SXSW Sessions

Of the $150 billion in U.S. venture capital less than 1 percent of total funding goes to Black founders. Black led startups are an underestimated, overlooked business opportunity that represents a prolific investment opportunity. Kathryn Finney, Managing General Partner of the venture fund, is working to change that, increasing Black wealth and injecting capital into startups led by Black entrepreneurs.  Kathryn shares her journey and storied career as an entrepreneur, inclusion champion, and investor to encourage Black founders and female entrepreneurs to build their damn thing.  

Chef and humanitarian José Andrés founded World Central Kitchen (WCK) with the simple belief that a plate of food is more than a meal—it’s hope and comfort in times of crisis. Since its founding in 2010, WCK has provided more than 250 million nourishing meals in response to disasters around the world, most recently the wildfires in Chile, earthquakes in Türkiye, and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. WCK’s approach to emergency response is rooted in listening to the needs of the community. When the organization is in a community facing unthinkable tragedy, they often hear stories that show the best of humanity. This keynote will dive into the responsibility that comes with this privilege and the power of storytelling to move people to act. No matter the platform, we all have the power to uplift voices to help build shared understanding—something so desperately needed in our world today. Announced during José’s keynote, The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope, is a captivating collection of stories and recipes from renowned chefs, local cooks, friends of WCK, and José. The book is a celebration of dignity and perseverance—and about building longer tables, not higher walls. It is available now at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/711636/the-world-central-kitchen-cookbook-by-jose-andres-and-world-central-kitchen-with-sam-chapple-sokol/?ref=PRH6DD7AB1328A8&aid=37171&linkid=PRH6DD7AB1328A8.

Killer Mike gets recognized for many things - being an Outkast protege, a member of rap powerhouse Run The Jewels, one of Atlanta’s biggest advocates, a Bernie Sanders whisperer, and, perhaps most importantly, a voice of reason in an increasingly insane world. Some might know one or two of those sides of Mike, but he is finally ready to introduce the world to the totality of Michael Render, a lifelong rap fiend whose consciousness is seeped in the sounds of community that raised him - multiple eras of southern rap flows, Sunday church service, and barbershop discourse.

Having worked consistently in Hollywood for over 20 years, Eva Longoria has cemented herself as an industry staple known for her work both in front of and behind the camera. An award-winning actress, Emmy-nominated director, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist, Longoria has been leading the charge of diverse and female representation since her starring role in the hit ABC series Desperate Housewives. Through her production company UnbeliEVAble Entertainment, Longoria has become one the most significant trailblazers in entertainment and recently renewed her overall deal with Twentieth Television for another three years. Founded in 2005, the company actively chooses purposeful projects that accurately represent the stories of the Latinx and other underrepresented communities. Named by Variety Magazine as one of the directors to watch in 2023, this year Longoria will make her feature directorial debut with the highly anticipated Searchlight Pictures biopic Flamin’ Hot about the story of Richard Montañez and the spicy Flamin’ Hot Cheetos snack for which she beat out multiple high profile film directors vying for the job. The film will be released on Hulu on June 9.

Filmmaking twin brothers Danny and Michael Philippou are RackaRacka, online purveyors of comic horror and action. Their YouTube videos have been watched over 1.5 billion times and amassed over 6.6 million subscribers. In 2015, their channel was awarded Best International YouTube Channel at the 6th Streamy Awards. Named one of Variety’s 2016 Fame Changers and ranked 5th on Financial Review’s Cultural Power List, the brothers have won numerous awards, including Best Overall at the Online Video Awards and the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award for the Best Web Show. Talk to Me is their debut feature film.

Voices of VR podcast host Kent Bye has been asking thousands of virtual reality creators "What is the ultimate potential of VR?" for over 8 years now, and he will be sharing some of the best answers that map out the future of spatial computing, immersive storytelling, and experiential design. He will also share how VR is catalyzing an interdisciplinary fusion of design processes from video games, filmmaking, HCI, social media, theatre, architecture, and new modes of multi-sensory design. VR also presents unique tech ethics challenges around privacy, accessibility, conduct moderation, etc., that will potentially require new laws or tech architectures. This session will set a broad context for some of the promises and perils of this new medium while also providing a glimmer for what's to come.

Psychedelic-based therapies continue to influence the evolving landscape of mental health. As humanity begins to understand the complexity of consciousness and its impact on mental health, these worlds will become increasingly intertwined. Discover the connection between consciousness, mental health, and psychedelic therapeutics as Dr. Deepak Chopra explores the need for humanity to focus on the internal work required to heal. Joined by industry experts conducting clinical trials with psychedelic-based therapies, this panel features guests from the upcoming mini-series Open Minds to explore current medical innovations that have the potential to treat mental health conditions with breakthrough therapies.

Join the lead analysts at Variety Intelligence Platform for a provocative tour of the media and tech landscape. Their data-driven exploration of sectors including streaming, film, TV, music, gaming and much more is an essential experience for those seeking an understanding of a fast-changing business.

Join Rob Jonas, CEO of Luminate, as he offers an updated, data-driven forecast for the entertainment industry over the next year, providing insights on some of the fastest-growing trends across music, TV, film, gaming, and more. The session will connect all of Luminate's world-class data sets, including its industry-standard music consumption database, which has been fueling the Billboard Charts since 1991, along with its film and TV tracking system, and its expert research studies that continuously capture global audience and content-creator habits, casting them through a human lens. From the consumption preferences of Gen Z audiences to the ways in which content discovery methods interact across music and TV, from the power of gamers to nostalgia's effects on music streaming, it's now more essential than ever to understand data's role as a tool to connect audiences and drive creativity across the media and entertainment fields.

In the past five years Formula 1 has seen monumental growth not just in its fanbase but in its digital and global appeal. In 2023, Formula 1 will host a record 23 races around the globe, with the United States becoming the first country to host three races across three different states, with Grand Prix in Austin, Miami and Las Vegas. With races spanning across five different continents and drivers representing four of them, Formula 1 holds the unique title of being the world’s only truly global sport. Alongside its mission to deliver the world’s greatest sports and entertainment spectacle for fans, Formula 1 has an underlying commitment to leave a positive legacy wherever it races, with big plans in place to improve its sustainability and diversity. In this session, join Global Director of Race Promotion at Formula 1, Chloe Targett-Adams, who is instrumental in delivering the company’s global strategy, working with promoters around the world and identifying new locations, as she sits down with NBC Sports' Leigh Diffey to discuss the work Formula 1 is doing to become more sustainable, and the work it does with its hosts to ensure local people and businesses all see the benefits when the world’s biggest sport comes to town.