The Sophs

The Sophs is a multi-genre six-piece hailing from Los Angeles, California, who’s confessional lyrics and nostalgic instrumentation make a statement regardless of whether they intend to or not


The Dharma Chain

The Dharma Chain

Gear Endorsement, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency, Sync/Music Supervisors

The Dharma Chain are an Australian-formed, Berlin-based independent band blending psychedelic textures, shoegaze, rock, and kraut-driven momentum with poetic lyricism and raw live energy. They’ve built a reputation for emotionally charged performances that feel expansive and immersive.

With no fixed front person, the band moves fluidly between roles. Mixed vocals, hip-hop drum beats, reverb-soaked guitars, and industrial undercurrents collide to create a powerful wall of sound that is dynamic, unpredictable and deeply human.

Their debut album NOWHERE continues to gather momentum, while their second full-length record 'Some Kind Of Pure State', arriving Spring 2026, marks a bold expansion in impact and atmosphere. Festival appearances include Fuzz Club and DesertFest Berlin (2026), with recent highlights at Fusion Festival (2024), Synästhesie (2025) and VOID (2025).

At SXSW, The Dharma Chain bring a live show that’s raw, hypnotic and built to pull you in.

Speakeasy

German DeepTech and AI Innovation Unleashed: Day 1 at German Haus

Future in Focus: Meet Germany’s Top AI Startups

Innovation for Everyone: Day 2 at German Haus

MediaTech Morning: Breakfast, Networking & Beyond Screens – MediaTech as the New Infrastructure


Enfants

Brand Partnership, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard


Samy Sharif

Label Management, Gear Endorsement, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, Sync/Music Supervisors

Samy Sharif moved to Los Angeles in mid 2023 to launch a solo effort after having spent the prior decade in the Chicago-based Alternative quartet, Bonelang.

In 2024, he released three albums (House of Failure, House of Fix, and House of Bliss) that were then put together and re-released as one large body of work entitled Three Houses.

Samy is a first generation Egyptian/Irish artist; New York born and Chicago raised. He is a published poet, songwriter, and an aspiring writer/director.


MEEK

You know that moment you realised Lady Gaga was named after a Queen song? MEEK is kind of the musical and stylistic culmination of that connecting glue, the secret chemical equation that bonds them. She is walking class war, musical defiance and the return of glam rock at its most instantly and commercially appealing. She’s dancing on the gay bar bar-top with a sparkler fizzing in your cocktail.

MEEK is not a work in progress. She is fully formed, earned her stripes, comes from nothing, nepo-baby baiting execution of timeless pop brilliance. While sounding directly descended from the DNA of famed countercultural misfits and bona fide pop aces, all strewn across the decades, her music is a no messing, straight shoot for the top.


Nilipek.

Nilipek. is a Berlin-based Turkish singer-songwriter whose delicate yet powerful sound has shaped the landscape of Turkish alternative music for the last decade. Her performances blend delicate, breathy vocals with moments of raw intensity; creating an atmosphere that shifts between vulnerability and bursts of noise.

Releasing her long-awaited fourth album, Uydurduğumuz Oyunlarla (“The Games We Made Up”) digitally in May 2024 and on vinyl in January 2025, she delivered her most intricate and emotionally resonant work yet. The tracks promise the listener a forty-five-minute uninterrupted journey while combining political symbolism in lyrics with innovative musical arrangements. The album also elegantly portrays Nilipek.’s musical evolution since her first album in 2015.

This year, the Turkish singer-songwriter is releasing her first fully English single, Safe Coast, in collaboration with the producer Cody Fitzgerald (Stolen Jars). The song captures the search for meaning and security in an ever-shifting, and increasingly perilous world, while creating a sanctuary in its sound.


LilJayFromDaO

Brand Partnership, Gear Endorsement, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Sync/Music Supervisors

LilJayFromDaO is a rising reality rap artist from Austin, Texas, known for blending raw street perspective with authentic Texas storytelling. Rooted in real-life experience, his music reflects the resilience, ambition, and culture of the city that shaped him, delivering records that connect across generations and communities. His sound carries the grit of Southern hip-hop while remaining energetic, accessible, and purpose-driven.

Building strong momentum, LilJayFromDaO is a two-time official SXSW artist and has toured across Texas alongside legendary artist Chingo Bling, solidifying his reputation as a powerful live performer. His rise has earned notable recognition, including being named “Next To Blow” by Rap Economics, “Top 20 Texas Latino Artist” by Texas Buzz, and “Top 20 Rap Artist” by AustinStreetsTV.

He's received genuine co-signs from Texas hip-hop icons Paul Wall, Bun B, and Lil Keke, and has worked with artists such as Chingo Bling, GT Garza, Wacotron, Slim Thug, OC Chris, That Mexican OT, Dee Baby, and more. As his platform continues to grow, LilJayFromDaO remains focused on representing Austin with authenticity while pushing Texas hip-hop forward on a national level.


bollyflow

We're first generation Indian-Americans from Texas, who grew up blending our Desi roots with our American culture through music and dance.
With over 25 years of training in various dance styles such as Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, Bhangra, Garba/Raas and Hip Hop., we came together and added a modern touch to our style, transitioning to Bollywood Fusion, Semi-Classical, Tollywood and more!

After years of professional training, dance companies, dancing in UT Austin's Bollywood Dance team, Texas Mohini, and dancing professionally in Los Angeles, our journey has brought us back to Austin, where we were eager to keep our passion for dance alive.

In 2023, bollyflow was born–a space to create fusing our unique dance styles and share the joy of dance with our community through workshops, events and wedding choreography!


Sex Mask

Experiencing Sex Mask live is all gas, no brakes. The band’s artsy, electric fusion of proto-post-punk and writhing no-wave cool leaves little room for breathing space – and not least of all because shirtless frontman Wry Gray will often find himself directly within the immediate peripheral of anyone close to the front.


Clova

Brand Partnership, Gear Endorsement, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, PR/Publicity Agency

Hailing from the vibrant music hub of South Austin, Texas, Jarrett S. Williams, better known as Clova Rap Game Yoda, has been a dynamic force in the music industry for over a decade. His journey began with the legendary Austin supergroup Die Slo Ent, alongside Sertified, Southside Hippie, and WKDZD, laying a solid foundation for his solo career.
  A staple in the ATX scene, Clova has graced the stages of renowned festivals like SXSW and A3C(ATL), sharing the spotlight with a diverse range of acclaimed artists including  Talib Kweli, Dave Chappelle , Lil Flip, Curren$y , Niko Is, Rah Digga,Mo3, Devin The Dude, Coast Contra  and more.

 His talent has also garnered attention in the sync licensing world. In 2019, Clova secured a single/sync deal with Crucial Music, landing a placement on OWN Network’s critically acclaimed series "Queen Sugar" with his track "Connect The Dots." This success was followed by another placement in 2020 with the short film "Shadows," which premiered on HBO Max and Hulu.

With a discography of 16 albums, He is currently immersed in the creation of a highly anticipated new project with Niko Is, under the executive production of the esteemed Chino Chase.


Foolish Ty

Label Management, Brand Partnership, Gear Endorsement, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - Worldwide, Sync/Music Supervisors

Foolish Ty is a versatile melodic Rap/R&B artist from Austin, Texas. Making his first appearance at SXSW he looks forward to introducing a new audience to his unique sound that has amassed him over 100,000 streams across all platforms.


Radium Dolls

Label Management, Brand Partnership, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, PR/Publicity Agency, Sync/Music Supervisors

Radium Dolls are a four-piece powerhouse from Brisbane/Meanjin, known for explosive live shows, razor-sharp lyricism, and a swaggering sound packed with punch, confidence, and grit. Blending ferocity, humour, and introspection, they’ve carved out a distinct place in Australia’s modern rock landscape—raw, fearless, and unapologetically their own.
Their debut album Legal Speed dropped in March 2024, earning national airplay, critical acclaim, and a QLD Album of the Year nomination. Singles like ‘CIA’, ‘Wandering Eye’, and ‘NAA’ quickly became fan favourites, launching a packed East Coast tour capped off with a sold-out hometown show at Brisbane’s iconic venue, The Zoo. They followed it up with the Man Scout single tour in November—further fuelling their reputation for unmissable, high-octane performances.
Now, fresh off their biggest run yet, the Scorching Heat headline tour saw them sell out all shows and play to their largest crowds to date. With new music on the horizon and international ambitions in sight, Radium Dolls are charging into their next chapter—poised to push Australian rock into bold new territory.


FINLANDS

Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency

Formed in 2012 by Fuyuko Shioiri (Vo.Gt) and Kayo Koshimizu (Ba.Cho), the band gained attention through awards at RO69JACK and appearances at major Japanese music festivals including ROCK IN JAPAN FESTIVAL, RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL, and COUNTDOWN JAPAN.

They released two mini-albums, ULTRA and JET, in 2015, followed by the full-length album PAPER in 2016. Subsequent releases included the mini-album LOVE (2017) and the album BI (2018), both charting highly on Oricon, with sold-out headline shows beginning at Shibuya Club Quattro.

After the release of their first EP UTOPIA in 2019, Koshimizu (Ba.Cho) departed the band. In 2021, they held a sold-out tour final at Zepp DiverCity. Currently, Shioiri continues the project as the sole official member with supporting musicians.

In 2025, they released HAS, their first album in nearly four years, followed by a successful nine-city tour. Shioiri is also active as a songwriter for artists such as adieu (Moka Kamishiraishi) and Salyu.


Redzed

Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency, Publishing, Sync/Music Supervisors

REDZED is a Czech rap-metal outlier turning underground chaos into global momentum. Writing and producing everything himself — from raw guitar riffs to hard-hitting beats — he fuses serrated modern rap with the weight of late-’90s/’00s metal. The result is a dark, cinematic crossover that speaks fluent mosh pit and playlist alike.

His 2024 album Tales Of A Necromancer solidified a singular vision, while viral tracks like “Rave In The Grave,” “Meth Phonk,” and “Drugs = Magic” have racked up tens of millions of streams, pushing him past one million monthly Spotify listeners worldwide.

Onstage, REDZED is relentless — sweat-drenched, high-impact, and impossible to ignore. After sold-out headline shows, international tours, and major European festival slots, he arrives ready to turn SXSW into a collision of rap kids and metal die-hards.

Enter the pit.


Next of Kin

In March of 2023, Lili Hickman, Caelin Tralongo and Madison Baker,  didn't realize what awaited them on the other end of a rough mix. After a single listen, what began as a collaboration on Jekyll & Hyde transformed into a full album and the budding of new band. Some may call it fate, others pure luck, but they call it Next of Kin.
With a sound that blends country-tinged soundscapes, marked by rich three-part harmonies and honest storytelling, it's hard for any listener in any room not to be moved by this cult country trio currently taking Austin, TX by the horns-one venue at a time.


GOKUMON

The band 'Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai' is a three-piece band formed in Japan in 2004.
While active within Japan under the kanji name '打首獄門同好会' (Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai),
representing Japanese culture, they operate internationally under the more easily pronounceable name 'GOKUMON.'

Featuring a mixed-gender lineup with a male guitar/vocalist and a female rhythm section,
the band is known for its unique style that combines a heavy sound with a 7-string guitar and 5-string bass.
This distinctive musical approach, coupled with laid-back lyrics infused with a sense of everyday life, has established a new genre known as 'Seikatsu Micchaku-gata Loud Rock' (Life-Immersed Loud Rock).

In their live performances, the band incorporates VJ (visual jockey) elements,
projecting visuals and lyrics on screens synchronized with the music.
This not only enhances the auditory experience but also provides a visually captivating aspect.


REJAY

Label Management, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide

REJAY, singer-songwriter from Niseko, Hokkaido. During her childhood, she was
influenced by her Australian father and grew up listening to many different genres
of music. She started writing her melodies and lyrics at the age of 13. With a
video she uploaded on YouTube, her singing voice attracted the ears of JQ from
Nulbarich. After she moved to Tokyo, she started her career under the production
of JQ. She has a one-of-a-kind voice that combines the extremes of shadow and
transparency.


DJ Dirty Dave

Label Management, Brand Partnership, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide

David Sigala, better known for his stage name “Dirty Dave” has dominated the music industry with his high energy sets in various dance floors across the US. His enthusiasm for music and passion for moving crowds sets him apart from other entertainers. Based out of Salt Lake City, this influential DJ is taking the industry by storm with his versatile open-format sets.


bloodsports

Taking over the sweaty New York venues and curbside congregations that came to be
synonymous with the name, Bloodsports is set to release their long awaited debut LP Anything
Can Be A Hammer via brand new New York label Good English Records on October 17th.
Bloodsports has become an undeniable force amidst their latest line up, where members Sam
Murphy (guitar/vox), Jeremy Mock (Guitar), Liv Eriksen (bass/vox) and Scott Hale (drums) find
solace in the capitulation of sonic strain; where angular sedition blends with economical
melodies that lighten the load of the self-destruction that these songs embrace. But as bold as
their landscapes have been prior, Anything Can Be A Hammer finds the band embracing a more
dynamic approach, maturing in their techniques as these songs brim over with subtle fixations –
balancing a steady pace of experimentation and curiosity that linger amongst the rhythmic blows
and befuddling depths that the band confidently explores. Fragile, yet abundant, Bloodsports
leans into that patience that plays to our own interior designs, where Murphy’s lyricism is a
notion of both what we know and what we think we know, as it all comes to the fore when our
obsessions are at large. It’s an album that’s got blood in its veins and a finger on the pulse.


Pink Breath of Heaven

Gear Endorsement, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - Worldwide, Sync/Music Supervisors


Wacotron

Wacotron is a Texas trap artist from Waco, Texas, delivering high impact records rooted in authenticity, pressure, and precision. Built from the ground up, his rise reflects a disciplined approach to music, pairing raw street perspective with elite level production and proven performance metrics.

After building organic traction online, Wacotron’s momentum accelerated through his affiliation with Pick Six Records, where his sound sharpened and his reach expanded. His breakout phase was defined by collaborations with producers from the 808 Mafia camp, resulting in hard hitting releases that generated millions of views and streams across digital platforms. These records didn’t just circulate, they converted, placing Wacotron in front of a national audience and solidifying his market viability.

Anchored by dark, bass driven production and a commanding delivery, Wacotron’s catalog speaks directly to trap culture while maintaining crossover appeal. His visuals and singles consistently perform at scale across YouTube and streaming services, reflecting a growing fanbase and long term positioning in today’s dominant trap landscape.


Blakchyl

Rapper Blakchyl's (formerly known as T-Fly) is a talented, community-minded wordsmith, having come up in the local hip hop community collaborating with music collectives, nonprofits and filmmakers. The queer artist has three European tours under her belt plus opening slots for Talib Kweli, Snow Tha Product, Jean Grae, Bizzy Bone and Scarface and her new album Better Than I Imagined (produced by The Mask), was accompanied by a short film and dropped in July. Always indefatigable, she recently landed a deal with Brighton, UK-based Tru Thought Records as well as an Austin Chronicle cover, was nominated for Best Hip Hop Artist, released an EP (Call Me Sometimes) and played a Waterloo Records in-store. It all comes down to her
"powerful and effervescent songs" (CultureMap) and her love for the craft and it's community.


Aiko

Label Management, Brand Partnership, Gear Endorsement, Distribution - US, Distribution - Worldwide, Other Artists to Tour With, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency

Czechia raised, UK based, Aiko is an alt pop artist with music talking about confidence and empowerment and a high energetic performance as a duo together with the drummer Kat Almagro. Highlights include:
- representing Czechia at Eurovision 2024
- headline European tour with 23 stops, multiple sold out stops in cities like London, Warsaw, or Paris
- performing at SXSW, Japan EXPO, Sziget festival, Rock for people, and many more
- appearing on Times Square as part of the Spotify Equal programme, editorial playlisting, face of the Glow playlist
-  music in the Netflix show Elite, Love Island UK and multiple MTV series
- latest album accumulated over 10 million streams
- mentions in Vogue, Harpers Bazaaar, The Rolling Stone UK, Austin Chronicle, Elle and many more

Aiko is currently in the process of creating her fourth album that is planned to be released in September/October 2026 and with another headline tour ahead of her in Autumn of 2026.


Alina Pash

Label Management, Brand Partnership, Gear Endorsement, Booking Agent - US, Booking Agent - UK/Europe, Booking Agent - Worldwide, PR/Publicity Agency, Sync/Music Supervisors

Alina Pash is a Ukrainian artist now based in Los Angeles, building a bold new live experience in the U.S.—a mystic rap-based opera that fuses deep-root Ukrainian ritual, ethnic vocal power, and modern bass/electronic production. Her performances feel like ceremony: cinematic, high-voltage, and emotionally precise—where folklore meets the club, and tradition becomes future music.

Back home, Alina built a major name fast: she performed on Kyiv’s main square for Independence Day in front of President Volodymyr Zelensky, and later that same night headlined the country’s biggest rave, Brave! Factory—proof of her rare ability to command both national stages and underground culture. She’s shared bills with top international acts, earned wide media attention, and continues to push Ukrainian sound into global pop and bass ecosystems.

In March she drops a deluxe release with 15 remix features—largely U.S. collaborators—bridging her world into American scenes. Now, she’s developing a new album and an expanded 2026–2027 performance program—built for discovery rooms and tastemaker festivals in the U.S. and beyond.


Building Without Permission: Democratizing Entrepreneurship

Oana Ruxandra

CEO

Oana built the infrastructure that transformed the music industry. Now she is doing it again.

Recognized by Billboard and Variety among media’s most powerful business leaders, Oana has spent 20 years turning massive technological disruptions into scalable business victories. At BlackRock, she drove a $15B increase in assets under management on a $64B book. At Warner Music Group as Chief Digital Officer, she led a 200-person global team that increased digital revenue by $2B while negotiating first-of-their-kind deals with Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, and Meta.

Oana specializes in recognizing patterns across industry transformations and building the systems that scale success during explosive growth periods.

PATTERN RECOGNITION MEETS PLATFORM EXECUTION

The music industry’s transformation was not accidental. It required deliberate infrastructure building. While others saw chaos, Oana saw patterns. AI democratized building, millions of new musicians emerged, and existing success systems collapsed. Oana built the frameworks that scaled winners during music’s explosive growth.

THE NEXT TRANSFORMATION IS ALREADY HERE

Today’s entrepreneurship explosion mirrors music’s 2015 inflection point. 200M startups globally, 137K daily launches, and the same broken success systems that existed before AI democratized building. Oana’s combination of pattern recognition (Wharton MBA, BlackRock quantitative background), transformation execution (11 years building music’s AI infrastructure), and builder empathy (evaluating every major music and technology company globally) positions her to solve entrepreneurship’s infrastructure gap.

Oana is not here to inspire a few unicorns. She is here to launch a generation of builders who win.

For decades, company building required permission from institutional gatekeepers. If you didn't go to the right school or know the right people, you were locked out.
AI is changing that. Just like bedroom producers no longer need record labels, solo founders no longer need MBAs or VC connections to build businesses.
But access to tools isn't enough. Most still fail, not because they can't build, but because they don't know how to navigate uncertainty.
This panel explores what infrastructure needs to exist for entrepreneurship to truly be accessible to everyone, and what happens when it is.

BUILDING WITHOUT PERMISSION: DEMOCRATIZING ENTREPRENEURSHIP


Artist Demo Listening Session (Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B) Part 1 Presented by Discovr Radio

Zoë Young

Founder

Zoë Young is founder of Zoë A&R, AnR University, and former VP at Epic Records, where she discovered and developed gold, platinum, and diamond-selling artists responsible for over 3 billion streams. Her work has resulted in diamond and platinum certifications.

Former Epic Records VP Zoë Young reveals the exact strategies she used to elevate French Montana, BIA, DDG, Bay Swag, and Stunna Girl to multi-platinum status. This is real-world intel from someone who sat in the room where decisions were made, who had the authority to greenlight careers, and who turned unknowns into chart-toppers.

Philip Payne

President & Founder

Artist Demo Listening Sessions, Presented by Discovr Radio, at SXSW are an interactive format where attendees have the opportunity to play demos for music experts, sparking real-time feedback and meaningful industry connections. You must be present to have your music in the running to be heard! SXSW attendees not having demos played are encouraged to attend and listen in on the fun! Each session will be followed up a social hour. Physical submissions will not be accepted at the door. Demo’s will be played on a first-come, first-served basis and attendees must submit their demo’s prior to the day of the session  by 11:59pm.  Please carefully read and fill out the form below to officially submit your demo: https://airtable.com/appYFNh7bkKd8nmwh/pagfBEWaVPizme5jr/form

ARTIST DEMO LISTENING SESSION (HIP-HOP/RAP/R&B) PART 1 PRESENTED BY DISCOVR RADIO

Discovr Radio

Discovr is an artist-focused service that lets musicians and songwriters have their music played on radio station streams, alongside broadcast programming. Artists, labels, managers, and distributors can use Discovr to upload tracks and have them inserted into radio streams – in place of ad interruptions – through faidr, a radio streaming app. Once a track has been approved, Discovr customers can monitor listener engagement and behavior through a robust analytics dashboard.

Artist Demo Listening Session (Pop) Part 1 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B) Part 2 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Pop) Part 2 Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Music for Sync) Presented by Discovr Radio

Artist Demo Listening Session (Indie/Rock/Alt) Presented by Discovr Radio


Technology Convergence: Identifying the Advantage

Connie Kuang

Technology Convergence Initiative Lead

Connie leads the Technology Convergence Initiative at the World Economic Forum. Her publications at the Forum have spanned the Metaverse, Inclusive AI, and AI Transformation of Industries, shaping its thought leadership on emerging technologies and their cross-sector implications.

Previously, she served as Director of Marketing at Felix & Paul Studios, where she received a Primetime Emmy for contributions to Space Explorers: The ISS Experience. She brings a rare blend of strategic foresight, creative execution, and tech fluency, grounded in years of operating experience building content, products, and campaigns for audiences across immersive, consumer, and e-commerce platforms.

Kary Bheemaiah

Chief Tech & Innovation Officer- Capgemini Invent I Exec Fellow – World Economic Forum

Kary leads emerging tech initiatives, establishing Capgemini’s Quantum Lab, Engineering Biology accelerator, AIxRobotics Lab, and Edge AI practice. With expertise in strategic planning, execution (from funding to autonomy), and managing major innovation programs, Kary offers pragmatic solutions for firms’ challenges and market positioning. He is the lead author of the World Economic Forum’s Technological Convergence report and author of the book, The Blockchain Alternative. His insights appear in MIT Tech Review, WIRED, Harvard Business Review, and more. Formerly an Associate Research Scientist at Cambridge, Senior Fellow at Ecole des Ponts, and 2 X TEDx speaker. In a previous life, Kary served in the French Foreign Legion, earning the Cross of Valor for combat operations in Afghanistan.

History's biggest technology waves, from electrification to the internet, were convergence stories, derived not from single inventions but a combination of them. Today, that pattern repeats where AI, robotics, advanced materials, bioengineering, and energy systems are producing solutions that no single discipline, company, or lab could create alone. Based on the World Economic Forum's Technology Convergence Report, this session unveils the 3C Framework - Combination, Convergence, Compounding - analyzing 246 technologies across 8 advanced technology domains, spotlighting pioneers excelling from this wave of fusion plays. See how convergence unlocks new opportunities and learn to spot, and activate, the next wave before it breaks.

TECHNOLOGY CONVERGENCE: IDENTIFYING THE ADVANTAGE


Registration (JW Marriott)

Pick up your SXSW Badge or Music Wristband in Griffin Hall of the JW Marriott. Your badge is required in order to attend any sessions, events, or socials.


Registration (Omni Austin Hotel - Downtown)

Pick up your SXSW Badge in the Guadalupe Room of the Omni Downtown. Your badge is required in order to attend any sessions, events, or socials.

REGISTRATION (OMNI AUSTIN HOTEL - DOWNTOWN)


Registration (Downright Austin)

Pick up your SXSW Badge or Music Wristband on the Capitol View Terrace of the Downright Hotel. Your badge is required in order to attend any sessions, events, or socials.


Podcast Movement Evolutions @ SXSW

Join us as we merge Podcast Movement Evolutions with Sounds Profitable’s SXSW presence to create podcasting’s home base at one of the world’s most influential creative festivals. We will be hosting a series of talks, live performances, and networking events throughout the weekend.

More information here: https://evolutions.podcastmovement.com/

Sounds Profitable

Evolutions is Podcast Movement’s spring conference where podcast creators and podcast professionals come together to strengthen their networks, elevate their craft, and stay ahead of industry trends.

Evolutions 2026 is taking a bold new direction. This year, we’re part of the official SXSW lineup in Austin. Join us at SXSW and make The Podcast Movement activation your home base amidst all the exciting buzz and opportunities for connection that SXSW offers.


Experience the Future of Flight

Experience flying in a Cirrus aircraft through Apple Pro Vision goggles and then check out the all new SR Series G7+ aircraft on-site.


SXSW Expo: International Innovations

SXSW Expo 2025 - Photo by Melissa Bordeau Mark

Manchester Ballroom

SXSW Expo: International Innovations (Free & Open to the Public)

Precision Camera & Video and Fujifilm Presents: Free Professional Headshots

Featuring a powerful mix of established global brands and budding startups, the International Innovations Expo highlights cutting-edge businesses that are pushing boundaries to move the world forward. From groundbreaking concepts to bold new business models, exhibitors are redefining what’s possible across industries around the globe. Join the community that’s driving change on a worldwide scale.

Beijing ZhongChuan Aumedia Advertising Co., Ltd


Registration (Fairmont Austin)

Pick up your SXSW Badge in the Manchester Ballroom of the Fairmont Austin. Your badge is required in order to attend any sessions, events, or socials.


Coffee Break, Cabu Style

Experience the latte reimagined! <br>
While most lattes use dairy or alt milks (yawn); Cabu blends cold brew coffee with the creamy part of the cacao bean for a velvety smooth mouthfeel and subtle notes of chocolate. Taste the difference; caffeinate creatively.


The Odoo Lounge

Swing by the Odoo Lounge at SXSW to recharge, kick up your feet, and get some work done. For a chance to win a prize, visit the Odoo Lounge and see how Odoo makes companies better, one app at a time.


Ireland House where innovation and creativity collide. Join us to connect with our people, our culture and our partners around the world
<p>
https://www.ireland.ie/en/sxsw/
<p>

Ireland House

Ireland House returns to SXSW as a hub for Irish innovation, creativity, and connection. Join us on 13-14 March and see what Ireland House is bringing to SXSW.

Ireland House at SXSW is a collaboration between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, and Screen Ireland.


Speakeasy

German DeepTech and AI Innovation Unleashed: Day 1 at German Haus

Future in Focus: Meet Germany’s Top AI Startups

AI that Ships: A Tech Lunch on Moving from Policy to Pilot

Dive into a day of deep insights and strategic networking at the German Haus. Day 2 showcases the versatility of the German ecosystem, featuring expert perspectives on MediaTech and high-level discussions from the Health and MedTech sectors. The afternoon is dedicated to building bridges: explore cutting-edge solutions from energy and sustainability innovators and discover the strength of Germany’s ties with Europe and the US. A highlight of the day is our special collaborative program with the European Union, fostering transatlantic dialogue. Wrap up the evening with a premium selection of drinks and a showcase of the finest new music Germany and Europe have to offer.

For more information please visit: https://www.german-haus.com

INNOVATION FOR EVERYONE: DAY 2 AT GERMAN HAUS

German Haus

The GERMAN HAUS is the main venue of the joint German presentation at SXSW and it features a
variety of curated networking events, roundtables, presentations, and music performances, creating a unique environment for professional exchange, international networking, and the discovery of new creative partnerships.

GERMAN HAUS AT SXSW 2026
March 12 – 16, 2026
SPEAKEASY, 412 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

Speakeasy, 412 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701

MediaTech Morning: Breakfast, Networking & Beyond Screens – MediaTech as the New Infrastructure

Berlin House: Party, Pitches & Perspectives - Day 3 at German Haus


Flatstock

Flatstock 2025 - Photo by Lauren Lindley

Looking for the perfect centerpiece for your gallery wall, a concert poster of your favorite artist, or your favorite Texas-themed memorabilia? Look no further than Flatstock! This eclectic art market continues to capture the spirit of music mementos while also highlighting unique collectibles. Flatstock provides an ongoing series of opportunities to admire artwork in person and to meet the artists who created it. This Expo is free and open to the public.


Valeo Tech Drive-in

The car is no longer just a vehicle, it's where the future of tech starts.

At the Valeo Tech Drive-In, we’re transforming the journey into a high-stakes arena. Experience the machine-learning-powered Valeo Racer, gaze-tracking Panovision head up display, and e-Chromic lenses that sync to the road’s pulse. We’re even exporting automotive thermal DNA to cool the AI revolution in global data centers. From hyper-personalized lighting to the cloud edge,, witness the vehicle become the world’s most immersive, high-performance tech frontier.


SÃO PAULO HOUSE 2026 - WE ARE BORDERLESS

Organized by the Government of the State of São Paulo, through the Secretariat of Culture, Creative Economy and Creative Industries, in partnership with InvestSP, the investment promotion agency linked to the Secretariat for Economic Development, with support from the City of São Paulo.

Welcome to São Paulo House, a borderless hub where the world meets São Paulo, now.

Across four days at SXSW, the house brings together global content, meaningful encounters, live music
and immersive experiences in one vibrant space on Congress Avenue. By day, ideas and exchanges
shape conversations. By night, shows and performances transform the house into a cultural hotspot.

Explore creativity, innovation, and culture, shaping what’s next from the energy of now.

Please find more information here: https://saopaulohouse.com/

SAO PAULO HOUSE 2026 - WE ARE BORDERLESS


Realtor.com Open House

A central hub for real estate, housing, and technology. Designed to connect the industry’s biggest ideas under one roof.


YAMAHA CREATOR PASS STUDIO

Waller Ballroom B

AI’s Rise, Talent’s Fall: Fixing the Skills Deficit

Empowering Students for the Jobs of Tomorrow

Cracking Higher Ed: Why Startups Miss the Mark

Reigniting STEM Interest: A 7,700-Student Study

Startup Lessons from the Baby-Sitters Club

A new creative experience is making its SXSW debut. Hands-on music and audio tools. Real-time creation. Designed for creators of all levels. No watching from the sidelines — just jump in and make something.

Yamaha

For over a century, Yamaha has empowered creators, giving artists the tools to compose, perform, and redefine culture. Our legacy technology has helped shape the music that moves the world and now Yamaha is supporting the next phase of innovation across music, media, and audio. Yamaha is inspiring creators to “Make Waves” with their ideas and art - backing founders who are building the tools, platforms and experiences that empower a new generation of innovators. Stop by our immersive Sound Box from March 12-15 and join our panel on March 13 at 11:30am, both at the Austin Marriott Downtown, where we’ll explore breaking the sound barrier and opening up more streamlined paths to audio creation.

Breaking the Sound Barrier: Making Creativity Accessible to All


Speakeasy

Innovation for Everyone: Day 2 at German Haus

Start your morning at the German Haus with a MediaTech Networking Breakfast. Connect with global tech pioneers over coffee before our panel, "Beyond Screens: Media Tech as the New Infrastructure." Experts from de:hub MediaTech Potsdam discuss how media layers – from real-time video to synthetic media – now power modern industries. Discover how to stay competitive while navigating the ethical and societal impacts of media tech as a core component of global infrastructure.
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MEDIATECH MORNING: BREAKFAST, NETWORKING & BEYOND SCREENS ? MEDIATECH AS THE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE


hālo haus

4th St Closure (between Congress & Colorado)

hālo haus is a 4 day gathering centered on beauty, wellness, and longevity. Hosted on a full street closure in downtown Austin, the program blends fireside chats, leading voices, experiential activations, and recovery-focused offerings within an open, discovery-driven format. hālo haus brings together founders, creators, clinicians, and cultural leaders to explore how self-care and performance are evolving alongside culture.


Through the Noise: The State of Science Storytelling

Samir Patel

Editor in Chief

Samir Patel is Editor in Chief of Quanta Magazine, having previously served in the same role at Atlas Obscura, and as deputy editor of Archaeology Magazine. His work as a science journalist, editor, and photographer has appeared in Nature, The New York Times, National Public Radio, Discover, and other publications. He has reported from all over the world and covered a wide range of topics, from underwater archaeology and climate to art conservation and social justice. Samir has also taught reporting and writing at Columbia Journalism School for more than a decade. At Quanta, he led the creation of "The Unraveling of Space-Time," which won a National Magazine Award for Best Single-Topic Issue in 2024.

Jessica Harrop

Executive Director

Jessica Harrop is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker who has dedicated her career to inspiring passion about science through film. She is the Executive Director of Sandbox Films, where she oversees all project decisions and company strategy and acts as an executive producer for Sandbox Films documentaries — including Oscar-nominated Fire of Love; Sundance Special Jury-Prize winning All Light, Everywhere; Emmy-winning Fathom; and Fireball, a documentary directed by Werner Herzog. Jessica has produced content for a variety of outlets including Netflix, Showtime, Discovery, National Geographic, and PBS. She holds a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a Certificate in Theater from Princeton University, where she also co-taught an undergraduate film course on communicating climate change. Jessica serves on the board of Reel Works Teen Filmmaking.

Latif Nasser

Co-Host, Radiolab

Latif (rhymes with “what-if”) Nasser is co-host of the award-winning WNYC Studios show Radiolab, where he has covered everything from cone snails to precocious puberty to a Guantanamo Bay detainee who shares his name. His reporting on the show led to the naming of two quasi-moons in our solar system.
In addition to his work in audio, Latif hosts and executive produces the Netflix science documentary series, Connected.  He has also given two TED talks, and is a regular on the YouTube channel Veritasium. He has a PhD from Harvard's History of Science department.

John Tracey

Program Director, Science, Society & Culture

John Tracey joined the Simons Foundation in 2014 as part of a team to improve public engagement with science. As program director, Tracey works to develop and execute funding strategy. He leads the division’s external communications and storytelling, including content development, creative direction for national initiatives, external media strategy, visual storytelling and more. Prior to joining the foundation, he worked at the American Association for Cancer Research, specifically on the Stand Up to Cancer initiative, where he managed grantee statistics and statistics reporting, and edited and produced website content. He holds a B.A. in English literature from the College of New Jersey.

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

How Death Became the New Wellness Frontier

Science is a human endeavor, built on curiosity and beauty. So science stories are, at heart, human stories. But as we grapple with paradigm-shifting technologies, changing political landscapes and more, what is the future of science storytelling? What kinds of science stories can break through all the noise, and why? Leaders from documentary film, journalism, and public radio will explore today’s science media landscape - the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities that might emerge.

THROUGH THE NOISE: THE STATE OF SCIENCE STORYTELLING


How to Win Friends and Overthrow Systems

Doug Cameron

Founder

Doug Cameron is founder and Chief Strategy Officer of DCX Growth Accelerator, known for building iconic brands like Ben & Jerry’s, Coca-Cola, FOX Sports, and Fiverr. A leading marketing visionary, he co-authored Cultural Strategy and created award-winning campaigns like Payless’s viral “Palessi” stunt. Over two decades, he’s helped both major companies and startups become cultural icons. Cameron’s work has appeared on major media outlets and earned DCX top industry recognition. His marketing journey began unconventionally —as a bagpipe-playing street musician invited by ad legend David Ogilvy to pursue advertising. He’s a Dartmouth graduate.

Ben Cohen

Founder

Ben Cohen is the co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, the iconic ice cream company known for its mix of business and social activism. He helped grow a single scoop shop into a global brand while championing causes like economic justice, campaign finance reform, and peace. Through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, he committed company profits to social change. After stepping back from business, Ben launched projects like Stamp Stampede, advocating to get money out of politics, and the "Up in Arms" campaign for nuclear disarmament. He continues to use his platform to speak out for progressive causes, blending creativity, humor, and a deep commitment to justice.

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

Learn how to use your creative skills to spark a cultural movement. From getting arrested in Congress to pulling off an audacious prank in Disneyland, a famous ice cream maker and a cultural theorist teach practical strategies for turning art, design, and media into powerful tools for systemic change. This how-to session reveals the cultural dynamics behind viral activism campaigns and gives creators actionable frameworks for launching movements that matter.

HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND OVERTHROW SYSTEMS


Small Agency Meet Up

Jessica Creane

Founder & CEO

Jessica is an extremely focused generalist who runs her life as a creative lab. Her great love in life is uncovering surprising connections between imagination and reality and turning those discoveries into play. Play is how we get excited about change, even when it’s hard, and Jessica’s work as an artist, coach, and facilitator reflects this philosophy.

Yiming Hua

Founder / Creative Director

Amy is a creative director and experience designer based in Canada. She’s the founder of Little Blue Lark Studio, working with brands to create experiences that connect people to community through wonder and joy. Some of her clients have included Microsoft, Mazda, and the California Academy of Sciences.

If you work at a small creative agency, you know that it sometimes takes more (or different) people than you have on staff to make your big ideas a reality. You have go-to partners and collaborators and regularly navigate complex systems, making the concept-to-creation pipeline feel seamless for your clients, but you always need to make new connections to bolster that network. This is a space to meet and connect with other small agency innovators to share stories, gain insight, and find new collaborators for your projects!

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


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

Nicole Fichera

Founder + Innovation Strategist

Nicole Fichera is an innovation operations leader who treats AI as a teammate, not a headline. Founder of Hourglass Collaborative and former Innovation Architect at NASA Aeronautics, she designs trust-first systems where people and intelligent tools work together to make innovation real. Past clients annd partners include NASA, Upwork, Microsoft, Autodesk, the City of Boston, and Brookings, with work spanning AI teaming, innovation ecosystems, public–private collaboration, and economic growth. Her approach is human-centered and pragmatic—habits over hype, clarity over jargon, measurable value over performative optics. She builds the “invisible architecture” that makes innovation safe, legible, and sticky.

Gili Malinsky

Lead Psychology And Relationships Reporter

Gili Malinsky is a lead reporter at CNBC Make It covering psychology, mental health and relationships. Previously a lead work reporter at Make It, her articles have also appeared in The New York Times, NBC News and the Village Voice, among others. Gili received her degree in journalism from Boston University.

Suzanne Ctvrtlik

Founder and Creative Director

Suzanne Ctvrtlik is the founder and creative director of Retrospective Media, an Austin-based design agency specializing in branding, web, and digital design.

Angela Ju

Senior Lead, Culture & Engagement

Angela Ju is a DEI and culture strategist dedicated to shaping workplaces where belonging and inclusion fuel innovation. At Upwork, she helps teams translate data into inclusive practices that support psychological safety and adaptability in an AI-augmented world. Prior to Upwork, Angela helped shape DEI strategy at Atlassian, ServiceNow, and Dropbox, aligning equity initiatives with business impact. With a background in communications, Angela is passionate about harnessing the power of storytelling in pursuit of a more empathetic and just world.

Salon B

Innovating in Science & Tech When Budgets are Tight

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

Better Leadership Starts with Understanding the Stressed Brain

Forget Recruiting. Design Your Own Workforce.

Today’s youngest workers are all in on AI — and ghosting their coworkers. There is a new generational shift in workplace dynamics, where Gen Z and emerging Gen Alphas are forming trust bonds with AI tools faster than with humans. They praise AI’s speed, clarity, and lack of pushback, all while struggling with manager feedback, peer collaboration, and team engagement. This panel explores the psychological and social drivers behind these trends and what they mean for designing inclusive, high-trust workplaces powered by both humans and intelligent systems.

IT'S A WHOLE THING: GEN Z WORK RELATIONSHIPS IN THE AGE OF AI

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


SXSW Pitch-Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech

Richard Munassi

Accelerator Managing Director

Dr. Richard Munassi MD MBA is a serial Entrepreneur and investor. As Managing Director, Dr. Munassi leads both the CORE and Accelerator programs for the nationally-recognized Tampa Bay Wave, helping software and hardware startups from throughout the US and abroad build, launch, and grow their technology companies. Startups he has founded, mentored, or advised have raised over $1.5B USD with several dozen exits.

Dr. Munassi's background includes time with NASA as part of their iTech program, as Director of Innovation for one of the nation's largest cancer hospitals where he helped to launch a global initiative around cancer innovation with the Biden Administration White House, as Entrepreneur in Residence for Techstars, the University of South Florida (where he was also Adjunct Professor for the Graduate School of Business), and the University of Florida, as well as current EIR roles with the University of East London and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also a mentor for programs such as FedTech, MIT Solve, UCSF's Health Hub, MassChallenge, Founder Institute, and more.

Dr. Munassi is an active investor in several dozen early stage technology startups and VC funds, and works closely with multiple large family offices deploying into early and growth stage technology startups and VC funds.

Pamela York

Managing Partner

Maestas	 Maestas

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Melissa	 Withers

Managing Partner

Brittany Palmer

Managing Partner

Salon FGH

SXSW Pitch-Sustainability, AgTech & Food

SXSW Pitch-Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics

SXSW Pitch-Smart Data, Security, and FinTech

SXSW Pitch-Intelligent Systems, Robotics, & Multisensory Technology

The SXSW Pitch provides a platform for early-stage technology startups to present their groundbreaking products and services to a panel of distinguished industry experts, influential media professionals, and leading venture capitalists and angel investors.

On Friday, March 13, five innovative companies will take the stage in Salon FGH at the JW Marriott, showcasing their ideas, innovations, and entrepreneurial vision before a live audience and judging panel. Come be inspired by the next generation of tech innovators shaping the future.

Healthcare, Assistive Tech and BioTech echnologies focused on human-centric applications that advance medicine and wellness and connect individuals with health systems and facilities, medical technologies and devices, care teams, providers, health insurance, pharmaceuticals, corporate and personal wellness services, and public health and social services. These startups may include applications in aging and geriatrics, vaccines, mRNA technology, general wellness, assistive technology, diagnosis, treatment, reproductive health, synthetic biology, digital therapeutics, women’s health, genetics, sports and exercise, home fitness, plant-based therapeutics, molecular diagnosis, lab-on-a-chip, child monitoring systems, sleep, and medical wearable technologies.

Winner of the Healthcare, Assistive Tech and BioTech Technologies will be announced at the Award Ceremony, Saturday, March 14th at 6:30pm.

SXSW PITCH-HEALTHCARE, ASSISTIVETECH & BIOTECH


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

Eddie Micklovic

Founder & CEO

Neal Jean

Co-Founder & CEO

Anisha Kamat

COO

Andrew Kahn

Managing partner

Andrew Kahn is Managing Partner of the newly launched Yamaha Music Innovation Fund, an early-stage consumer fund backed by Yamaha Corporation that focuses on investing in technology that will change how culture gets created and consumed.

Prior to Yamaha, Andrew led Crush Ventures, a venture firm founded by leading music talent management firm, Crush Music, who manages generational talent like Miley Cyrus, Green Day, Sia, Lorde and Fall Out Boy.

Andrew was on the founding team of Greenfly, a media SaaS business that provides critical infrastructure for how rights cleared content moves in closed influencer networks, and served as a business development executive at Live Nation where he pioneered Ticketmaster’s distributed commerce platform.

He received his MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Salon E

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

The Art of Scaling Your Startup Without Venture Capital

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

As the creator economy accelerates, a new wave of founders is redefining how artists, musicians, and creators build, collaborate, and earn. This panel gathers startup founders who are shaping the next generation of creative tools and platforms to unpack why this space continues to attract such intense entrepreneurial momentum. Expect a candid conversation about what it really takes to design technology for creators— the opportunities waiting to be seized, the missteps to avoid, and the lessons learned from what works, what doesn’t, and why.

CREATIVE ECONOMY IS THRIVING: WHY FOUNDERS KEEP BUILDING FOR CREATORS


Designing the Future of Human Performance

Hunter Woodhall

Athlete

Hunter Woodhall is a Paralympic track and field athlete and entrepreneur. Born with fibular hemimelia and a double amputee, he has competed internationally for Team USA, earning multiple Paralympic medals, including gold in the men’s 400m T62 at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. He also made history as the first double-amputee athlete to receive an NCAA Division I scholarship. Hunter is known for his athletic achievements, advocacy for adaptive sports, and work inspiring others through his personal story.

Tara Woodhall

Athlete

Tara Woodhall is an Olympic track and field athlete specializing in the long jump. She competed for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, winning gold in the women’s long jump. Tara has also earned multiple World Championship medals and competed at the collegiate level, establishing herself as one of the top athletes in her discipline. She is recognized for her dedication, athletic excellence, and leadership in the sport.

Justin Moore-Lewy

Principal

Scott Mager

U.S. Chief Marketing Officer

Scott is the US Chief Marketing Officer at Deloitte, leading a team of skilled and strategic marketers, designers, storytellers, experienced architects, and communicators to grow Deloitte’s business in the marketplace. In combining creativity, technology, and data-based solutions, Scott works to find new and different ways to tell impactful stories that help current and future clients better understand all that Deloitte has to offer. Scott is a principal in Deloitte Consulting LLP and has served as a US Chief Marketing Officer since 2022 and Global Ecosystems & Alliances Chief Marketing Officer since 2023. With more than 20 years at Deloitte, he’s built a career on pushing boundaries and reimagining how people experience brands across different industries. Previously, Scott served as the US National Practice Leader for Deloitte Digital's Advertising, Marketing & Commerce offering where he advised clients on how to transform their businesses through the development of digital strategies, design compelling user experiences, and implementation of digital marketing campaigns. As a Chief Marketing Officer at Deloitte, Scott has been recognized in Forbes’ 2023 Entrepreneurial CMO 50 List and ADWEEK’s 2023 Marketing Vanguard Awards. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Syracuse University and lives in New Jersey with his family.

Salon D

The Companies Building and Automating Space's Superhighway

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

What happens when elite athleticism meets cutting-edge technology? This session explores how human performance, innovation, and storytelling converge to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sport and beyond.

A conversation with Paralympian Hunter Woodhall, Olympic Gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall, Deloitte’s US CMO Scott Mager, and Narrative principal Justin Moore-Lewy.

DESIGNING THE FUTURE OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE


Mentor Session: Allison Prasad (Oracle/Oracle Cloud Infrastructure)

Allison S. Prasad, Ph.D.

Community Engagement Manager

Allison S. Prasad, Ph.D. is a Community Engagement Manager for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). She previously served as a Principal Technical Program Manager for OCI where she led patenting and intellectual property protection for The Stargate Project.

Before joining Oracle, Dr. Prasad worked in the Mayor’s Office in Portland, OR and developed the Core Values - Anti-Racism, Equity, Transparency, Communication, Collaboration, and Fiscal Responsibility for the City of Portland. She has experience in higher education, the science museum industry, and technical writing for NASA.

Dr. Prasad was a SXSW 2025 speaker for the Tech Industry track. She has been a presenter at Grace Hopper Celebration ’23 and her session was titled, Keep Your Head in the Clouds: (Re)imagining the Journey to a Fortune 100 Tech Company. Dr. Prasad is an AnitaB.org mentor and has participated in Speed Mentoring, Boost Your Influence and Impact, and Executive Presence panels. She was also an invited speaker for Google Tech Equity Collective's Black Genius Academy AMA- The Art of Networking How to Build Bridges to Career Success, According to Oracle's Allison S. Prasad, Ph.D.

Dr. Prasad has moderated panels and discussions throughout her career in technology, government, and academia on workforce development, diversity, equity, inclusion, sense of belonging, and mentorship.

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 Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion", Future of Work, Storytelling.

MENTOR SESSION: ALLISON PRASAD (ORACLE/ORACLE CLOUD INFRASTRUCTURE)


Mentor Session: Satish Kumar (ExecLabs)

Satish Kumar

Founder

Satish Kumar is the founder of ExecLabs, an executive intelligence firm that builds "Company Brains" for high-stakes capital allocators.

While most organizations treat AI as a productivity tool for tasks, Satish deploys it as infrastructure for judgment. He helps Family Offices, PE firms, and Real Estate developers combat "context fragmentation"—the hidden drag where institutional memory is lost in email silos and unsearchable documents.

Previously a Product Owner in enterprise tech, Satish now bridges the gap between complex portfolio operations and vector-based intelligence, enabling leaders to scale their decision-making without scaling headcount.

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


Mentor Session: Amy LaMeyer (WXR Fund)

Amy LaMeyer

Managing Partner

Amy LaMeyer strategically advises and invests in groundbreaking ventures at the intersection of XR, AI, and music technology. Her work goes beyond capital—she actively mentors founders and cultivates a community of innovators in spatial computing. As a board member of the XR Guild and XR Women, Amy is dedicated to reshaping the immersive tech landscape through ethics, diversity, and female leadership.

As Managing Partner at the WXR Fund, she supports a portfolio of startups across sectors including retail, healthcare, training, remote work, real estate, and education. Before focusing on emerging tech, Amy spent over 15 years accelerating growth at Akamai Technologies, driving scale through M&A, strategic partnerships, and engineering leadership.

She is also an angel investor and advisor to early-stage music and metaverse companies including Tribe XR, LeoAR, and Infinite Album. Amy authored the “Sound and AR” chapter in Charlie Fink’s book Convergence: How the World Will Be Painted With Data, and regularly speaks on emerging technologies, diversity, and venture at events including SXSW, The Economist, AWE, Singularity University, and TechCrunch Disrupt.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Funding, Immersive Technology, Product Management/Development.


Mentor Session: Michaela Guzy (OTPYM Productions)

Michaela Guzy

Founder/CEO/Exec Producer/Director/Writer/On-Air

Michaela Guzy is an American documentary filmmaker, travel journalist, media executive, producer, and on-air host. She founded OhThePeopleYouMeet Productions (OTPYM) in 2012 after leaving her corporate role as VP/Global Travel and Strategic Development at American Express Publishing.

Michaela creates and hosts the award-winning series OH THE PEOPLE YOU MEET with Michaela Guzy, focusing on PEOPLE, PLACES + PURPOSES, and empowering local hosts to share their own narratives. The series has aired on American Airlines In-Flight, KTLA+, Thrive Global, Qatar Airways, Modern Luxury’s M/LUX Network, and People’s Planet across Southern Africa. Season 4 began filming May 2025. She also co-produces and hosts LEADERS IN LUXURY, with season 2 recently filmed.

In response to COVID-19, she launched InspirationStation, a visual podcast with 125+ episodes and over 10 million views. In 2020, Michaela gave up her NYC home and belongings to start SLEEPING AROUND SAFELY, documenting her adventures as a solo female traveler and jetset digital nomad. She has been “houseless, not homeless” ever since, traveling across 120+ countries. The series has won multiple festival awards and airs on M/LUX, People’s Planet, and KTLA+.

A global advocate for sustainable living, regenerative travel, and human connection, Michaela speaks at industry events worldwide and appears on CBS, NBC, FintechTV, PIX11, CNA, CHEK TV, and KTLA. A former NYU adjunct professor, she mentors next-gen filmmakers across Southern Africa and supports initiatives ending homelessness and breaking poverty cycles. She serves on the advisory boards of Global Women’s Foundation Band of Brothers (Veterans) and Future of Hospitality Summit Africa.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Content Strategy/Production, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion", Entrepreneurship, Journalism, Marketing/Advertising/PR, Storytelling, Sustainability.

MENTOR SESSION: MICHAELA GUZY (OTPYM PRODUCTIONS)

Creator Economy track sponsored by Yamaha


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

Jim Louderback

CEO/Self-Employed

Waller Ballroom A

Texas High School Shorts Screening & Q&A

From Viral to Viable: Building IP as a Creator

Big Ideas, Tiny Budgets: How Creativity Wins

First they laughed at YouTubers. Now they're panicking over AI-generated videos with wombats and dead celebrities. Welcome to the next chapter. This talk unpacks the hysteria around AI “slop” and reveals what’s actually changing in the creator economy. Spoiler: the future is even weirder, more customized, and deeply personal, and creators who embrace the chaos will win. And remember: it's not slop if someone loves it.

FROM WHO TO WHAT TO YOU: THE WEIRD AI-INFUSED FUTURE OF THE CREATOR ECONOMY


Mentor Session: Brenda Salce-Garcia (AdRoll)

Brenda Salce-Garcia

Vice President Of Customer Success

Brenda Salce-Garcia is the Vice President of Customer Success at AdRoll, where she oversees all post-sales efforts across both AdRoll and AdRoll ABM. She drives product adoption, expansion, and retention at scale, helping unify platform experiences, strengthen customer outcomes, and fuel growth across a diverse client portfolio.

For over 17 years, Salce-Garcia has led with a bias for action, deep customer empathy, and a focus on operational excellence. She was named a Top Woman in Media and AdTech by AdMonsters and AdExchanger in 2024. She’s the founder of Tech Bae and a founding member of Chief, both focused on advancing women in tech and leadership.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Business Development, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion", Marketing/Advertising/PR.

MENTOR SESSION: BRENDA SALCE-GARCIA (ADROLL)


Featured Session: Multiplayer Futures: Co-Creating a Vision of SXSW 2030 (live!)

Henry Coutinho-Mason

Author

Henry is the author of "The Future Normal" and "Trend-Driven Innovation"; he has delivered 200+ keynotes and workshops in 30+ countries – from SXSW in both Austin and London, to leadership teams at brands including Amazon, Calvin Klein, Metlife, the Tata Group, and many more.

His latest project is VisuAIse Futures, a ‘multiplayer’ AI-powered creative experience; he is a guest lecturer at HEC business school in Paris, and was Managing Director of TrendWatching for a decade.

Henry is also an award-winning social entrepreneur, having cofounded the urban regeneration nonprofit 3Space, which was commended in Fast Company's World Changing Ideas.

Fun fact: Henry was once featured in GQ's Most Connected Men in Britain list.

Salon 1-4

Featured Session: A Conversation with The All-American Rejects

Featured Session: Enough with the Bullsh*T: BuzzFeed Founder Shares His Plan to Make the Internet Fun Again

Featured Session: Why Work Feels So Unfair and How Hard Conversations Help

Featured Session: The Internet After Search

SXSW Community Service Awards Recognition: Vision Maker Media

What if the future isn't predicted by one speaker, but imagined by thousands? In this radically inclusive and participatory session, you won't just hear a keynote – you'll co-create one.

Sketch your vision of SXSW 2030, and watch your idea become part of a map of the room's collective imagination and intelligence. Then we’ll explore its signals, themes and provocations, and leave you with a clearer lens to navigate the rest of the week.

All live. All together.

FEATURED SESSION: MULTIPLAYER FUTURES: CO-CREATING A VISION OF SXSW 2030 (LIVE!)


SWIFTYNOMICS: How Women Mastermind and Redefine Our Economy

Misty Heggeness

Author of Swiftynomics, co-director of the Kansas Population Center, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at the University of Kansas

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

Prune or Perish: Cut Toxic Leadership for a Thriving Culture

Taylor Swift isn't just a pop megastar. She is a working woman whose astounding accomplishments defy patriarchal norms. And while not all women can be Beyoncé or Dolly Parton or Reese Witherspoon, the successes of these trailblazing stars help us understand the central role of women in today's economy.

Swiftynomics assesses the complex economic lives of everyday American women through the stories of groundbreakers like Taylor Swift, Misty L. Heggeness digs into the data, revealing women's hidden contributions and aspirations—the unexamined value they create by pursuing their own ambitions. She highlights the abundance of productive activity in their daily lives and acknowledges the barriers they still face.

Exploring critical reforms regarding caregiving and gendered labor, this book talk will offer advice for women to thrive in an economy that was not built for them.

SWIFTYNOMICS: HOW WOMEN MASTERMIND AND REDEFINE OUR ECONOMY


Mentor Session: Sergiu Ardelean (Artivive GmbH)

Sergiu Ardelean

CEO, Co-Founder

Before
From 2005-2016, I founded and led a Vienna-based Augmented Reality agency as Creative Director. With offices in Vienna, Shanghai, and Munich, we served clients like Volkswagen in 42 countries.

Artivive Today
Now I run Artivive, an AI-powered AR platform that turns hours of content creation into minutes. Our global team spans Europe, US, and China, serving 400k creatives in 190 countries and partnering with top institutions in Vienna, Munich, SF, Seoul, and Shanghai.

Speaker & Mentor
I speak worldwide on art-tech fusion and mentor via MIT Arts, Culttech, and SUP VC.

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 Art, Entrepreneurship, XR, Funding, Storytelling.

MENTOR SESSION: SERGIU ARDELEAN (ARTIVIVE GMBH)


Mentor Session: Hal Kirkland (Studio Farland Inc/Unit9)

Hal Kirkland

Director, Creative Director, Speaker

Hal Kirkland is a writer, director, and creative leader working across film, experience, and emerging forms of storytelling. His work focuses on shaping ambitious ideas into visually precise, emotionally grounded stories.
He began his career in design before moving into writing and directing, creating global campaigns for leading agencies and brands including 180 Amsterdam, BBH New York, W+K, R/GA, Coca-Cola, Adidas, MTV, and Google.

Hal’s work spans commercial film, music videos, interactive projects, and cultural experiences, with work exhibited internationally and presented at institutions including the Guggenheim and MoMA.

He is represented by UNIT9 and is currently developing longer-form narrative work through Studio Farland, a director-led creative studio exploring film, experience, and emerging storytelling forms.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/Advertising/PR, Storytelling, XR.

MENTOR SESSION: HAL KIRKLAND (STUDIO FARLAND INC/UNIT9)


Mentor Session: Valerie Itey (Clic Recycle)

Valerie Itey

CEO/Founder

Valérie Itey is the CEO of Clic Recycle®, driving circular economy innovations that merge sustainability with technology. With over 15 years of experience in the UN SDGs and 20 years in digital brand strategy, she integrates blockchain, AI, and IoT to develop scalable, traceable, and climate-positive solutions. She mentors on aligning purpose-driven business with impactful technology for regenerative change.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Sustainability, Entrepreneurship.

MENTOR SESSION: VALERIE ITEY (CLIC RECYCLE)


More Analog, Less Noise Please: City Builders Meet Up

Jessica Myers

Founder + Principal

Jessica Myers is the founder of The Sandbox Collective, where she explores the intersection of cities, culture, and public life through research and conversation. Alongside this work, she collaborates with developers and architects at kg&a, drawing on a background in placemaking and economic development. Her focus is on rhythm, emotional infrastructure, and how cities and systems can better support human pace and belonging.

Brazos

Understanding Crypto: Conversations for the Curious Meet Up

More Analog, Less Noise Please is a facilitated meet up for people working across city building, design, culture, and innovation who are interested in rhythm, pause, and recovery in fast systems. Rooted in urban life and public space, the conversation explores how analog experiences, emotional infrastructure, and informal release valves shape connection and resilience. The meet up is designed as a shared conversation that invites reflection, observation, and exchange around how cities and the systems around them can better support human pace.

MORE ANALOG, LESS NOISE PLEASE: CITY BUILDERS MEET UP


LGBTQ+ and Friends Meet Up

Hans Schrei

Founder

Born and raised in Guatemala, Austin is home now. Ever wondered why some stories stick while others fade? As a former marketer turned cookie entrepreneur and nonprofit founder, I've found the answer: authenticity. At The Sunday Afternoon Project, we’re redefining storytelling. Our Fearless Storytelling™ workshops blend data with drama, creating authentic connections in a world of artificial engagement. My passion? Making complex ideas simple and engaging. Whether it’s the story behind a cookie or a life journey, I transform the intimidating into something accessible and impactful. Curious how your story could be a game-changer? Let’s chat—because in life’s big story, we’re all co-authors.

Luis Gramajo

Founder

I grew up knowing I had a gift: I could make anyone feel comfortable. I could read a room, ask the right question, see the joy in someone even when they're hiding it. For a long time, I didn't know what to do with that.

Then I picked up a camera.

Now I run Sunday Afternoon Project and Storytellers Photo Lab. With my photography I don't chase technical perfection. I chase real moments. Connection. Vulnerability mixed with confidence. I create spaces where people's walls come down, and that's when the actual magic happens. That's when you see yourself the way I see you, powerful, joyful, genuinely yourself.

My mission is simple: help people realize they're way more interesting, way more beautiful, way more capable than they give themselves credit for. And then prove it in photos and everything I do.

Because here's what I believe: you deserve to see yourself joyfully. And I'm here to help you get there.

Room 408

Convene, Collaborate, & Cultivate Connection: Moms Meet Up

This is a space to pause, breathe, and connect. We bring bubbles for your inner child, stories that spark connection, and space to show up exactly as you are.

Join LGBTQ+ creatives, storytellers, and allies for an authentic gathering rooted in curiosity, community, and queer joy. Come curious, leave connected. We can honestly say that for 4 years, this is the space where we had made the most unique and stronger connections!


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

Svanika Balasubramanian

Co-Founder & CEO

As Co-Founder and CEO of the leading Plastic Action Platform focused on tackling plastic waste through a circular economy approach, Svanika brings together brands, innovators, and policymakers to collectively combat the global plastic waste crisis. They have partnered with and certified companies like Colgate, Thrive Market, CLIF Bar, Burt’s Bees, e.l.f. and Saie to be plastic neutral or negative, recovering over 100M pounds of plastic and fueling a more sustainable future. Svanika is a Forbes 30 under 30 honoree, a World Economic Forum SDG Champion and has taken the stage at United Nations gatherings, World Economic Forum meetings, Sustainable Brands conferences, and TEDx.

Sherry Frey

VP, Total Wellness

Sherry Frey brings 20+ years of experience in market research, innovation and consulting across fresh, CPG, and wellness sectors. She leads NielsenIQ’s Total Wellness team and is an expert on consumer health, wellness, and environmental trends. Sherry offers a unique, consumer-centric lens shaped by her background in business, communications, and agriculture. She champions the "food as medicine" approach and emphasizes the health of both people and the planet. A farm kid with a BS in Agribusiness/Ag Journalism from the University of Nebraska, Sherry brings the consumer voice to food system innovation and is a sought-after resource for insights into buying behavior and wellness trends.

Katrina Tolentino

Executive Director

Katrina is an award-winning CEO and Executive Director with 20 years experience in community building. She currently leads Naturally Network, the industry organization convening and supporting the natural, organic, and better-for-you CPG industry. In this role, she’s grown the organization to serve 30,000+ unique companies and launched key programs like the Minority-Owned Fellowship, the Women in CPG Summit, and the CPG Academy, an education and community hub to support conscious retail leaders.

Jeff Yurcisin

Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Yurcisin has built and led multiple billion-dollar brands and has a passion for doing what’s right. He believes deeply in turning consumer products into a force for good and is passionate about the role the private sector can play in sustainability and personal health. Before Grove, Jeff led Shopbop, Zulily, and the Private Brands and Apparel teams at Amazon. He lives in Seattle where he serves in his favorite role: husband and dad to his wife and three kids.

Room 201-202

The Geography of Prosperity: A New Map for Resilient Cities

Saving Monarchs With Machine Learning and Computer Vision

Where Climate Science Meets Industry Innovation

How the Ocean Twilight Zone Regulates Our Climate

Today’s consumers are demanding more than just great products—they want brands that reflect their values and contribute to a cleaner planet and better world. A NielsenIQ study found that purpose-led products average 28% growth vs 20% for non-purpose-led products. From reducing plastic waste to promoting a regenerative world, hear from organizations at the forefront of the sustainability movement who are rewriting the rules of business, driving growth through purpose, and proving that conscious capitalism isn’t just a trend, but the future we’re moving towards—brands can thrive by doing good.

REWRITING THE RULES OF BUSINESS: A GUIDE TO PURPOSE & PROFIT


Pitching to Angels 101: Think Like an Investor

Katie Russel

Executive Director

Katie Russel is the Executive Director of Central Texas Angel Network (CTAN), one of the most active angel investing groups in the country. She brings a dynamic blend of operator, investor, and accelerator experience to the table, having supported hundreds of early-stage founders throughout her career.

Gary Forni

Board Chair

Gary Forni’s focus is on starting, mentoring, investing in, and growing startups in Central Texas. As an investor, his focus is innovation and disruptive technology. As a member of the business community, he works with accelerators to maximize the success of entrepreneurs at Capital Factory, TechStars, Austin Technology Incubator, and as a founding investor and mentor in SKU. As an entrepreneur, he has worked to bring eight new businesses to market.

In the distant past, he was an executive at Marvell Semiconductor and Intel Corp. At Intel, he was part of starting four new businesses, including the flash memory business, which exited for $1.2B, and the XScale cellular business, which exited for $600M.

Rio Grande Ballroom 2

Play to Build: Prosocial AI for Human Connection

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

Step into the investor’s shoes in a hands-on workshop, hosted by the Central Texas Angel Network, one of the nation’s leading angel groups. In this interactive session, founders will reverse roles, evaluating pitches from companies CTAN has funded—as well as those we’ve passed on, using CTAN’s processes. You’ll vote on which companies should receive investment and compare your decisions with CTAN’s actual investment choices. By dissecting these examples from an investor's lens, you’ll gain a clear sense of the qualities that drive investments and boost your chances of securing an investment.

PITCHING TO ANGELS 101: THINK LIKE AN INVESTOR


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

Maurice Conti

AI Visionary, Futurist and Global Keynote Speaker, Applied Intelligence

Maurice grew up on a boat sailing around the world. He got a degree in Japanese History, sailed around the world a second time, worked at the world’s top industrial design firm, moved to NYC to run a studio, sailed around the world a 3rd time, was awarded some medals for bravery, came back to the Silicon Valley and did groundbreaking research in AI and robotics, moved to Barcelona to work on moonshots for 3 years, moved back to CA to share what he’d learned about AI, emerging tech and disruptive innovation. Maurice regularly consults with leading organizations: Amazon, lululemon, Nike, Airbus, the Navy SEALs and Ford exploring how technology will shape the future. He holds more than a dozen patents in AI/Advanced Robotics and is a founding member of the EY Global AI Advisory Council.

Dan Diasio

Global Consulting AI Leader

Dan is the EY Global Consulting AI Leader. In this role, he supports clients with AI-enabled business transformation by supporting the strategic direction, identification, design, deployment of Trusted-AI and modern data platforms. Dan is pragmatic. While he sees the opportunity for AI to transform the world and provide new value, he is aware of the potential disruption and risk this brings. He believes we have mutual responsibilities to the shareholders and society.
Dan has had the pleasure of leading high-performing teams to live their purpose through the execution of hundreds of bespoke solutions and products. He actively uses his experiences to close the digital divide by deploying Digital Academies and leveraging his platform to support education in the community.

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

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

Marketing Without a Map: Building in the Age of Chaos

Forget fuzzy predictions. It’s time to get real. What if AI doesn’t unfold the way we expect? In this hands-on, high-energy workshop, you’ll test your strategy against four radically different futures: Growth, Constraint, Transform, and Collapse. You’ll game out scenarios, stress-test decisions, and build a future-ready playbook to lead—not just react—through AI’s uncertainty. Walk away with fresh insights, a sharper strategic lens, and tools to navigate the complexity and opportunity ahead.

FUTURE-PROOF YOUR STRATEGY: AN AI TEST AND LEARN LAB


Forget Moments Marketing: Welcome to Worldbuilding

Ben Kay

President, Strategy And Solutions

Ben Kay is President, Strategy and Solutions at WPP, where he leads integrated
strategy and advises the world’s leading marketers. He brings a diverse and deep
perspective on how marketers can effectively combine strategy, technology, and
creativity to drive meaningful growth for their brands.

Over 26 years with WPP, Ben has worked as a strategist and a CEO across North
America, Europe and Asia Pacific, spanning multiple disciplines and categories.  The
work he has done alongside many brilliant team members has been awarded by
Cannes Lions, Effies, IPA, the UN Foundation, and the BAFTAs.

Ben is also a Trustee of the charity, Right To Play (UK), the world leader in helping
children overcome trauma and hardship through the power of play.

Leandro Barreto

Chief Marketing Officer, Unilever and Beauty & Wellbeing

Leandro Barreto is Chief Marketing Officer for Unilever and the Beauty & Wellbeing Business Group. He is leading the next generation of marketing transformation, combining culture, creativity and technology to drive growth across Unilever’s iconic portfolio of brands.

With more than 20 years of global marketing experience, Leandro is widely recognised for his disruptive creativity, data‐driven brand building and ability to scale culturally resonant marketing. His leadership has shaped some of the world’s most influential beauty brands, including Dove, Vaseline, Sunsilk, TRESemmé, Clear, and Pond’s - earning multiple industry accolades such as Cannes Lions Grand Prix and Titanium awards for breakthrough creative and measurable commercial impact.

Leandro spent more than a decade as a marketing leader for Dove, where he guided the brand’s evolution into a culturally embedded, global movement. As head of One-Dove North America he pioneered an end-to-end engagement model that turbocharged Dove’s brand love and accelerated cross-category growth.

In 2025, he was named Top Chief Marketing Officer in the Cannes Lions “People of the Year” rankings.

Waterloo Ballroom 3

Hsu Untied: Beyond Numbers: Decision-Making in the Math Classroom

The Learning Geeks: How to Think When Machines Think Faster

Chalk & Gavel: Navigating the Tides of an Education Law Sea Change

Beyond Voting: Defending Truth in Education: AI, Equity, & Power

Tradwives, Throuples, Trends: What Modern Love Means for Ads

As our industry faces the death of monoculture and an increasingly fragmented landscape, it’s time for marketers to move beyond single moments or campaigns and build larger, expansive Worlds. This fireside chat will explore how brands and marketers can leverage different communities (and what it means to be a community insider), drive greater ongoing consumer engagement and loyalty, and explore rich insights when we look at Worlds through a local lens. As part of that, we’ll share Worldbuilding examples of brands steeped in culture, including the award-winning Vaseline Verified campaign.

FORGET MOMENTS MARKETING: WELCOME TO WORLDBUILDING


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

Kenny Gold

Managing Director, Head of Social, Content and Influencer

Kenny joined Deloitte Digital in 2021 as a managing director and head of social, content and influencer. In this role he helps Deloitte Digital’s clients meet their business goals through best-in-class social media strategies and activations.

Prior to his time at Deloitte Digital, Kenny was Executive Director of Social Media at Grey Group NA. In this role, he led agency-wide efforts to deliver social content and activations – acting as the creative agency’s liaison with all social platforms. His leadership and hybrid talent reflected the agency’s expanding set of skills, better connecting creativity, technology, and human insight for the betterment of brands.

Colie Edison

Colie Edison serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Growth Officer for the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). A strategic leader and transformative marketer, Edison became the league’s first-ever Chief Growth Officer in January 2022. She is charged with league business and strategy functions and leads efforts on all league and team revenue-generating opportunities.

Recognized by Sports Business Journal in its Game Changers class of 2021, Edison graduated Cum Laude with a BA in Communications from Tulane University and is also the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award from Tulane University's School of Liberal Arts. Edison was named as one of the “Most Powerful Women in Sports Franchise" by Adweek’s Champions of Change in June 2024.

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

From Field to Fan: The Future of Sports Storytelling

Fandoms are powerful, passionate groups that drive culture and conversion. New Deloitte Digital research found that 75% of surveyed U.S. adults consider themselves part of a fandom, proving there’s ample opportunity for brands to connect with truly devoted fans.

In this session, Kenny Gold, Deloitte Digital’s Head of Social, Content and Influencer will be joined by Colie Edison, SVP & Chief Growth Officer of the WNBA, to explore how social-first brands can engage online fandoms, capitalize on their loyalty and build lasting relationships that go beyond the algorithm.

FANDOM FORCE: HOW TO CREATE A FAN-FIRST SOCIAL APPROACH


Rethinking Discovery Algorithms for the Creator Economy

Taylor Lorenz

Founder and Host

Taylor Lorenz is a technology columnist, covering online culture and the creator economy. She previously reported for The New York Times, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast, with work featured in Rolling Stone, New York Magazine, and more. A frequent media commentator, she’s appeared on NBC, CNN, HBO, and Netflix. Taylor is the author of Extremely Online, a 2019 Knight Nieman Fellow, and a former affiliate at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center. Named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 and Adweek’s Young Influentials, she’s been called “The Bob Woodward of the TikTok generation.”

Rumman Chowdhury

CEO and Co-Founder

Rumman Chowdhury, PhD, is a globally recognized expert in responsible AI, governance, and algorithmic accountability. She is the CEO and co-founder of Humane Intelligence, a nonprofit advancing community-driven AI auditing and evaluation.  Appointed as the U.S. Science Envoy for Artificial Intelligence, she engages in global AI governance efforts with a focus on emerging markets. Previously, she led AI ethics teams at Twitter and Accenture, pioneering enterprise-level AI risk mitigation tools. Rumman is also a Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center and a trusted advisor to international organizations on AI policy and ethics.

Drew Rowny

Vice President of Product

Drew Rowny is the Vice President of Product at Patreon, where he oversees the platform's creator-first product strategy and leads the product management, design, and marketing teams. Since joining Patreon in 2022, he has overseen the launch and scaling of Patreon’s community and video products, the new mobile app, and expansion to all fans with free membership. Before joining Patreon, Drew was the Head of Product for Gmail and Google Chat, leading the product management organization across Enterprise and Consumer serving Gmail’s 2B+ users. Prior to that, Drew was on the founding team for several products that he helped grow to 1B users or $1B in revenue: including YouTube Premium, Google Fi, and RCS / Google Messages.

Waller Ballroom C

From TikTok to Toolbelt: Preparing Gen Z for Work

Higher Ed's Losing Global Talent & the Bill Is Coming Due

It Takes a Region: Cybersecurity Pathways in Rural Alabama

Breaking the Sound Barrier: Making Creativity Accessible to All

On most platforms, discovery is designed to maximize ad revenue — not creator success. But what if algorithms prioritized creator growth and authentic relationships instead? In this panel, Drew Rowny (VP of Product at Patreon), Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, PhD, and Taylor Lorenz (founder of User Mag and host of the Power User podcast) will unpack how discovery tools can be redesigned to support creators’ businesses first.

RETHINKING DISCOVERY ALGORITHMS FOR THE CREATOR ECONOMY


XR Immersive Filmmaking & The Future of Entertainment

Chris Harvey

VFX Supervisor

A 20+ year veteran in VFX supervision, Chris has pushed the boundaries of real-time 3D (RT3D) and CGI artistry. His recent work on Leave The World Behind and Prehistoric Planet Immersive exemplifies his ability to merge artistry with emerging tech. Chris brings a visionary approach to immersive production.

Julina Tatlock

Partner

Julina Tatlock founded 30 Ninjas with feature film director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, Mr. and Mrs. Smith), with partners Julina Tatlock and Jed Weintrob in 2008. 30 Ninjas pushes the boundaries of technology and the imagination to create groundbreaking immersive experiences. Julina is Executive Producer and a Director of the six-part VR mini-series, “Invisible”. Prior to founding 30 Ninjas, Tatlock spent 15 years in television working at Martha Stewart Living and Oxygen Media.

Jed Weintrob

Executive Producer

Jed Weintrob is a media executive and award-winning producer, director and writer who has been at the leading edge of adapting new technologies and techniques to filmed content ranging from the first generation of CD-ROM video games through Internet entertainment, mobile video and VR. Mr. Weintrob first worked with 30 Ninjas when he launched Condé Nast Entertainment's (CNÉ) foray into Virtual Reality, producing Invisible, a VR series directed by Doug Liman. He negotiated a joint venture between CNÉ, Samsung and Jaunt VR, establishing Mr. Weintrob as an industry leader at the intersection of virtual reality and original content production.

J.P. Guiseppi

Group Creative Lead at Google Strategic Content Partnerships

J.P. is a craftsman and designer with over two decades of experience shaping stories across mediums—from print and broadcast to immersive XR. He has created award-winning work as the Group Creative Director for Google's Strategic Content Partnerships team which includes launching film and TV initiatives for productions that use its AI and spatial computing tools under the moniker 100 ZEROS. In partnership with 30 Ninjas, J.P. brings a design-driven approach to develop AI-powered characters, spatial storytelling, and world-building—bridging the gap between Hollywood storytelling and next-gen immersive entertainment.

Room 203-204

From Data to Decisions: Lives, Livelihoods, and the Planet

Portraits Beyond the Frame: Jonathan Yeo & Spectacles

SIMULCAST: Amy Webb Launches 2026 Emerging Tech Trend Report

Beta Testing a City: Startups, Sidewalks & Robotics

Artificial Imagination and The Fiction After Cinema

XR is not just a new format—it’s a new language of interactive cinematic storytelling. Join director Doug Liman’s award-winning team 30 Ninjas as they explore how working with Google XR teams they are combining emerging formats like volumetric capture, spatial narrative, 3D engines and real-time Google LLM driven characters are reshaping entertainment from the inside out. Learn how cinematic craft, game mechanics, XR and AI are merging at the highest level to create the future of audience experience and participation—where the viewer isn’t just watching the story, they’re inside it.

XR IMMERSIVE FILMMAKING & THE FUTURE OF ENTERTAINMENT


The B Word: How to Get Creative with Marketing Budget

Shannon Jones

Co-founder

Shannon Simpson Jones is co-founder of Verb, an award-winning brand experience agency that is redefining how consumers experience and interact with brands. At Verb, Shannon leads a diverse bi-coastal team, working with clients including Airbnb, Cook Unity and Amazon to produce headline-grabbing work. Shannon co-founded Verb nearly 7 years ago, and she has been on some of the industry’s largest stages including SXSW, Fast Co Innovation Festival and CultureCon. Additionally, Shannon was named to the Ad Age 40 Under 40, She Runs It: Working Mother of the Year 2023, Adweek Creative 100, and Inc. Female Founders 250 alongside co-founder Yadira Harrison. Verb was also named Ad Age Experiential Agency of the Year in 2024.

Keisha Wright

THINK450 - The Partnership & Innovation Engine of the NBPA

SVP, Partnerships

Wright works across THINK450’s business units to ensure purpose is at the core of client strategy and campaigns and leads THINK450’s marketing strategies and the development and execution of assets that brand partners can optimize to drive growth and positive social impact. Before transitioning to this new role, Wright served as Vice President of Integrated Marketing for THINK450, overseeing partner marketing efforts across various categories. Before joining THINK450 in 2020, Wright worked in strategic marketing roles for the Brooklyn Nets, the Barclays Center, and the NBA. Wright spent the first 10+ years of her career in the fashion and cable industries, developing integrated marketing campaigns that connected with consumers through customized content, events, and media partnerships.

Jimmy Knowles

Global Head of Experiential

Jimmy Knowles leads Global Experiential Marketing at Canva, building brand experiences that are rooted in culture and bring the Canva brand to life for communities across the globe. Since joining Canva, Jimmy lead the development of Canva’s signature tentpole event Canva Create that most recently saw 1.5M registrants in its second iteration in March 2023. Prior to joining Canva, Jimmy spent over a decade on the agency side as a Senior Leader at Ryan Seacrest’s CIVIC Entertainment Group following his work brand-side with Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group and FOX Broadcasting Company. At CIVIC his work spanned verticals including tech, entertainment, automotive and lifestyle for Fortune 500 companies across his client portfolio including Airbnb, Disney, WeWork, HBO Max, Ford and Meta.

Jessica Williams

Head of Brand & Partnerships

Jessica is the Head of Brand Marketing and Partnerships at Shopify, where her team endeavors to inspire the generation of entrepreneurs to choose and love Shopify. They achieve this through brand campaigns celebrating entrepreneurship and through strategic collaborations with renowned creators and celebrities like MrBeast, Drake, Charlie and Dixie D'Amelio, and Chrissy Teigen- sharing their own journeys of building and growing a business. Before joining Shopify, Jessica spearheaded consumer partnerships at Coinbase, delving into realms of sports, music, and fashion. Prior to that her journey encompassed diverse product marketing, brand marketing and partnerships roles at Visa.

Waterloo Ballroom 4-6

Meet Gen Alpha: Defying Predictions & Rewiring Marketing

Launching the Ultimate, Research-Driven Creative Power Playbook

Pride Preview '26: Marketers, LGBTQ+ & Where We Go From Here

Weird FTW: What Happens When Brands Zig While Others Zag

Sometimes the biggest constraints come from inside the house — executive leadership or clients who only see spreadsheets instead of brand-building impact. This session explores strategies for persuasion, covering the skills needed to sell your big idea and get others to buy into your vision. This candid conversation will dive into: the need to spend big for big results, how to get executives to buy in, and ways to execute bold marketing strategies, even in harsh economic times.

B WORD: HOW TO GET CREATIVE WITH MARKETING BUDGET


Independent Film Publicity: How to Earn Media Attention

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.

Guadalupe

What We’re Unlearning on Supporting Education Systems

Shaping Education in a Culture x Tech World

4D Volumetric Video & Gaussian Splats for XR Creators

Earning press attention for your film isn’t luck—it’s strategy. This session breaks down how emerging filmmakers and creative teams can grab media attention, secure reviews, and build buzz that lasts. Learn how to best position your film for coverage, connect with the right journalists for your story, and use publicity as a powerful tool to grow your audience. You’ll leave with clear, actionable steps to cut through the noise and earn your film the spotlight it deserves.

INDEPENDENT FILM PUBLICITY: HOW TO EARN MEDIA ATTENTION

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll