Culture Meets Commerce: Building the Next $1B Brand

Dallas Dolen

Technology, Media & Telecommunications (Tmt) Industry Leader

Dallas leads PwC's Technology, Media and Telecom industry which includes overseeing our cross-line of service delivery, thought leadership and marketing for PwC in this space. Dallas is also the Global Client Partner for PwC’s largest technology client, where he is engaged in the delivery of consulting and compliance services and overseeing our commercial relationship with the market. Dallas has nearly 20years of experience working with Fortune 500 software, internet, entertainment and media clients, leading deals, divestitures, business expansion and global technology transformation. Dallas also serves on the PwC Network’s Global Board. He enjoys supporting his children's sports and trail running.

Alison Furman

Consumer Markets Industry Leader

Alison (Ali) Furman is PwC’s US Consumer Markets Industry Leader, overseeing the firm’s Retail, Hospitality, CPG, Travel, Airlines, and Restaurant sectors across Advisory, Assurance, and Tax.

An expert at the intersection of business strategy, technology, and culture, Ali advises global organizations on growth and transformation as shifting consumer behaviors continue to reshape the Consumer Markets landscape. Leveraging her extensive industry experience and the strength of the PwC network, she works closely with senior leaders to help them grow, transform, and capitalize on disruption in an increasingly dynamic environment.

A recognized thought leader, Ali frequently speaks on Consumer Markets trends and emerging insights, helping organizations anticipate what’s next and prepare for the future. She is regularly featured across top-tier broadcast and print media, including CNN, CBS, NPR, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg Live Radio, Good Morning America, YahooFinance, CNBC, and The TODAY Show.

Ali is also an active industry advocate and sponsor of the National Retail Federation and the Consumer Brands Association, and she serves on the NRF Foundation Board.

Emma Grede

Entrepreneur And Co-Founder

Emma Grede is a British businesswoman, serial entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author, as well as the Founding Partner of SKIMS and Co-Founder & CEO of Good American. She is Chairwoman of The Fifteen Percent Pledge, serves on the Board of Directors for the Obama Foundation, and has been named to Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women list multiple times.

 She is also a recurring guest Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, co-host and executive producer of Roku’s hit series Side Hustlers, and the host of the popular weekly podcast Aspire with Emma Grede. Grede's debut book, START WITH YOURSELF: A NEW VISION FOR WORK & LIFE, is set to be publish on April 14, 2026.

Waterloo Ballroom 4-6

The B Word: How to Get Creative with Marketing Budget

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

Emma Grede, serial entrepreneur and multiple-time billion-dollar brand founder, joins Alison Furman, PwC’s Consumer Markets Industry Leader, and Dallas Dolan, PwC’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry Leader, for an engaging panel discussion on how culture and commerce collide to create the next billion-dollar product category.
The discussion will explore how cultural relevance, technology, and consumer behavior intersect to shape emerging brands, and what today’s business leaders must understand to build, scale, and sustain the next generation of category-defining companies.

CULTURE MEETS COMMERCE: BUILDING THE NEXT $1B BRAND


Art to Infrastructure: Creating a Company as an Artist

Charlie Traisman

Co-Founder

Charlie Traisman is a film producer and director, and the co-founder of Madhouse Films, a production company focused on bold, timely stories from female-, queer-, and BIPOC-led teams. Through Madhouse Films, they have produced six short films, including LONG PORK, directed by Iris Dukatt and starring Lena Headey (Game of Thrones), as well as the independent TV pilot TOO ROMANTIC from Talia Light Rake.

Madhouse Films is also an executive producer on FORBIDDEN FRUITS, the debut narrative feature from writer-director Meredith Alloway, and the documentary feature MANHOOD, directed by Daniel Lombroso—both of which premiered at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival. Charlie made their directorial debut with the short film ACHIEVER, which also premiered at SXSW in 2026. They hold a B.A. from Vassar College and an M.F.A. from the American Conservatory Theater.

Billy Magnussen

Co-Founder

Billy Magnussen is a multi-hyphenate talent with an extensive body of work across film, television, and theater. He continues to make an impact across the multimedia landscape by way of his production company HappyBad Bungalow, which aims to connect global audiences through the extraordinary power of entertainment.

Upcoming, Magnussen will lead Jonathan Glatzer’s series THE AUDACITY on AMC. Forthcoming in film, Magnussen will be seen in Aaron Sorkin’s THE SOCIAL RECKONING and will star in MATTRESS MACK, a feature film which he also produced. Most recently, Magnussen delivered a knockout comedic turn as Pleakley in Disney’s live-action LILO & STITCH. Past film also credits include Doug Liman’s ROAD HOUSE, Cary Fukunaga’s NO TIME TO DIE, Guy Ritchie’s ALADDIN, Rob Marshall’s INTO THE WOODS, Adam McKay’s THE BIG SHORT, Steven Spielberg’s BRIDGE OF SPIES, Matt Spicer’s INGRID GOES WEST, David Chase and Alan Taylor’s THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK, and Warner Bros/New Line’s GAME NIGHT. Previous television credits include Sam Mendes’s THE FRANCHISE for HBO, the HBO Max/Paramount series MADE FOR LOVE, Cary Fukunaga’s Netflix miniseries MANIAC, MGM+’s GET SHORTY, CBS’ thriller series TELL ME A STORY, and FX’s THE PEOPLE V. OJ SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY.

Magnussen is also an established theater actor, having made his Broadway stage debut in 2007 opposite Rosie Perez in THE RITZ, written by Tony-winning playwright Terrence McNally. He later originated the role of “Spike” in Lincoln Center’s VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, which earned him a Tony Award nomination.

Nicole Lipp

Co-Founder

Nicole Lipp is an acclaimed director, writer, and advocate. As AYF Media's co-founder, she directs and produces narratives, music videos, and branded content. Nicole's music videos and short films have played Oscar-qualifying festivals nationwide and garnered millions of streams. Her debut narrative short, MESSY, clinched a Best Director award; her queer comedy tearjerker, MISTAKES YOU MAKE BEFORE YOU DIE, premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Out On Film festival; and her award winning TV pilot ETERNAL FLAME is currently in development. Nicole co-founded Not Your Daddy’s Films, a social impact organization committed to empowering and educating women and nonbinary filmmakers through screenings, panels, a podcast, and more.

Shane Andries

Co-Founder

Shane Andries is a director, writer, and producer born and raised in Houston, Texas. He recently directed the feature film Mattress Mack, currently in post-production, starring Billy Magnussen, Dianna Agron, Darby Lee-Stack, and Rob Corddry. A graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (B.F.A., Drama), he previously performed internationally with Blue Man Group and has worked as an actor across theater, television, and film. Shane has written for Disney, Automatik, and Anonymous Content, among others, and is a founding member of HappyBad Bungalow, alongside producing partners Billy Magnussen and Anne Hollister.

Bridge Ballroom AB

“It’s in Development” Creating Great TV for Global Platforms

Creativity, Commerce & Chaos: Tech & Indie Filmmaking

SXSW Episodic Pitch-A-Thon presented by SeriesFest

Building Hollywood Buzz Without the Hollywood Style Campaign

CRAFTING SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT: HAND-DRAWN ANIMATION & ORIGINAL SCORE (SNEAK PEEK FIRST LOOK)

Join actor Billy Magnussen and the co-founder of his production company HappyBad Bungalow, alongside representatives from artist-led companies Madhouse Films and Not Your Daddy’s Films, for a candid conversation on building and sustaining a company as an artist.

ART TO INFRASTRUCTURE: CREATING A COMPANY AS AN ARTIST

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


Development Mentor Session: Louis Winters (Boulderlight Pictures)

Louis Winters

Director of Development

Louis Winters is a Director of Development at BoulderLight Pictures (BARBARIAN, WEAPONS), a production company which has a first look feature deal at New Line Cinema. At BoulderLight, Louis oversees a diverse slate of projects with an emphasis on horror and commercially focused genre material including the upcoming Jaume Collet Serra directed PLAY DEAD. Previously, he supported executive Aaron Janus at Netflix on Jeremy Saulnier's REBEL RIDGE and Gareth Evans' HAVOC, and at Lionsgate on JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4. He began his career as a motion picture literary assistant at CAA. Originally from Buffalo NY, he is now based in Los Angeles CA.

Executive Room

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

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

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

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

Programming Mentor Session: Haojie Huang (Kaohsiung Film Festival)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Development, Narrative Filmmakers, Producers/Production, Screenwriting.

DEVELOPMENT MENTOR SESSION: LOUIS WINTERS (BOULDERLIGHT PICTURES)


Mentor Session: Jacob Sharp (Open Management)

Jacob Sharp

Manager

Jacob Sharp is a North Carolina–based musician and longtime member of the indie folk band Mipso, where he spent ten years contributing guitar, vocals, and songwriting before the band went on hiatus. He has since joined Open Management, an independent artist management company, while continuing to engage with music through a collaborative, artist-first lens.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

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

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

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Audio/Production (Recording/Mixing/Mastering), Songwriting, Touring.

MENTOR SESSION: JACOB SHARP (OPEN MANAGEMENT)


Mentor Session: Kareem ElGhayesh (KG BBQ)

Kareem ElGhayesh

Owner

Born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, Kareem El-Ghayesh grew up cooking alongside his family, learning early how food brings people together. He graduated from Cairo University in 2009 and entered the banking world, but cooking and hosting were always close to his heart.

In 2012, El-Ghayesh traveled to Austin to visit a friend—and ate barbecue every single day. Back in Cairo, still dreaming of brisket, he bought a Weber grill and began experimenting with smoking meats. Eager to deepen his understanding of Texas barbecue, he took a month off work in 2015 and returned to Austin, eating his way through the city before landing a job at Kerlin BBQ, where he learned classic Central Texas techniques. In 2016, he left his banking career behind, planning to stay in Texas for only a few months—but he fell in love with Austin and made it his permanent home.

Since relocating, El-Ghayesh has trained at Austin Community College’s culinary program and worked under world-class pitmasters and butchers at spots including Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, Lambert’s, Salt & Time, Interstellar BBQ, Freedmen’s, and Rollin’ Smoke. Over the following years, he hosted private dinners and pop-ups, gradually weaving Egyptian flavors into Texas barbecue.

In October 2022, he opened KG BBQ, his full-fledged Egyptian barbecue concept. Signature dishes such as the brisket rice bowl, smoked lamb chops, and pomegranate ribs reflect his Egyptian heritage while honoring his deep love for Texas barbecue.

El-Ghayesh has since earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, received a James Beard Awards nomination for Best Chef: Texas, competed on Season 3 of BBQ Showdown, and spoken as a TEDx presenter.

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 Entrepreneurship, Food/AgTech, Product Management/Development.

MENTOR SESSION: KAREEM ELGHAYESH (KG BBQ)


From Niche to Noticed: New Paths for Indie Films

Jon Reiss

Owner

Jon Reiss is a filmmaker, author and media strategist who wrote the book Think Outside the Box Office. His company, 8 Above, creates custom audience-building strategies, theatrical experiences and digital release campaigns for independent feature and documentary films. Reiss has consulted with hundreds of filmmakers and film organizations throughout the world, most recently The Librarians. He has conducted workshops on six continents and helped create and run the IFP/Gotham Filmmaker Lab for ten years. In 2023 he created the 8 Above Distribution Lab to teach filmmakers how to distribute and market their films. He is also the co-founder and board president of the Future Film Coalition. He writes about distribution and marketing on his 8 Above Substack.

Sophia Yen

Partner

Sophia Yen provides business and legal strategy to a range of entertainment clients—from production companies and talent to studios and financiers. Known for her expertise in structuring equity and debt deals, she has worked on films premiering at Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, TIFF, and Tribeca. She advises across a project’s life cycle, from development to distribution. Sophia was named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 Power Lawyers list and Variety’s Dealmakers and Legal Impact Reports. A former CPA at Ernst & Young, she holds degrees from UC Berkeley and BU Law.

Jared Geesey

Chief Distribution Officer

Jared Geesey is Chief Distribution Officer at Angel Studios, where he is pioneering a new era of audience-powered film distribution. Under his leadership, Angel launched theatrical hits like “Sound of Freedom” and the animated breakout “The King of Kings.” He recently acquired the TIFF standout “SKETCH” for global theatrical release and is launching the ambitious historical epic “Zero A.D. A passionate advocate for audience-led distribution, Jared continues to innovate models that empower storytellers, build community, and generate sustainable returns for investors.

Giulia Caruso

Dir Catalyst and Industry

Giulia Caruso is an award-winning producer and Director of Catalyst and Industry at Sundance Institute. With partner Ki Jin Kim, she was nominated for the 2018 Piaget Producers Award, won an Independent Spirit Award for Andrew Ahn’s debut feature SPA NIGHT, and an Emmy for PBS/KCET’s LostLA. Recent work includes Vera Brunner Sung’s BITTERROOT (Tribeca 2024), and co-writing/producing Araceli Lemos’ debut feature HOLY EMY, special mention at Locarno 2021. She produced and distributed Kogonada’s critically acclaimed Sundance debut COLUMBUS, with support from the Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Fellowship. Under Nonetheless Productions, she produced content for clients like Armani, Focus Features, MTV and GoPro. She holds an MFA in Film Directing from CalArts, where she also taught.

Pennybacker

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

Unscripted Gold: Turning Real Life into Global Hits

Audible Dimensions: Expanding Story Through Spatial Audio

From Headline to Streamer: How Publishers Adapt Stories for TV

You made a great film. Now what? With streamers scaling back, traditional buyers pulling out, and theatrical costs soaring, indie filmmakers are left navigating a broken and uncertain distribution pipeline. This session explores bold, alternative release strategies—grassroots outreach, community-driven campaigns, eventized theatrical runs, digital-first models, and more—that are helping meaningful, niche stories find their audiences. We’ll examine the macro industry shifts behind the disruption and spotlight the innovative approaches rewriting the independent film playbook.

FROM NICHE TO NOTICED: NEW PATHS FOR INDIE FILMS


How to Avoid Spreading Misinformation on Your Platform

Mariana Castro

Director

Mariana is an advocate, DACA recipient, and content creator. She is growing the progressive creator ecosystem through Trending Up — a program that brings content creators into issue education and advocacy. Through resources, innovative programming, and community focused events, Mariana is empowering creators to use their platforms for social change, fostering new voices in advocacy, and building a network of digital storytellers who drive meaningful conversations and action.

Mariana has built multi-million dollar creator programs and produced award-winning, bilingual campaigns to amplify federal issues across the country. With over a decade of experience, she has collaborated with nonprofits, candidates, and advocacy campaigns to craft cutting-edge digital strategies and storytelling programs that centers community.

As a content creator, Mariana also uses her own platform to share the real-life impact of immigration while bridging the gap between pop culture and politics.

Liz Plank

Podcast Host and Content Creator

Liz Plank is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, international bestselling author, and producer of several critically acclaimed digital series at Vox Media and NBC News. She currently hosts Boy Problems, a podcast that tackles love, masculinity, dating disasters, and life’s biggest questions. Liz's widely celebrated book, For The Love of Men: A Vision for Mindful Masculinity, became an international sensation, captivating readers across the globe. Praised for its bold exploration of modern masculinity, it has been featured in iconic publications such as Vogue, Esquire, Playboy, ELLE, GQ, and has earned thoughtful coverage on NPR, The Washington Post, and MSNBC. Its impact transcended borders, sparking vital conversations about the future of gender and identity. Liz’s groundbreaking journalism has garnered widespread acclaim, earning her a spot on Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list, as well as recognition as one of Mediaite’s Most Influential in News Media and Marie Claire’s Most Powerful Women. Adding to her global impact, she was honored as one of the World’s Most Influential People in Gender Policy by Apolitical, cementing her status as a trailblazer in shaping the future of gender equality. Learn more about Liz and her work at https://www.elizabethplank.com/

Suzanne Lambert

Comedian and Content Creator

Suzanne Lambert is a DC-based comedian, content creator and speaker. Known as “the Regina George liberal,” she delivers engaging and biting wit to an audience of over one million fans across TikTok and Instagram (@itssuzannelambert).

Her work has been featured in publications such the New York Times, Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal and she has performed at the DC Improv, Laughing Skull and Stand Up NY.

Phillip DeFranco

Founder

Philip DeFranco is an American media host and YouTube personality. He is best known for The Philip DeFranco Show, a news commentary show centered on current events in politics and pop culture. He has built an empire online, amassing a following of more than 10 million across platforms.

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

Rethinking Discovery Algorithms for the Creator Economy

It’s no secret that today’s media landscape is more fractured than ever. As trust in legacy media declines, people are consuming news in less traditional ways and, instead, often turn to content creators for the latest news, commentary, and connection. But how can they balance influence and responsibility in such a fast-paced digital ecosystem?

Join industry-leading creators and strategists in conversation to explore how, in a digital world driven by clicks and engagement, you can communicate responsibly online. We’ll dive into how to build and leverage community, recognize and preempt false narratives, and turn complex realities into sharable content while engaging your audience authentically.

HOW TO AVOID SPREADING MISINFORMATION ON YOUR PLATFORM

Creator Economy track sponsored by Yamaha


Operating Systems of the 3rd Millennium: AI + XR + NEURO

Nita Farahany

Professor

Nita A. Farahany, JD, PhD, is the Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Professor of Law & Philosophy at Duke University and founding director of its Initiative for Science & Society. A foremost voice on neurotechnology’s ethical, legal and social frontiers, she served on President Obama’s Bioethics Commission (2010-17) and now co-chairs UNESCO’s Expert Group on Neurotechnology ethics and the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Futures Council on Neurotechnology. She chairs the Uniform Law Commission Study Committee on Mental Privacy.  A TED speaker with 3 M+ views, Farahany’s insights appear in outlets from NYT to BBC, and she is Reporter for the ALI/ELI Biometrics Principles project, advising science, law and industry on protecting mental privacy.

Matt Angle

CEO and Founder

Matt Angle is the founder and CEO of Paradromics, a neurotechnology company building the world’s most capable and clinically viable brain-computer interface (BCI) platform. Matt earned a PhD in Neuroscience from the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research at the University of Heidelberg. He conducted postdoctoral work at Stanford’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, where he began early research on next-gen electronics for large-scale neural recordings. Seeing the need for a BCI platform built for long-term clinical use and able to capture brain activity at high-data rates, Matt started Paradromics and secured NIH and DARPA contracts to explore the core neurotech.

Joseph Artuso

President & COO

Joseph Artuso is President and COO at OpenBCI, where he guides the neurotechnology manufacturer’s commercialization and communication strategies. Under his leadership, OpenBCI has expanded globally, forging high-profile industry partnerships, attracting prominent investors, and securing government contracts. Joseph’s career spans both the U.S. and Europe, including roles at Salesforce, AppNexus, Xaxis, and WPP, where he honed his expertise in international business and digital marketing. Joseph also coordinated a series of art and music events in New York City. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University, and as a speaker, draws on his liberal arts background to translate deeply technical topics into engaging, accessible insights for everyday audiences.

Antonio Forenza

CEO and Founder

Dr. Antonio Forenza is a results-driven technology executive, inventor, and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience leading R&D and product innovation across the mobile and wireless industries. He is the founder of AWEAR, a neurotech startup using EEG ear cuffs. He was SVP of R&D at Rakuten Symphony and Founder/CTO of Artemis Networks, where he pioneered Distributed Massive MIMO vRAN technology. His career includes roles at Iospan Wireless, ArrayComm, Samsung, and Freescale. Antonio holds an MS in Telecommunications Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, a specialization in Mobile Communications from Institut Eurécom, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. He is an IEEE award-winning author, a passionate aviator, and a Civil Air Patrol Captain.

Salon D

Designing the Future of Human Performance

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

Neural interfaces are entering a new phase where AI algorithms read brain signals in real-time and power adaptive feedback loops. This panel convenes OpenBCI and cross-disciplinary experts to show how AI turns raw brain signals into actionable insights, powers real-time closed-loop haptics and visuals, and scales from lab demos to consumer and research-grade neurotech. We’ll dissect technical hurdles, safety imperatives, and the roadmap to trustworthy neurotechnology.

OPERATING SYSTEMS OF THE 3RD MILLENNIUM: AI + XR + NEURO


From Monk to Manager: Zen Lessons for Loving Your Work

Jackson Kerchis

Founder

Jackson Kerchis is a former strategy and operations leader, startup executive, and Zen monk. He co-founded Happiness Means Business and Warrior Leader Training Companies, where he helps leaders across business, government, and education use behavioral science to solve people problems and drive performance.

Jackson created the world’s first academic major in Happiness and has worked with organizations like the Army National Guard, Coca-Cola, and the University of Alabama. His work focuses on the intersection of well-being, leadership, and systems change—and how happiness can transform both people and organizations. He is the author of Beyond Profit & Productivity, an Amazon bestseller on workplace culture.

Rio Grande Ballroom 2

Pitching to Angels 101: Think Like an Investor

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

By most accounts Jackson Kerchis has had an unusual career path: he launched a (failed) fintech startup, created the world's first major in happiness, lived 4 months as a Zen monk, spent 2 years in management, and then founded a consulting firm researching happiness at work. This session combines the art of Zen with insights from the social sciences to help you craft a new way of work. Even if you don't have your "dream job," you'll learn the ingredients for what makes for an engaging and satisfying work experience.

FROM MONK TO MANAGER: ZEN LESSONS FOR LOVING YOUR WORK

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


More Pavlov, Less Badges: Gamification Isn't What You Think

Kinley Clifford

VP, Head of Experience Design Consulting, Gamification & Loyalty

Kinley Clifford leads the Experience Design Consulting Team for Gamification and Loyalty at Merkle. She has 25 years of marketing and gaming industry experience, working with clients like Xbox, Nintendo, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Six Flags, and NBC Universal to motivate behavior and drive long-lasting engagement.

Adam Messing

Director of User Experience

Adam Messing is a UX Director leading a team specializing in promotions, loyalty, and gamification with over 20 years of experience in the field. He has led engagement programs for brands like Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Burger King, and OREO, combining user-centered design with behavioral science to drive action and create moments of delight that keep consumers coming back.

Brazos I-III

Division Defiance: Building Cross-Racial Solidarity

In Search of Hope: Teaching Climate Emotions Through Story

Beyond Borders: Diverse Alliances for Immigrant Wellbeing

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

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

Before there were prize wheels, badges, and leaderboards, there was a scientist and his dogs. Join gamification experts Adam Messing and Kinley Clifford to talk about the common misconceptions around gamification and how understanding behavioral and motivational science is the key to unlocking it. This interactive workshop will be jam-packed with fun and useful exercises and games.

MORE PAVLOV, LESS BADGES: GAMIFICATION ISN'T WHAT YOU THINK

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Reality Hacked: Tech, Story, and the Future of Experience

Vince Kadlubek

Co-Founder and Chief Vision Officer

Vince Kadlubek is Co‑Founder and Chief Vision Officer of Meow Wolf, where he stewards the creative vision across exhibitions, media, technology, and immersive storytelling platforms. He led the development of Meow Wolf’s first permanent installation, House of Eternal Return, opening in 2016, and guided the company’s transformation from artist collective into a multi-market immersive arts studio, raising Series A capital and announcing expansions in Las Vegas, Denver, Dallas, Houston, and upcoming sites in Los Angeles and New York. After stepping down as CEO in 2019 and founding Spatial Activations, he returned in 2024 to lead the Meow Wolf Creative Studio and help architect a unified “Meow Wolf Universe” across platforms.

Scott Stein

Editor-at-Large

Scott Stein has been an award-winning writer at CNET for 16 years, covering the beats of an ever-changing tech landscape across phones, wearables, gaming, immersive entertainment, and AR/VR. He’s covered the launches of hardware ranging from Google Glass to Magic Leap, from Oculus to Apple’s Vision Pro. Recently he’s explored themed worlds from Epic Universe to Meow Wolf to live theater in VR. He’s appeared on TV and podcasts ranging from CBS to CNBC to No Proscenium, Voices of VR, and many more. His most recent playwriting projects explore generative AI, memory, and community.

Dennis Hwang

VP of Visual and Interaction Design

Dennis Hwang is VP of Visual and Interaction Design at Niantic Spatial, where he leads the Spatial Solutions team—an internal studio showcasing how geospatial AI like visual positioning and semantic mapping can drive real-world impact. Previously, he was VP of Visual and Interaction Design at Niantic Inc. (acquired by Scopely in 2025), where he led the art and design team behind Pokémon GO, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter Now, Ingress, and Peridot. Dennis was also the original Google Doodler, creating hundreds of doodles from 2000–2009 and launching Doodle4Google. He studied Studio Art and Computer Science at Stanford University.

Kati Murphy

Principal

Kati Murphy is the Vice President of Communications at Meow Wolf and a lifelong storyteller with a passion for the unexpected. From politics to immersive art, she’s spent her career shaping narratives, navigating crises, and finding meaning in the weird and wonderful. When she’s not leading communications at Meow Wolf, you might find her fronting a punk band or curating the ever-evolving chaos of her colorful closet.

Salon D

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

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

The Story of Stories—The Million Year History of Storytelling

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

Through the Noise: The State of Science Storytelling

What if the real world had hidden story portals waiting to be found? This panel explores an ongoing collaboration between Meow Wolf and Niantic that uses AR, geolocation, and immersive storytelling to transform physical places into layered, interactive experiences. From sidewalks to city parks, spaces become stages for narrative discovery, inviting people to move, play, and connect in new ways. Dennis Hwang (Niantic), Vince Kadlubek (Meow Wolf), and Scott Stein (CNET) join moderator Kati Murphy to share what happens when imagination meets infrastructure—and the streets start telling stories.

REALITY HACKED: TECH, STORY, AND THE FUTURE OF EXPERIENCE


Composing for Wellness: Music as a Cognitive Utility

Walter Werzowa

Founder

Walter is the composer of the Intel sonic logo and one of the early leaders in the field of audio branding. Originally from Vienna, he studied classical guitar and electronic music before moving to Los Angeles, where he founded Musikvergnuegen, a studio that created sound identities for global brands and film projects. His work eventually led him to explore how music could be used beyond entertainment — specifically in health and neuroscience — which inspired him to launch HealthTunes, a nonprofit that pairs music and sound with evidence-based wellness practices. He now divides his time between creative projects in Los Angeles and Vienna, where he also teaches and continues to develop new ideas at the intersection of art, technology, and healing.

Ekanem Ebinne

Founder

Ekanem is a researcher, educator, and advocate dedicated to using evidence-based music interventions to make mothers and infants healthier and happier. Her work explores how music supports maternal-infant mental health during the first months of life, emphasizing how different cultures use song and rhythm in early childhood development.
She was most recently a Research Associate at The Music Lab, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, and has led or contributed to numerous initiatives advancing the field—

Directed the first Parenting 2.0 conference in her region

Organized the South Central regional conference for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association

Created a music and literacy intervention for refugee and immigrant mothers and children in Connecticut

Produced an infant concert for collaborative youth programs at The New Orleans Jazz Market

Her doctoral research (ABD) at Universidade Nova de Lisboa focused on the psychology and pedagogy of music, and she brings deep expertise in quantitative and qualitative research, curriculum design, and early childhood development. Through Liftly, she’s now building programs that integrate music, neuroscience, and cultural empathy to promote maternal wellness and infant bonding.

Weston Mcgowen

Vice President, Music Label Partnerships

Weston McGowen is VP of Music Industry Partnerships at SourceAudio, where he leads business development across sync and functional audio platforms. He spearheaded the launch of Mood Magic, an education-focused music catalog co-developed with PhDs and music therapists, and Amplify, a marketplace connecting indie music to top media brands. In addition to his role at Source Audio, Weston is also co-founder of Equal Songs alongside Stefan Skarbek, where the two manage and publish a diverse roster of composers and songwriters, managing rights for works by artists like Harry Styles and Amy Winehouse. Weston blends 15+ years of expertise in publishing, music export, and rights infrastructure to elevate music’s impact and monetization.

Max Ferguson

Senior Creative Manager - Sync Licensing, Artist Development, Catalog Strategy

Max Ferguson is a Senior Creative Manager at Score a Score, where he leads high-impact music initiatives for global brands and heads the company’s flagship mood music catalog, the Aura Collection. With a background in music business and a focus on emotionally-driven audio, he collaborates with artists, clients, and platforms to create music that’s both purposeful and effective. His work includes overseeing music production for Super Bowl campaigns, developing long-term artist growth strategies, leading audio projects for brands like Apple, Google, Disney, and LinkedIn, and curating content for wellness leaders like Calm and major DSPs including Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.

Capitol Ballroom FGH

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Syncrets to Success: Conversation With Music Supervisors

Mexico Amplified: How Música Mexicana is Reshaping Global Music

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

As streaming reshapes how music is experienced, functional audio—designed to boost focus, mood, and behavior—is redefining where and how music matters. From classrooms to clinics to retail, neuroscience-backed compositions are driving emotional outcomes and creating measurable improvements in learning, productivity, and sentiment. This panel explores how composers, researchers, and platforms are creating purpose-built music that now outperforms major label artists—financially and functionally—on DSPs and B2B services.

COMPOSING FOR WELLNESS: MUSIC AS A COGNITIVE UTILITY


Star‑Powered Startups: Hits, Misses & Messes

Matthew Weinberg

Partner

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

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

Scout Brisson

CEO

Scout Brisson is the CEO of De Soi, a line of non-alcoholic sparkling cocktails co-founded by pop star Katy Perry and distiller Morgan McLachlan. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Scout joined De Soi pre-launch and has since scaled it to 7,000+ retail doors including Target, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. She previously worked in management consulting and venture incubation and co-founded a better-for-you CPG brand. An MIT Neuroscience grad, she brings strategic and creative rigor to early-stage brand building with a deep passion for category-defining products and mindful indulgence.

Joel Samuels

Director

Joel Samuels is Director of Talent Ventures of WME, a leading Hollywood talent agency which represents many of the world’s biggest actors, musicians, athletes, models in the world. He structures equity deals and new incubations for his celebrity clients with emerging consumer brands. Illustrative deals include Robert Downey Jr. with Happy Coffee, Eva Longoria with Siete Foods, Gal Gadot with Goodles, and Camila Cabello with Olipop.

Prior to WME, Joel started his career in the finance world – starting with investment banking at Moelis & Company, followed by consumer-focused private equity at Austin-based Peak Rock Capital. He then pursued his MBA at Columbia Business School, after which he joined the investment team at Aria Growth Partners.

Alexander Doman

CEO

Alex has had a career ranging from management consulting to start up CEO - but has always had incubation or value proposition creation as a core part of his role. Ever since he learned about "disruptive innovation" and human centred design at university he has been focussed on innovation: whether creating new life insurance products for a FTSE 100 client, building his first start up AVEC Drinks, or incubating and running a business for Ben Stiller. Currently the co-founder and CEO of “insert new brand name here” with Ben - Alex is focussed on building the world’s silliest, more important beverage brand.

Salon E

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

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

This panel builds on last year’s exploration of incubation models to spotlight how celebrities today are acting as startup founders, investors, and brand builders. We’ll unpack the good, bad and ugly details of celebrity‑backed ventures—from Skims to Goop—exploring brand fit, media power, product execution, partnership pitfalls, and long‑term viability. Attendees will gain actionable insights into how celebrity involvement amplifies opportunity… and risk.

STAR?POWERED STARTUPS: HITS, MISSES & MESSES


Is There Too Much Music?

Michael Pelczynski

Chief Strategy & Impact Officer

Michael Pelczynski is Co‑Founder and Chief Strategy & Impact Officer at Voice‑Swap, where he leads vision, partnerships, and policy to shape ethical AI voice standards in music, including the first technical certification for AI voice models in collaboration with BMAT. He also serves as EVP of Digital Strategy & Distribution at Rostrum Pacific’s SpaceHeater, and previously helped architect SoundCloud’s Fan‑Powered Royalties model while overseeing economics and rights administration.

Kristin Robinson

Senior Music Business Correspondent

Kristin Robinson is a Senior Correspondent at Billboard covering music publishing and technology, with a focus on artificial intelligence. She writes Machine Learnings, Billboard’s newsletter on AI’s impact on the music industry. Her investigative work has earned her multiple finalist nods from the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and the LA Press Club, including features on Mike Dean, Ghostwriter, and Charli XCX. Kristin also writes cover stories for Billboard, including pieces on Laufey, Mustard, and the AI-generated track “Heart on My Sleeve.” She graduated from USC’s music industry program in 2020.

Ashley-Cree Maddix

Senior Manager, Artist Services

Ashley-Cree Maddix is a seasoned professional with over 14 years of experience in the music industry.
Currently, she serves as the Senior Manager of Artist Services at Audiomack, an artist-first music streaming and audio discovery platform with 30 million monthly users worldwide.
During her tenure at Audiomack, 5 years and counting, Cree has supported more than 700 artist campaigns and led
successful projects and events such as “March Madness”, “Press Play On Black Businesses”,and the “Connect Event” series.
Prior to her role at Audiomack, Cree worked as an Entertainment Creative on various artist teams, where she assisted with marketing, publicity, and performance development.
Her career began in Radio Promotions and Events at Audacy, where she worked for stations like Power 96 and 104.3 The Shark. At Audacy, Cree collaborated with key partners such as Metro PCS and Tito’s Vodka to produce popular music festivals like Riptide Music Festival and Chili Cook-Off.
Cree is a graduate of Florida International University in Miami.

Dani Deahl

As a prominent figure in music, Dani Deahl has been at the forefront of artist discovery and meaningful industry change for over a decade. She currently is a DJ, producer, public speaker, and Head of Communications & Creator Insights at BandLab. She developed the coverage for the intersection of music and technology for The Verge, helmed YouTube series The Future of Music, and is also a Trustee for the Recording Academy Chicago chapter.

(She will also be stepping into the role of VP, Creator Policy and Corporate Affairs at Caldecott Music Group later this year.)

Capitol Ballroom E

Tour Support 2.0: How Mental Health is Reshaping Live Music

From Streams to Strategy: The Label Services Evolution

Rock’s Biggest Promoter on the Future of Festivals

Music Nostalgia: The Secret Weapon in Modern Advertising

Congrats, you can release a song in 10 minutes. Now do that every week, promote it constantly, and hope the algorithm’s in a good mood. Everyone celebrates accessibility, but nobody talks about how creators are stuck in a never-ending cycle of release, promote, repeat, with fewer results. What happens when the platforms encourage constant output, but discovery is increasingly unpredictable and unsustainable? Is the current system helping artists succeed, or just keeping them busy? The volume is up, so how do we tune into what really resonates?


How Creators Teach: Turning Knowledge Into Income and Community

Rachel Masters

Founder & Managing Partner

Rachel Masters is a creator economy strategist with 20+ years of experience building high-impact communities, campaigns, and events for global artists, tech leaders, and consumer brands. She’s advised clients with a combined 500M+ followers, including Linkin Park, Hearst, and SoundHound AI. A former VP at Mighty Networks and Ning, Rachel helps creators and companies scale learning, influence, and revenue through community-powered growth.

Olivia Owens

Head Of Creator Partnerships & Business Development

Olivia Owens is an accomplished creator, community builder, and partnerships expert with nearly a decade of experience empowering entrepreneurs and creators to launch and scale successful businesses. Recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for social impact, Olivia is passionate about fostering inclusive ecosystems that amplify diverse voices. Currently, Olivia leads creator partnerships and business development at Teachable, a leading digital products platform for education-focused creators. Prior to jumping into the creator economy, she spent five years at IFundWomen, where she pioneered the launch of IFundWomen of Color, a platform bridging the funding gap for women of color entrepreneurs through crowdfunding and grants.

Eugene Yao

Creator / Founder

Eugene Yao is the founder of Dopamine Mastery and the creator behind @adhdfounder, with over 2 million followers. He’s also the founder of eVouch and co-creator of Huddle, a virtual coworking space for creators. After burning out building startups, Eugene was diagnosed with ADHD, an experience that led him to develop practical, dopamine-friendly productivity hacks for neurodivergent minds. His content and online challenges focus helping people discover real tools to beat procrastination, build routines, and get things done when traditional advice fails.

Cassandra Bankson

Creator / Ceo

Cassandra Bankson is a YouTube creator, skincare expert, and medical aesthetician with over 2 million subscribers and 14 years of experience in the beauty industry. As the original skinfluencer, Cassandra Bankson is at the forefront of the influencer marketing and is best known as the former runway model who shared her raw, vulnerable acne journey on YouTube. Today, Bankson is a social media powerhouse and trusted expert who educates and entertains her audience through uplifting and science-backed skincare content. She is also an impressive business leader who drives sales, empowers others, and creates inspiring video content on a daily basis to serve her hyper-engaged skincare community.

Waller Ballroom A

Texas High School Shorts Screening & Q&A

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

From Viral to Viable: Building IP as a Creator

Today’s leading creators aren’t just entertaining; they’re teaching and sharing information. From wellness challenges and cohort-based coaching to digital courses and paid memberships, creator-led learning has become one of the most sustainable ways to grow audience, revenue, and build community.

In this session, you’ll learn which learning formats from cohorts to in-person retreats are working now (and which have burned out). Panelists will break down how to design and monetize educational content that builds loyalty, whether you’re launching your first paid challenge, growing a coaching business, or integrating brand partners into your community. You’ll leave with a framework for launching your own “creator classroom”, one that deepens connection and drives consistent income.

HOW CREATORS TEACH: TURNING KNOWLEDGE INTO INCOME AND COMMUNITY


World Travelers Meet Up

Deepa Lakshmin

Director of Social Media

Deepa Lakshmin is a writer and editor based in New York City who's covered everything from travel to entertainment to politics. She's currently the director of social media at Lonely Planet, leading social strategy and programming content for an audience of 13 million travelers who follow @lonelyplanet across channels. She was previously the managing editor of Meta (formerly Facebook) and Instagram's B2B content marketing blogs. As a journalist, she’s written for National Geographic, MTV News, Vox, Inverse, and NYLON – plus managed both organic and paid social for The Daily Beast, Atlas Obscura, and Tribeca Film Festival, among others.

Bridget FitzGibbons

Brand Marketing Director

Based in South Florida, Bridget FitzGibbons is the Director of Brand Marketing at Lonely Planet, leading the consumer brand and awareness campaigns for the travel brand. She's helped guide brand strategy and marketing campaign development for McCann Worldgroup + Disney. Passionate about helping empower women and especially as adolescents, she is a supporter and previous mentor for GirlForward and PACE Center for Girls.

Room 408

Convene, Collaborate, & Cultivate Connection: Moms Meet Up

Where to next? This casual meet up is for SXSW attendees who enjoy exploring the world, swapping travel stories, and sharing recommendations for their favorite destinations. If you've traveled to Austin, don't be shy – come say hi, meet fellow travelers, make new connections, and maybe even get inspiration for a future trip.


Data Equity Core Conversation

Shreya Singh Hernandez

Responsible Data Lead

Shreya Singh Hernández (she, her) is a data-driven social impact strategist with a transdisciplinary career in responsible technology and data justice. In her role as the Senior Manager of Empowered Communities and the Responsible Data Practices Lead at Aspen Digital, a policy program of the Aspen Institute, Shreya leads efforts on convening tech experts, collaborating with civil society leaders and academicians, and creating systems of accountability through innovative data programs in the field of tech equity, product inclusion, and AI Fairness.

Room 410

Technology Convergence: Winning the Exponential Upswing

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

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

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

As data becomes the raw material of modern life, how do we ensure it's collected, shared, and used in ways that build, not break, trust? This structured meet-up invites technologists , policymakers, and community advocates to explore responsible data practices across industries. Together, we’ll reflect on the disappearance of public data, rising mistrust in institutions, and what it means to build for integrity, transparency, and equity. Participants will share challenges and insights, contribute to a collective best practices, and connect with others shaping the future of ethical data use.


Casting TV In The 21st Century

Stephanie Holbrook

Casting Director

Kristian Charbonier

Casting Director

Kristian Charbonier is a New York based Television, Film and Theatre Casting Director. Select TV/film credits include: THEATER CAMP, BEST OF THE BEST (Netflix) MEAN GIRLS (Paramount), TICK, TICK… BOOM! (Netflix), IN THE HEIGHTS, AMERICAN CLASSIC (MGM+), DEAR EDWARD (Apple TV+) and SCHMIGADOON (Apple TV+). Select Broadway/theatre credits include: THE LOST BOYS, CABARET AT THE KIT KAT CLUB, SMASH, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (City Center Encores!). He is a graduate of Florida State University’s School of Theatre.

Kate Geller

Casting Director

Current projects include: OH, HI!, CHILI FINGER, INTO THE SKY,  IDIOTKA (w/Camila Mendes & Anna Baryshnikov, SXSW 2025), FUCKTOYS (SXSW 2025), BOB TREVINO LIKES IT (w/Barbie Ferreira & John Leguizamo, SXSW 2024 Narrative & Audience Award winner), OMNI LOOP (w/Mary Louise Parker & Ayo Edeberi, SXSW 2024), COLD WALLET (SXSW 2024), ON THE END (w/Tim Blake Nelson), BARRON'S COVE (w/Garrett Hedlund), THE GOOD HALF (w/Nick Jonas, Tribeca 2023), CORA BORA (w/Meg Stalter, SXSW 2023), MOLLI AND MAX IN THE FUTURE (SXSW 2023). Past projects: SHIVA BABY, THE FRONT ROOM (A24), DRUGSTORE JUNE, NINE DAYS (Sundance 2020), BRAZEN (Netflix), THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES, DON'T THINK TWICE, MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON and many more.

Henry Russell Bergstein

HRB Casting / Fox Entertainement Studios

Casting Director / Producer / Talent Consultant

Bi-coastal casting director, producer, and talent consultant.  Was VP of Casting at HBO Max during its launch where he oversaw casting for scripted and unscripted series, docudramas, and animation.  Theater: Most recently Oh, Mary! (Broadway and Off-Broadway), Oratorio For Living Things (Ars Nova, Signature), White Girl In Danger (Vineyard/2st) and This Land Was Made and Titaníque (Daryl Roth/Asylum Theater).  Over 20 productions at Vineyard Theatre and numerous productions at Ars Nova, LCT3, Signature, Rattlestick, PS 122. Television: Succession, Inventing Anna, Adults, The Other Two, Mozart in the Jungle, Black Mirror, Ramy (pilot).  Film: Mass (Independent Spirit Robert Altman Award), Black Bear, Kindergarten Teacher, The Week Of, Vampires Vs. The Bronx, Frances Ha. Podcasts as well.

Mansfield AB

From Vault to Vision: Reviving Film History with AI

Producing Without Borders: Navigating Global Film

Lessons Learned: How We Made Our First Feature

Going Off Script: Filmmaking Through an Indigenous Lens

Annual Legal Update for Indie Film and TV

No art form encapsulates the shifting landscape of media from the 20th to 21st centuries quite like television. What started out as 3 broadcast networks derived from radio has grown into a global juggernaut of content consumption. How has casting for scripted series morphed and changed alongside the gargantuan changes in how audiences watch television? How has the workflow of casting augmented in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic? How is casting for television unique and distinct from casting for feature films? Three of Hollywood's top casting directors are here to answer your questions.


Jurassic Warnings: What Dinosaurs Knew About the End of the World

William Li

Physician, Scientist, Bestselling Author

William W. Li, MD, is an internationally renowned physician, scientist and two-time New York Times bestselling author of “Eat to Beat Your Diet: Burn Fat, Heal Your Metabolism, and Live Longer” and “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself”. His groundbreaking work has led to the development of more than 40 new medical treatments and impacts care for more than 70 diseases including cancer, diabetes, blindness, heart disease and obesity. His YouTube Channel has more than 20 million views, and his TED Talk, “Can We Eat to Starve Cancer?” has garnered more than 11 million views. Dr. Li has appeared on Good Morning America, CNN, Live with Kelly & Mark, CNBC, and more, and he has been featured in USA Today, Time Magazine, The Atlantic, O Magazine, and more. He is president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation. For more information visit: drwilliamli.com.

Kenneth Lacovara

Founding Executive Director

Dr. Kenneth Lacovara has unearthed some of the largest dinosaurs ever to walk the earth, including the massive 65-ton Dreadnoughtus, which appeared in the film Jurassic World: Dominion. He is a recipient of The Explorers Club Medal, the highest honor in exploration. His TED talk has been viewed by over five million people, and his book, Why Dinosaurs Matter, published by Simon & Schuster, is a winner of the Nautilus Book Prize. Lacovara’s discoveries have landed him three times in Discover magazine’s 100 Top Science Stories of the Year, and he has appeared in over 20 television documentaries. He is founding former dean of the School of Earth & Environment at Rowan University, and is the founding executive director of the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum.

Salon E

Turning Up the Heat: Climate Content That Clicks

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

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

Culture Under Fire: Storytelling for Public Power

How to Win Friends and Overthrow Systems

What can a 65-ton dinosaur teach us about the climate crisis and how we care for our health today? In this dynamic session, world-renowned paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara, who discovered Dreadnoughtus – one of the largest land animals to ever walk the Earth; and bestselling physician-scientist Dr. William Li, explore how the fossils hold urgent lessons for our future. From the extinction of giants like Dreadnoughtus to fossilized evidence of diseases like cancer, they reveal how Earth's deep past can help us understand modern threats to humans – and what we can do about them.

JURASSIC WARNINGS: WHAT DINOSAURS KNEW ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD


Cassettes & Cults: Making The Red Weather Podcast

Rider Strong

Filmmaker, Podcaster

Rider Strong began his career as an actor, best known for his roles on Boy Meets World and the cult horror film, Cabin Fever. Moving behind the camera, Rider’s written and directed short films that played over 60 festivals worldwide and he returned to his roots, this time as a director, for three seasons of the Emmy-nominated Girl Meets World. His play Never Ever Land premiered at Theatre Unleashed in Los Angeles in the fall of 2019. He is the creator and co-host of the podcasts Literary Disco and Pod Meet World, the latter of which has garnered over 40 million downloads and spawned a national tour.

Rachel Marsh

Actor

Rachel Marsh will next be seen in a lead in the MRC / Amazon feature film, THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS opposite Lili Reinhart.  She’s currently recurring on the second season of FX’S ADULTS and can be seen recurring on both the Apple Series, THE MORNING SHOW, and the Amazon Series, FALLOUT.  She was previously a series regular in the Netflix comedy UNSTABLE opposite Rob Lowe.

Jon Huertas

Actor

Jon Huertas is an award-winning American actor best known for his roles as Miguel Rivas on NBC’s This Is Us, Detective Javier Esposito on ABC’s Castle, and Sgt. Tony “Poke” Espera in HBO’s Generation Kill. With over 500 television episodes to his credit, he is one of primetime drama’s most recognizable faces. A U.S. Air Force veteran who served eight years, his military experience informed his performance in Generation Kill. Huertas has also directed episodes of This Is Us, The Rookie, and others, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and SAG-AFTRA’s National Board.

Chris Wylde

Actor/Comedian

Chris Wylde is an actor, comedian, former choirboy and recovering gameshow/talkshow host turned podcaster. Wylde created Dadholes and stars in the Babysitter film series on Netflix. When Chris sang with the St. Thomas Boys Choir and Carly Simon for Mike Nichols’ classic Working Girl the song Let The River Run won the Grammy and the Oscar. Wylde’s voice can be heard as Ribby on The Cuphead Show! which was nominated for an Outstanding Animated Series Emmy. The Tony eludes him.

Waller Ballroom F

From Podcasts to Radio: Unlocking Scaled Audio with Modern Attribution

Chasing the Truth: How Stories We Tell Spark Cultural Change

Power Shift: How Podcasters are Monetizing on Their Terms

Using the scripted podcast Red Weather as a focused case study, this session explores how narrative audio is developed from script to final performance, and why podcasts have become a powerful, creator-driven pathway for original IP. With creator Rider Strong and key cast members, the panel examines writing, performance, and collaboration, with a focus on practical, on-location recording in real environments — redwoods, diners, and moving cars — and how physical space shapes immersive audio storytelling.

CASSETTES & CULTS: MAKING THE RED WEATHER PODCAST


Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Social Issues

Patricia E. Gillespie

Patricia E. Gillespie is the daughter of a cable splicer and a seamstress. As a filmmaker, she is preoccupied with character-driven explorations of underdogs and outsiders. With her narrative-leaning sensibilities, Gillespie has a proven track record of engaging broad audiences around stories that matter, particularly those relating to social class, public health, and the justice system.

Her directorial work includes "The Secrets We Bury" and "They Called Him Mostly Harmless," both of which hit #1 on HBO Max, and "The Fire That Took Her," which won the 2023 News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary. She also created, directed, and executive produced Viceland’s highly rated first foray into serialized true crime, "The Devil You Know."

In addition to directing, Patricia also produces. Her credits include the Emmy-nominated, Oscar-shortlisted Sundance hit "Unrest"; Peabody-nominated "Whose Streets?"; and Oscar-nominated Robert Stone’s "Taken Hostage."

She is a proud resident of NYC’s best borough, Queens, where she lives with her dog, Hank, and her husband, Alvaro.

Alamo Lamar 1

I Got Bombed at Harvey's

Biography
Crime
Documentary
Drama
Thriller

I Got Bombed at Harvey's (aka 1,000 Pounds of Dynamite)

#Skyking tells the story of 28-year-old Horizon Air ground service agent Richard “Beebo” Russell, who, to the shock of all who knew him, clocked into work wearing a shirt that said “the sky's no limit,” stole a 33-million-dollar plane, and took off into the skies of the Pacific Northwest—embarking on a white-knuckle flight that would come to embody the hopes, dreams, and despair of the American working class, and offer a timely look into the U.S. mental health crisis.

#Skyking

#Skyking tells the story of Richard “Beebo” Russell, a ground service agent who stole an airplane belonging to his employer, and took off on a flight that would come to embody the hopes, dreams, and despair of the American working class.

Christopher G. Cowen
Patricia E. Gillespie

Victor Tadashi Suarez
Nathanial Harper
Jeremy Benning

Co Producer: Linsey Romero, Executive In Charge: Michael Bernstein


Amy Jenkins

Amy Jenkins (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary artist, whose work focuses on familial relationships, desire, and gender identity. She was recently awarded the 2024 Santa Fe Art Institute Residency, the 2023 Sundance Documentary Film Grant, the 2023 Robert Flaherty Fellowship, the 2023 Harvard Film Study Center-LEF Fellowship, the 2019 Ewing Award for Interdisciplinary Art, and the 2018 New Hampshire Film Festival Filmmaker of the Year. Her films have also been supported by LEF Foundation, Points North Institute, Perspective Fund, Center for Independent Documentary, and Gotham. Her artwork has been presented at museums including MoMA, The National Gallery of Art, The Haifa Museum, The Akron Art Museum and Palm Beach ICA. Her first documentary feature, "Instructions on Parting," premiered at MoMA Doc Fortnight 2018 and won Best Feature Documentary at Athens International Film and Video Festival, OH. Her short film "Wishes" premiered at the Camden International Film Festival in 2019, and screened at festivals including Salem, New Orleans, Ashland Independent, Frameline, OutfestLA, Sidewalk, NewFest, Wicked Queer, among others. Her artwork has been reviewed in many publications, including The New York Times, ARTnews, Bomb, Artcritical, Performing Arts Journal, and The Village Voice.

Satellite Venue: AFS Cinema

Time and Water

Archival Materials Courtesy of Andri Snær Magnason

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist

Courtesy of Focus Features © 2025 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Your Attention Please

Health/Disability/Illness
Politics
Technology
Social Issue

"Adam's Apple" is an intimate, collaborative documentary told through the dual perspectives of Adam, a transgender teen, and his mother, visual artist Amy Jenkins, that offers an authentic and tender counterpoint to the hostility facing trans youth today. Adam’s journey balances the milestones of gender transition with the rhythms of adolescence. As Adam asserts his identity and steps out into the world, his parents grapple with the challenges of raising a teen while learning to let go. Through a visually poetic approach, the film transforms a deeply personal archive, collected over two decades, into a powerful, joyful testament to the beauty and difficulty of reckoning with profound change.

Adam's Apple

A transgender teen and his mother chronicle their lives, artistically weaving a rare and intimate portrait of a family in transition. Two decades of footage trace a boy’s path to manhood and his parents' vulnerability as they reckon with change.

Adam Sieswerda, John Sieswerda, Elias Sieswerda

Consulting Producer: Amy Hobby, DI Colorist: Esmé Smith, Story Consultant: Carter Sickels


Peter Mortimer

Peter Mortimer is an Emmy-winning and PGA-nominated filmmaker best known for his feature documentaries "The Alpinist" (2021), "The Dawn Wall" (2017) and "Valley Uprising" (2014) and as creator and director of the "Reel Rock Film Tour" (2001 - present).

Nick Rosen

Nick Rosen is an American filmmaker living in Colorado. He is a partner, writer, and producer at Sender Films. He is the director of the Emmy-winning documentary films "The Alpinist" and "Valley Uprising" and the National Geographic series, "First Ascent," and a co-creator of the "Reel Rock Film Tour."

The Dark Wizard

An unflinching portrait of Dean Potter, the world’s most influential and controversial climber, base jumper and highline walker, who achieves jaw-dropping feats while battling his inner demons.

Peter Mortimer
Nick Rosen
Josh Lowell
Elizabeth Potter

Halle Johns
Zachary Barr
Olivia Ahnemann

Chuck Fryberger
John Behrens
Brett Lowell

Dean Potter, Jen Rapp, Elizabeth Potter, Brad Lynch, Jim Hurst, Timmy O'Neill, Dean Fidelman, Dan Duane, Eric Perlman, Alex Honnold

Story Editor: Josh Lowell, Archival & Associate Producer: Julia Hoppock, Associate Editor: Emily Lea, Associate Editor: Katharine Carroll, Aassociate Editor: Alex Ferrante, Motion Graphics: Barry Thompson, Motion Graphics & VFX: Alex Ferrante, Brooke Wentz: Music Supervisor, Music Editor: Chester Gwazda


Will Ropp

Will Ropp is a writer, director and actor.
He is making his directorial feature debut with the comedy "Brian", starring Ben Wang, William H. Macy, Randall Park, and Natalie Morales. The film is executive produced by Seth Meyers and will receive its world premiere at SXSW.

Before stepping behind the camera, Ropp built a career in front of it as an actor. His film credits include Gavin O’Connor’s critically acclaimed "The Way Back", Megan Park’s directorial debut "The Fallout", Peter Farrelly’s "The Greatest Beer Run Ever", as well as what Ropp considers his finest work: a two-second appearance in "Joker: Folie Ádeux" as 'Joker Fan #1.' On television, he has appeared in “Adults,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Dave,” “The Sex Lives of College Girls”, and “Love, Victor.”

Alamo Lamar 4

My NDA

African American
Legal
LGBTQ
Politics
Social Issues
Women
Social Issue

Cookie Queens

African American
Latino
Texas
Women
Children
Disability
Native American/Indigenous
Youth/Teen

Courtesy of Beautiful Stories and AJNA Films

The Life We Leave

Business/Entrepreneurial
Environment
Social Issue

It sucks to be Brian. He’s smart, funny, and capable, but his mental health issues make it hard for anyone to see it - especially when compared to his effortlessly cool older brother. At school, Brian harbors an unrequited crush on Brooke: she’s smart, kind, pretty… and very much his teacher. A disastrous drama club audition leads to yet another one of Brian’s trademark public meltdowns. Thus begins Brian’s search for his new “thing”. On paper he’s chosen the worst possible fit: running for class president. With help from his therapist and the new kid, Justin, Brian launches his high-stakes campaign and sparks a messy, exquisitely awkward journey toward self-acceptance.

Brian

An acerbic high school student prone to panic attacks runs for class president to get closer to the teacher he’s hopelessly in love with.

Danielle Lauder
Mike Scollins
Seth Meyers
Jason Carden
Michael Shoemaker
Talia Bella
Randy Wayne

Ben Wang, William H. Macy, Edi Patterson, Randall Park, Natalie Morales, Joshua Colley, Sophia Macy, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Thomas Barbusca, Jacob Moskovitz


Health/Disability/Illness
The Arts/Theater
Women

Emily Robinson

Emily Robinson is a writer, director, and SAG Award-nominated, Special Drama Desk Award-winning actor known for her work in "Eight Grade", "The Year Between", "Private Life", "Edge of Everything", and "Transparent".

She is thrilled that her directorial debut feature film, "Ugly Cry", is making its premiere here at SXSW. Her short films have screened at numerous festivals, such as LA Film Festival, Outfest, and Frameline.

Her debut novel, "Consumed", was published in 2023.

Robinson holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

Violet Crown 2

Agridulce (Bittersweet)

Education
Indigenous Culture
International
Latino
Social Issues
Children
Developing World
Social Issue
Youth/Teen

When Delaney's boyfriend leaves town to shoot a splashy zombie movie, she becomes obsessed with a character she’s auditioning for after she learns the producers think she has an "ugly cry." But when she tries to make her cry prettier, her performance suffers. Can she contort herself, and her face, to have the perfect cry? Her attempts to change herself cause Young Delaney to haunt her, catapulting present day Delaney deeper down the rabbit hole. She isolates herself and grows increasingly delusional, and interested in physical fixes to her acting problem. How can she make the world see her as she sees herself? How can she become and become and become? She will become famous. Or die trying.

Ugly Cry

An actor loses their dream role because of their "ugly cry" causing them to spiral down the dark and dangerous path to perfection.

Debbie von Ahrens
Jim Robinson
Kyle Campbell
Troy Press
Bella Appel
Darci Price
Galileo Mondol

Sophia Sabella
Pablo Feldman
Jolene Mendes
Rhianon Jones
Tristan Scott-Behrends
Emily Robinson

Emily Robinson, Ryan Simpkins, Aaron Dominguez, and Robin Tunney

Costume Designers: Sophia Sabella & Lucy Black, Hair and Makeup Department Head: Josie Rodriguez, Visual Effects: Matt Lathrom & Patrick Lomantini, Co-Executive Producer: Patrick Lawrence, Associate Producer: Rachel Nagao, Script Supervisor: Martha Carey, Assistant Director: Veronica Deeds, Colorist: Steff Walk


Megan Rico

Megan Rico is a writer, director, and illustrator from the tropical swamp of Miami, Florida. She ran away to New York City the minute she graduated and has spent the last ten years writing and directing television for anyone who will let her, including Impractical Jokers, Above Average, and the sketch comedy show Studio C, among others.

Kade Atwood

Kade Atwood began his career directing beauty commercials before making the OBVIOUS transition into comedy. It was at the sketch comedy tv show, Studio C, that he found his funny bone.  Kade obsesses over finding the perfect frame for the joke. His work has been shortlisted at the Cannes Young Director Awards and won a Shiny Award.

Timid Catholic school dork Edie Arnold is dragged to a punk show where a mishap lands her on stage behind the drums. She's mortified... but a natural. Convinced by her best friend, she secretly forms a band called The NunDead. Her newfound confidence leads to a date with the altar boy but also a fight that gets her suspended. Thinking she bailed on their first gig, her bandmates bust her out of the house just in time to win a Battle of the Bands. But when she faces expulsion and her mother's wrath at a disciplinary hearing, footage of her kick-ass performance has an unexpected effect on her mom.

Edie Arnold is a Loser

Timid dork Edie accidentally makes waves when she starts a punk band with her fellow “turds," becoming an icon to the rest of the losers at her Catholic school while pissing off the hot girls, the nuns, and the horniest altar boy you’ve ever seen.

Paul & Janis Atwood
Marissa Hastings
Travis Hawkes
Jeremy Prusso
Loany Rico
Jason & Krissy Swallow
Jake Van Wagoner
Michael Scott Tuckett
Luke Michael Tuckett
Anne Noel Tuckett

Adi Madden Cabrera, McKenna Tuckett, Cherish Rodriguez, Niki Rahimi, Alexa Paige, Luseane Pasa, Star Herrmann, Alana Mei Kern, Gabe Root, Lucas Van Orden

Costume Designer: Amelia Kuhlmann, 1st Assistant Director: Kili Maile, Colorist: Keyhan Bayegan


Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film

Robb Boardman

Robb Boardman is a writer-director based in Los Angeles. He co-created, co-wrote, and directed the series, "The Dress Up Gang", at TBS. The show initially had its premiere at Sundance in 2019. He has since gone on to direct a sketch pilot for Hulu and his work has appeared on HBO. Robb also directs the viral CholoFit web series with frequent collaborator and comedian Frankie Quinones. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley’s Film & Media program.

Alamo Lamar 8

Dead Deer High

Education
Social Issues
The Arts/Theater
Youth/Teen

An offbeat comedy about friendship, purpose, and trying to grow something real in a city built to keep people apart.
Cory is a lonely, doomscrolling thirty-something whose most consistent relationship is with his Instagram algorithm. His apartment? An emotionally vacant, sterile, void. His fridge? Mostly Celsius. And his idea of connection is dodging calls from the one person who still tries: Fox, a soft-hearted, ex-con with terrible advice rooted in institutional paranoia and his love of films.
Everything shifts when Cory has a run-in, literally, with Plantman, a rogue horticultural crusader armed with a mysterious dossier of negligent plant owners.

PLANTMAN & BLONDIE: A DRESS UP GANG FILM

A lonely man escapes working from home when he meets Plantman...a mysterious man saving the neglected house plants of Los Angeles.

Mark Ankner
Robb Boardman
Cory Loykasek
Donny Divanian
Frankie Quinones
Jay Patumanoan
Adam Karm
Ben Wagner

Cory Loykasek, Donny Divanian, Frankie Quinones, Kate Berlant, Blake Anderson, Kirk Fox, Brent Weinbach, Jamar Neighbors, Christian Duguay, Kevin Camia

Co-Producer: Maria Carrasco, Co-Producer: Parker Mays


Education
Latino
LGBTQ
Politics
Social Issues
Social Issue

Isis Broken

Isis Broken is an actress and singer from Sergipe whose career bridges music, performance, and activism. She gained recognition with the award-winning music video Clã and starred in TV Globo’s soap opera "No Rancho Fundo." Co-director of the feature "Apolo," she released the album Orquestra Sinfônica das Cachorras de Rua in 2025.

Tainá Müller

Tainá Müller is a Brazilian actress, filmmaker, and journalist. She began her career as a reporter for MTV Brasil and appeared in the film "Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within" (2010). On television, she starred in the soap opera "Em Família" and Netflix’s series "Good Morning, Verônica" (2020–2024). In 2025, she made her feature directorial debut "Apolo."

Violet Crown 1

Daughters of the Forest: Mycelium Chronicles

"Apolo" follows the journey of a family formed by a transgender couple, revealing the nuances of love, daily life, and the constant struggle for recognition and respect. The documentary offers an intimate look into their family dynamics, inviting us to rethink our notions of affection, care, and society itself. As we accompany Apolo’s pregnancy, we are led to reflect on the challenges and dramas faced by the couple — Isis Broken and Lourenzo Gabriel. The father is the one giving birth, and society is not yet ready for that reality. The feature-length documentary marks the directorial debut of actress Tainá Müller and trans woman and musician Isis Broken.

Apolo

As we follow Apolo’s pregnancy, we reflect on the drama(s) of a transgender couple: Isis Broken and Lourenzo Gabriel. The father is giving birth — and society is not prepared for it.

Isa Colombo
Denise Fait
João Macedo
Plinio Profeta

Bianca Villar
Eduardo Rezende
Fernando Fraiha
Henrique Sauer
Karen Castanho
Tainá Muller e Thiago Mascarenhas

Tainá Müller
Tatiana Lohmann
Ísis Broken
Lourenzo Duvale

Lourenzo Duvale, Isis Broken, Apolo Duvale

Post-Production Coordination: Beto Bassi, Production Sound: Ísis Araújo, Production Sound: Clara Cavalcante, Production Sound: Gustavo Ruggeri, Production Sound: Juliana Chotte, Distribution Producer: Barbara Sturm


African American
Health/Disability/Illness
Politics

Deon Taylor

Director Deon Taylor has built a reputation for fearless storytelling across genres. From the intense thriller Traffik to the suspenseful The Intruder and the socially charged Black and Blue, Taylor consistently delivers films that entertain, provoke thought, and drive strong audience engagement.

Isaac “Drift” Wright, a self-taught photographer and Army veteran haunted by trauma, finds healing through breathtaking, illegal climbs of the world’s tallest structures. But his pursuit of art sparks a high-stakes battle with law enforcement in this intimate portrait of risk, resilience, and freedom in modern America.

Drift

Isaac Wright
Andrew Bourke
Ian Orefice
Amanda Spain
Jon Adler
George Wrighster III
Omar Joseph

Roxanne Avent Taylor
Deon Taylor
Inbal B. Lessner
Kaitlin McLaughlin

Kaitlin McLaughlin
Martin Biehn
Kevin Hibbard


Vera Miao

The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Vera Miao is a queer filmmaker whose early work in community organizing, along with her love of horror/sci-fi, shape her unique brand of propulsive yet character forward storytelling. She created Two Sentence Horror (ran for three seasons on the CW), and was writer/supervising producer on Amazon’s Expats.

A grieving Chinese and Vietnamese American family move to an isolated house in a new town. Eight-year-old Gracie, silent since the death of her beloved father, begins to interact with a dark presence in the woods behind their new home. Her mother, Emily, struggles to hide her suffocating grief, cutting her off from Gracie and her mother-in-law, Nai Nai. When Gracie is taken by the dark presence, her family has to confront the ghosts of the past and their shared trauma to find her. The story intertwines historical events from the 1885 massacre of Chinese coal miners with present-day supernatural elements, culminating in a poignant exploration of loss, memory, and reconciliation with the past.

Rock Springs

English, Cantonese, Mandarin with English Subtitles

After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home.

James Lopez
Christine Yi
Brian Nemes
Shawn Angelski
Caroline Connor
Kelly Marie Tran
Benedict Wong

Stephen Feder
Kiri Hart
Charles D. King
Poppy Hanks
Greta Talia Fuentes
Jason Michael Berman
Matthew Lindner
Jordan Moldo
Vera Miao

Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, Fiona Fu


Pedal Steel Noah

Flatstock Stage @ Austin Marriott Downtown (Moontower Hall)


Featured Session: Reclaiming our Humanity in the Age of AI

John Palfrey

Palfrey is a well-respected educator, author, legal scholar, and innovator with expertise in how new technologies are changing learning and education. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated a commitment to rigorous thinking, disruption, and creative solutions often made possible by technology, accessibility of information, and diversity and inclusion.

Actual short bio: John Palfrey is the President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Palfrey is a well-respected educator, author, legal scholar, and innovator with expertise in how new media is changing learning and education. Prior to joining MacArthur, he served as Head of School at Phillips Academy, Andover. Palfrey is the board chair of the United States Impact Investing Alliance; co-chairs the Disability and Inclusion Forum’s Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy; and serves on the board of the Fidelity Non-Profit Management Foundation. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and serves on the governance council. And he is the former board chair of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Palfrey holds a JD from Harvard Law School, an MPhil from the University of Cambridge, and an AB from Harvard College. Palfrey is an accomplished author; his most recent book is Wired Wisdom: How to Age Better Online, which he co-authored with Eszter Hargittai. His other books include Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces: Diversity and Free Expression in Education and Born Digital: How Children Grow Up in a Digital Age, co-authored with Urs Gasser.

Karen Hao

NYT Bestselling Author

Hao is the NYT bestselling author of Empire of AI and an award-winning journalist covering the intersections of AI & society. She writes for publications including The Atlantic and leads the Pulitzer Center's AI Spotlight Series, a program training thousands of journalists around the world on how to cover AI. She was previously a foreign correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, covering China's science and technology industry. Prior to that, she was a senior editor at MIT Technology Review, where she wrote about the latest research and social impacts of artificial intelligence. Her work won an American Humanist Media Award in 2024 and an American National Magazine Award in 2022 for “outstanding achievement for magazine journalists under the age of 30.”

Timnit Gebru

Founder & Exec Director

Dr. Timnit Gebru is a reputable AI expert who was formerly co-lead of the Ethical AI research team at Google. She also co-founded Black in AI, a nonprofit that works to increase the presence, inclusion, visibility and health of Black people in the field of AI, and is on the board of AddisCoder, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching algorithms and computer programming to Ethiopian and Jamaican high school students. She has received a number of accolades including Nature’s Ten people who helped shape science and TIME 100’s most influential people. She is currently writing The View from Somewhere, a memoir + manifesto arguing for a technological future that serves our communities instead of one that is used for surveillance, warfare, and the centralization of power by Silicon Valley.

Salon 6-8

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

Featured Session: Shaping Brand Relevance for a New Generation

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

Featured Session: Why Saying Yes to the Unthinkable Works

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

Too often, AI feels like something that’s done to us, not with us or for us. It will affect every aspect of our lives. But AI is neither poison nor panacea. It is and will be what we make it. Now is the moment to shape the future of AI for people. This panel will explore how we build the ecosystem and infrastructure to ensure that people will benefit the most from AI. Experts in AI, philanthropy, and advocacy, will offer a new way of thinking about AI that moves from Silicon Valley’s mantra of “move fast and break things” to an alternative vision that centers our humanity.

FEATURED SESSION: RECLAIMING OUR HUMANITY IN THE AGE OF AI


Featured Session: A Conversation with Jack Conte

Jack Conte

CEO and Co-founder

Jack Conte is CEO and co-founder of Patreon, a media and community platform where creators give their biggest fans access to exclusive works and experiences. He founded Patreon in 2013 with Sam Yam (CTO), driven by the belief that creators should be paid for the value they provide to the world. Jack leads the team on their mission to build tools that give Patreon’s 300,000+ creators freedom, independence and ownership over their work and the communities they build. Since launching, Patreon has sent over $10 billion to creators.

As a filmmaker and touring musician in the bands Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets, Jack has a deep understanding of and appreciation for creators. That passion is the driving force in the work Patreon is doing to usher in a new creative economy that puts the power back in creators’ hands.

Hilton Grand Ballroom (Salon HJK)

Featured Session: Moonshots that Move the Needle

SXSW Community Service Awards Recognition: The Bell

Featured Session: Strategy in the Times of Chaos: Imagining Futures of Education

Featured Session: How to Support Resilient Youth in an AI World

American Sign Language
Open captioned
Closed captioned

FEATURED SESSION: A CONVERSATION WITH JACK CONTE


The New Gold Rush of AI Data Centers

Zoya Hasan

Reporter

Anita Verma-Lallian

CEO & Founder

Salon C

Launch with 0 Investors: A Playbook for Crowdfunding in 2026

Missionary Misfits: Why Not Belonging Makes You Build Better

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

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

As AI accelerates, demand for data centers has sparked a modern-day gold rush reshaping land use, energy, and regional economies. Drawing on her experience developing large-scale projects in high-growth markets, Anita Verma-Lallian explains why certain regions are emerging as AI infrastructure hubs while others face real constraints. She breaks down what drives site selection, from zoning and entitlements to power, water, and community impact, cutting through the hype to reveal where the true opportunities lie and how communities can realistically position themselves for long-term investment.


Mentor Session: Katherine Miller (Hot Topic)

Katherine Miller

Director, Social Media

Katherine Miller is the driving force behind Hot Topic's vibrant online presence, leveraging over 15 years of expertise in social media strategy and execution. Her journey began in entertainment, navigating various roles within recording labels before finding her passion in ""new media.""

Currently leading Hot Topic's social media department, Katherine has propelled the team from two to nine specialists, achieving a reach of over 15 million. Her keen eye for emerging trends and audience dynamics allows her to craft authentic connections, setting new benchmarks for brand engagement.

With a dedication to innovation, Katherine is committed to shaping the future of brand and retail strategies. She eagerly shares her insights and experiences with fellow industry leaders, driven by a mission to revolutionize digital storytelling and foster customer loyalty.

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 Marketing/Advertising/PR, Storytelling, Fashion/Retail.

MENTOR SESSION: KATHERINE MILLER (HOT TOPIC)


Mentor Session: Mary Bailey (Last Prisoner Project )

Mary Bailey

Managing Director/Co-Founder

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Ethics, Funding, Nonprofits, Storytelling.

MENTOR SESSION: MARY BAILEY (LAST PRISONER PROJECT )


Mentor Session: John Rodriguez (J-Ro) (Stage Two)

John Rodriguez (J-Ro)

Pres

John Charles Rodriguez, also know as J-Ro, is an accomplished brand marketing and communications executive with 20+ years of experience supporting nascent and established brands, venture capital funds, accelerators, and early-stage startups. From SXSW to Mozilla to LG, John has been responsible for launching new technologies and products through narratives that define their place in the world. He is currently a principal at Stage Two, a fractional CMO consultancy.

At Stage Two, he helps clients build marketing vision, positioning, strategy and the teams to support them. Often described as a leader who is a storyteller and adept in technical engineering concepts, John's passion is exploring user behavior, patterns in culture and using insights to create effective strategies. Stage Two designs campaigns to help determine product market fit, develop advocacy, foster press, analyst and investor relations, and source and land critical funding and partnerships. The Stage Two model is simple: Explore, define, create, test, repeat.

Fostering community and experiences across the industry, Stage Two has built global press and demo tours, hosted speaker events and curated dinners, and even helped launch a new venture design studio called Combine. Stage Two also created the SX Hardware House at South By Southwest (SXSW).

John brings a founder/creator mindset to the table. In 2018, he launched Visva, a social collaboration platform, whose thesis was that impactful civic participation needs strong collaboration, productivity, and governance support. Visva raised $10M, had teams in Austin, LA, and the Bay Area, and worked with fashion influencers, student organizations, progressive political groups, and climate change/social justice activists. John attended the University of Texas at Austin and lives with his family in Marin County, California.

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

MENTOR SESSION: JOHN RODRIGUEZ (J-RO) (STAGE TWO)


Mentor Session: Zach Marshall (Apple/The University of Texas at Austin)

Zach Marshall

Apple Pay Operations Manager/Professor

I am a veteran, entrepreneur, award-winning professor, and experienced operations leader with a track record in building in the world of business and leadership. From my time in the military as an Army Captain with two deployments to Iraq, to leading teams for small and large organizations such as Apple, I have consistently driven high-impact results in challenging environments.  I am a professor for undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship, encompassing New Venture Mechanics and Entrepreneurship/Technology Transfer.

I write a weekly neswltter called the Prof Z Project that delivers stories and actionable advice to drive meaningful change in the reader's life and career.

I also volunteer as a SXSW PanelPicker and Innovation Award Judge.

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

MENTOR SESSION: ZACH MARSHALL (APPLE/THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN)


Mentor Session: Brandon Holman (Amber Health)

Brandon Holman

Head of Industry Relations

Brandon Holman is a music executive and wellness strategist with over 15 years of experience at the intersection of tech, music, and culture. After a personal transformation rooted in grief and renewal, he began integrating mindfulness and wellness practices into the industry, creating spaces for authenticity and connection. He has partnered with brands including Billboard, Calm, Nike, and Coachella, and collaborated with artists such as Omar Apollo, Snoh Allegra, and Steve Lacy. Brandon also serves as an advisor for Amber Health, sits on the boards of Walkgood LA and the Music Business Association, and is an active member of the Recording Academy’s LA Chapter Foundation Committee.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

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

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

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Marketing/PR, Touring, Nonprofits.

MENTOR SESSION: BRANDON HOLMAN (AMBER HEALTH)


Mentor Session: Vanessa Ferrer (Merch Cat)

Vanessa Ferrer

Founder/CEO

Vanessa Ferrer is the founder and CEO of Merch Cat and has been a successful businesswoman for over 15 years in finance and the music business.  Armed with the heart of an artist, the belief that she could make a difference, and the drive to make it happen, Ferrer founded InFocus Artist Management in 2009. After managing several touring clients and consulting for high profile industry professionals, she realized a market need for emerging artists and their business teams. Using her multi-faceted background, she developed and launched Merch Cat (http://www.merchcat.com), a musician friendly platform for artists to sell and manage merchandise at live shows. Following on Merch Cat, Ferrer launched Merch Cat FAN, a connected direct to fan app to help artists further capitalize on the artist-fan connection driven merch opportunities at live shows.

Being passionate about education, Ferrer has participated in over 30 speaking engagements about merchandise as an artist revenue stream, fan engagement, and other music business interests at SXSW, Music Biz, AmericanaFest, A2IM Indie Week, and more. Ferrer is a member of the Recording Academy (NARAS) and Women In Music.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Music Tech, Merchandise, Startups.

MENTOR SESSION: VANESSA FERRER (MERCH CAT)


Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution Mentor Session: Joe Tufano (Submarine Entertainment)

Joe Tufano

VP of Distribution

Joe Tufano leads theatrical distribution and international sales at Submarine. He most recently managed the theatrical releases of Errol Morris' Separated, Jesse Moss & Tony Gerber's War Game, A Man With Sole: The Impact of Kenneth Cole, and the Academy Award-nominated documentary All That Breathes.

Liberty

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

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

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

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

Programming Mentor Session: CC Hutten (TED Conferences)

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

SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION MENTOR SESSION: JOE TUFANO (SUBMARINE ENTERTAINMENT)


Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution Mentor Session: Kurt Ravenwood (SRH)

Kurt Ravenwood

Partner

Kurt Ravenwood is creative strategist, executive, and independent film producer. As a co-founder and Executive Strategy Director at the boutique ad agency and production studio SRH, he has led innovative campaigns that bridge across advertising and entertainment. He also recently produced the landmark indie feature film Hundreds of Beavers, overseeing a revolutionary roadshow distribution strategy that propelled the film to over $1.3m in box office, a worldwide cult following, and earning SRH the distinction of

Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Film & TV.  Hundreds of Beavers finished 2024 as the highest-rated comedy on Letterboxd. The critically-acclaimed film also garner major attention in The New York Times, Variety, and Indiewire who proclaimed his work as “The Gold Standard of Microdistribution.”

He is based in Milwaukee, WI and Los Angeles, CA.

Executive Room

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

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

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

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

Programming Mentor Session: Haojie Huang (Kaohsiung Film Festival)

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

SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION MENTOR SESSION: KURT RAVENWOOD (SRH)


Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution Mentor Session: Chris Beaver (Sky Top Content)

Chris Beaver

Chief Content Officer

Chris Beaver began his career in Original Programming at Imagine TV and Showtime Networks before moving into Content Acquisitions where he has become a leader in the field over the past 12 years, rising to the level of Vice President at the network.

He acquired content from independent distributors like Vertical and Gravitas, mini-majors like Neon and Bleecker Street, major studios like Paramount and Warner Bros as well as pre-bought movies, documentaries and stand-up specials from producers. In fact, Chris was the executive who brought to life SXSW Comedy with W. Kamau Bell (and then with Natasha Leggero) in 2015 and 2016. He has attended every SXSW since 2013 (participated in a panel last year) and worked with distributors like IFC in acquiring content out of the festival.

Chris left Showtime in 2023 and started his own sales and distribution company, Sky Top Content, where he has completed content sales to many platforms including major Pay TV, SVOD, AVOD and CTV services.

Through Sky Top Content, Chris also has worked as the Chief Content Officer at Allrites, a B2B content marketplace that is focused on making the buying and selling of content extremely flexible, adaptable, and customizable to match today’s consumer demands. In his role, Chris also worked for Content X, an AI Data Licensing platform that provided data for the biggest tech companies in the world.

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

SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION MENTOR SESSION: CHRIS BEAVER (SKY TOP CONTENT)


Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution Mentor Session: Eli Zavala (La Filmadora)

Eli Zavala

Founder/President of Acquisitions & Distribution

Eli's areas of expertise are film distribution, programming & exhibition. She's focused on bringing better representation, and fighting misrepresentations, of minorities on the screen. She founded La Filmadora (NYC), a distribution company championing highly artistic, character driven & culturally authentic films.

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

SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION MENTOR SESSION: ELI ZAVALA (LA FILMADORA)


Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution Mentor Session: (Limor  Gott Ronen)

Limor Gott Ronen

Executive Producer

LIMOR GOTT RONEN is a multi-hyphenate TV and Film producer and creative executive. She launched producer-distributor Keshet, and as Co-Founder and SVP for 10 years, and helped oversee the building and rollout of its brand and many TV hits around the world, and cement Keshet as one of the top 10 global distribution companies, and in the process established herself as one of the key driving forces behind the major upsurge in foreign language series captivating the global market. Some of the project’s she rolled out globally include Prisoners of War (on which Homeland is based, named #1 global series of the decade by NYT), Our Boys (HBO); False Flag (Hulu, adapted for Apple); The A Word (BBC One/ SundanceTV), The Baker and the Beauty (Amazon, ABC and recently #1 series on Netflix ); When Heroes Fly (Netflix, remade as Echo 3 on Apple) and dozens more.

With an eye for sell-able, marketable content, as well as diverse and commercial taste, Gott is known for successfully driving and launching internationally recognized IP, scaling brand reach and forging top-tier talent partnerships. She is adept at navigating both corporate studios and entrepreneurial ventures to drive visionary, market-savvy storytelling that travels . Brings resourceful solutions, new technologies, innovative approach and adaptability to the entertainment market shifts.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Agents & Managers, Development, Doc Filmmakers, International, Narrative Filmmakers.

SALES, ACQUISITIONS, AND DISTRIBUTION MENTOR SESSION: (LIMOR  GOTT RONEN)