Alamo Lamar 4

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

A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.

OK Go - 'Love'

Grammy winning rock band OK Go has built a reputation for highly distinctive visual storytelling. Ahead of the release of their fifth studio album, And the Adjacent Possible—their first in more than a decade—the band partnered with Ray-Ban Meta on an ambitious music video for the lead single “Love.”
The video explores expanding love through dancing mirrors precision-driven robots and playful movement through space. Robots maneuver mirrors with exact control, while fabrics and bouncing balls add a kaleidoscopic surge of color that matches the bright tempo. During filming, bassist Tim Nordwind wore Ray-Ban Meta Glasses to capture the intricate single shot process for the official BTS footage.

OK Go launched their first album in 10 years, pushing robotics and mirror tricks to the edge of possibility. The Love music video is a first of its kind, single camera move visual achievement, with 29 seamlessly integrated and choreographed robots.

Aaron Duffy and Miguel Espada
Damian Kulash

OK Go (Damian Kulash
Tim Nordwind
Andy Ross
Dan Konopka)

Damian Kulash, Lead Singer, Tim Nordwind, Bassist, Andy Ross, Guitarist, Dan Konopka, Drummer

Social Content Director/Art Director: Jordan Stone, Art Director: Pimm Buddhari, Stylist: Stacey Berman, Choreographer: Devin Ash-Quaynor, 1st Assistant Director: Péter Goretic, Robotics Producer: Francesca Palau, Robot Animators: Dani Kei V. Kaneda, Paula Charmes Jambrina, Robotics Team: Nestor Rubio Garcia, Lucas Ortiz Estefanell, Alvaro Domingo Gordo Ruiz, Daniel Romero Pérez, Senior Colourist: Mikey Pehanich (Arc Creative), Production: Hero² / Love Cubed (Production Service Company), PPS (Post Production Studio)

Doechii - 'Anxiety'

A bold, fast-paced descent into mental chaos, where Doechii turns anxiety into art through explosive visuals.

A bold, fast-paced descent into mental chaos, where Doechii turns anxiety into art through explosive visuals.

A bold, fast-paced descent into mental chaos, where Doechii turns anxiety into art through explosive visuals.

Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith
Anthony Moosa Tiffith
Langston Griffith-Siebens

Jolene Mendes
Sophia Sabella
Pablo Feldman

Doechii, Courtney Hargrett, Sydney Hargrett

Choreographer:: Robbie Blue, Creative Directors:: James Mackel, Connor Tingley, Sammy McEntire, Langston Griffith-Siebens, First Assistant Director:: Jonas Morales, Art Directors:: Helen Morales, Adam Miko, Justin Brown, Chief Lighting Technician:: Tony Varoula, Set Dresser:: Drew Wall, Assistant Choreographer:: Marie Spieldenner, First Assistant Camera:: Connor Lambert, Production Manager:: Rachel Nagao, Stunt Coordinator:: Robert Brown

Chappell Roan - 'The Subway'

A glam-pop heartbreak unfolds underground as fantasy and desire collide on a neon-lit subway ride.

A glam-pop heartbreak unfolds underground as fantasy and desire collide on a neon-lit subway ride.

A glam-pop heartbreak unfolds underground as fantasy and desire collide on a neon-lit subway ride.

Chappell Roan, Elizabeth Eaton Rosenthal

Styling: Genesis Webb, Makeup: Andrew Dahling, Hair / Hair Designer: Lacy Redway / Charlie le Mindu, Casting: Damian Bao, Choreographer: Danielle Polanco, VFX: Corduroy, CG Artist: Loni Paone

Bricknasty - 'Vinland'

A raw glimpse into disillusion, where music, memory, and chaos meet through striking characters and visual landscape.

A raw glimpse into disillusion, where music, memory, and chaos meet through striking characters and visual landscape.

A raw glimpse into disillusion, where music, memory, and chaos meet through striking characters and visual landscape.

First AD: Hollie Burton, SFX: Sadhbh Nic Uidhir, Make-Up Assist: Aoibhe Maguire, Stylist: Zoë Redmond, Movement Coordinator: Joe Grey Adams, Stop Motion: Ben Creswell, Animation: Nick Lane, Grade: John Alexander Lowe, Art Director: Rory Mullen, Art Assist: Peter Daniels

FKA twigs - 'Eusexua'

A bold and sensual visual poem exploring gender, power, and self-expression through movement and myth

A bold and sensual visual poem exploring gender, power, and self-expression through movement and myth

A bold and sensual visual poem exploring gender, power, and self-expression through movement and myth

Hailey Paolillo, Meshach Henry, Cooper Elbourne, Emiliano Jimenez, Artemis Stamouli, Naomi Weijand, Luigi Nardone, Nana‑Yaa Appiah, Oscar Jinghu Li, Matteo Cogliandro, Jaxon Willard, Daniele Sibilli, James Vu Anh Pham,  Max Cookward, Chelsea Cooper,  Ed Munro

Choreographer: Zoi Tatopoulos, Stylist: Georgia Pendlebury, Yaz XL, Costume Designer: Susie Coulthard, Casting Director: Kharmel Cochrane, Colourist: Connor Coolbear, Wardrobe Research and Sourcing: Enrica Miller

Confidence Man & Jade - 'Gossip'

Cinematic, super stylized and tongue-in-cheek irony. A performance music video that follows a loose narrative, Con Man and Jade meet in a dodgy dive bar. Everyone inside is a cloned version of themselves, all doing debaucherous things, in different corners of the room. In between choreographed dance sequences, a game of Russian Roulette sees the fired bullet ricochet around the room, picking them all off, one by one.  Inspired by a blend of western and mafia type movies BUT living in its own distinct world. Colour is rich, everything is to the beat and our camera moves between static, crash zooms and dollying. We will shoot each person in their cloned state and comp them together in post.

Confidence Man returns with another bold swing at pop absurdity in the new music video for Gossip, their infectious new single featuring, Jade. Directed by India Harris the cinematic, colour-drenched video is laced with tongue-in-cheek irony.

Creative Director: Janet Planet, Choreographer: Blake John Wood, Edit Comany: Avenues, Commissioner: Louis Danckwerts, Commissioner: Kim Jarrett, Label: Polydor, Label: Sony

Xinobi - 'Strides'

Two naive, well-meaning outsiders in Lisbon discover (or are chosen by) a pair of glowing, sparkling fanny packs filled with a gift for the city: "muy bien" stickers. As they explore with their newfound accessories and upbeat tempo, their infectious good cheer and desire to connect with others draw a diverse and joyful crowd. But not everyone welcomes this movement: anti-muy-bien demonstrators stage a dramatic clash, even as they struggle against the temptation to join the fun and attain a joyfully inclusive future. Is this video about embracing different people and ideas, or is it about two guys wearing fanny packs getting their 10,000 steps in? No right answer.

Two well-meaning outsiders move through a city not their own. Their efforts to bring people together begin to resonate. But not everyone embraces what they represent... shot entirely in (and inspired by) the city of Lisbon.

Caleb Dewart
Matt Buels
Kim Dellara
Franchesca McDowell
Matt Lefebvre
Jo Maitland-Robinson (Hungry Man)
Mariana Barbosa
Mariana Mota
Jordi Molla (24/7)

Lukas Hoffman, Dominique Kiesch, Hauke Dreyer, Kolja Briese, Amalia Silva Casta, Justin Charbonnet, António Barata Fontes

Head of Production: Hannah Stone, Production Manager: Lucy Banks, 1st AD: Justin Charbonnet, Producer (24/7, Lisbon): Nayla Soffita, 24/7 Production Manager (24/7, Lisbon): Paula Miguel, Production Coordinator  (24/7, Lisbon): Gabriela Assunção, Choreographer: Marcela Donato, Lead VFX Artist: Sean McLean, VFX Team and HOP: Regina Downing, Brody McLean, (HOP) Ellen Schmitt, Colorist: Lasse Selvli

People R Ugly - 'Wake Up'

A talent show hosted by an inappropriate, washed-up principal takes an unexpected turn when the quiet/awkward kid in school performs a surprisingly good dance routine. The performance comes to a halt when sparklers start an accidental fire, forcing everyone to evacuate. They’re met outside with chaos, riots, fighting, all only to come back to the talent show dance, led by the same boy who ignited it all. Was the chaos a reality? Or was it all in his head…

A small-town talent show spirals into surreal chaos when one awkward teen’s long-imagined routine blurs the line between fantasy and reality, with blink-182’s Mark Hoppus playing an inappropriate, washed-up principal hosting the talent show.

Joseph Larkin
Tristan Kevitch & Zak Dossi

Zak Dossi
Tristan Kevitch
Nick Furlong
Bill Biers
Julian Del grosso

Mark Hoppus, Tristan Kevitch, Zak Dossi, Bill Biers, Julian Del Grosso, Nick Furlong

Gaffer: Michael Rodgers, Steady Cam: Sam Laebo, Asst Camera: Eduargo Orozco, Key Grip: Jesus Yanez, Swing: Dan Gould, Choreographer: Sofie Dossi, PA: John Muniz, Colorist: Zak Dossi, Costume Designer: Savannah Steilner, VFX: Ryan Laux

Great Grandpa - 'Doom'

Haunted by the trauma of his childhood, a man relives a dream that seems frozen in time. As he dives deeper into the subconscious world he’s forced to confront past mistakes until he finally finds a cathartic forgiveness that frees him from his guilt.

A man celebrates his brother's birthday but is forced to relive childhood trauma and guilt. As he claws through his subconscious he’s faced with the reality that his brother died a long time ago.

Chamberlain Staub
Charles Wibert
Kendra Carelli

Leo Kim, Evan Kim, Kendra Carelli, Pat Song, Al Menne, Hannah Hodson, Mel Phong, Moses Moreno, Alex Chung, Apollo Cheon

Underwater DP: Charlie Wibert, 1st AC: Philip Hoang, Gaffer: Teodore Davis, Key Grip: Hailey Hannigan, G&E Swing: Alan Torres, Tony Cantor, Colorist: Jake White, 1st AD: Jhanvi Motla, Assistant Editor: Max Look, Safety Diver: Zach Araneta, VFX Artist, Michael Nowicki: Title Designer, Morgan Bick

Woodz - 'I'll Never Love Again'

Music video portraying doubt, sorrow, and passion toward love through a cyclical, reincarnated visual framing. Relationships that unfold across different ages and circumstances dissolve the boundaries between past, present, and future, posing a single, haunting question:

If you vow to never love again, can you truly keep that promise?
Through the use of match cuts, the film conveys the inevitability of love and the universal resonance of human emotion that transcends time, identity, and generation.

Portrait of cyclical human experience of losing love and embarking once more on the daring pursuit of new affection, unfolding as a seamless, panoramic music-video narrative that mirrors the perpetual rhythm of rebirth and renewal.

Jungho Kee
Yuseok Joung
Hyounggeun Kang
Sunghyun Park

Hoseung Shin
Seoyun Choi
Hagyung Seo
Chohye Kim
Hyemin Kim
Yona Han
Junhwa Yoon
Yujeong Shin

Woodz (Jo Seungyeon), Daekyu Park, Hyunrang Cho, Taejoon Kim, Jubeen Lee, Seoyeon Cho, Dohwan, Baek, Mani, Hyunsoo Shin

Colorist: Jiyun Yunie Yeom, VFX Production: Ohzeon, Assistant Director: Chaeyoung Woo, Assistant Director: Bokyung Kim, Gaffer: Junghyuk Jung, Special Effect General Manager: Changgi Min

Model/Actriz - 'Cinderella'

In the fairytale land of Brooklyn NY, Cinderella is grieving the death of his father. Tortured by his evil step-family, Cinderella longs for the freedom the city's rats enjoy. When he learns the local Prince is throwing a birthday party, he escapes the clutches of his family with the help of his Fairy Godmother and his favorite rat. Little does he know, this rager will change the course of his life.

A very gay, very Brooklyn retelling of Cinderella  - complete with taxidermy rats, pop choreography and a shirtless DJing Prince.

Cole Haden, Matt Gallipoli, Maddy Boyd, Jack Wetmore, Ruben Radlauer, Aaron Shapiro, Nando Moreland, Dan Santiago, Ohad Mzor, Kehari Hutchinson

Choreographer: Kevin Zambrano, Costume Design: Caitlin McMullen, Colorist: Avery Niles

Funny Weather - 'Time Bandit'

Funny Weather is here to steal your time. You'll never get it back, it's gone for good.

Funny Weather is here to steal your time. You'll never get it back, it's gone for good.

Funny Weather is here to steal your time. You'll never get it back, it's gone for good.

Director: Cady Buche, Director: Travis Barron

Tyler, The Creator - 'Sugar On My Tongue'

Tyler, The Creator - 'Sugar On My Tongue'

An experimental music video interpreting the meaning of Tyler, the Creator's song "Sugar On My Tongue", while keeping in line with the album rollout's unique aesthetics.

Lowswimmer - 'IRL'

Set in a dystopian laboratory basement, the story follows a girl and her botched clone as they are welcomed to their new family - their ‘parents’ (masochistic scientists) and their ‘siblings’, (the previous creations). In seeing this dark place through their naïve child-like eyes, for a fleeting moment they bring joy to their new home. Inspired by the works of Terry Gilliam and Yorgos Lanthimos, the film plays with science fiction, body horror and dark comedy. The goal was to create a story with a cruel sense of humour, and build a world that pays homage to 70s B movies by shooting 16mm and using stylised VFX.

Two new clones are born into the dark world of a basement laboratory and learn about music, life and friendship from their deranged creators.

https://www.instagram.com/leovillaresfilms/  &  https://www.instagram.com/victornauwynck/

Charly Faye, Robyn Faye, Sven Ironside, Mike Kelson, Georgina Kingston, Tom Chambers, Ruari Chambers, Isabella Mansell, Phoebe Mansell

Movement Director: Ken Nakajima, Costume Designer: Cho Hyun Holly Sim, Hmu Designer & SFX Artist: Lydia Ariyo, SFX Make Up Designer: Andrea Cilione, Colourist: Sharon Chung, 1st Assistant Director: Cesar Velasco, VFX Artist: Yung Chih Hsiao, Motion Graphics Designer: Florencia Usuki

Dzsúdló - 'Presso'

What if GIFs existed in real life? In this surreal music video, Dzsúdló rides on top of a rally car, passing through a world where people are trapped in tiny looping moments. It’s a real-life GIF safari but the loops aren’t harmless. As time ticks on, the people inside them start to age, their bodies subtly warping and shifting in strange ways, like the loop is wearing them down. Repetition meets rhythm, with a weird, haunting twist.

What if GIFs existed in real life? People stuck in endless loops, aging and warping as time moves on. Dzsúdló cruises through this surreal, rhythmic world - a looping safari where repetition quietly breaks reality.

Sanchari Ghosh, Janos Riger, Klara Kovacs, David Gutema, Csaba Berenyi, Yugoh Ezenwoko, Milán Ujvari, Zsofia Temesvari, Hadisha Sovetova, Adam Richard Horich

Head of Production: Laszlo Dreissiger, 1st AD: Aron Matyassy, Production Manager: Bernadett Fulop, Production Coordinator: David Kovacs, Head of Make-Up: Orsolya Muranyi, VFX Supervisor: Gyorgy Adam, VFX Coordinator: Imre Egry, Colorist: Marton Kovacs, Wardrobe Stylist - Dzsúdló: Anita Varga, Wardrobe Stylist: Tekla Tanko

Ed Sheeran - 'Azizam'

Ed Sheeran is thrown (literally) into a fever dream Persian Wedding. He gets swept up by a whirlwind of poor boundaries, a lot of kisses, and way too much food. Will he survive the chaos? This is baptism by rice.

Ed Sheeran is tossed into a fever dream Persian Wedding. A whirlwind of poor boundaries, a lot of kisses,  and way too much food. This is baptism by rice.

Googoosh, Andy, Omid Djalili, Shervin Alenabi, Eyelar, Ilya Salmanzadeh

James Amos: 1st AD, Additional Cinematography (LA): Omer Ganai, Video Commissioner: Dan Curwin, Food Stylists: Hami Sharafi/Tanya Sadourian, Choreographer: Charlie Mayhew, Costume Designer: Natalie Humphries, Hair and Makeup Lead: Ameneh Mahloudji, Casting: LANE Casting/Charlie Mayhew, Colourist: Luke Morrison, VFX: Territory Studio

This Lonesome Paradise - 'Blue For You'

Blue For You is a haunting meditation on longing and obsession. The film follows Consuelo, a legendary actress who seems to share a tender, dreamlike love with the mysterious Carzio, until unsettling signs reveal a shadow closing in on her world. In the final turn, we learn we were never in Consuelo’s perspective but in Carzio’s: an obsessed paparazzi who built a fantasy romance to feel close to her. The shadow is him. There was never a relationship, only delusion spiraling into danger.

A haunting meditation on obsession, Blue For You follows Consuelo, a legendary actress followed by a presence, exposing a dangerous love built on delusion.

Sebastian Ortiz Wilkins
Maximilian Brey
Javier Porragas
Jacob Crawford
Alejandro Colmenero

1st AD: Carl Anthony, Costume Designer: Devon Lindsay, Make up and Hair: Fernanda Espíndola, Script Supervisor: Yiran W., On set Decoration: America Arrieta, Movement Consultant: Christian Lagasse, Still Photographer: Jamie Poh, Steadicam OP: Kenneth Lau

Kendrick Lamar & SZA - 'Luther'

"Luther", directed by Karena Evans, reimagines the music video as a cinematic meditation on Black love, vulnerability, and emotional connection. Set within minimalist, symbolic environments — from hotel rooms to reimagined everyday spaces — the film follows Kendrick Lamar and SZA through parallel moments of intimacy with individual partners. Through restrained performances, deliberate pacing, and visual symmetry, the film explores emotional distance and closeness, culminating in a shared space that reflects quiet unity. Eschewing spectacle in favor of stillness and mood, Luther offers a poetic, emotionally grounded visual experience that mirrors the song’s introspective core.

Directed by Karena Evans, "Luther" transforms Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s hit song into a quiet, cinematic meditation on Black love, identity, and emotional intimacy, using stillness, symbolism, and restraint to deepen the music’s emotional power.

Taj Critchlow
Dean Rosen
Fuliane Petikyan
Cornell Brown

Fuliane Petikyan
Kendrick Lamar
Dave Free
Tina Chuldzhyan
Jamie Rabineau
Sam Canter

Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Annahstasia Enuke, Geron McKinley

Rawayana, Bomba Estereo - 'Fogata'

Spanish; Castilian with English Subtitles

DP: Santiago Cantillo, Director: Paola Ossa

After an unexpected return to her hometown for the day, Juli must confront unresolved feelings for her childhood best friend Maya—their unspoken chemistry still lingering after years apart.

Maria Isabel Jimenez, Aeleen Blanco 34, Dylann Bello, Laura Marcias, Junior Ariza

Hot Chip - 'Devotion'

A whimsical glimpse into the lonely world of an aging Tokyo crossing guard who has diligently devoted his entire life to his humble occupation. As he takes to the vibrant, busy streets, his passion transcends into a surreal and infectious dance party joined by his co-workers and a mysterious geisha.

A lonely but dedicated crossing guard transforms his mundane daily routine into an infectious dance party on the vibrant streets of Tokyo.

Mar Masahiro Murata, Kana Inoda, Hajime Miyara, Yuiko Mori

Colorist: Drew Tekulve, VFX Artist: Matt Lathrom

Music Video Program

English, Hungarian, Korean, Spanish; Castilian

A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.

A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.

A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.

Chappell Roan - 'The Subway'

A glam-pop heartbreak unfolds underground as fantasy and desire collide on a neon-lit subway ride.

FKA twigs - 'Eusexua'

A bold and sensual visual poem exploring gender, power, and self-expression through movement and myth

Bricknasty - 'Vinland'

A raw glimpse into disillusion, where music, memory, and chaos meet through striking characters and visual landscape.

Doechii - 'Anxiety'

A bold, fast-paced descent into mental chaos, where Doechii turns anxiety into art through explosive visuals.


Alex Prager

Alex Prager is a director, screenwriter and artist based in Los Angeles. Prager won an Emmy in 2012 for her short film series, “Touch of Evil” (2011) commissioned by the New York Times. She has made over 10 short films that include “Despair” (2010) with Bryce Dallas Howard, “Face In The Crowd” (2013) with Elizabeth Banks, “Play the Wind” (2019) with Riley Keough and “Uncanny Valley” (2018) with Cate Blanchett. Her short film “Despair” was included in the “New Photography 2010” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Her most recent short film, “Run” with Katherine Waterston (2022), premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and was nominated for the 2023 SXSW Grand Jury Award. In 2023, Prager was named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker Magazine.

Prager began her career as an artist and is known for large-scale photographic works that distort the boundaries between reality and artifice, often centered around the human condition. She has been featured in countless galleries and museum exhibitions globally over two decades and her work is held in many international public and private collections.

She has defined her signature style through photography, short films and now narrative features. DreamQuil, co-written with her sister Vanessa Prager, is her directorial debut.

Part director, part screenwriter, part artist, part time-traveler from a sunnier, stranger version of Los Angeles.

American Sign Language
Closed captioned
Subtitles

Set in the not so distant future when poor air quality leads to people living mostly virtually lives. Carol is a dissatisfied career mother, struggling to find connection within her marriage to Gary and her child. With the day to day familiarity of their home and lives feeling increasingly claustrophobic, and worried she could be heading towards divorce, Carol leaps at the chance to get her life back on track by signing up for "DreamQuil", an avant-garde digital wellness retreat. When Carol returns home however, she discovers her family has been living with "Carol 2", a robot the corporation sent designed to help in her absence, and things take a mysterious and sinister turn.

Dreamquil

Set in the near future, a woman returning from a virtual retreat discovers her worst nightmare when the helper robot sent to assist her family in her absence starts to infringe on her life and identity.

International  - Gabrielle Stewart; U.S./Canada - Katie Tisherman

International - HanWay Films; U.S./Canada - Republic Films

International - gs@hanwayfilms.com; U.S./Canada - katie.tisherman@cbs.com

Marc Marrie
Matt Aselton
Mal Ward
Scott Putman
Natalie Perrota

Elizabeth Banks
Max Handelman
Alison Small
Vincent Landay
Michael Mendelsohn
Alex Prager

Elizabeth Banks, John C. Reilly, Juliette Lewis, Sofia Boutella, Kathryn Newton, Lamorne Morris, Toby Larsen, Anna Marie Dobbins

Visual Effects Supervisor: Chad Peter, Makeup Department Head: Tina Roesler Kerwin, Hair Department Head: Anne Morgan, Costume Designer: Callan Stokes, Music Supervisor: Linda Cohen, Miniatures By: Chris Warren, Gene Warren, Casting By: Kim Davis-Wagner & Justine Arteta, Associate Producer: Lisa Ziven


Featured Session: Actionable Ikigai: Career Planning in the age of AI

Mike Bechtel

Futurist

An inventor-turned-investor, and now futurist and professor, Mike Bechtel has spent more than two decades turning emerging ideas into business breakthroughs.

From 2019–2025, he served as Chief Futurist for Deloitte Consulting, founding and directing NExT, a 30-person research studio advising boards, C-suites, and technology teams at 750+ organizations across 38 countries. He also directed and co-authored Deloitte Tech Trends, the professional-services industry’s most-cited annual technology report.

Previously, Mike was Accenture’s first Global Innovation Director (earning 12 U.S. patents), CTO at Start Early, a national nonprofit committed to equitable early-education, and a co-founder of Ringleader Ventures, a venture capital firm backing early-stage startups building simple solutions to complex corporate problems.

Today, Mike is an author, global keynote speaker, and Adjunct Professor of corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame, where his “edu-taining” course ranks among the university’s highest-rated. He delivers about 100 keynotes each year to business, government, and academic audiences, and his writing and commentary have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Wired, NPR, Bloomberg, and the World Economic Forum.

Mike holds a double major in anthropology and political science, with minors in economics and philosophy, from Notre Dame.

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

Most career advice stinks.

Why? Because we can’t manage what we don’t measure, and most of us are flying blind.

Join futurist and three-time SXSW fan favorite Mike Bechtel as he turns his foresight toolkit inward and demystifies the future of career planning in the age of AI with a flight-tested dashboard he’s used himself for the past 20 years.

Over the course of this session, Mike will offer the audience tips, techniques, and even take-home-tech to help them determine their "reason-for-being“, plot a practical path to get there, and critically, know when to make course corrections.

Tuned towards early to mid-stage professionals, with relevance to students and senior leaders seeking a recalibration, this fast, story-rich session blends personality with practicality, giving today’s audience the mindset and toolset to design more intentional futures.

FEATURED SESSION: ACTIONABLE IKIGAI: CAREER PLANNING IN THE AGE OF AI


Featured Session: The Latticework of Mental Models For a Great Life!

Mohnish Pabrai

Founder and Managing Partner

Mohnish is the Founder and Managing Partner of Pabrai Investment Funds and the Portfolio Manager of the Pabrai Wagons Fund. Mohnish manages approx. $1 billion in assets. Mohnish is an ardent disciple of Warren Buffett and closely follows his principles of value investing and capital allocation. Mohnish was the Founder/CEO of TransTech, Inc., an IT Consulting and Systems Integration company. Founded in his home in 1990, Pabrai bootstrapped the company to over $20 million in revenue when it was sold in 2000. He is the author of two books on value investing, The Dhandho Investor and Mosaic: Perspectives on Investing. The Dhandho Investor has been translated into multiple languages, including German, Mandarin, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, and Spanish. Mohnish is also the Founder and Chairman of The Dakshana Foundation (dakshana.org), a 501(c)(3) US public charity. Dakshana focuses on poverty alleviation in India by identifying brilliant but impoverished teenagers and providing them with intensive coaching to pass the entrance exams to engineering and medical universities. Mohnish loves playing duplicate bridge and blackjack and received his first lifetime ban in 2019 for playing blackjack at a Las Vegas Casino. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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

Join renowned investor and philanthropist Mohnish Pabrai for a thought-provoking talk on the key mental models that have shaped major decisions in his life, from business and investing to philanthropy and personal growth. An avid follower of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Pabrai has long embraced Munger’s call to develop a “latticework of mental models,” a multidisciplinary toolkit for thinking clearly and avoiding misjudgment. In this session, he will go beyond simply restating the classics. Instead, he will highlight the select models he has found most indispensable, the ones that have guided him in navigating uncertainty, spotting opportunities, and sidestepping avoidable errors. Pabrai will introduce new mental models of his own, distilled from decades of experience, hard lessons, and reflection. These additions help bring to light patterns of behavior and decision-making that he believes are critical for anyone seeking not just financial success, but a truly fulfilling life.

FEATURED SESSION: THE LATTICEWORK OF MENTAL MODELS FOR A GREAT LIFE!


It All Begins With Birds – Insights, Joy, and Lessons from Avian Life

Lili Taylor

Actress, Author, Member of the Board for National Audubon Society

Lili Taylor is an award-winning movie, television, and Broadway actress. Lili is a board member of the National Audubon Society and the author of "Turning To Birds: The Power and Beauty of Noticing."

Elizabeth Gray

CEO

Dr. Elizabeth Gray serves as Audubon’s CEO, leading the organization toward its vision of a future where birds thrive. A champion of science-based conservation and a renowned expert in global conservation and climate change, she joined Audubon in March 2021 as President and Chief Conservation Officer and was named CEO later that year—the first woman since Audubon’s founding in 1905 to hold the role. She leads more than 800 staff working across the Americas to alter the course of climate change and habitat loss. Since her arrival, she has led a landmark $826 million campaign, the groundbreaking release of the Migratory Bird Explorer, and the unifying Flight Plan strategy, reinforcing Audubon’s commitment to hemispheric conservation through the power of birds.  Prior to Audubon, she most recently served as Global Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Climate Change program. She holds a PhD in ecology from the University of Washington and an AB with highest honors in psychology from Harvard University.

Ramona Schindelheim

Journalist & Host

Ramona Schindelheim is an award-winning veteran journalist, storyteller, and host of the Birds & Nerds podcast. Ramona has worked for ABC News, CNBC, and The Wall Street Journal; local news stations in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago; and as editor-in-chief of the nonprofit news organization WorkingNation. Her many awards include Emmys, Peabodys, and a Gracie award. Ramona's career as a storyteller includes time as a scripted television writer and as a media consultant. The Birds & Nerds podcast combines her curiosity about the world and storytelling with her love of birds.

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

Explore the vital role birds play in our world. Not only do birds contribute to biodiversity and the stability of ecosystems, birdwatching carries psychological and emotional benefits – inspiring creativity, mindfulness, and a sense of wonder. By observing birds, we can learn about adaptation, social interaction, and survival strategies. Whether you are a seasoned birdwatcher or simply enjoy the cheerful songs outside your window, this session promises to deepen your appreciation for birds and their essential place in our lives, encouraging you to observe, protect, and celebrate our feathered friends.

IT ALL BEGINS WITH BIRDS ? INSIGHTS, JOY, AND LESSONS FROM AVIAN LIFE


AI Builders Meet Up

Matthew Smiley

Ai & Data Manager

Matthew Smiley is a Manager in the AI & Data practice at Ernst & Young LLP (EY), specializing in AI avatar and tool development, data visualization, analytics, modeling, integration, and end-to-end data quality and system implementation. With 8+ years of experience across Healthcare, Life Sciences, Tech, Finance, Natural Resources, and more, he helps organizations turn complex data into intelligent, scalable, and high-impact solutions.

He also advises Boop Me Inc. (https://www.boop.me/), where he brings his AI and integration expertise to architect next-gen, SMS-driven event engagement and lead-qualification platforms—focusing on machine learning, Salesforce/CRM integrations, MDM, cloud architecture, and API strategy.

Matthew is passionate about using AI and advanced data engineering to transform how people interact with events, technology, and real-time information.

Horacio Rodriguez Rilo

Founder

Join fellow founders, engineers, researchers, and product leaders who are building the next generation of AI products. This casual meetup brings together hands-on innovators to swap stories, share tools, and talk about what’s working (and what’s not) in the fast-moving world of AI. Whether you’re training models, shipping products, or scaling teams—come meet your peers and compare notes


Mentor Session: Joseph Rivers (C2 Montreal)

Joseph Rivers

U.S. Lead Growth & Partnerships

I’m Joseph Rivers, an experiential enthusiast dedicated to turning insight into impact. My mission is to create brand experiences that don’t just impress — but connect.  As a seasoned experiential marketer and thought leader, my philosophy has a distinctive perspective honed through diverse roles and global exploration. Transitioning from brand activation and tour management to business development and strategic application, my journey has been characterized by thoughtful investigation into how experiences impact our physical and emotional well-being.

Traveled across over 30 countries and 31 states in the U.S. - traveling and meeting people have always been the most important thing to me.

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 Business Development, Content Strategy/Production, Marketing/Advertising/PR.

MENTOR SESSION: JOSEPH RIVERS (C2 MONTREAL)

Brand & Marketing track sponsored by Youtube


Mentor Session: Eliel Oliveira (Connxus)

Eliel Oliveira

CEO

Eliel Oliveira, MS, MBA, FAMIA, is the CEO of Connxus, the Central Texas Health Information Exchange (HIE) based in Austin, TX. Eliel is also a member of the Health IT Advisory Committee (HITAC) at the US Department of Health and Human Services and co-chairs the Learning Health Systems Workgroup at Civitas for Health, a national HIE association. Previously, Eliel led health informatics at Dell Medical School and at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute. He has served as CIO for the Louisiana Cancer Research Center and at the Louisiana Public Health Institute, spearheading REACHnet as a national data research network and playing a pivotal role in the Greater New Orleans Health Information Exchange. Holding dual master's degrees from Tulane University and a fellowship with AMIA, Eliel is recognized nationally for his leadership in health informatics and informatics research and is a frequent speaker on the topic.

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

MENTOR SESSION: ELIEL OLIVEIRA (CONNXUS)


Mentor Session: Jasmonae Joyriel (Ignite Anew)

Dr. Jasmonae Joyriel

Licensed Psychologist

Dr. Jasmonae Joyriel is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Ignite Anew, working with people who’ve achieved external success while carrying internal weight,  unresolved trauma, strained relationships, or patterns that quietly dictate their choices. She works with entrepreneurs navigating startup pressure alongside parenting, couples rebuilding marriages that have flatlined or exploded, and leaders whose childhood experiences still shape how they connect, delegate, and trust others.

Specializing in complex trauma, relationships, and sexual empowerment, Dr. Joyriel combines evidence-based treatment with embodied, culturally responsive methods. Her clients gain clarity, rebuild connection, and shift longstanding patterns without losing their edge (or themselves) in the process.

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

MENTOR SESSION: JASMONAE JOYRIEL (IGNITE ANEW)


Mentor Session: Daniela Santamaria (Beyond Music)

Daniela Santamaria Herran

CEO/Founder

Daniela Santamaria is a seasoned music executive and growth marketing strategist with over 10 years of experience shaping the global music industry. With a career spanning the U.S., Latin America, and Spain, she has collaborated with top-tier companies such as Live Nation, OCESA, Amuse, and WK Records, driving impactful strategies across digital marketing, brand partnerships, and artist development.
As the founder of Beyond Music, Daniela leads strategy-driven digital campaigns and high-impact alliances for independent record labels, artists, and music businesses. Her expertise lies in Direct-to-Fan strategies and strategic partnerships, pioneering innovative approaches that empower artists and brands to thrive in today’s fast-evolving music landscape.
With Beyond Music, she now works with artists like The Hives, D4vd, Brutalismus 3000, Linda Habitante, Snøw and clients like Snafu Records, Sony music, Virgin Music, Idartes (Festivales al Parque), Matrix Entertainment, and Spitfire audio.
Originally rooted in brand marketing , Daniela transitioned into the music industry to merge her passion for music with cutting-edge digital growth strategies. Today, she is a thought leader in music marketing and audience development, frequently sharing insights as a speaker and panelist at industry conferences. Her work is dedicated to driving innovation, fostering meaningful connections, and shaping the future of the music business.

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 Music Tech, Marketing/PR, Women in Music.

MENTOR SESSION: DANIELA SANTAMARIA (BEYOND MUSIC)


Mentor Session: Christina McFadden Arteaga (Blue Door Partners)

Christina McFadden Arteaga

CEO & Founder

Christina McFadden Arteaga is a leadership coach and experiential facilitator who creates an honest, playful space for her clients to show up fully and take bold steps forward. With more than 20 years of experience in leadership roles—including being the first employee at multiple startups—Christina brings depth and clarity to her work. She specializes in executive presence, group dynamics, and identifying both verbal and nonverbal communication patterns to help clients understand and elevate their impact.
Christina has a track record of helping organizations achieve significant operational and financial growth. She has coached leaders across industries—from tech and finance to healthcare—with clients including Adobe, Apple, Dropbox, Ernst & Young (EY), Expedia, Google, LinkedIn, Lyft, Microsoft, Penske Media, UC Berkeley, Zoom, and numerous startup co-founders. Christina also leads group and team coaching engagements, helping leaders navigate the fast-changing landscape of today’s business environment.
She has taught at numerous institutions and organizations around the world, including UC Berkeley, the University of Oxford, Stanford University, and the Co-Active Training Institute.
Christina holds a postgraduate degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oxford and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. She earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University’s School of Management, focusing on Organizational Behavior with a minor in Group Dynamics. She was also selected and studied as a Stanford University H4A Fellow. She is certified from three different coaching programs including Co-Active Training Institute (CTI), Strozzi Institute, and Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching (ORSC). She holds a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coach Federation and will soon be a Master Certified Coach (MCC). Christina is also certified in the Leadership Circle Profile, Collective Leadership Assessment, and the Hogan 360 Assessment. She has studied and performed as an improviser for over 10 years.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Storytelling, Business Development, Future of Work.

MENTOR SESSION: CHRISTINA MCFADDEN ARTEAGA (BLUE DOOR PARTNERS)

Workplace track sponsored by University of Cincinnati


Mentor Session: Nick Maker (The Elements Music)

Nick Maker

Head of Music Supervision & Artist Partnerships

As Head of Music Supervision and Artist Partnerships at The Elements, Nick curates and creates music for the some of the world’s biggest brands through licensing, original compositions, artist partnerships and everything in between.

Prior to this, Nick served as in-house Music Producer at Chicago-based advertising agency Energy BBDO, shaping the sound of global clients such as Jack Daniels, Champion, Starbucks, Woodford Reserve, Wrigley Extra and Orbit, SC Johnson and MillerCoors, among others.

Before moving stateside, Nick’s worked in supervision, licensing and A&R in his hometown of Sydney, Australia, pairing bands with brands such as McDonalds, Toyota, Mars, Heineken, Smirnoff, and Lexus, to name a few.

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

MENTOR SESSION: NICK MAKER (THE ELEMENTS MUSIC)


Mentor Session: Scott Pappas

Scott Pappas

Director, Catalog, Sales & Digital

As a 35-year veteran of the music business, I've enjoyed a unique balance of sales and marketing of both digital and physical music. My loves of music and Internet technology met in the mid-90’s and I've enjoyed witnessing how fans’ enjoyment of music has evolved ever since. I currently work at Disney Music Group (Walt Disney Records/Hollywood Records) leading their catalog initiatives and playlist strategy. Note that I am not representing Disney at the conference. My roles include sales campaigns, analysis, brand support, and working with Universal Music Group’s playlist team.

I previously led DMG's relationships with Amazon, Microsoft, Pandora, Napster, Rhapsody, Tidal, Deezer, among others.  In 2014, I helped UMG’s Global Digital Business unit as worldwide lead for Beats Music (now Apple Music), among many others. Prior to that, I spent twelve years in sales and marketing at BMG Entertainment (now Sony Music) in Seattle before being asked to join UMG’s Universal Music Enterprises label in Los Angeles. While at UMe, I guided the label’s digital sales and marketing efforts for seven years. I've also consulted, helping his clients navigate the ever-changing worlds of sales, marketing, fundraising, publicity, and publishing. During my career, I've enjoyed sharing what I've learned via panels and speaking at junior high and high schools, as well as at colleges, including USC’s Thornton School of Music, LA College of Music, and UCLA's Center for Music Innovation.

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


Producers Mentor Session: Paul Merryman

Paul Merryman

Producer

Paul Merryman is a film & television producer with a focus on amazing true stories along with all things genre. He holds an MFA in Producing from the American Film Institute and a BS in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of Texas at Austin. He started his career as an assistant to visionary film director Sam Raimi and quickly worked his way up the ladder. Following several years as Sam’s development executive, he branched out on his own as an independent producer, producing the critically acclaimed Afghanistan War film THE OUTPOST, based on the book by Jake Tapper and directed by Rod Lurie. He most recently produced DOWN THE ARM OF GOD for Luc Besson’s Europacorp starring Caleb Landry Jones, Mena Suvari, and Nick Stahl, and is recently wrapped ELASTIC HEARTS starring Cole Sprouse, Darby Lee-Stack, Stephen Dorff, and Dean Norris. Other recent films include Austin-shot comedy THE LONG SHOT starring Ryan Hansen and Adrianne Palicki, directed by Austin Nichols, and Austin-shot indie drama AMERICAN BABY, winner of the Austin Film Festival's Audience Award. He runs Austin-based production outfit Capitol Film Company, providing production services, development, and project consultation.

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 Agents & Managers, Development, Producers/Production.

Film & TV track sponsored by Crunchyroll


Producers Mentor Session: Laura Annalora (Women in Film & Television Austin & Their Loss)

Laura Annalora

Women In Film & Television Austin & Their Loss

President/Executive Producer

Laura Annalora is a dynamic Producer with over two decades of experience in film and television, marked by a unique blend of experiences that sets her apart in the entertainment industry. She is renowned for her ability to develop original content that captivates audiences worldwide, with her work airing across multiple platforms in over 170 countries. Her expertise spans Emmy-winning documentaries and other programs for major cable networks and streaming platforms like National Geographic Channel and Netflix.

Annalora's leadership acumen is evident from her strategic roles, notably her transformative presidency at Women in Film & Television Austin, where she spearheaded growth, strategic planning, and business development, significantly enhancing value for members. Her tenure at Bat Bridge Entertainment saw the creation of groundbreaking projects such as the Emmy-nominated High Profits for CNN and the critically acclaimed Emmy award-winning documentary series Disgraced for SHOWTIME.

Beyond her contributions to top-tier cable networks in the U.S. and internationally and steering nonprofit member organizations to new heights, Annalora is the founder of Eleventh Floor, a consulting and full-service production company that collaborates with companies like Hilton, Harper Collins and WebMD to create innovative commercial and branded content. She is also co-founder and Executive Producer at Their Loss, an independent production company that shares groundbreaking scripted and unscripted projects. Her hands-on approach, creative ingenuity, and ability to identify compelling stories continue to set her apart in the entertainment industry.

Laura Annalora's multifaceted career embodies her commitment to excellence, creativity, and the transformative power of storytelling, making her a truly unique force in the entertainment world.

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 Development, Doc Filmmakers, Producers/Production.

PRODUCERS MENTOR SESSION: LAURA ANNALORA (WOMEN IN FILM & TELEVISION AUSTIN & THEIR LOSS)


Producers Mentor Session: Trevite Willis (Best Yet Entertainment)

Trevite Willis

Head of Production and Development

Trevite Willis is the Head of Development and Production at Best Yet Entertainment, an independent producer and a film festival founder committed to courageous storytelling.

Ms. Willis was one of the Co-Producers on the Broadway musical, THE WIZ; Executive Producer on the Sundance 2024 film, KIDNAPPING, INC.; Co-Executive Producer on the Sundance 2023 film, TO LIVE AND DIE AND LIVE; and was an Executive Producer on the Sundance 2020 award-winning film, FORTY YEAR OLD VERSION.

Ms. Willis is a producer on a number of projects in production: LISTEN TO MY HEARTBEAT and SUNDAY BREAKFAST.

She has produced 9 feature films, including LOVE, JOY AND POWER: TOOLS OR LIBERATION, THE INQUISITOR: THE BARBARA JORDAN DOC, CARGO (2017 Amnesty International Human Rights Prize), and CHILDREN OF GOD which had theatrical releases in the US, UK and The Netherlands, won 17 awards, and sold in 24 territories.

In 2018, Ms. Willis launched the Southern Fried Film Festival in Huntsville, Alabama with fellow founder, Kelley Reischauer.

She was a 2020 Blackhouse Multicultural Producers Lab fellow. She is an alumni of Trans Atlantic Partners (2017), a Sundance Catalyst fellow (2018), and a Women at Sundance Strategy Intensive fellow (2017, 2019). Ms Willis was a SXSW Tech Conference speaker (Mining Diversity: Developing a Community of Color, 2012).

Ms. Willis is a member of New York Women In Film and Television, Women in Film, The Gotham and Women Independent Producers.

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Development, Funding/Artist Support, Producers/Production.

PRODUCERS MENTOR SESSION: TREVITE WILLIS (BEST YET ENTERTAINMENT)


Producers Mentor Session: Charlotte Woodhead (CANADA Los Angeles)

Charlotte Woodhead

Managing Director

Charlotte Woodhead is the Managing Director and EP at CANADA Los Angeles., curating a roster of diverse directors in the US.

Her career began in the world of music videos, producing for numerous artists including Amy Winehouse, Alicia Keys, Moby, Justice and Camilla Cabello. She has produced many award-winning campaigns for directors such as Jonathan Glazer, Romain Gavras and Jean-Baptiste Mondino.

Charlotte's work at top production companies including Biscuit Filmworks, Iconoclast and SuperPrime on campaigns for Apple, Nike, Dior and SquareSpace has earned CLIOs, LIAs and D&AD Awards. She continues to thrive in helping directors realize their full potential.

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

PRODUCERS MENTOR SESSION: CHARLOTTE WOODHEAD (CANADA LOS ANGELES)


Round Table: Legal: Dale Nelson, Paul Szynol, and Sophia Yen

Paul Szynol

Film Law Group, University of Michigan Law School, Itchy Dog Films

Attorney/Professor

For two decades, Paul has concentrated his legal practice on intellectual property matters, and has worked with award-winning filmmakers, artists, tech start ups, and tech multinationals. As an academic, he is particularly interested in the First Amendment and copyright, especially fair use.  He  teaches Film Law, Entertainment Transactions, and Art Law at the University of Michigan Law School. He's written about fair use for The Atlantic, and has appeared on CNN and CBS News Prime Time to discuss the doctrine's importance. Paul is also a filmmaker. His documentaries have been featured on the New York Times (Op-Docs), the Atlantic, The New Yorker, and Aeon, and have been shown at festivals internationally, including AFI Docs, Big Sky, Clermont-Ferrand, Doc NYC, Palm Springs, Slamdance, and Toronto International Film Festival (Kids). Paul is a graduate of Yale Law School and Columbia University. In the past, he played loud drums with loud bands in a bunch of loud places, including CBGBs. He also started coding in 7th grade, and he's still an occasional software developer (mostly Python and Java). He likes old jazz records, even older trains, and every dog he's ever met.

Dale Nelson

Partner/Attorney

Dale Nelson is a partner in the Beverly Hills boutique Donaldson Callif Perez. Prior to joining the firm, Dale served as Vice President and Senior Intellectual Property counsel at Warner Bros. for over 25 years. Dale specializes in issues related to copyrights, trademarks, personal rights and clearance, championing the free speech rights of clients in the filmmaking and creative industries. Dale is also a frequent speaker on IP topics and is currently Immediate Past Chair of AIPPI-US, the US chapter of AIPPI, an international IP organization with over 80 countries represented.  Dale is also on the Endowment Board of the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and on the Board of the Independent Shakespeare Company, a non-profit entity hosting free Shakespeare productions in Los Angeles' Griffith Park. Dale was recently recognized in Variety’s 2024 Legal Impact Report for her work with independent filmmakers.

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.

Representative

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

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

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

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

Round Table: Development: Carolina Tamez and Henry Kittredge

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

ROUND TABLE: LEGAL: DALE NELSON, PAUL SZYNOL, AND SOPHIA YEN


Producers Mentor Session: Taylor Feltner (We're Doin' Great)

Taylor Feltner

Producer

Taylor Feltner is a producer working across multiple genres and mediums, from scripted features and documentaries to commercials.

His latest production under his We’re Doin’ Great banner with partner Alexandra Barreto is the narrative feature LATE BLOOMERS, which world premiered at SXSW 2023 and was released theatrically by Vertical in June of 2024. The film stars Karen Gillan (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY), Margaret Sophie Stein (BULLETS OVER BROADWAY) and Jermaine Fowler (SORRY TO BOTHER YOU). It was selected for the 2020 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Fellowship and 2021 Sundance Catalyst as well as the 2020 Film Independent Directors Lab, the 2020 IFP Market and Film Independent’s Fast Track in 2019.

He produced the doc short EXIT 12, which won the SXSW Grand Jury Prize in 2019 and Vimeo’s 2019 Best of the Year award, and was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. His narrative short LADY HATER had its world premiere at Tribeca 2019.

He produced the feature TOO LATE, starring Academy Award nominees John Hawkes and Robert Forster. It enjoyed a 30+ market theatrical release and secured a worldwide deal with Netflix. He produced the drama LEAVE ME LIKE YOU FOUND ME (SXSW ’12), as well as the documentaries FALL AND WINTER (SXSW & Hotdocs ’13) and JUST LIKE US (Tribeca ’10), which was acquired by Lionsgate.

Taylor also serves as the Head of Production at Even/Odd, an award winning creative studio and production company and AdAge’s Small Agency of the Year in 2021.

Taylor is a Film Independent, Gotham and Sundance Institute Catalyst and Creative Producing Fellow.

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, Producers/Production, Narrative Filmmakers.

PRODUCERS MENTOR SESSION: TAYLOR FELTNER (WE'RE DOIN' GREAT)


Producers Mentor Session: A.J. Del Cueto (Circle 9)

A.J. Del Cueto

Producer

A.J. Del Cueto is a producer, director and post-production expert known for his work on feature films such as, THE CODE (Fantasia 2024), CANVAS (Cinequest 2024), SPREE (Sundance 2020), WE ARE (2019), and WOBBLE PALACE (SXSW 2018). A.J. is the founder of Circle 9, a production company established in 2011— to develop, produce, and support director-driven independent films.

A.J.’s impact in the documentary space is seen through his work as co-producer on "BAMA RUSH," an HBO Documentary Film and as the post-producer of "THE AMERICAN GLADIATORS DOCUMENTARY," an ESPN 30for30 two-part feature film. A.J. is also the post-producer of “TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS” (TIFF 2024).

A.J. is a member of the PGA (Producers Guild of America) and holds memberships in support of NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers), Nosotros, and Film Independent. A.J.'s creative vision, collaborative spirit, and unwavering dedication to his craft continue to inspire and captivate audiences— establishing him as a notable voice in contemporary filmmaking.

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

PRODUCERS MENTOR SESSION: A.J. DEL CUETO (CIRCLE 9)


Sober Space Meet Up - 3/16

Conrádo Markel

Director of Operations

Conrádo is a dedicated and passionate supporter of mental heath initiatives and the recovery community of Central Texas. His work in the non-profit communities of Austin, has empowered him to embrace a mission of service and serve as a change maker and advocate for the wellbeing of those in need. He currently works in the mental health and recovery space, connecting and helping musicians and music industry professionals pay for therapy and recovery resources through the work of The SIMS Foundation.

Brazos

More Analog, Less Noise Please: City Builders Meet Up

Understanding Crypto: Conversations for the Curious Meet Up

Sober Space is a welcoming gathering place for people in all forms of recovery during SXSW 2026. This space hosts all-format recovery meetings for Friends of Bill and all SXSW attendees who are seeking a supportive meeting environment during the festival. Participants are invited to sit together and share experience, strength, and hope in a confidential, judgment-free setting. Meetings are facilitated by The SIMS Foundation alongside trusted leaders from the recovery community.


AI at the Speed of Life: How Technology is Reshaping Drug Discovery and Delivery

Diogo Rau

Vice President And Chief Information And Digital Officer

Diogo brings a rare blend of Silicon Valley ingenuity and enterprise leadership. Before joining Lilly in 2021, Diogo led the technology behind the Apple online store and retail experiences—think mobile point of sale, the Apple Store app, and more. Prior, he served as a partner at McKinsey & Company and founded a rewards and recognition software platform. At Lilly, he’s applying a customer-first, tech-forward mindset to transform how data, digital health, cybersecurity, and AI drive impact and innovation across the organization. Under his leadership as executive vice president and chief digital and information officer, Lilly is accelerating AI-driven drug discovery, development, and delivery and digital health solutions. Diogo graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in industrial engineering and engineering management.

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

Artificial intelligence is transforming nearly every industry—but in healthcare, its impact is uniquely personal. The pharmaceutical industry stands at an inflection point: what once took a decade or more to move from scientific hypothesis to patient treatment is being fundamentally reimagined through AI, advanced computing, and automation. Yet in an industry where lives hang in the balance, speed must be matched with rigor, and innovation with responsibility. Join leaders from pharma and technology for a conversation about deploying AI at scale to accelerate breakthroughs while maintaining the highest standards of patient safety, governance, and compliance.

AI AT THE SPEED OF LIFE: HOW TECHNOLOGY IS RESHAPING DRUG DISCOVERY AND DELIVERY


Mentor Session: Zoë Lustri (Alliance for Women Film Composers)

Zoë Lustri

Board Member

Zoë Lustri (she/her) is a 2x award-losing film composer and music producer based in Manchester, UK. She loves to write music and hates to write bios.

She began her life in music from the tender age of 5 years old--writing classic hits about playtime and the struggles of parents telling you what to do. From then the ball was rolling and it hasn't stopped.

Zoë holds a Bachelor's Degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music. Upon graduating, she moved to Los Angeles where she interned for some famous people with questionable ethics. Since then, she has worked with cool people with morals at Joy Music House where she has worked in score production on a variety of projects including the Emmy & Oscar nominated RBG, and Emile Mosseri's Oscar nominated, BAFTA award winning score to Minari.

When she is not enveloped in music for media, Zoë is working on her personal songs and artistry. In 2020, Zoë Lustri shocked the world when she released her debut single Something Good. A song that a random Indie blog once said “[sounds] absolutely great, but unfortunately I feel it sounds a little too commercial for my playlist”. Something Good features strong, prominent vocals exploring introspective lyrics as a conversation on depression while giving a sonic palette that is both ambient, cinematic, and driving. Her productions have been labeled as both "too interesting for [her] vocals to hold up to" and also "outshone by the vocal delivery". As an artist she is distinctly emotive, and, according to one Instagram user, "can't sing". With an impressive 840 Instagram followers and 184 Spotify followers, Zoë Lustri is redefining the word "icon". Her single Something Good was succeeded with EPs Down The River and Occult Sh*t, which features the award-nominated track Secrets.

Zoë is a voting member of The Recording Academy, and she proudly sits on the board of The Alliance for Women Film Composers, actively pushing for gender equity in the world of film composing.

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), Sync/Licensing, Women in Music.

MENTOR SESSION: ZOE LUSTRI (ALLIANCE FOR WOMEN FILM COMPOSERS)


Mentor Session: Steve Shin (KreatorsNetwork)

Steve Shin

CEO

Data-Driven Music Marketer | Founder & CEO, Kreators Network

Current Role
- Founder & CEO of Kreators Network Inc. (KRTRS) since July 2018
- KRTRS is the exclusive Korea representative for Luminate (Billboard's data platform)
- Provides marketing consulting, software development, and data analysis services to major K-pop labels including HYBE, JYP, YG, and SM Entertainment
- Currently expanding operations to Japan and Taiwan

Professional Background
- Business Owner, Loen Entertainment Inc. (Mar 2017 – Mar 2018, Seoul)
    - Loen Entertainment is now part of Kakao Entertainment, one of Korea's largest music distribution companies
- Manager, MyMusicTaste (Jul 2016 – Jan 2017, Seoul)
    - Fan-driven concert demand platform connecting global audiences with artists
- Business Analyst, McKinsey & Company (Jun 2014 – Jul 2016, Seoul)
    - 2+ years of management consulting experience in strategic problem-solving and data analysis
- Research Intern, McKinsey & Company (Jan 2013 – Jun 2013, Seoul)

Education
- The Wharton School, University of PennsylvaniaBachelor of Applied Science in Finance (2006–2014)

Areas of Expertise
- Music data analytics and streaming performance analysis
- K-pop marketing strategy and global market expansion
- Music Placement (MPL) campaigns on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels
- Concert ticket sales prediction models using streaming data correlation
- Artist competitive positioning and market intelligence

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Data, Marketing/PR, IP & Copyright.

MENTOR SESSION: STEVE SHIN (KREATORSNETWORK)


Mentor Session: Julissa Germosén

Julissa Germosen

Tech Executive, Author, Human Connection & AI Leadership Expert

Julissa S. Germosen is a visionary brand strategist, speaker, and founder of Mariposa Blanca, LLC and LatinaMadrina.com. With over 20 years of experience in tech and AI, she brings a future-focused lens to brand building—bridging cultural storytelling with emerging innovation. Julissa empowers Latina entrepreneurs to craft authentic, impactful narratives that resonate. Her dynamic presence, strategic insight, and dedication to inclusive leadership have made her a sought-after voice in branding, digital empowerment, and the evolution of identity in tech spaces.

Room 400-402

Mentor Session: Ali Tager (National Cryptocurrency Association)

Mentor Session: Aniesia Williams (dreambloc)

Mentor Session: Avantika Bagri (Centana Growth Partners)

Mentor Session: Brittan Heller (Stanford Law School)

Meeting with this mentor is highly recommended if you're interested in Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Business Development, Storytelling.


Mentor Session: Jeff Skipper (Jeff Skipper Consulting)

Jeff Skipper

International Change & Strategy Expert

Jeff Skipper brings a human-centered perspective to change, combining psychology, leadership, and business expertise to turn disruption into opportunity. For over 25 years he has helped leaders engage their people, overcome resistance, and achieve bold goals. He has advised global brands like Bayer, BP, and The Salvation Army, and is the author of Dancing with Disruption. With a master’s in organizational psychology, Jeff energizes audiences with fresh, actionable insights on leading transformation.

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

MENTOR SESSION: JEFF SKIPPER (JEFF SKIPPER CONSULTING)


Embodied Regulation in a Dysregulated World

Sepideh Eivazi

Founder

Room 412

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

The Price of Influence: Why Undefined Value Kills Trust

10 Truths About Technology That Are Shaping Your Life

Tackling the “snakes” undermining digital rights

Insight doesn’t change lives.
Integration does.

Trauma isn’t stored in memory.
Leadership isn’t built in theory.
Both live in the body — and the nervous system that governs it.

This immersive session is a nervous system reset for a world stuck in chronic fight, flight, and freeze — a living portal between ancient medicine and modern neuroscience.

The experience begins with a short, grounded presentation on the power of breath and how it directly influences the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, shaping emotion, decision-making, and presence in real time.

Participants are then guided through a trauma-informed somatic breathwork and meditation practice, using mouth breathing to safely release trapped emotional and survival energy — without storytelling or retraumatization.

The session transitions into nasal breathing, supporting embodiment, integration, and regulation — moving the body from release into grounded coherence.

We close with a live ocean drum ritual, using rhythm and vibration to anchor integration at a cellular level, followed by an optional sharing circle for connection and reflection.

This is not self-optimization.
This is embodied regulation.

Participants leave regulated, present, and connected — with a lived understanding of breath as a tool for emotional regulation, resilience, and conscious leadership.

EMBODIED REGULATION IN A DYSREGULATED WORLD


Mentor Session: Jessica Muñiz (NIZCO Music)

Jessica Muñiz

Founder/CEO

Jessica Muñiz is a music career consultant, composer/producer, and Assistant Professor of Music Business at the University of North Texas. She is also the Founder/Owner of NIZCO Music – a music career consulting company that helps musicians compose their careers to their own B.E.A.T. (Business, Education/Entrepreneurship, Artist Development, Technology). Passionate about supporting musicians, Jessica serves on the boards for multiple music industry organizations, including The Recording Academy (Texas Chapter) and the College Music Society. Additionally, she serves as an Educator Ambassador for The Mechanical Licensing Collective and is Co-Chair of The Recording Academy Education Committee (Texas Chapter). Her work as a composer/producer includes projects for MundoFOX, Univision, PBS, IMAX, Universal Production Music, and others. To learn more about Jessica, visit www.nizcomusic.com.

Tannehill

Global Stage @ Downright Austin Backyard

Mentor Session: Arnaecia Alridge (Methix)

Mentor Session: Isabella Uknis (Universal Music Publishing Group)

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

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

Mentor Session: Noel Morrison (SiriusXM/Pandora)

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

MENTOR SESSION: JESSICA MUNIZ (NIZCO MUSIC)


"The Past is Prologue” how do we make for today's audiences?

Ayanna Thompson

Scholar of Shakespeare, race, and performance at Arizona State University and Executive Director of ACMRS

A leader of humanities in practice, Thompson’s work in higher education, on nonprofit boards, and in arts organizations demonstrates the power of humanities as a practice.

Thompson’s research explores Shakespeare, race, and performance. She is the author of many books including Blackface and Passing Strange: Shakespeare, Race, and Contemporary America. A Regents Professor of English and executive director of the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, she has demonstrated at Arizona State University and beyond that the humanities are not a thing of the past, they are vital to our future.

Hayley Pepler

Hayley Pepler is a dynamic leader in the creative industries, currently serving as Head of Culture, Creative Industries, and Digital Roadmap at the West Midlands Combined Authority. With a wealth of experience as an Executive Producer and Director, Hayley has been at the forefront of major cultural and digital projects, including leading the digital strategy for Manchester International Festival and producing arts captures featuring Maxine Peake and Danny Boyle. She has worked with prestigious institutions such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, nurturing new talent and creating high-impact, audience-focused content across multiple platforms.

Akhila Krishnan

Freelance Video Designer and Creative Director

Akhila Krishnan is an award-winning designer & creative director working at intersection of live experience, technology, moving image and storytelling.

Originally trained in design and film at the Royal College of Art and the National Institute of Design in India, Akhila’s current practice explores the possibilities that technology offers to take story-telling beyond the screen, bringing it into lived spaces via shared experiences.

She was recently nominated for The Stage Innovation Award for Innovation (shared with Zoe Spurr and BFG Company) for her work on the show. Akhila was also the 2024-2025 Interdisciplinary Fellow at the RSC.

Lisa Jamhoury

Principal Artist, Creative Director

Lisa Jamhoury is a Lebanese-American artist working across live performance, installation, and physical media. She creates and directs cinematically rich, embodied experiences that recenter human agency in the digital age. An Onassis ONX and NEW INC member, Lisa's work has been recognized by Ars Electronica, The Lumen Prize, SXSW, Meta Open Arts, IDFA DocLab, Google xStory, TEDx, and more.

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

Everything that has come before us has set the stage for now. Our audiences are looking for new, innovative and fresh storytelling, with expectations based on what they have experienced previously. So, how can we make new moments of magic and keep surprising our audiences?
With a lightning opening provocation from Sarah Ellis, Director of Creative Innovation from the Royal Shakespeare Company, Createch Frontiers examines how we can innovate ancient traditions of storytelling and keep our audiences engaged.

THE PAST IS PROLOGUE? HOW DO WE MAKE FOR TODAY'S AUDIENCES?


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

Shuta Hasunuma

Composer

Born in 1983 in Tokyo. In addition to releasing his own recordings and organizing and performing with the Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra both in Japan and abroad, he has collaborated in genres across the performing arts, including film, theater, dance, and musical production. Most recently, he has been applying musical composition techniques to a variety of media to present video, sound, sculpture, and installation works in both solo exhibitions and projects. His most recent 6 CD set albums "windandwindows" (2018), and the theater piece "TIME," recorded at the Kanagawa Arts Theater (KAAT).

Hasunuma also planned and organized the "Music Today" concert series. In 2014, he went to the United States on a grant from the Asian Cultural Council. A list of selected solo exhibitions includes: "compositions : rhythm" (2016) at the Spiral Garden in Tokyo; "compositions" in 2017 at the Beijing Culture and Art Center in China, as part of a Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs cultural exchange; and his first solo exhibition in the United States, "Compositions" was held at Pioneer Works in New York in 2018. Now his latest solo exhibition, "Shuta Hasunuma :：　〜 　ing" has been held at Shiseido Gallry in Ginza, Tokyo.

Kenichi Kutsuna

Director

Born in Aichi Prefecture in 1983. Graduated from the Department of Film Media, Faculty of Media Arts, Nagoya University of Arts and Sciences.

He began publishing his animations online in his teens, which caught the attention of industry professionals, leading him to participate in television animation as a key animator while still in university.

After graduation, he worked as a freelance animator, contributing as a key animator, animation supervisor, and character designer. He is known in the animation industry as a pioneer of digital animation.

Established the creator unit STUDIO BETTA in 2023.

Recent notable works include the opening animation, storyboards, episode direction, and animation supervision for "Vlad Love" (2021), "The Fire Hunter" (2023), "Magical Destroyers" (2023). Currently directing "Sekiro: No Defeat".

Lauren Moore

Associate Creative Director & Host

Lauren is Crunchyroll’s Associate Creative Director of Social and on-camera host. Originally from the Cayman Islands, she has since made a home for herself working in the anime industry for over a decade. Her work has spanned marketing strategy, social media management, content creation, conventions and more. When she’s not creating social content or hosting, you can find her crying over webcomics, watching anime and hanging out with her cat, Beauty.

Bridge Ballroom AB

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

Creativity, Commerce & Chaos: Tech & Indie Filmmaking

Art to Infrastructure: Creating a Company as an Artist

SXSW Episodic Pitch-A-Thon presented by SeriesFest

Building Hollywood Buzz Without the Hollywood Style Campaign

FromSoftware’s Sekiro is being reimagined as a hand-drawn anime built with an analog-first (hand drawn) philosophy, prioritizing craftsmanship, motion, and texture over shortcuts. Join director Kenichi Kutsuna, composer Shuta Hasunuma, and Crunchyroll’s Associate Creative Director and Host Lauren Moore, for a behind-the-scenes look at how Studio Qzil.la is bringing Sengoku Japan to life: from research and concept, to action choreography, background art, and sound.


US Healthcare in Crisis: Who Cares? Who Wins?

Trina Spear

Chief Executive Officer And Co-Founder

Trina Spear is the CEO and Co-Founder of FIGS, Inc. (NYSE: FIGS), the global leading healthcare apparel
company. FIGS creates technically advanced products to help healthcare professionals look good, feel
good and perform at their best.
FIGS revolutionized the healthcare apparel industry by branding a previously unbranded industry, de-
commoditizing a previously commoditized product, and building a community around a profession.
Trina is also a member of the board of directors of Amer Sports, Inc. (NYSE: AS), a global group of sports
and outdoor brands, including Arcteryx, Salomon and Wilson.
Trina’s accolades include being named in Fortune 40 Under 40, Goldman Sachs’ 100 Most Intriguing
Entrepreneurs, and E&Y’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Her article, “Transforming the Healthcare
Experience: Doctors, Nurses, Patients, and Beyond,” was published in the Journal of the American
College of Radiology.
Prior to launching FIGS, Trina worked in Blackstone’s hedge fund group and in Citigroup's investment
banking and private equity divisions. Trina is a member of the 2018 Class of Henry Crown Fellows at the
Aspen Institute. Trina received her BA in Economics from Tufts University, graduating magna cum laude,
and she completed her MBA at Harvard Business School.

Dr. Elisabeth Potter, MD

Reconstructive Plastic Surgeon & Founder Of Redbud Surgery Center

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

A little over a year ago, Dr. Elisabeth Potter scrubbed out of an operating room to take a call from an insurance company and stepped into a national conversation about how our system is treating patients and healthcare workers. Time to scrub out again, and talk about the health of our $5.6 trillion system, the value of independent voices and the state of our healthcare workforce. She is joined on stage by Trina Spear, co-Founder and CEO of Figs, Inc. for a conversation, a pep talk, a call for assistance to creative innovators willing to take on a big, hairy challenge.

US HEALTHCARE IN CRISIS: WHO CARES? WHO WINS?


Mentor Session: Melanie Goldey (Tally Health)

Melanie Goldey

CEO

Melanie Goldey is a dynamic leader at the intersection of consumer, technology, and healthcare. As CEO of Tally Health, a trailblazing consumer biotech company redefining the way we age, Melanie and her team are on a mission to develop science-backed tools that help people increase healthspan, extend longevity, and age healthier.
She brings deep expertise in scaling high-growth companies through pivotal transformations. Previously, she served as COO & CFO at fertility tech company TMRW Life Sciences; CFO at Refinery29, where she led its merger with Vice Media Group; and SVP at Everyday Health Group, where she helped grow the company through its IPO and subsequent acquisition. Melanie began her career as a technology and media investment banker at J.P. Morgan.
Melanie serves on the Board of Directors at Tally Health and Sollis Health, and is a member of the Fast Company Impact Council and WIE Suite. She is also an angel investor and advisor to women-led start-ups.

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 Funding, Entrepreneurship, Business Development.

MENTOR SESSION: MELANIE GOLDEY (TALLY HEALTH)


Mentor Session: Eric Shea (Pandora/SiriusXM)

Eric Shea

Sr. Operations Manager

During his decade-plus long tenure at Pandora, Eric Shea has worn many hats. He’s been a Senior Curator, an announcer and interviewer for Pandora-sponsored live events, and a programmer for rock, country, folk, and blues. He’s currently a Senior Operations Manager for the Catalog & Creator Services team where he onboards external creators and manages a small team that vets programmed content. Prior to SiriusXM/Pandora, he’s worked in the world of digital music for well over two decades, including iTunes, Bandcamp, and Rhapsody/Napster. He’s also the author of Living Mod: Berkeley In The 1980s and has written about music for many publications including Premier Guitar, The San Francisco Chronicle, and Thrasher Skateboard magazine. A lifelong musician, he also records and tours with bands like Hot Lunch, Ozean, The Air Condition, and Sweet Chariot.

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 Management, Marketing/PR, Media/Journalism, Music Tech, Songwriting, Streaming & Programming.

MENTOR SESSION: ERIC SHEA (PANDORA/SIRIUSXM)


Mentor Session: Teresa Bigelow (Revel Society)

Teresa Bigelow

Founder

PR for Tech, Culture & Health + Founder @ Spiral5, a new model for learning & hiring PR.

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

MENTOR SESSION: TERESA BIGELOW (REVEL SOCIETY)


Under 25 Meet Up

Arpita Bhutani

Co-Founder

Arpita Bhutani is Co-Founder of Snubber, an AI-powered platform that helps companies assess hardware engineers through technical interviews. Before starting Snubber, she was an engineer at SpaceX. Now 24, she's building tools to fix how the aerospace and hard tech industries hire, replacing outdated resume screens with assessments that test real engineering thinking. She's based in Austin.

Room 408

Convene, Collaborate, & Cultivate Connection: Moms Meet Up

For founders, builders, and ambitious minds under 25. Whether you're starting a company, working on something big, or still figuring it out, this is your chance to connect with peers who are actually doing the thing. Featuring Cameron Van Der Berg, who quit his engineering job in 2018 to start Infravision and just raised $91M to build aerial robotics that transform power grid construction. Real talk about going all-in, building hard things, and what it actually takes.


Curious Critters and Human Health

Josh Jones-Dilworth

Founder and CEO

Josh is the Cofounder and Executive Chairman of  Penrose, which convenes 125+ of the most consequential people in the science world — researchers, inventors, funders, nonprofit and government leaders, entrepreneurs, executives, and storytellers.

Josh also founded JDI and leads the firm today as CEO. JDI is an integrated marketing firm that helps make precedent-setting science and emerging tech companies well known and understood. Building JDI has been Josh's life’s work, and a deeply gratifying experience.

In addition to his work at Penrose and JDI, Josh is also co-owner of the science magazine Nautilus and proudly serves on its Board. He has co-founded Litmus Health, The Daily Dot, Culturati, and New Civic.

Dr. Ansa Cobham, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Ansa Cobham is a postdoctoral researcher in the Rohner laboratory at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. Her research investigates the molecular basis of metabolic adaptation using the cavefish model Astyanax mexicanus. This unique organism offers a novel system to uncover compensatory mechanisms that could lead to new treatment targets for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Additionally, Cobham is developing an innovative research program that leverages this model to study aging.

Cobham is deeply committed to mentorship and community outreach. As a first-generation Black woman from a low-income community, Cobham is deeply aware of the many challenges faced by students from historically underrepresented groups in the life sciences, especially women students.

Henry Lee

CEO

Henry Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Cultivarium, a non-profit bioengineering firm that harnesses the extraordinary power of microbes to fuel the bioeconomy. Previously, he was the Director of Genomics at the Pandemic Response Lab, a high-throughput diagnostic and genome biosurveillance COVID-19 facility established for New York City. Henry’s expertise lies at the intersection of engineering and biotechnology, where he has pioneered new methods enabling DNA data storage, holds several patents in his field, and is actively involved in building the tools needed to create a flourishing bioeconomy that heals our people and planet.

Salon FGH

SXSW Pitch-Healthcare, AssistiveTech & BioTech

SXSW Pitch-Sustainability, AgTech & Food

SXSW Pitch-Smart Cities, Transportation, Manufacturing & Logistics

SXSW Pitch-Smart Data, Security, and FinTech

Ozempic revolutionized diabetes treatment, inspired by Gila monster venom - proving nature holds answers to health challenges. This session explores how unique organisms like snails and cavefish can improve our quality of life. Panelists discuss the most exciting ways curious critters, genetic engineering and biomimicry transform human health and society through nature-inspired discoveries that could change our future.


Indie Film, Hollywood Tech: Virtual Production on Any Budget

Nessa Aref

Head of Production

Nessa Aref is the head of production at Lumostage, Vancouver's premiere virtual production LED volume, where she is dedicated to pioneering the next chapter in filmmaking—leveraging everything from miniatures to cutting-edge virtual production to bring the previously impossible to the big screen, regardless of budget.

As a creative, Nessa has directed award winning shorts like the queer Persian horror-comedy My Roommate Ahriman, and co-produced features like SXSW 2023 film With Love and a Major Organ and Freaks, from directors Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky (Final Destination: Bloodlines).

Nessa is a Pacific Screenwriters Program Accelerator alum and showrun two original webseries, including The Autobiography of Jane Eyre, one of Canada’s most successful narrative webseries of all time.

Kashif Pasta

Director & Editor

Kashif Pasta is an award-winning writer & director raised in Canada and based in Los Angeles. His most recent short, The Muslim Guide to Prayer in Space, took advantage of virtual production technology for an intimate dramedy that demonstrates his passion for sparking our collective imaginations by combining cutting-edge tech and traditional film grammar.

Kashif is the co-founder of Dunya Media, a production company that empowers artists of color to tell stories with purpose, where he has produced work like the SXSW Grand Jury award-winning music video "Meet You at the Light".

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 Niche to Noticed: New Paths for Indie Films

Independent filmmakers are told to write small. But LED volume technology is unlocking worlds of possibility outside the Hollywood system, proving virtual production isn't just for sci-fi blockbusters. From queer horror-comedies to intimate dramas to stylized period pieces, we'll look at real-world case studies that show how accessible virtual production can be. Learn how to think about LED volumes, Unreal Engine, and more from script to budget without technical overwhelm—and discover how to make those 'impossible' scripts possible.

INDIE FILM, HOLLYWOOD TECH: VIRTUAL PRODUCTION ON ANY BUDGET


Inside the International Scam Syndicate: How We Fight Back

Tyson Wrensch

Author/Podcaster

Tyson is a San Francisco-based author, speaker, and victims’ rights advocate who has dedicated his post-tech career to raising awareness about con artists and financial predators. Once a successful professional in the tech industry, Tyson’s life took an unexpected turn when he became entangled in a high-profile fraud and murder case that would later become the subject of the Warner Brothers true crime podcast American Hustlers, based on the book Until Someone Gets Hurt, which he co-authored. Tyson uses his personal experience to help others recognize and navigate the emotional and financial devastation that scams can cause. When he’s not advocating for victims’ rights, he enjoys traveling with his husband, contributing to political discussions, and finding humor in life’s darker corners.

Lisa Plaggemier

Executive Director

Lisa Plaggemier is Executive Director at the National Cybersecurity Alliance. She is on a mission to empower people and organizations to stay safe online, so that everyone can experience the benefits of technology without worry. Lisa started her career in marketing with Ford Motor Company before moving into automotive technology and eventually security.  Her passion is bridging the communications gap between security professionals fighting to protect us and our way of life, and the rest of us, struggling with the lingo and trying to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.

Lisa has led the NCA to three CSO awards including one for Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a campaign that engages millions of individuals, businesses and governments around the world annually, and one for Kubikle, a comedic YouTube series with over 19 million views.

Lisa has served on the US Secret Service Cyber Investigations Advisory Board, the board of human trafficking nonprofit Allies Against Slavery, the advisory board of the Identity Theft Resource Center, and the board of US Cyber Games. She is a University of Michigan graduate, and while she wasn’t born in Austin, Texas, she got there as fast as she could.

Erin West

Founder and CEO

Erin West is a veteran prosecutor and the founder of Operation Shamrock, a global nonprofit disrupting organized crypto fraud. With 26 years of legal experience and a key role on the REACT High-Tech Task Force, Erin is recognized as a leading voice in the fight against pig butchering scams. She now spearheads international collaboration across law enforcement, tech, and public sectors to protect victims and expose trafficking networks. Erin also hosts Stolen, a podcast exploring the real-world impact of online crime. She is a trusted educator and speaker on fraud, justice, and digital safety.

Perry Carpenter

Chief Human Risk Management Strategist

Perry Carpenter is a multi-award-winning author, podcaster, and speaker with a passion for deception and technology. With over two decades in cybersecurity, he’s spent his career exploring how bad actors exploit human behavior.
That fascination began in childhood with magic tricks and mental manipulation, evolving into a mission to protect others from digital threats. As Chief Human Risk Management Strategist at KnowBe4, Perry helps organizations and individuals build stronger defenses against today’s online deceptions.
His latest book, FAIK: A Practical Guide to Living in a World of Deepfakes, Disinformation, and AI-Generated Deceptions, tackles the fascinating and often daunting world of artificial intelligence.

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

Scamming is a multibillion-dollar, transnational business rivaling legitimate enterprises.  In actual offices, their workers labor leg to leg at long tables -- cubicles would actually be more humane. Scams are now a way for nation-states to steal the wealth of Americans, at speed and scale. These criminals are on a rampage, and those in power, in the US and abroad, aren't really focused on stopping it. Hear from a former prosecutor hell-bent on disrupting this prolific crime, an expert in deception, and a scam survivor and podcaster about how we can all fight back.

INSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL SCAM SYNDICATE: HOW WE FIGHT BACK


How to Break Through to Digital Services & Tech Platforms

Angel Reyes

Associate Director, Brands

Angel J. Reyes is an Associate Director at Wasserman, where he leads music initiatives for brands in financial services and telecommunications. Since joining the agency in 2021, he has worked with artists such as Megan Thee Stallion, Karol G, Jack Harlow, Doechii, Latto, The Kid Laroi, Zedd, Omar Apollo, Ravyn Lenae, and many more, helping shape major cultural moments at events including NBA All-Star Weekend, the College Football Playoffs, NCAA Men’s & Women’s March Madness and Essence Festival. His work centers on creating authentic connections between music, culture, and brands that resonate with fans. Angel began his career in artist and tour management, an experience that gave him a deep understanding of the creativity and challenges behind live entertainment. That perspective continues to guide his approach to brand partnerships and cultural storytelling. Along the way, he has collaborated with global companies including Mondelez, PepsiCo, and Pernod Ricard, building campaigns that merge strategy with cultural impact. A proud Afro Latino and lifelong New Yorker, Angel draws inspiration from the city’s energy and diversity. He hopes to encourage the next generation of music business leaders to embrace curiosity, collaboration, and courage as they chart their own paths.

Sarah Janiszewski

Director of Industry Relations

Sarah Janiszewski's expertise is in cultivating label partnerships and artist relations for music services, managing and developing artists, guiding artists in brand storytelling and media strategies, spearheading music marketing initiatives, and creating artist campaigns and brand experiences.

William Gruger

DSP & Partner Marketing Lead

William Gruger currently works as the DSP + Partner Marketing lead at Duetti, responsible for driving music discovery and streaming growth of the catalog through native, partner-led marketing campaigns. Previously, he completed a six year stint at TikTok, building the North American Music Editorial and Programming team from the ground up overseeing in-app programming, playlisting, and creative live productions for everything related to music and TikTok before moving on to focus on building strategies and cultural campaigns scaled across all territories and across the wider family of Bytedance Products as a lead on the Global Music Programming and Partnerships team. Before TikTok he worked as the Director of Programming at TIDAL, leading playlist curation and promotion strategy. With foundations in the startup world, Gruger’s decade-spanning career in the music industry began at Billboard as the Associate Director of Streaming Charts where he reported on the early ways in which digital platforms impacted artist’s careers. This eventually led to him getting hired by Twitter to lead music content strategy for the true OG in the short form video space, Vine. His expertise as a music and video culture authority has been featured in the New York Times, LA Times, WSJ, New York Post, and Billboard.

Melanie Mcclain

Founder

Melanie McClain is the New York based founder of Blurred Lines. She is also a music trends and music programming consultant for the music streaming and video platform, YouTube.

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?

Music’s digital evolution has unlocked unprecedented access for artists and teams—putting key decision-makers, pitch opportunities, and powerful connections within reach. But greater access brings new layers of complexity. In this panel, we’ll bring together the humans who have played on both sides of the digital music spaces you love. They’ll give a glimpse into the tech intricacies and communication behind closed doors leading to proper partnerships. More importantly, we’ll give tangible systems to how artists and teams can win through patience and persistence.

HOW TO BREAK THROUGH TO DIGITAL SERVICES & TECH PLATFORMS