senior roles at HBO, FilmNation, GreeneStreet Films, and First Look/Overseas Filmgroup -Beecroft brings decades of experience and a sharp eye for commercial and artistic potential. She has been instrumental in giving Verve’s clients greater control over their material, helping to finance projects from the earliest stages and guiding them through packaging, production, and distribution.

Under her leadership, recent Ventures successes include the competitive sale of SXSW 2025 breakout Good Boy to IFC/Shudder, and current marketplace titles such as Sender (starring Britt Lower, Jamie Lee Curtis, and David Dastmalchian) and The Process (a psychological thriller with Don Cheadle, Halle Berry, and Garrett Hedlund). The action-comedy Fight or Flight, starring Josh Hartnett and directed by James Madigan, released on over 2,000 screens in May 2025, while the road trip comedy Sacramento, starring Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart, and Maya Erskine, completed its theatrical run earlier this year and is now streaming on Amazon and Apple.

Past highlights from the Verve Ventures slate include Greedy People with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Lily James, and Simon Rex; TIFF selection and NYT Critic’s Pick Knox Goes Away directed by and starring Michael Keaton; Snack Shack, produced by MRC for Paramount; Winter Spring Summer or Fall starring Jenna Ortega; SXSW Audience Award winner I Love My Dad with Patton Oswalt; and Emily the Criminal, the Sundance hit starring Aubrey Plaza.

Known for championing original voices and high-integrity storytelling, Beecroft continues to set the standard for independent film representation and dealmaking.

Representative

Round Table: Programming: Landon Zakheim, Monica Garcia Massague, and R.J. LaForce

Round Table: Producing: Ashleigh Snead, Kelly Williams, and Liz Cardenas

Round Table: Acting: Alexandra Barreto, Alyssa Rodriguez, and Rider Strong

Round Table: Development: Carolina Tamez and Henry Kittredge

Round Table: Narrative Filmmaking: Adam Hoelzel, Jessica M. Thompson, and Paul Gandersman

An extension of our popular Mentor Sessions, our Round Table Sessions not only allow attendees to learn from the industry experts that sit at each of the three tables in this session but they also allow attendees to learn from the questions and experiences of their peers as well. This Round Table Session will bring together industry experts and SXSW attendees for an enlightening discussion on Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution.

ROUND TABLE: SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION: AMY BEECROFT, JOE YANICK, AND SHAKED BERENSON

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


Agents & Managers Mentor Session: Olivia Mascheroni (Verve Talent & Literary Agency)

Olivia Mascheroni

Agent

Olivia Mascheroni is a strategic partnerships and content executive focused on the intersection of entertainment, technology, and global media. At Verve Ventures, she works on film financing, packaging, and cross-industry partnerships. At SXSW, she’s excited to connect with executives, founders, and investors building the future of media, emerging platforms, and brand-driven storytelling.

Liberty

Legal Mentor Session: Fabio de Sa Cesnik (CQS FV Law Firm)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: RJ Millard (Obscured Pictures)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Traci Hanlon (Cinergy Entertainment)

Programming Mentor Session: CC Hutten (TED Conferences)

Programming Mentor Session: Jim Brunzell (Sound Unseen)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Agents & Managers, Development, Producers/Production, "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution".

AGENTS & MANAGERS MENTOR SESSION: OLIVIA MASCHERONI (VERVE TALENT & LITERARY AGENCY)


Mentor Session: Shayna Casey (Crybaby Music Publishing)

Shayna Casey

President

Shayna Casey has worked in music publishing with a specialization in sync licensing for the past decade. After gaining experience working for other independent music publishers, Shayna launched her own venture Crybaby Music Publishing in 2024. Shayna embraces DIY culture through Crybaby, celebrating the indie spirit while providing the highest level of service, professionalism and transparency to  songwriters.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Mentor Session: Lauren Apolito (The Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish )

Mentor Session: Max Christensen (Crunchy Frog/Crunchy Tunes)

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Sync/Licensing, Publishing.

MENTOR SESSION: SHAYNA CASEY (CRYBABY MUSIC PUBLISHING)


Customize Your Artist Marketing Rollout

Drew de Leon

Founder/Co-Founder

Drew de Leon is the Co-Founder and Chief Community Officer of The Digilogue, a global music and tech community celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2026. He also leads strategy for DigiLabs, The Digilogue’s digital marketing arm, and serves as a partner at indie music distribution company MPR Global known for breaking Muni Long and earning Grammy recognition for the hit songs “Hrs and Hrs” and “Made for Me.”
Previously, Drew was the Head of Digital Marketing at Def Jam and Alamo Records. With 15 years of experience in the music industry, he has spearheaded digital campaigns for artists including Rod Wave, Lil Durk, Nas, Teyana Taylor, Pusha T, Danileigh, Alessia Cara, and many more.

Drew launched his music agency, Blank Label, in 2010, focusing on developing artists through digital marketing and brand partnerships. In 2016, he co-founded The Digilogue with a mission to pay it forward to indie artists, music professionals, and students. The Digilogue now programs music education conversations, career resources, and artist discovery content for its global community.

Outside of his work in music, Drew is an avid basketball and soccer fan rooting for the Knicks and Liverpool FC and proudly embraces his Filipino heritage. He enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

Capitol Ballroom FGH

Syncrets to Success: Conversation With Music Supervisors

Mexico Amplified: How Música Mexicana is Reshaping Global Music

Streaming, Shorts & AI: Where Are Your Royalties Going?

How to Get the Job: Building a Career in Music

Drew de Leon, a 15-year music industry veteran, leads a presentation dedicated to customizing your 2026 digital marketing rollout. This session will over key areas such as artist branding, defining your fans, building your community, developing a consistent content strategy, and mapping out a release plan to set your music catalog up for long-term success.


Mentor Session: Jesse Moss (Experience Camps)

Jesse Moss

Director of Innovation

Jesse Moss is the director of innovation and former director of marketing at Experience Camps, an award-winning nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through innovative, year-round programs. Motivated by her own experiences with loss, Jesse has created platforms and programs that have reached over 80 million people, building a grief-sensitive culture online. She launched the first TikTok account for grieving kids, which now has over 185,000 followers, and developed the interactive site griefsucks.com, building a community for connection, belonging, and healing. Jesse aspires to lead a movement that reaches more than 6 million grieving children in the U.S. by creating connected communities to break cycles of trauma and build a generation of engaged citizens. Jesse served as a digital strategist at the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2016 to 2018, where she leveraged the power of art and culture to find common ground in unexpected places.

Room 400-402

Mentor Session: Ali Tager (National Cryptocurrency Association)

Mentor Session: Aniesia Williams (dreambloc)

Mentor Session: Avantika Bagri (Centana Growth Partners)

Mentor Session: Brittan Heller (Stanford Law School)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Content Strategy/Production, Storytelling, Nonprofits.

MENTOR SESSION: JESSE MOSS (EXPERIENCE CAMPS)


Mentor Session: Max Hirsh (Angry Mob Music)

Max Hirsh

A&R Manager

Being in love with music his whole life, Max dreamed of working in the music industry since he was a child. After studying Political Science at the University of Colorado Boulder, Max decided to make that dream a reality and continued his education getting a B.S. in Music Business from the University of Colorado Denver. While in school, Max dipped his feet in as many aspects of the industry as possible by interning and working for multiple companies including The Orchard, Superfly, and 7S Management. It was through these experiences that he found his true passion of discovering emerging talents and working directly with songwriters and producers in developing their craft and growing their professional careers.

In 2019, Max made the move from Denver to Los Angeles and joined Angry Mob Music as A&R Coordinator. Max is now A&R Manager with day to day tasks including setting up co-writing sessions, pitching music to artists and their representatives, and developing the AMM roster as a whole. He is also the proud co-founder of The New Normal Writing Camp which was created to bring our songwriting community together and lift each other up in an industry where underrepresented voices are often held back due to the old ways of thinking. The New Normal encourages diversity and champions the melting pot of cultural backgrounds, which brings a unique and universally relatable perspective into the music world.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in A&R, Publishing.

MENTOR SESSION: MAX HIRSH (ANGRY MOB MUSIC)


Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Maddy Bilder (26 Keys Productions)

Maddy Bilder

Director of Marketing & Communications

Hailing from Austin, Texas by way of Irvine, California, Maddy Bilder is a Marketing & Communications leader with a foundation in events, film & television, and brand development.

With a background in project management, producing, and development, Bilder brings over a decade of experience managing creative and operational initiatives across media. As the Director of Marketing & Communications at 26 Keys, she spearheads integrated initiatives across marketing, social media, events, education, and publicity. Bilder’s work ensures alignment between creative vision and operational execution across the promotion of the company’s film and television projects, internal marketing efforts, and industry-facing programs—all within a fast-paced production environment. In recognition of her contributions to the industry, she was named to Variety’s Hollywood’s New Leaders of 2024 list.

Previously, Bilder served as the Senior Producer of Film & Television Development at Texas Monthly, where she managed day-to-day departmental operations and collaborated on the development of more than two dozen projects based on the magazine’s journalism. In addition to her development work, she partnered closely with network and studio teams to integrate series marketing and publicity initiatives into Texas Monthly’s marketing channels, ensuring cohesive cross-platform promotion. Her work contributed to titles such as Max’s Love & Death, the three-part docuseries How to Create a Sex Scandal, and the Netflix film Hit Man. She also served as Executive Producer of The Official Love & Death Podcast, a partnership between Texas Monthly Studios and HBO, which earned her two 2024 Webby Awards.

Before transitioning into film and television, Bilder led high-profile events including festivals, branded experiential activations, corporate conferences, and private events. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Film, Television & Digital Media from Texas Christian University.

Executive Room

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Jenny Bloom (Bloomerang PR)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Lisa Trifone (Bright Iris Film Co.)

Programming Mentor Session: Boram Park (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival)

Programming Mentor Session: Haojie Huang (Kaohsiung Film Festival)

Programming Mentor Session: Joseph Litzinger (Interesting.Media)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Publicity & Marketing.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: MADDY BILDER (26 KEYS PRODUCTIONS)


Mentor Session: Gabriel Rucker (Titen AI)

Gabriel Rucker

CEO

Gabriel Rucker is a dynamic entrepreneur and innovator dedicated to empowering professionals and fostering impactful connections. As the CEO of Titen AI, he leads the development of a groundbreaking relationship management platform designed to help decision makers and enterprises increase their engagement and networks by 10X.

He also serves as the Managing Director of Founder Institute in Austin, Texas, mentoring and guiding emerging founders as they launch and scale their ventures. With extensive experience consulting for over 20 businesses and 70 startups, as well as previously working with global giants like Amazon, he is a passionate advocate for innovation and diversity. Gabriel is committed to helping entrepreneurs and investors build meaningful relationships and create transformative opportunities.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Entrepreneurship, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Future of Work.

MENTOR SESSION: GABRIEL RUCKER (TITEN AI)


Mentor Session: Kel Bryant (Reservoir)

Kel Bryant

VP, Synch & Marketing

Kel has spent the last 20+ years putting music to picture (sync), A&R, Music Supervision and supporting artists at a variety of companies such as Zync Music, Disney Television Group, Warp Publishing, Warp Records and Reservoir Media. As an artist in early days, she has a background in music production, songwriting, performance and a BA in Music and Storytelling. Her professional career has primarily encompassed pitching music to help narrate stories in ads, trailers, films, TV and games along with negotiating licensing deals for the artists she represents.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Mentor Session: Lauren Apolito (The Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish )

Mentor Session: Max Christensen (Crunchy Frog/Crunchy Tunes)

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Sync/Licensing, Women in Music, Songwriting, Publishing, A&R.


Mentor Session: Scott Cupolo (Warner Music Group)

Scott Cupolo

Vice President, Royalty Audit & Revenue Assurance

With 25 years of Major Label experience under his belt, Scott has been divvying up money to major recording artists across many of the music industry’s top labels. From Universal Music Group to Sony Music and now as a Vice President of Royalty Audit & Revenue Assurance at Warner Music Group, Scott has managed royalties for major musical acts such as Bruno Mars, Lizzo, Cardi B., Lil Uzi Vert, Green Day, Notorious B.I.G., Led Zeppelin and the Doors; just to name a few. In addition to his current role overseeing artist royalties, Scott also leads a team in the collection of synchronization and licensing revenue on behalf of WMG’s top recording artists. As a graduate of Berklee College of Music, Scott is also a musician and producer, who prays you sing in tune and grab the proper harmony!

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Contracts & Agreements, Sync/Licensing, Publishing.

MENTOR SESSION: SCOTT CUPOLO (WARNER MUSIC GROUP)


Featured Session: Shaping Brand Relevance for a New Generation

Tasia Filippatos

President, Disney Consumer Products

Tasia Filippatos is the President of Disney Consumer Products, the global retail division of The Walt Disney Company. This division includes the world’s largest licensing business with $62 billion in annual retail sales, the top children’s publishing brand and one of the leading games licensors. It is also comprised of the global Disney Store business and hundreds of shopping destinations at Disney’s theme parks.

With the mission of “creating happiness every day,” Tasia’s global organization brings Disney’s beloved characters and brands into the daily lives of fans around the world. With a presence in over 100 categories and a global reach across more than 180 countries, Disney Consumer Products works with the biggest brands in fashion, luxury, technology, gaming and publishing to reach consumers at every level of retail.

Disney Consumer Products is at the forefront of creativity and innovation, including developing the all-new games and entertainment universe with Epic Games. This collaboration will invite fans to play, watch, shop and engage with Disney stories and characters in groundbreaking ways in the digital space.
Prior to this role, Tasia oversaw the Disney Consumer Products business in Europe, Middle East and Africa as senior vice president. There, she drove the development of commercial strategies spanning all product categories, spearheaded DCP’s luxury business and oversaw Disney Store retail and e-commerce in Europe.
Earlier in her career, Tasia led global communications and public affairs teams for both Disney Experiences and Disney Consumer Products. In these roles, she drove transformative change, instilling a business-driven communications approach to enhance the Disney brand.
Tasia sits on the Board of Directors for Make-A-Wish International and previously served on the Development Board of the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Board of Disney Cruise Line.
Prior to joining The Walt Disney Company in 2008, Tasia served in a number of senior level government positions in Washington, D.C. and began her career as a litigation attorney. She is an honors graduate of Claremont McKenna College and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Salon 6-8

Featured Session: A Conversation With Spotify's New Co-CEO About The Past, Present And Future Of Delivering Creativity To The World

Featured Session: A Waste of Time with Larry David and Jeff Schaffer

Featured Session: Why Saying Yes to the Unthinkable Works

Featured Session: Albuquerque Aftermath: From Breaking Bad to Pluribus with Rhea Seehorn, Vince Gilligan, and Key Creatives

Featured Session: The Culture Layer of Financial Markets

Join Disney for a candid, forward-looking conversation on staying culturally relevant and driving growth in a rapidly changing market. Drawing from real-world experience at the intersection of commerce, creativity and global trends, this session will tackle the essential question for any organization: "How can brands remain meaningful and resilient for future generations?"

FEATURED SESSION: SHAPING BRAND RELEVANCE FOR A NEW GENERATION

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Forget Recruiting. Design Your Own Workforce.

Ryan Rosensweig

Director, Global Solution & Strategy Leader Cloud and AI Platforms, Healthcare and Life Sciences

As part of the Worldwide Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry team, Ryan works with leading healthcare institutions to explore the outer boundaries of Microsoft’s capabilities. He brings teams across Microsoft together with strategic customers and partners to co-innovate the future of healthcare. Notably, Ryan organized the launch of the Trustworthy and Responsible AI Network (TRAIN), a consortium of academic and health system leaders dedicated to making safe and fair AI accessible to every healthcare organization.

With a background in innovation leadership across various industries, Ryan has made significant contributions to healthcare (providers, insurance, medical devices, consumer packaged goods), retail, education, manufacturing, and technology industries. He is an award-winning product leader in digital innovation, including receiving Microsoft’s HIMSS Innovation Award for Patient Engagement, a Red Dot Design Award, and the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence.

Jeremy Jarrett

President & CEO

Jeremy Jarrett is the President and CEO of Kinetic Vision, where he continues to drive the company’s evolution as a leader in advanced product development and innovation. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, Jeremy brings deep technical expertise rooted in engineering, modeling, and simulation. Today, he focuses on advancing Kinetic Vision’s capabilities by investing in emerging technologies, building long-term strategic partnerships, and guiding teams that help clients bring complex ideas to the market.

Aaron Bradley

Founding Director, UC Foresight Lab and NEXT Innovation Scholars Associate Professor of Innovation and Foresight

Aaron Bradley is a professor, futurist, and innovation leader at the University of Cincinnati who helps organizations and his students create the future and shape what comes next. His proven record of designing, launching, and scaling signature initiatives from blank page to sustained impact includes serving as the founding director of the university’s signature NEXT Innovation Scholars program and building one of the nation’s only undergraduate strategic foresight labs. Bradley’s expertise forging partnerships between academia and industry helps Fortune 500 companies and global brands leverage university talent to understand key drivers of change, uncover whitespace innovation opportunities, and translate human-centered insight into forward-looking strategy and growth. He is also the creator and host of Undisciplined by Design, a podcast featuring thought-provoking conversations with innovation leaders across the country, exploring the products, services, and systems shaping the future.

Lee Ellen Drechsler

Senior Vice President

Lee Ellen Drechsler’s career at Procter & Gamble has included technical leadership roles across Beauty Care, Baby Care and Corporate R&D, with responsibilities from upstream Disruptive Innovation to downstream Product Supply.  Lee Ellen leads Corporate Transformative Platform Technology (TPT), Glad JV, Connect + Develop & Sustainability Innovation organizations with a mission to continue building P&G’s long-held reputation as a world leader of growth driven by innovation.  She is accelerating the way P&G delivers game-changing and sustainable products, packages, and services, leveraging early in-market learning as well as collaborations with strong academic and business partners.

Salon B

Innovating in Science & Tech When Budgets are Tight

How To Meaningfully Connect in a World That Has Gone to Sh*t

It's a Whole Thing: Gen Z Work Relationships in the Age of AI

Better Leadership Starts with Understanding the Stressed Brain

What if your future leaders are already working inside your company - and they haven’t even graduated yet? Forward‑thinking organizations aren’t waiting for talent to emerge. They’re helping shape it.  Companies of all sizes are using work-integrated programs to build stronger talent pipelines, fuel innovation, and cultivate future-ready skill sets. In this candid conversation, you’ll learn why hands-on experience is quickly becoming one of the most valuable credentials and how organizations that invest early gain not just future-ready talent, but a strategic advantage.

FORGET RECRUITING. DESIGN YOUR OWN WORKFORCE.

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


Global Impact Founders Meet Up

Victoria Kuketz

Obama Scholar & CEO

Victoria Kuketz is a 2026 Obama Foundation Scholar, podcast host, and one of Canada’s most prominent innovation and public policy voices. Her work centers on addressing polarization, strengthening democracy, and building community resilience, rooted in her architecture and leadership of the Far and Widening national polarization diagnostic at the Public Policy Forum.

Previously, she served as Director of Corporate Engagement at Catalyst Canada, advising C-suite leaders by advancing an inclusive innovation pillar, focused on AI literacy and adoption in her role. Victoria's career has focused on building public–private partnerships at MaRS Discovery District, Elections Ontario, the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, and the Public Policy Forum. She hosts Catalyst’s Breaking with Tradition podcast and Democracy Dialogues, produced by Toronto Metropolitan University’s Democratic Engagement Exchange.

She advises the Canadian Internet Governance Forum, Democracy XChange, the Canadian Vote Summit, People for Education’s national advisory, and serves on the MLSE Foundation’s Community Action Grants committee. She was also selected Mila Quebec's inaugural global summer school on responsible AI and human rights.

Valentina Primo

Founder & CEO

Valentina Primo is an award-winning entrepreneur, journalist, and thought leader on social impact and innovation. She is the Founder and CEO of Startups Without Borders, an international organization supporting 20,000 refugee, migrant, and local entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. She also leads the Startups Without Borders Summit, recognized among the Top 60 startup events worldwide, and hosts the Startups Without Borders Podcast, a part of its media platforms reaching a 3.7 million audience.

Born in Córdoba, Argentina, she began her career as a journalist and later founded and became Editor-in-Chief of Startups Scene Middle East, Egypt’s largest entrepreneurship media platform. Her work has been featured by the BBC, Forbes, and CNN, and she has spoken at major conferences in over 15 countries championing inclusion, entrepreneurship, and human potential. She is a 2025-2026 Obama Scholar and was granted the Women in Excellence Award by the Women Economic Forum.

Join Valentina Primo and Victoria Kuketz, two Obama Scholars advancing cross-sector social impact, for intimate conversations on what it really takes to build initiatives that move the needle. The meetup aims to bridge foundations, corporations, and institutions driving social impact across different levels, from tech innovations, to AI policy, to investors backing the bold ideas shaping the future. Expect sharp questions, real-world insights, and a forward-looking take on what’s next in innovation.


Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: RJ Millard (Obscured Pictures)

RJ Millard

President

RJ Millard has worked in the entertainment industry for over thirty years.  He currently runs Obscured Pictures, a marketing, publicity and sales agency.  Clients include Amazon Studios, Apple TV+ Focus Features, HBO, IFC Films, IMAX, Roadside Attractions, Sony Pictures Classics and more.  He has overseen campaigns for top filmmakers from Terrence Malick (VOYAGE OF TIME) to Jim Jarmusch (PATERSON) and ran awards campaigns for Academy Award nominated THE APPRENTICE, SOUND OF METAL, CODA, CAPTAIN FANTASTIC as well as Emmy-winning titles including “Albert Brooks: Defending my Life,” “100 Foot Wave,’ and “George Carlin.”

He previously held top positions at Focus Features, Samuel Goldwyn Films/Roadside Attractions and the Sundance Film Festival.

Liberty

Agents & Managers Mentor Session: Olivia Mascheroni (Verve Talent & Literary Agency)

Legal Mentor Session: Fabio de Sa Cesnik (CQS FV Law Firm)

Publicity and Marketing Mentor Session: Traci Hanlon (Cinergy Entertainment)

Programming Mentor Session: CC Hutten (TED Conferences)

Programming Mentor Session: Jim Brunzell (Sound Unseen)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Publicity & Marketing, "Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution".

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: RJ MILLARD (OBSCURED PICTURES)


Traci Hanlon

Chief Marketing Officer

Traci Hanlon, Chief Marketing Officer at Cinergy Entertainment, brings nearly 20 years of expertise in theatre exhibition. Previously Marketing Director at Starplex Cinemas, she worked closely with Cinergy co-founders Jeff & Jamie Benson. Leading a team of four, Mrs. Hanlon oversees all marketing, branding, and promotional campaigns, focusing on traffic, revenue, and loyalty growth. In 2018, she launched what is now a 300k-member loyalty platform, and more recently, a groundbreaking subscription program. A mentor and committee member for Women in Exhibition, she holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Business Communications from the University of North Texas and is pursuing an MBA to enhance her expertise.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/Advertising/PR, Content Strategy/Production.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING MENTOR SESSION: TRACI HANLON (CINERGY ENTERTAINMENT)


Mentor Session: Carly Wakefield (Spotify)

Carly Wakefield

Manager, Label Partnerships

Carly Wakefield is a Label Partnerships Manager at Spotify, where she has spent the past five years building and strengthening relationships with stakeholders across the label, management, and live ecosystems. In her role, she partners closely with labels to support artist development, shape release strategies, and drive growth through Spotify’s tools and initiatives. Prior to Spotify, held roles in brand partnerships at Atlantic Records and Founders Entertainment (Gov Ball.) She holds a degree in Communication & Media Studies from Pace University and brings a collaborative, relationship-first approach to her work, grounded in a deep passion for music, culture, and storytelling.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

Mentor Session: Lauren Apolito (The Harry Fox Agency/Rumblefish )

Mentor Session: Max Christensen (Crunchy Frog/Crunchy Tunes)

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Live Events, Marketing/PR, Music Tech.

MENTOR SESSION: CARLY WAKEFIELD (SPOTIFY)


Mentor Session: Cady Coleman (NASA Astronaut)

Cady Coleman

Astronaut

Cady Coleman is a retired NASA Astronaut who flew twice on the Space Shuttle and spent 159 days aboard the International Space Station. She is also a mother, a scientist and a musician.

In the Astronaut Office, Cady served as the Chief of Robotics and as the lead astronaut for integration of new spaceships from NASA’s partners. She led open-innovation efforts for NASA’s Chief Technologist.

A popular public speaker and media consultant, Cady is a regular contributor for space exploration news. Her book, Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change breaks the mold with its candid insights and stories.

An improvisational flute player, Cady is known for her “Space Duet” with Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, and for her work with the Irish band, The Chieftains. Also from space, she coached Sandra Bullock for her role in “Gravity.”

Cady is married to glass artist Josh Simpson. They have two adult sons and two enormous Maine Coon cats, Saber and Max.

Room 400-402

Mentor Session: Ali Tager (National Cryptocurrency Association)

Mentor Session: Aniesia Williams (dreambloc)

Mentor Session: Avantika Bagri (Centana Growth Partners)

Mentor Session: Brittan Heller (Stanford Law School)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion", Space Exploration, Storytelling.

MENTOR SESSION: CADY COLEMAN (NASA ASTRONAUT)


Pitch Camp! How To Win Creative Pitches by Being More Human

Nathan Weyer

CCO

Nathan is a true design & digital leader, business builder, and extroverted to a fault. He has excelled in global executive roles leading creative, strategy and technology teams by putting people at the center of his work.

At DNA Inc., he is shaping the future of digital product development in media, financial services, and software.  Previously as CEO of forpeople, helped raise the brand experience agency's global profile and transition it to employee ownership.

Jennifer Kilian

Co-Chief Experience Officer

Brazos I-III

Division Defiance: Building Cross-Racial Solidarity

In Search of Hope: Teaching Climate Emotions Through Story

Beyond Borders: Diverse Alliances for Immigrant Wellbeing

Future-Proof Your Strategy: An AI Test and Learn Lab

Marketing Without a Map: Building in the Age of Chaos

Let's be honest, pitching clients for new business is a slog.  Whether you're seeking new partners or locked in a 5-way competition, there is a way to cut through the madness and remain calm. This workshop will focus on human connection, now more important than ever in the age of AI. We will share hands-on tools for deepening client relationships, getting the right flow in your pitch, collaborating with your team, and standing out in a world of sameness. The facilitators have years of experience on both sides of the pitch table: at Frog, McKinsey, Philips, and Publicis Sapient.

PITCH CAMP! HOW TO WIN CREATIVE PITCHES BY BEING MORE HUMAN


Big Ideas, Tiny Budgets: How Creativity Wins

Grace Wells

Filmmaker

Grace Wells is a filmmaker and content creator with over 3.6M followers across her platforms, and 72.7M likes on TikTok alone. She’s best known for her viral series, “Making Epic Commercials for Random Objects,” which has over 167M views. As a producer, director, and editor, she brings a cinematic edge to branded content. Grace also launched Product Film School and founded PFStudio, a collective of videographers creating production-ready assets for brands.

Waller Ballroom A

Texas High School Shorts Screening & Q&A

From Who to What to You: The Weird AI-Infused Future of the Creator Economy

From Viral to Viable: Building IP as a Creator

Grace Wells breaks down how she turned scrappy parody commercials into a full-blown creative career. She’ll walk through her process for producing viral-quality product videos using minimal equipment, a sharp eye, and a lot of imagination. Attendees will learn how creativity, not budget, drives reach—and how to use humor, storyboarding, and craft to make content that brands and audiences love.

BIG IDEAS, TINY BUDGETS: HOW CREATIVITY WINS

Creator Economy track sponsored by Yamaha


LinkedIn Creators Meet Up

Jerry Won

Founder

Jerry is the Founder & CEO of Just Like Media, home to Asian Creator Summit & Awards and the award-winning Dear Asian Americans podcast, featuring guests like Vice President Kamala Harris. He also leads World Class Speakers, a coaching company helping speakers boost their influence, impact, and income. He has partnered with JPMorgan, Harvard Business School, SXSW, Google, Pepsi, Meta, and more. In May 2023, he hosted a conversation with Vice President Harris at The White House Forum for AANHPIs. His work has been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, LinkedIn, and others. Jerry earned his B.S. from USC Marshall and MBA from Michigan Ross. He lives in Southern California with his wife Kyunghwa and their children.

Jean Kang

Founder/Creator

Jean Kang is a founder, instructor, and creator with 360,000+ followers across LinkedIn, Instagram, and her newsletter. A former program manager at LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Figma, Jean blends deep tech industry experience with a human-first approach to career storytelling and business building. She’s the creator of the Program Management Accelerator, a flagship program that’s helped hundreds of professionals land strategic roles and earn $4M+ in total salary gains.
A TEDx speaker and contributor to Business Insider, Jean’s work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, CNBC, and more. She is known for making career growth radically transparent and helping high-achieving professionals make bold pivots without burning out.

Room 408

Convene, Collaborate, & Cultivate Connection: Moms Meet Up

This session is for professionals who are ready to go beyond the traditional 9–5 and explore what's possible as a creator, founder, or thought leader—especially on LinkedIn. Whether you're side-hustling, recently laid off, building a business, or simply curious about showing up more intentionally online, this session will help you take the next step with confidence.
LinkedIn is where the creator economy meets real opportunity.
Join us in Austin to connect with fellow creators, exchange strategies, and build relationships that elevate your presence—online and off.


Launching a New WNBA Team: The Story of the Toronto Tempo

Whitney Bell

CMO

Whitney Bell currently serves as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of the Toronto Tempo. With over 16 years of experience as a marketing leader, Whitney began her career in consumer-packaged goods, spending over a decade in various Marketing and Sales roles at Kraft and Unilever. During this time, she managed the Dove and Axe brands and led strategic partnerships with the Toronto Raptors, the NBA, and the Montreal Canadiens. In 2018, she joined Lyft as an early-stage team member for the company's launch into Canada. In 2021, Whitney became VP Marketing at Clutch, which was named one of the fastest-growing technology companies in Canada for the past 3 years. Whitney previously served on the Board for Shaping Her Esteem and currently mentors with Monday Girl.

Matthew Klar

Partner & Head of Strategy

Matt is a Partner and Head of Strategy at the greater – a strategy consulting firm based in Toronto with deep sector experience advising Sport organizations. Matt brings experience leading strategy teams and consulting with Boards, Management Teams and Marketing Leaders across corporate, brand, and sponsorship strategy. Prior to the greater, he was VP, Strategy at MKTG Canada (Dentsu) where he oversaw the delivery of strategic planning and creative services to leading brands across Canada investing in sponsorships across sport, entertainment, art, and cause. Matt has been recognized by the 5 to Watch Awards which honors Sports Business leaders under 40, teaches part-time in George Brown College's Sport marketing program and is a Board Member for PS43 Foundation (Pascal Siakam's charity).

Lisa Ferkul

CRO

Lisa Ferkul currently serves as CRO of the Toronto Tempo. Prior to joining,  Lisa served as Chief Commercial Officer at Golf Canada after spending over a decade with Scotiabank where she led the Hockey and Arts and Culture portfolios. While at the Bank, Lisa negotiated the transformational $800MM MLSE partnership expansion, including the naming rights to Scotiabank Arena, as well as official bank status of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors.  Recognized in 2017 as one of Canada’s 5 To Watch, an annual recognition of sport business leaders under 40, Lisa was also acknowledged as one of the most influential women in hockey by the Toronto Star in 2018, and more recently as one of publications’ “Women of Influence” making an impact in the world of sports in 2022.

Waller Ballroom D

Media That Matters: Nuclear Weapons & the Next Generation

Rethinking Higher Education to Build an AI-First Workforce

The Big Blur: Rethinking the Transition from School to Work

Building AI Pathways for HBCU Talent & Community Impact

The Fandom Force: How to Create a Fan-First Social Approach

As the WNBA prepares to tip off its expansion into Canada, this panel will take audiences behind the curtain of launching the Toronto Tempo (the first team outside the USA). With just months to go before their inaugural game in 2026, the Tempo’s CMO and CRO will share insights into the decisions that have defined the early stages of building a professional sports team. From defining a brand to selling founding sponsorships and shaping community partnerships, this conversation explores the intersection of sport, business, and culture at a defining moment for women’s sports.

LAUNCHING A NEW WNBA TEAM: THE STORY OF THE TORONTO TEMPO


The Companies Building and Automating Space's Superhighway

Kim Jennet

CMO

Kim Jennett is the Chief Marketing Officer of Rendezvous Robotics and a senior communications and strategy leader working at the intersection of space, advanced technology, and infrastructure. She has led global narrative, media, and stakeholder strategy for frontier companies including Firefly Aerospace, Overair, and Glydways, helping guide first-of-kind technologies from ambition to real-world impact. Her work focuses on translating complex systems into credible, human stories that resonate with policymakers, investors, and the public at moments of high scrutiny and consequence.

Parker Wishik

COSMIC (Consortium for Space Mobility and ISAM Capabilities)

Lead, Strategic Communications and Partnerships

Parker is a senior strategist for commercial, civil, and international space at The Aerospace Corporation and lead communicator for the COSMIC consortium. He fosters impactful thought leadership, content, and engagement -- bringing the societal, economic and cultural value of space to the broadest community possible. He was previously a vice president at H+K, where he helped lead an aerospace and cutting-edge technology portfolio. A natural storyteller and former journalist, he hosts a recurring segment on the T-Minus Space Daily podcast and once published a byline in The New York Times. Parker earned a master’s in political communication from American University and a bachelor’s in mass communication from LSU, and he is pursuing a master of science in space systems.

Joe Guzman

Space Cowboy Active Debris Removal (ADR)

Founder and CEO

Founder and CEO, Space Cowboy ADR...a Space industry start-up focused on reducing real risk to active satellites in LEO through Active Debris Remediation. 26 year veteran of the US Army, including 18 years of DefenseSpace experience from operations to policy & budget programming. Specialties: Space Operations;Strategic Planning and Assessment; Performance ModelDevelopment; Space Wargaming

Alex Coultrup

Director, Business and Policy

Focused on the commercial economics and policy of in-space satellite servicing.

I care deeply about ensuring the growth of the commercial space industry is compatible with an economically and environmentally sustainable future, and am tireless advocate for peaceful solutions that emphasize excellent stewardship of the natural world, including our most valuable orbits.

Long-term goal: make in-space assembly at scale a reality, to achieve a future where humans live, work, and play in space as routinely as on earth.

Salon D

Designing the Future of Human Performance

What AI Agents Are Doing While You're Not Watching

The New Lab Partner: AI and Future Scientific Discovery

Humanoid Robots Are Clocking In: Meet Who’s Putting Them To Work

The Masters: A Digital Experience Unlike Any Other

How do we keep space sustainable as it gets more crowded? Enter the Space Superhighway: a network of in-space robots that will keep spacecraft fueled, repaired, upgraded and built in orbit. Just like highways rely on gas stations, tow trucks and repair shops, space will need support systems to be accessible for future generations. This tech is real TODAY. Our panel convenes accomplished doers from startups working to extend the life of satellites, reduce space debris and build a future where space is safe, scalable and sustainable for exploration and economic development to benefit society.

COMPANIES BUILDING AND AUTOMATING SPACE'S SUPERHIGHWAY


4D Volumetric Video & Gaussian Splats for XR Creators

Richard Destiné

CTO

Richard Destiné or Rich Destiny is an architect of virtual and real-world experiences that push the boundaries of audience engagement. Rich is currently the CTO of GeniusXR, a full-service XR creative and development agency. As an entrepreneur, Richard not only has extensive expertise in immersive digital production & Software creation, but he has also earned valuable experience in bringing real-world functions to the virtual realm.

Rich is also the President and co-founder of DOD basketball, a highly active sports club in the Montreal neighborhood of St-Leonard.

Rich is passionate about efficient use of cutting-edge technology for a better tomorrow, WEB3 & Building the Metaverse, and also facilitating access to sports & activities that keep communities Connected, Active & healthy.

Azad Abbasi

CEO

I started filming with a Handycam at 12, telling stories from my neighborhood. That passion grew into Real City TV and Genius DJs, then evolved into Genius Marketing with my co-founder Richard Destiny. In 2014, we launched GeniusXR to pioneer immersive content. Today, we lead UVRSETM—a platform for GenAI, AR, VR, and 4D storytelling—powered by our GXR Lab in Montreal. I'm also the host of the Unified Reality Podcast, exploring the future of immersive tech. Currently wotking on 4D Spatial AI.

Guadalupe

What We’re Unlearning on Supporting Education Systems

Shaping Education in a Culture x Tech World

Independent Film Publicity: How to Earn Media Attention

Step into the future of content creation with this hands-on workshop exploring 4D Gaussian Splatting—the next evolution in volumetric video. Learn how real-time volumetric capture is transforming live streaming, XR experiences, and immersive storytelling. From filming with multi-camera rigs to compressing, rendering, and deploying in platforms like Unreal Engine, Unity, SuperSplat, and UVRSE, you'll discover how this cutting-edge tech brings people, performances, and places into fully spatialized digital worlds.

4D VOLUMETRIC VIDEO & GAUSSIAN SPLATS FOR XR CREATORS


Who Gets Credit When Anyone Can Train a Music AI?

Virginie Berger

Chief Industry and Rights Officer

Virginie Berger is a globally recognized expert and advisor in music rights, AI policy, and licensing innovation strategy, with over 25 years of experience across the music and tech industries. Chief Industry and Rights Officer at Neutune an AI Infrastructure system that develops attribution, human detection and copyright infringement, she previously held senior roles including SVP at Downtown, CEO of Armonia (a joint venture of eight European rights organizations), and leadership positions at MySpace and Microsoft. Through her consultancy Don’t Believe the Hype, she helps creators, companies, and institutions navigate disruption and build forward-thinking frameworks around licensing, creator rights, and ethical AI. A frequent speaker at SXSW, MusicBiz, and Indie Week, and a writer to Forbes and Music Ally, she is known for bridging the gap between creative ecosystems and emerging technologies.
Virginie also has a rich background as a curator, professor, and artist advocate, with a deep commitment to shaping the future of music and technology integration.

Turo Pekari

Chief Liaison Officer

Neeta Ragoowansi

President

Neeta Ragoowansi is President of MMF-US (Music Managers Forum - US) and IMMF (International Music Managers Forum), representing artist managers and self-managed artists globally. A 30+ year entertainment attorney and executive, she’s Co-Founder of NPREX, Global Co-Chair of Women in Music, and a strategic advisor to entertainment and tech clients. She’s held senior roles at SoundExchange, Folk Alliance, Global Citizen, The Kennedy Center, and speaks worldwide on music, law, licensing, and equity.

Dot Bustelo

Head of AI Partnerships

Dot Bustelo spent a decade at Apple on the Logic Pro team, then founded Loupe Art, a patented digital art and music streaming service acquired by Stingray Group in 2024. She led partnerships at Beatoven.ai, an ethically sourced generative AI music platform built on fully licensed training data, in 2025. She now leads AI partnerships and market development at Remote Control, applying creative domain expertise to AI architectures and intelligent content creation. An Emmy-winning engineer and electronic music producer, Dot served on the Recording Academy Producers and Engineers Advisory Council and authored the Amazon bestseller The Power of Logic Pro.

Capitol Ballroom ABCD

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Beyond the Track: Storytelling Across Music, Film & New Visual Frontiers with Vic Mensa

Darkchild On the Record: Music, Legacy, and Change

The Numbers Behind the Hits: How Data is Driving K-pop's Global Domination

Open-source models like MusicGen and LLaRK have made it possible for anyone to generate music trained on unlicensed datasets, with no metadata, no audit trail, and no path to compensation. This panel unpacks the growing attribution crisis: how metadata is breaking down, how local models make enforcement impossible, and how startups and regulators are working to rebuild trust and traceability. Can ethical licensing survive when the tools of mass creation are in everyone’s hands?

WHO GETS CREDIT WHEN ANYONE CAN TRAIN A MUSIC AI?


The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital

Joe Colopy

CEO

Joe Colopy is a technology entrepreneur and investor. In 2002, Joe co-founded and bootstrapped Durham-based Bronto Software as its CEO, growing it to 300+ employees before it was acquired by Oracle. Through his work with Bronto, Joe was a past Triangle Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 winner and a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for the Carolinas.

After selling Bronto, Joe started several entities, including GrepBeat, which reports on the Triangle tech community; Jurassic Capital, which invests in regional growth-stage software companies; and Primordial Ventures, which invests in early-stage startups throughout North Carolina.

Earlier in his career, Joe worked at Red Hat and served as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Harvard University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He originally hails from Akron, Ohio, but now happily lives in Durham with his wife, four children, dog, and an ever-changing number of chickens.

Salon E

The Creative Economy is Thriving: Why Founders Keep Building for Creators

The Lucky 10%: CPGs Flipping Off the Startup Failure Rate

Who Owns What: The State of Startups & Top Trends to Watch

Now is Japan's Time: Leading the Future with Deep Tech

Build the Future: Entrepreneurship Within Reach

I dive into what it really takes to build a high-growth startup without a dollar of venture capital, both in this session and in my new book, Bootstrapping Bronto. I introduce fresh frameworks and practical models for bootstrapping—brought to life through the story of starting Bronto Software, growing it year by year on our own terms, and ultimately selling it to NetSuite/Oracle for $200 million. The result is equal parts practical playbook and behind-the-scenes story.

ART OF SCALING YOUR STARTUP WITHOUT VENTURE CAPITAL


Sprints for Social Impact: Turn Time Pressure into Purpose

Stephen Green

Co-founder

Stephen Green is an economist, entrepreneur, and community builder working at the intersection of equity, creativity, and economic empowerment. He’s the founder of PitchBlack and co-founder of Vanport Studio, a mission-driven consultancy helping underestimated founders grow with intention. With two decades of experience across venture capital, startup development, and grassroots organizing, Stephen is known for turning bold ideas into real impact—whether through fast-paced creative sprints, data-driven storytelling, or platforms that amplify BIPOC voices and businesses.

Samantha Hosein

Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Samantha Hosein is a dedicated people leader, inclusion strategist, cultural innovator, and community builder. She’s also a New Yorker, a painter, and a mom. She has expertise in inclusive education, curriculum design, organizational change management, transformational leadership and healing and restorative practices. She believes that building inclusive teams is not just essential as a way to ensure a robust employee experience but also for business longevity and growth. As a leader, she seeks to build healthy environments where inclusion and belonging empower and nurture employees from diverse backgrounds to thrive, and leaders to tackle difficult and highly charged issues.

Rio Grande Ballroom 1

You Are STILL the Brand: What AI Can’t Do for You

Vibe Coding: From Idea to MVP at Warp Speed

Look What You Made Me Do: Revenge as Creative Catalyst

Artistic Disruption for Business Innovation

It Writes Itself: AI Variety Show & Creative Workshop

Discover how to turn purpose into action through rapid collaboration. In this interactive workshop, participants uncover their company’s unique “superpower” and use it to design a purpose-driven prototype addressing a real community need. Through guided exercises, folks will learn to align creativity with impact, build shared value between corporate and community goals, and craft a compelling pitch to bring their prototype to life. Experience how purpose-driven sprint work can empower employees through meaningful volunteerism and opportunities to create lasting social change.

SPRINTS FOR SOCIAL IMPACT: TURN TIME PRESSURE INTO PURPOSE


Make it in Texas! Film, TV and Digital Media Meet Up

Willita Mahone

Intake Coordinator

Willita Mahone is the Intake Coordinator at the Texas Film Commission, where she works diligently day in and day out to make sure her teammates have everything, they need to do their jobs to the best of their abilities. A graduate of Texas State University, Willita first became acquainted with the Texas Film Commission in the spring of 2011, when she joined the team as an intern, assisting the office with location scouting, photo editing, and more. Willita worked in film production in Texas in several roles, perhaps most notably on projects such as The Leftovers, Fear the Walking Dead and Spy Kids: Armageddon. Fun fact: Willita has extensive experience in theater operations and event management on the film festival circuit, to include Sundance, Tribeca, Fantastic Fest, SXSW, and others.

Will Zech

Incentives Program Team Lead

Will Zech is the Incentive Program Team Lead for the Texas Film Commission. As Incentive Program Team Lead, Will helps to coordinate project inquiries and incentive applications, as well as works to guide the TFC’s Incentive Department through its historic level of program funding. Will came to the Texas Film Commission by way of Austin Community College, where he worked as Learning Lab Manager for over a decade. Additionally, he’s been a working member of Austin’s film and television production community. And way back in 2015, Will and his writing partner, Alex Cope, took first place in their category in the Austin Film Festival Script Competition.

Whitis

Women in Film & Televison Austin Hosts Connect & Collaborate

Film & TV Audience and Community Building Meet Up

Latine/x Voices in Film: Creatives Meet-Up!

Love to make movies, shows or digital media content? Do you have a project to produce in Texas? Are you wanting to connect with the Texas production community and beyond? If so, the Texas Film Commission invites you to come chat about ways to make it happen. Let’s talk about locations, local production crews, vendors, grants, incentives, new technologies and the creative community in the Lone Star State. We want to share with you the many resources that Texas has to offer as a destination for your next project.

MAKE IT IN TEXAS! FILM, TV AND DIGITAL MEDIA MEET UP


Climate Action Core Conversation

Krystalynn Gier

Sustainability and Wellness Creator

Krystalynn is a strategic advertising professional turned content creator, podcast host, & entrepreneur. Her mission is to create videos and intentional systems that help you better love and advocate for your mind, body, and planet & focuses on creating a safe learning space to chat all your favorite topics without the confusing jargon so that anyone and everyone can understand and be a part of the climate and wellness conversations.

Alyssa Barber

Climate + Sustainability Content Creator

Alyssa is a climate + sustainability content creator who uses her platform to host planet-centered community events in St. Louis and beyond. She can be found on all of your favorite social platforms @newlifestyleabb chatting about sustainability, thrifting, conscious consumption, and community every week.

Room 410

Technology Convergence: Winning the Exponential Upswing

Leading the AI Future: How to Think Exponentially in a Chaotic Decade

CTRL + ALT + CREATE: How AI Is Reshaping the Creative Process

How Anyone Can Help Create Social Change: A Conversation with the authors of Somebody Should Do Something

Breaking Cultural Codes That Keep Latino Leaders Silent

This interactive meetup flips the traditional panel format by turning attendees into speakers. In three fast-paced rounds, volunteers from the audience will take the stage to introduce themselves and answer two curated questions from the hosts. This peer-led format encourages cross-sector dialogue, surfaces unexpected insights, and empowers emerging voices in sustainability, circularity, regenerative systems, and climate action. The session ends with guided, field-specific networking designed to foster collaboration and diversify professional connections within the climate space.


A Guide to the SXSW 2026 XR Experience

Simone Kliass

Co-founder and board member

Simone Kliass works at the intersection of innovation and human connection as a speaker, curator, mentor, voice artist, and immersive media specialist. This year, she returns to SXSW with the session A Guide to the XR Experience, joins the SP House AI & Tech curation team, and serves as an SXSW mentor for the seventh time.

A co-founder and board member of the Brazilian Association of Extended Reality (XRBR), Simone previously served as VP of the Audio and Voice Committee at IAB Brasil and chaired its XR, Games, and Metaverse Committee. She speaks internationally on human-centered innovation and advises global organizations on the cultural and narrative implications of emerging technologies.

A seven-time Voice Arts Award winner, Simone also narrates global campaigns and immersive experiences, including the Portuguese version of a Primetime Emmy-winning production recognized for Outstanding Innovation in Interactive Media.

Rodrigo Terra

Cofounder and CTE

Rodrigo Terra is an entrepreneur with over 15 years in Broadcast and Cinema. He co-founded the award-winning studio ARVORE, known for XR games like "Pixel Ripped 1989," "Pixel Ripped 1995," and the Emmy-winning "The Line." "YUKI," another ARVORE title, was showcased at SXSW 2023 and nominated for the D.I.C.E. Awards. As President of ABRAGAMES, Terra has been pivotal in advocating for Brazilian gaming, leading to a prominent role at Gamescom Latam and contributing to Brazil's new videogames bill. Terra is also a founder and advisor at XRBR and a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He fosters global attention to Brazilian developers, enhancing indie and major studios. His leadership elevates Brazil's position in the global XR and videogames industry.

Gaelle Mourre

Founder and Co-Founder

Gaëlle is a film and TV writer, director, and an immersive creator and producer.

Her projects have been in official selection at festivals such as Sundance, SXSW, and the Venice Biennale. She is a BAFTA Connect member and a 2022 Berlinale Talent. In 2021 she was awarded « Most Promising Creator » at Stereopsia and in 2022 her project (Hi)Story of a Painting : The Light in the Shadow won the Special Jury Recognition for Immersive Storytelling at SXSW.

Gaëlle’s projects have been optioned by studios such as Newen, and she is currently working on a number of new long form projects.

Next Stage (Manchester Ballroom)

Hidden Brilliance Revealed: Reimagining Leadership in a Fragmented World

Exploring the Future of Space and Japan's Deep-Tech

Frontier Firms in Action The Playbook for AI Skills Adoption

Pitches to Pipelines: Accelerating Circular Water Economy

Step into the future with three XR and SXSW veterans as they pull back the curtain on the special 10th anniversary edition of the XR Experience, a SXSW highlight since 2016. Deep dive into cutting-edge immersive tech, storytelling, and AI innovations. Gain exclusive insights into this year’s standout projects and discover how XR and AI are reshaping industries like entertainment, healthcare, retail, and education. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned attendee, learn how to make the most of your time at the exhibition and connect with creators and industry leaders.

American Sign Language
Closed captioned
High sensory experience


Play to Build: Prosocial AI for Human Connection

Cyra Anindya Alesha

Youth Fellow

Cyra Alesha is passionate in integrating technology, human connection, and education. A Lifetime RISE recipient from Eric Schmidt & the Rhodes Trust, Cyra has received awards for her projects in the US, UK, Brazil, and more. She is an honors student at Georgia Tech, where she is studying Industrial & Systems Engineering with a focus on Analytics & Data Science. Cyra spends her free time reading fantasy and adventure novels and trying out new coffee shops.

Alison Lee

Chief R&D Officer

Alison Lee is the Chief R&D Officer of The Rithm Project, leading youth-centered research as well as emerging tech foresight to fuel a powerful generation equipped to rebuild and evolve human connection in the age of AI.  A researcher, cognitive scientist, and product strategist, Alison’s spent her career studying and designing for youth belonging and safety. Her work spans from liberatory educational models, to researching trust & safety and responsible AI at Meta and Instagram, with a laser-focus on supporting youth thriving in a tech-powered world. Alison holds a Ph.D in Cognitive Science in Education and Masters in Learning Analytics (Machine Learning in Education) from Columbia University.

Rio Grande Ballroom 2

Pitching to Angels 101: Think Like an Investor

Brand Strategy Workshop for Emerging Tech Companies

Own Your Sh*t (and Your IP): The Creator CEO Playbook

Prompt to Publish - AI Tools for the Modern Content Creator

From Monk to Manager: Zen Lessons for Loving Your Work

What if AI helped us connect more deeply with each other, not just with a chatbot? This hands-on workshop introduces the 5 Principles for Prosocial AI, a new framework for designing tech that strengthens identity, agency, and real-world relationships. Then, we play The AI Effect, a fast-paced card game that challenges you to debate, design, and reflect: when does AI bring us closer, and when does it pull us apart? Come for the research-backed design; stay for the playful friction, ethical dilemmas, and radical imagination.

PLAY TO BUILD: PROSOCIAL AI FOR HUMAN CONNECTION


The Geography of Prosperity: A New Map for Resilient Cities

Jaymes Cloninger

Founder

Innovator, strategist, and CEO of Motivf Corporation, Jaymes Cloninger blends human-centered design, geospatial strategy, and consulting expertise to improve organizational systems. With over 25 years of global experience across 49 states and 36 countries, he solves complex challenges through data-driven insights and a deep commitment to user experience, transforming how organizations engage with people, processes, and technology.

Bradley Schurman

Founder and CEO

Bradley Schurman is the host of Population Next, author of The Super Age: Decoding Our Demographic Destiny (Harper Collins, 2022), and founder of Human Change, a foresight consultancy that helps global organizations navigate demographic disruption. He’s the co-creator of the Prosperity Index, a new framework for assessing the future resilience of American cities, and author of the forthcoming book The Geography of Prosperity (MIT Press, 2027).

Room 201-202

Rewriting the Rules of Business: A Guide to Purpose & Profit

Saving Monarchs With Machine Learning and Computer Vision

Where Climate Science Meets Industry Innovation

How the Ocean Twilight Zone Regulates Our Climate

We’re entering an era where resilience—not raw growth—determines success. This session unveils the Prosperity Index, a groundbreaking tool that ranks U.S. cities across five future-critical dimensions: population renewal, climate resilience, automation readiness, social cohesion, and governance foresight. In a time of climate disruption, demographic decline, and AI-driven change, discover which cities are rising, which are falling behind, and how data, design, and long-term thinking can future-proof communities and economies.

GEOGRAPHY OF PROSPERITY: A NEW MAP FOR RESILIENT CITIES


Beyond Belief: How to Break Limits and Unlock Potential

Nir Eyal

Author

Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. Nir previously taught as a Lecturer in Marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford.

Nir co-founded and sold two tech companies since 2003 and was dubbed by The M.I.T. Technology Review as, “The Prophet of Habit-Forming Technology.” Bloomberg Businessweek wrote, “Nir Eyal is the habits guy. Want to understand how to get app users to come back again and again? Then Eyal is your man.”

He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. His books have resonated with readers worldwide, selling over 1 million copies in over 30 languages.

Indistractable received critical acclaim, winning the Outstanding Works of Literature Award as well as being named one of the Best Business and Leadership Books of the Year by Amazon and one of the Best Personal Development Books of the Year by Audible. The Globe and Mail called Indistractable, “the best business book of 2019.”

In addition to blogging at NirAndFar.com, Nir’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Harvard Business Review, Time Magazine, and Psychology Today.

Nir invests in habit-forming products that improve users’ lives. Some of his past investments include Eventbrite (NYSE:EB), Anchor.fm (acquired by Spotify), Kahoot! (KAHOOT-ME.OL), Canva, Homelight, Product Hunt, Marco Polo, Byte Foods, FocusMate, Dynamicare, Wise App, and Sunnyside.

Nir attended The Stanford Graduate School of Business and Emory University.

Salon A

The Creative Power of Letting Go: Why Quitting Can Be Your Biggest Breakthrough

Charmageddon: Robots That Steal Hearts and Jobs

Shortchanged: Gen Z, the Economy, and Brands

SWIFTYNOMICS: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy

What if your beliefs, not circumstances, determined your limits? Grounded in cutting-edge science and powerful stories, this session explores how beliefs shape reality by altering perception, performance, and physical experience. Learn how neuroscience-backed frameworks of Attention, Anticipation, and Agency can transform limitations into strengths, overcome negative narratives, and unlock extraordinary results in leadership, creativity, business, and personal life—without magical thinking.

BEYOND BELIEF: HOW TO BREAK LIMITS AND UNLOCK POTENTIAL


Busting Myths: Why Virtual Production Isn’t What You Think

Neil Graham

Executive Producer

Neil Graham is Executive Producer for virtual production at Dimension & DNEG 360, working closely with visionary filmmakers to use pioneering realtime driven solutions to realise their creative vision. Prior to Dimension, Neil has held leadership roles at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and at Sky, where he led virtual production and immersive. His credits include ‘Barbie’, 'Those About to Die', ‘House of the Dragon’, ‘Britannia VR’ and ‘A Discovery of Witches VR’.

Miles Perkins

Director, Client & Industry Relations, M&E

Miles has extensive knowledge of visualization technologies for media and entertainment, spanning VFX, XR, and games. At Epic Games he’s responsible for bringing cutting-edge real-time workflows to the film and television industry. Previously he served as VP of marketing at Jaunt, one of the earliest XR startups, and prior to that he was a 23-year veteran of Lucasfilm, where he served as head of corporate communications across all Lucasfilm companies globally. During this time, Miles was central in developing and managing the ILM brand and worked on a wide range of franchises including Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, Iron Man, and Transformers.

Lesley Manning

Director

Lesley Manning a graduate of The National Film and TV school is best known for directing the seminal horror film GHOSTWATCH Screen 1 which Indiewire voted amongst the top 20 “Best British Horror Films of all Time”.
"I loved it! One of the better examples ever of how to properly do a mockumentary" Oren Peli, director of Paranormal Activity
"I love Ghostwatch. So scary" Guillermo Del Toro 2020. Patton Oswalt US comedian with 5 million followers discovered Ghostwatch on Shudder 2025  “I thought it would be a fun, spooky watch……. BOY was I wrong. This is a terrifying, beyond disturbing 90 minute mindfuck. No violence, no gore — just deep-in-the-bones terror and dread.”
Lesley is currently in post on $20 million film WHITE MARS, produced award winning producer and collaborator Annalise Davis

Annalise Davis

Film Producer

A BAFTA Award winning film producer, Annalise’s films have won awards and screened at multiple international festivals, including Official Competition in Cannes, Edinburgh and Santa Barbara.

Annalise is currently in post on female-led sci-fi thriller WHITE MARS with long-time collaborator director Lesley Manning. Prior to that her female-led survival thriller film NO WAY UP took over $10 million at the worldwide box office. Both films made use of Dimension Studio’s cutting edge Virtual Production technology.

Most recently, Annalise and fellow producer Andy Paterson have teamed with Vue cinemas and Dimension Studio to create VIRTUAL CIRCLE, a script-to-screen partnership which will deliver British independent films of scale, released theatrically in the UK and internationally.

Pennybacker

Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits

Audible Dimensions: Expanding Story Through Spatial Audio

From Niche to Noticed: New Paths for Indie Films

From Headline to Streamer: How Publishers Adapt Stories for TV

Across the industry there are several misconceptions about virtual production. It’s a VFX tool. It’s only good for car scenes or sci-fi. It’s too expensive for independent films. It’s a silver bullet that can fix all problems.
In this session our panel will bust these myths and provide insight into how filmmakers can truly benefit from virtual production and how it’s changing the film and TV production landscape. And to put it to the test, the session will end with our panel breaking down a film treatment live to show how filmmakers can plan a shoot to get the most out of virtual production.

BUSTING MYTHS: WHY VIRTUAL PRODUCTION ISN?T WHAT YOU THINK


From Vault to Vision: Reviving Film History with AI

Andrea Kalas

VP Media and Archival Services

Andrea Kalas is vice president of Media and Archival Services at Iron Mountain, where she leads a team of experts providing a range of archival services to entertainment companies, universities, corporations, and individuals who entrust their assets to be preserved and shared with the world. Previously, she ran the Paramount Archives, building one of the world’s most valuable film archives. Kalas served as head of preservation at the British Film Institute, digital studio director for Discovery, archivist for DreamWorks SKG, and worked at UCLA Film & TV Archive. She was former President of AMIA and current member of the Academy, where she founded the Academy Digital Preservation Forum. She has preserved over 2,000 films and won the 2023 HPA Award for her restoration on “The Godfather.”

Violeta Hennessey

Executive Director, Digital Archive & Analytics

Violeta Hennessey is director of digital archive analytics at Paramount Pictures, where she develops statistical models to address evolving challenges in the entertainment industry. Previously, she was a biostatistician at Amgen, specializing in clinical trials, safety endpoints and observational studies. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and MD Anderson Cancer Center, and has co-authored publications on Bayesian modeling, spline modeling and data analytics. Her work applies scientific rigor to studio archives.

Josh Dickey

Senior Editor

Josh Dickey is a veteran journalist who spent 10 years at the Associated Press in New York and Los Angeles before jumping into the Hollywood trades when he joined TheWrap in 2009. He later became Film Editor at Variety, spent a hot minute at TMZ and was named Mashable’s first Entertainment Editor before returning to TheWrap as senior editor in 2022. Along the way he's covered all facets of entertainment, from crime and courts to film festivals, industry trends and tech – all at the dawn of the digital revolution.

Carin Forman

Worldwide Partner Lead, MEGS

Carin Forman, global partner lead for Media, Entertainment, Games, and Sports at Amazon Web Services, drives strategic partnerships in media supply chain and Generative AI. With 25+ years in broadcast and studio operations, she offers deep expertise in digital transformation and content management. She began at Discovery Channel, leading the launch of its Digital Media Center. At HBO, she unified IT and Studio Ops through cloud systems and later led cloud migration and digital workflows for HBO GO/NOW—aiding HBO Max’s launch and metadata normalization across WarnerMedia. Since joining AWS in 2021, Carin focuses on partner development in Media Supply Chain and GenAI. Her expertise includes Digital Asset Management, Cloud Migration, Metadata, Content Distribution, and Ecosystem Development.

Mansfield AB

Producing Without Borders: Navigating Global Film

Lessons Learned: How We Made Our First Feature

Going Off Script: Filmmaking Through an Indigenous Lens

Annual Legal Update for Indie Film and TV

If you ask someone their favorite version of The Great Gatsby, they might say Leonardo DiCaprio as few know there was a 1926 version that no longer exists. This session dives into how archives and AI are transforming how we preserve, discover, and give new life to forgotten film history. With insights from expert film archivists from leading production companies , we'll explore how AI-powered metadata tools are modernizing cultural preservation, making once-lost footage more accessible for creators and audiences alike.

FROM VAULT TO VISION: REVIVING FILM HISTORY WITH AI


U.S. vs. The World: the Future We’re (Currently) Losing

Matthew Weinberg

Partner

Matthew Weinberg is a former White House appointee in the Obama Administration and a current General Partner at Max Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based in New York City. Matt has led several prominent investments for Max Ventures, where he co-leads fundraising efforts and has incubated multiple companies internally.

He holds a B.A. in History and Political Science from the University of Washington and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Gabe Amo

Congressman

Congressman Gabe Amo has dedicated his career to public service at both the state and national levels. Before his election to Congress, he served in the Biden White House as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, connecting local leaders to federal resources through the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. He previously advised Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo and served in the Obama White House. A Pawtucket native and the son of Liberian and Ghanaian immigrants, he graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College, was a Truman Scholar, and earned a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford. In Congress, he focuses on innovation, economic opportunity, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.

Salon AB

Two Futurists and an AI: Seeing Trouble Ahead

How We Could Lose Control: Avoiding the Paths to Runaway AI

The Clock Is Ticking for Space – Replacing the ISS

Can Media Survive AI? The Fight for Public Trust

Orchestrate or Obsolete: Leading the AI-Powered Near Future

Is the United States losing its edge in global innovation? In this high-energy continuation of last year’s SXSW session, Congressman Gabe Amo and VC Matthew Weinberg delve further into how Trump-era research cuts, clean energy rollbacks, and talent restrictions have created lasting consequences for U.S. competitiveness and opened the door for China to surge ahead. Blending policy insight with on-the-ground investor perspective, this advanced fireside chat asks: How do we revamp a system with no Plan B, and what bold, bipartisan moves can win our future back before it’s too late?

U.S. VS. THE WORLD: THE FUTURE WE?RE (CURRENTLY) LOSING


Launchpad: Ready, Set, Communicate

Aisling Conlon

International Director for UK Advertising

As International Trade Director at UK Advertising Exports Group, I lead programmes supporting UK companies on their global growth journey, working closely with the Department for International Trade on UK House to facilitate trade missions in markets like the USA, Europe, India, Brazil, and China. With 20+ years in advertising including senior roles at the UK's Advertising Association, IPA and IAPI Ireland. I bring deep industry insight and a passion for connecting creative communities worldwide. I’ve hosted and spoken at SXSW, Cannes Lions, and Advertising Week Europe, driving conversations that foster collaboration and innovation across borders.

Room 412

Agents vs Managers: When are you ready to be signed and by who?

The Price of Influence: Why Undefined Value Kills Trust

10 Truths About Technology That Are Shaping Your Life

Tackling the “snakes” undermining digital rights

Come Play at Grief Camp: Healing with Story & Community

Launching a brand? It’s not just what you build. It’s how you talk about it that determines take-off or stall. Strategic communications are your launch control pad. Know what to say and when to say it? Make the right connection and you’re flying. Join this interactive session to discover why comms is your brand’s biggest advantage at launch and beyond. Bring your challenges, get expert feedback and leave ready to make your brand soar.


Venture Capital Trends in Texas

Charlie Plauche

General Partner

Charlie Plauche joined S3 Ventures in 2010 and is currently a General Partner. Charlie serves on the Boards of S3 portfolio companies Atmosphere, BrainCheck, HYAS, Interplay Learning, LeanDNA, Prokeep, UpEquity, Upkey, and
 ZSuite Tech. Previous board duties include Alkami Technology (NASDAQ: ALKT), Favor Delivery (acquired by H-E-B Grocery), Kimbia (acquired by GiveGab), Levelset (acquired by Procore), Liveoak Technologies (acquired by DocuSign), OutboundEngine (acquired by
 Elm Street Technology), Tango Health (acquired by Benefitfocus), TVA Medical (Observer, acquired by Becton Dickinson), and Genda (acquired by Buildots).

Prior to S3, Charlie was with Harbert Private Equity Funds, a subsidiary of Harbert Management Corporation. At Harbert, Charlie analyzed and structured leveraged buyouts in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors and assisted
 with portfolio management. He received his MBA from the McCombs School at the University of Texas in Austin and his BS in Finance from the University of Mississippi, where he was a Holmes Scholarship recipient and a Mississippi Eminent Scholar.

Oksana Malysheva

CEO and Managing Partner

Venture Capitalist, Serial Entrepreneur, Physicist, Innovation Hacker, Idealist. Unlikely mentor in the area of women in technology and the fine art of balance, growth and fighting the odds.
At her core she’s a scientist with a passion for numbers and problem-solving. Her love for data-driven solutions led her to immigrate from Ukraine to the US to earn her PhD in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent her early career in top strategic roles at McKinsey and Motorola where she learned how to merge her data-driven scientific background with educational and leadership skills. As the Managing Partner and CEO of Sputnik ATX, she gets to use this passion for leadership, mentorship, innovation and education to champion the development of world-changing companies.

Morgan Flager

Managing Partner

Morgan has over 26 years of experience as a venture investor and tech executive. He joined Silverton in 2006 and has sponsored 27 investments and realized 11 acquisitions and two IPO's. He currently sits on the boards of Aceable, BILT, Self Financial, Clarity Security, SourceDay, Handraise, Scorability, Rollick, The Helper Bees, The Zebra, OneDay, Verosint, Virdee and Wheel. Notable past investments include Alert Media (acq. Vista Equity), Black Locus (acq. The Home Depot), Crimson (acq. Advisory Board), Ping Identity (formerly NYSE: PING), Trendkite (acq. by Cision) and Vacasa (NASDAQ: VCSA).
Prior to Silverton, Morgan worked with FTV Capital in San Francisco, where he focused on growth investments in software and financial technology. He received his BS from Stanford University.

Krishna Srinivasan

Founding Partner

Krishna Srinivasan is a co-founder of LiveOak Ventures and has been investing in early-stage Texas based companies and entrepreneurs since 2000. Krishna is non-executive Chairman of the Board of DISCO (NYSE:LAW) an also serves on the boards of companies such as Homeward, Ojo, Eventus, Rollick, SchooLinks, and other LiveOak portfolio companies.
Prior to founding LiveOak, Krishna was a Partner at Austin Ventures. Krishna received his MBA from Wharton, where he graduated with highest academic honors as a Palmer Scholar. He also has an MS in Operations Research from the University of Texas at Austin, and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Salon C

Launch with 0 Investors: A Playbook for Crowdfunding in 2026

Missionary Misfits: Why Not Belonging Makes You Build Better

How to Raise $$$ From Angel Groups: What We Really Look For

The Next Five Years of Private Markets: What Founders Can’t Afford to Miss

Reinvention Not Repetition: Shifting the Innovation Mindset

While venture activity has cooled across the U.S., Texas continues to attract a surge of technical talent, ambitious founders, and fresh capital. Valuations remain strong for breakout companies, especially those pioneering the next wave of AI-driven disruption. Join leading VC partners as they unpack the data and explore what’s fueling the state's continued rise.


The Real Fight Is Local: Repro Freedom State by State

Jill Habig

Founder & CEO

Jill Habig is an attorney, political strategist, and thought leader with experience in public law, policy advocacy, affirmative litigation, and campaigns. She is the founder & CEO of Public Rights Project, a national nonprofit that helps local government officials fight for civil rights and democracy. For this work, Jill has been named an Ashoka Fellow, Open Society Foundations Leadership in Government Fellow, and Draper Richards Kaplan Social Entrepreneur. Previously, Jill was the deputy campaign manager and policy director for Kamala Harris for U.S. Senate, and special counsel to then-Attorney General Harris. Jill advised Harris on key legal issues and policy initiatives, including education, civil rights, and gender and LGBTQ+ rights. Currently, she also teaches at Berkeley Law School.

Fatima Goss Graves

President & CEO

Fatima Goss Graves is a nationally recognized leader in the fight for gender justice and an expert in law, policy, and culture change. She is President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, President of the National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, and a co-founder of the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. Ms. Goss Graves has a distinguished track record working across issues central to the lives of women and girls – including income security, child care, equal pay, ending sexual harassment and violence, health and reproductive rights, education access, and workplace justice – with a particular focus on outcomes for women and girls of color. She is widely sought after for her effectiveness in the complex public policy arena and regularly testifies before Congress and federal agencies.

Cristina Uribe

Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity (CGRE)

Chief of Programs

Cristina Uribe is the Chief of Programs for the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equality (CGRE), a first-of-its-kind community of major foundations and individual donors with deep expertise around the needs and priorities of gender, reproductive, and racial equity movements. Cristina is a political strategist, has a background in state-based advocacy and campaigns, and has held senior management roles at several organizations including the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), the National Education Association (NEA), and EMILY’s List.

Christina Chang

Executive Director

Christina is the Executive Director of the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, a non-partisan coalition of 23 Governors working together to protect and expand reproductive health and rights. She brings decades of experience in government, policy, and advocacy, at the local to the global level. She has held leadership roles at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Planned Parenthood of New York City, and Vital Strategies where she helped implement programs and drive policy change so that everyone, everywhere has control over their bodies and futures so they can thrive and reach their fullest potential. Christina holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.

Salon E

Turning Up the Heat: Climate Content That Clicks

Growing Intelligence: Youth, AI, and the Future of Ag

Mall Rats Reborn: How Hot Topic is Using Entertainment to Revitalise Retail

Culture Under Fire: Storytelling for Public Power

How to Win Friends and Overthrow Systems

Since the fall of Roe, federal protections for reproductive rights are gone. What happens now is being decided state by state. This panel brings together powerhouse women leading the way on reproductive rights across the country. They’re not waiting on Congress; they’re building the future of reproductive freedom right now.

You’ll hear real-world strategies, often at the intersection of race, gender, and democracy, and you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of what’s working, what’s next, and how to plug in. Because the truth is, we can’t win nationally if we’re losing in the states.

REAL FIGHT IS LOCAL: REPRO FREEDOM STATE BY STATE


Chasing the Truth: How Stories We Tell Spark Cultural Change

Nicole Cobler

Austin Reporter

Nicole is a local reporter with Axios, where she helped co-launch the organization's Austin newsletter in 2021. She's also a lecturer at her alma mater, the University of Texas, where she teaches a course on newsletter writing. She's lived in Austin for more than a decade, and her work has appeared in various news outlets, including the Washington Post, USA Today, Dallas Morning News, Texas Tribune, and Houston Chronicle.

Paul Holes

Producer

Paul Holes is a Cold Case Investigator who spent 27 years at the Contra Costa County Sheriff and District Attorney's Offices in
the Bay Area. He has vast experience in forensics and investigations and specializes in serial predator crimes. Paul has
worked on notable cases such as the Golden State Killer, Zodiac, Jaycee Dugard, and Laci Peterson, and played a part in
many serial predator and serial killer investigations, including of Joseph Naso, Darryl Kemp, Phil Hughes, Charles Jackson,
Joseph Cordova Jr., and Roy Waller. Paul teamed up with the FBI and Sacramento County DA to use an innovative forensic
technique involving genealogy that identified Joseph D'Angelo as the Golden State Killer. This breakthrough method, called
forensic investigative genealogy , is now used worldwide. Since then, Paul has spoken and written extensively about his work
on cold cases. He's the author of two New Y ork Times bestsellers about his career, including Unmasked (with Robin Gaby
Fisher) and the Audible Original Evil Has a Name (with Peter McDonnell). He's been a host and guest on numerous true crime
podcasts and documentaries, and collaborated on and narrated several popular limited series podcasts about his cases,
including Hunting the Bogeyman (Sony), the Audible Originals A Devil in the V alley and The Riddle of Emmon Bodfish.

Leon Neyfakh

Leon Neyfakh is a journalist best known as the co-creator of Slow Burn, the host of Fiasco, and the co-host of Think Twice: Michael Jackson. Before starting Prologue Projects, a podcast production company based in New York, he was a reporter for Slate, The Boston Globe, and The New York Observer. He is the author of the book The Next Next Level.

Laura Beil

Laura Beil is a journalist in Dallas. A recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Medical Science Reporting, she has reported and
hosted the podcasts Dr. Death, Exposed, Bad Batch and others that examine systemic failures in US health care. A veteran
health journalist and former staff writer at the Dallas Morning News, her work has also appeared in ProPublica, the New Y ork
Times, Texas Monthly , Cosmopolitan, Men’s Health and Science News. She has received two Edward R. Murrow awards, three
Gracies, and is a two-time finalist for a National Magazine Award. Her podcast Exposed was an audio award finalist from the
Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Waller Ballroom F

From Podcasts to Radio: Unlocking Scaled Audio with Modern Attribution

Cassettes & Cults: Making The Red Weather Podcast

Power Shift: How Podcasters are Monetizing on Their Terms

What does it take to transform a true story into a compelling podcast? Short answer, dedication. In the form of spoken words, podcasts can bring to light hidden truths, scandals and injustices...rallying audiences behind a cause and sparking outrage. And this, in the best instances, leads to change. Join veteran podcast hosts from the true crime and non-fiction podcast space as they reveal the behind the scenes of bringing these stories to life. They’ll share everything from the realities of tracking down reluctant or dangerous sources and navigating legal challenges, to structuring serialize

CHASING THE TRUTH: HOW STORIES WE TELL SPARK CULTURAL CHANGE

Audible

Audible continues to give audiences more to imagine at SXSW. From inventive storytelling to hilarious stand-up to shocking true-crime, Audible produces listening experiences that fascinate, entertain and inspire people all over the world.

"What else...what else…with Michael Cruz Kayne"

Audible Presents Mexodus: A Musical Journey Across Borders


Hello Again: Restoring Voices with AI

Mati Staniszewski

Co-Founder

Mati Staniszewski is the Co-Founder and CEO of ElevenLabs, the AI research and product company building audio tools for businesses, developers, and creators. The company’s two platforms span creative work for speech, music, and sound generation, and a platform for voice agents that listen, talk, and act. Before founding ElevenLabs, Mati worked at Palantir as a Deployment Strategist with Fortune 500 companies and governments, and at BlackRock, where he helped launch the Aladdin Wealth platform.

Yvonne Johnson

Local Authority, London Borough of Haringey

Medically Retired

Yvonne Johnson is a health and social care graduate diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND), also known as ALS, in 2021. After losing her natural voice, she now communicates using an AI voice from ElevenLabs. Grounded in her faith and supported by her family, Yvonne advocates for MND awareness and the role of technology in helping people stay connected, expressive, and visible in society.

Salon D

Who’s Funding the Future—and Who’s Getting Left Out

Thrive or Survive: Why Creativity is the Key to an AI-Future

The Story of Stories—The Million Year History of Storytelling

Skills You’ll Need To Succeed in the Post-AI Age

Through the Noise: The State of Science Storytelling

What if you lost the ability to speak forever and then found it again? This session offers a preview of an 11-part docuseries spotlighting people living with permanent voice loss and how, through AI technology, they speak again to their family, friends, and now the world. During the panel, you’ll witness a woman use her AI-restored voice live on stage and learn how voices can be recreated from home videos or even a single voicemail. You will walk away with a deeper understanding of how this work expands access, restores identity, and helps shape a more human-centered AI future.


African American
Health/Disability/Illness
Social Issues
Women

Aisha Evelyna

Aisha Evelyna is an actor and filmmaker focused on centring underrepresented voices. Highlights include her series 'The Drop' (now streaming on Tubi), debut feature 'Seahorse', Vimeo Staff Pick 'Alex', and short films screened at Sitges, Aspen ShortsFest, Austin, RiverRun, Cucalorus, HollyShorts, among others.

Nola, a sous chef searching for stability, is barely holding her life together. After a brutal Friday night shift, she crashes her bike and wakes to find her estranged father, Cyrus, now unhoused, standing over her. Taking him in forces long-buried wounds to the surface. As past and present collide, Nola is pulled into a reckoning with grief, forgiveness, and the fragile possibility of repair.

Seahorse

A sous chef’s pursuit of stability is tested by the return of her estranged father, now living on the streets of Toronto.

Ben Cowley and The Caribbean Tales Media Group

Aisha Evelyna, Ruth Goodwin, Brett Donahue, Joseph Marcell, Alden Adair

Associate Producer: Nancy Morski, Associate Producer: Will King, Costume Designer: Jeannette Linton


African American
Education
Politics
Social Issue

Maya Annik Bedward

Maya is an Afro-Caribbean-Canadian film director whose work blends history, resistance, and pop culture through bold, genre-bending storytelling. Her films have screened at TIFF, Hot Docs, BlackStar, and the New Orleans Film Festival. Her credits include the short films "The Haircut" (2018) and "Why We Fight" (2021), as well as the TV series "LIDO TV" (2022) and "BLK: An Origin Story" (2022). She is a founding member of the Black Screen Office, championing stories that center Black creativity and power.

Alamo Lamar 6

Dead Eyes

Dir: Richard E. Williams. DOP: Julian Panetta

Mischa Heywood as Lilly - Dir. Richard E. Williams

#Skyking

Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Social Issues

The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel

From the flickering screens of Hollywood horror, to the haunted cane fields of colonial Haiti, "Black Zombie" unearths the buried origins of the zombie, reclaiming it as a symbol of survival and spiritual resistance.

Black Zombie

English, French, Haitian Creole with English Subtitles

Jennifer Holness
Michael Paszt
Andrew Thomas Hunt
James Fler

Maya Annik Bedward
Hannah Donegan
Kate Fraser

Avrïl Jacobson
Jay Cheel
Peter Denes
Lawrence Jackman

Dave Arcus
Mélissa Laveaux
Lister Haussman

Yves-Grégory Francois, Anderson Mojica, Erol Josué, Mambo Labelle Déese Botanica, Slash, Tom Savini, Tananarive Due, Zandashé Brown

Associate Producer: Gregorio Rodriguez, Jay Cheel, Production Manager: Huguens Santil, Camera Haiti Unit: Ricardo Tranquillin, Sound Haiti Unit: Antonio Dieubon Lefevre, 1st Assistant Director: Jeissy Trompiz, Production Coordinator: Laura “Roca” Morales, Mackenson César