South by Southwest (SXSW) 2017 was an annual conference and festival held in Austin, Texas, organized by SXSW, LLC. The event brought together professionals from various industries, including technology, film, music, and law, to discuss emerging trends and innovations.
Key topics at SXSW 2017 included the intensifying debate over data ownership, with discussions on consumer data protection and the challenges policymakers face in regulating digital information. Sessions also addressed empowerment and inclusion, focusing on the socio-economic impacts of decisions affecting underrepresented voices. Additionally, the conference explored licensing and royalty issues in the music industry, highlighting the complexities of music licensing and the role of technologies like blockchain in providing transparency.
The event featured various networking opportunities, including the SXSW Release It pitch event, where ten finalists showcased innovative products and services to a panel of industry experts. Notable speakers included Jessica Shortall, Jennifer Doudna, and Garth Brooks, who shared insights across technology, culture, and music.
SXSW 2017 was ideal for professionals in technology, law, music, and film seeking to stay abreast of industry trends, network with peers, and gain insights from thought leaders. The diverse range of sessions and speakers provided valuable knowledge and opportunities for collaboration across sectors.
Speakers(67)
Adam Savage
Special Effects Designer and Television Personality at Tested.com
Adam Savage is a special effects designer and television personality, best known for co-hosting 'MythBusters'.
Alethea Lange
Policy Analyst at Center for Democracy & Technology
Alethea Lange is a policy analyst at the Center for Democracy & Technology, focusing on privacy and data security.
Amber Venz Box
President and Co-Founder at rewardStyle
Amber Venz Box is the President and Co-Founder of rewardStyle, a monetization platform for influencers.
Andrea Matwyshyn
Professor of Law at Northeastern University School of Law
Andrea Matwyshyn is a professor of law at Northeastern University, focusing on technology law and policy.
Anil Dash
CEO at Fog Creek
Anil Dash is the CEO of Fog Creek, a software development company.
Ashish Gadnis
CEO at BanQu
Ashish Gadnis is the CEO of BanQu, a blockchain-based economic identity platform.
Bill Ford
Executive Chairman at Ford Motor Company
Bill Ford is the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, overseeing the company's strategic direction.
Candice Morgan
Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Pinterest
Candice Morgan is the Head of Inclusion and Diversity at Pinterest, leading the company's diversity initiatives.
Caroline Joiner
Executive Director, Texas and the Southeast at TechNet
Caroline Joiner is the Executive Director for Texas and the Southeast at TechNet, focusing on technology policy advocacy.
Cheryl Boone Isaacs
President at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Cheryl Boone Isaacs is the President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
D.B. Weiss
Co-Creator and Showrunner at Game of Thrones
D.B. Weiss is the co-creator and showrunner of the television series 'Game of Thrones'.
Dae Bogan
CEO at TuneRegistry
Dae Bogan is the CEO of TuneRegistry, a music rights administration platform for independent music creators.
Daliah Saper
Principal Attorney at Saper Law Offices
Daliah Saper is the principal attorney at Saper Law Offices, focusing on intellectual property, social media, and business law.
Dan Lyons
Editorial Director at DocuSign
Dan Lyons is the Editorial Director at DocuSign and author of 'Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble'.
Dave Pell
Writer at Next Draft
Dave Pell is the writer of Next Draft, a curated daily news newsletter.
David Benioff
Co-Creator and Showrunner at Game of Thrones
David Benioff is the co-creator and showrunner of the television series 'Game of Thrones'.
Doug Newcomb
President and Founder at C3 Group
Doug Newcomb is the President and Founder of C3 Group, specializing in connected car technologies.
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson
Chairman and CEO at Magic Johnson Enterprises
Earvin 'Magic' Johnson is a former NBA player and the Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises.
Eli Pariser
Co-Founder at Upworthy
Eli Pariser is the co-founder of Upworthy, a website dedicated to sharing meaningful content.
Ellen Broad
Head of Policy at Open Data Institute
Ellen Broad is the head of policy at the Open Data Institute, specializing in data ethics and policy.
Eric Lesser
State Senator at Massachusetts State Senate
Eric Lesser is a State Senator in Massachusetts, representing the First Hampden and Hampshire District.
Erin Schrode
Journalist and Activist
Erin Schrode is a journalist and activist focusing on environmental and social issues.
Esha Bhandari
Staff Attorney at American Civil Liberties Union
Esha Bhandari is a staff attorney at the ACLU, focusing on free speech, privacy, and technology-related civil liberties issues.
Fidji Simo
Director of Product at Facebook
Fidji Simo is the Director of Product at Facebook, leading the company's video and news products.
Franz Paasche
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs at PayPal
Franz Paasche is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at PayPal, leading the company's global communications and public affairs.
Gary Vaynerchuk
CEO at VaynerMedia
Gary Vaynerchuk is the CEO of VaynerMedia and a serial entrepreneur known for his expertise in digital marketing.
Ingrid Vanderveldt
Founder and CEO at Empowerment Ventures
Ingrid Vanderveldt is the Founder and CEO of Empowerment Ventures, focusing on empowering women entrepreneurs.
Jeff Howe
Author at Whiplash
Jeff Howe is the author of 'Whiplash', focusing on the impact of technology on society.
Jennifer Doudna
Professor of Chemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology at University of California, Berkeley
Jennifer Doudna is a Professor at UC Berkeley and a co-inventor of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.
Jill Soloway
Writer, Director, and Producer at Topple Productions
Jill Soloway is an award-winning writer, director, and producer, known for creating the television series 'Transparent'.
Jim Green
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Salesforce
Jim Green is the Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Public Policy at Salesforce, overseeing the company's public policy initiatives.
Joe Biden
Former Vice President at United States
Joe Biden served as the 47th Vice President of the United States from 2009 to 2017.
Julia Reda
Member at European Parliament
Julia Reda is a member of the European Parliament, known for her work on digital rights and copyright reform.
Karrie League
Owner & Founder at Alamo Drafthouse
Karrie League is the Owner and Founder of Alamo Drafthouse, a chain of movie theaters known for their unique cinema experience.
Kate Crawford
Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research
Kate Crawford is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, focusing on the social implications of data systems.
Kate Darling
Research Scientist at MIT Media Lab
Kate Darling is a research scientist at the MIT Media Lab, specializing in human-robot interaction and robot ethics.
Kimbal Musk
Co-Founder and CEO at The Kitchen
Kimbal Musk is the Co-Founder and CEO of The Kitchen, a restaurant group sourcing food from local farmers.
Lee Daniels
Director and Producer at Lee Daniels Entertainment
Lee Daniels is an Academy Award-nominated director and producer, known for films like 'Precious' and 'The Butler'.
Linda Moore
CEO at TechNet
Linda Moore is the CEO of TechNet, a national, bipartisan network of technology CEOs and senior executives.
Marie Kondo
Organizational Consultant and Author at KonMari Media, Inc.
Marie Kondo is an organizational consultant and author, known for her KonMari method of tidying up.
Mary Lou Jepsen
Founder and CEO at Openwater
Mary Lou Jepsen is the Founder and CEO of Openwater, a company developing advanced imaging technologies.
Melanie Whelan
CEO at SoulCycle
Melanie Whelan is the CEO of SoulCycle, a fitness company offering indoor cycling classes.
Melinda Epler
CEO at Change Catalyst
Melinda Epler is the CEO of Change Catalyst, focusing on diversity and inclusion in tech.
Merci Grace
Head of Growth at Slack
Merci Grace is the Head of Growth at Slack, focusing on user acquisition and retention.
Michael D. Lee
Attorney at Morrison & Lee LLC
Michael Lee is an attorney at Morrison & Lee LLC, specializing in intellectual property and entertainment law.
Michael Donaldson
Attorney at Donaldson+Califf LLP
Michael Donaldson is an attorney at Donaldson+Califf LLP, focusing on entertainment law and intellectual property.
Molly Wood
Host at Marketplace
Molly Wood is the host of Marketplace, a public radio program covering business and economics.
Nadya Tolokonnikova
Activist and Artist at Pussy Riot
Nadya Tolokonnikova is an activist and artist, known as a member of the Russian punk rock group Pussy Riot.
Neema Guliani
Legislative Counsel at ACLU
Neema Guliani is a legislative counsel at the ACLU, focusing on surveillance, privacy, and national security issues.
Neema Singh Guliani
Senior Legislative Counsel at American Civil Liberties Union
Neema Singh Guliani serves as Senior Legislative Counsel at the ACLU, specializing in privacy and surveillance issues.
Nilesh Ashra
Creative Technologist at Wieden+Kennedy
Nilesh Ashra is a creative technologist at Wieden+Kennedy, specializing in integrating technology and storytelling in advertising.
Parag Khanna
Global Strategist and Author at FutureMap
Parag Khanna is a global strategist and author, focusing on geopolitics and globalization.
Patrick Curry
President at VR Austin
Patrick Curry is the president of VR Austin, an organization dedicated to virtual reality development.
Peggy Orenstein
Author and Journalist at Self-Employed
Peggy Orenstein is an author and journalist, known for her work on gender and sexuality.
Rachael Ray
Television Personality and Author at Rachael Ray Show
Rachael Ray is a television personality and author, known for her cooking shows and cookbooks.
Randall Poster
Music Supervisor at Search Party Music
Randall Poster is a music supervisor, known for his work on films like 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'.
Ray Kurzweil
Futurist and Inventor at Google
Ray Kurzweil is a futurist, inventor, and Director of Engineering at Google.
Raza Panjwani
Policy Counsel at Public Knowledge
Raza Panjwani is a policy counsel at Public Knowledge, working on issues related to copyright, telecommunications, and internet policy.
Stephane Kasriel
CEO at Upwork
Stephane Kasriel is the CEO of Upwork, a global freelancing platform connecting businesses with independent professionals.
Stephanie Hannon
Chief Technology Officer at Hillary for America
Stephanie Hannon served as the Chief Technology Officer for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.
Tali Rapaport
Vice President of Product at Lyft
Tali Rapaport is the Vice President of Product at Lyft, overseeing the company's product strategy.
Tan Le
CEO at Emotiv
Tan Le is the CEO of Emotiv, a company developing brain-computer interface technology.
Tekedra Mawakana
Vice President, Global Government Relations & Public Policy at eBay
Tekedra Mawakana is the Vice President of Global Government Relations & Public Policy at eBay, managing the company's global public policy strategy.
Tom Gonser
Founder at DocuSign
Tom Gonser is the founder of DocuSign, a company specializing in electronic signature technology.
Van Jones
Political Commentator at CNN
Van Jones is a political commentator for CNN and a former Special Advisor to President Obama.
Vivek Ranadivé
Owner and Chairman at Sacramento Kings
Vivek Ranadivé is the Owner and Chairman of the Sacramento Kings NBA team.
Wayne Sutton
Co-Founder at Change Catalyst
Wayne Sutton is the co-founder of Change Catalyst, focusing on diversity and inclusion in tech.
Event Details
- Date
- March 10-19, 2017
- 10 days
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Austin, United States
- Austin Convention Center
- Pricing
- Varies by tier
- Audience
- Professionals in technology, law, music, and film