SXSW 2023: Where Creatives, Tech, and Innovation Come Together with Hugh Forrest SXSW’s Co-President & Chief Programming Officer

02/28/23 • 28 min

SXSW is one of the most anticipated annual events that celebrate the convergence of music, film, and technology in Austin, Texas. We welcome Hugh Forrest, SXSW Co-President & Chief Programming Officer back to the podcast to explore the latest developments and insights from SXSW and learn how this dynamic event continues to inspire and shape the future of creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Episode Highlights

The importance of SXSW in the Austin community and its core nature as a creative and entrepreneurial event.
Tips for first-time attendees of SXSW, including how to plan and make the most of their experience.
What's new in SXSW 2023, including the addition of new tracks, sponsors, and the use of generative AI.
An overview of the Health & MedTech and 2050 tracks at the SXSW conference.
Balancing optimism and skepticism in the age of AI, with insights from SXSW on climate change and technological innovation.
The launch of SXSW Sydney and what to expect from this new event.

Episode Links

Hugh Forrest: LinkedIn, Twitter

SXSW: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

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TEDx SouthCongress Registration
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Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

Episode Highlights

The importance of SXSW in the Austin community and its core nature as a creative and entrepreneurial event.
Tips for first-time attendees of SXSW, including how to plan and make the most of their experience.
What's new in SXSW 2023, including the addition of new tracks, sponsors, and the use of generative AI.
An overview of the Health & MedTech and 2050 tracks at the SXSW conference.
Balancing optimism and skepticism in the age of AI, with insights from SXSW on climate change and technological innovation.
The launch of SXSW Sydney and what to expect from this new event.

Episode Links

Hugh Forrest: LinkedIn, Twitter

SXSW: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

Previous Episode

Fostering Innovation and Technology: The Texas Legislature's Commitment with Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and Rep. John Bucy III

The Texas Legislature's Innovation & Technology Caucus plays a key role in shaping the state's tech policy. In this episode, we are joined by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione and Rep. John Bucy III to discuss the role of the IT Caucus, the challenges the state faces in promoting tech innovation, and their efforts to address those challenges. We look at the future of tech innovation in Texas, and how the Caucus is working to position the state as a leader in the field.

Episode Highlights

The Innovation & Technology Caucus began in 2015 but gained attention in 2020-2021due to the increased presence of technology in Texas.
The Caucus aims to promote a healthy environment for innovation and growth in a bipartisan way by learning about what is happening in Texas and bridging the gap between the Senate and the House.
The narrative of innovation in Texas has been changing rapidly due to certain events, such as Tesla's arrival putting electric vehicles on the radar and recent developments in crypto and blockchain.
Examples of policy opportunities include using AI to modernize Texas government services, workforce development & education, and regulatory frameworks that create a friendly environment while ensuring accountability (such as was done with autonomous vehicles).
Self-regulatory frameworks can provide a middle ground for regulating industries, but government intervention may be necessary in cases where self-regulation fails.
What's next for Texas and what's next for Austin?
- Rep. Giovanni Capriglione: "Texas is going to come out of this session with a better workforce, more plans on how to improve our research, how to help and improve our companies and technologies, and also with lower property taxes."
- Rep. John H. Bucy III: An upcoming higher education session focused on workforce development, particularly in community colleges and public universities. And for Austin, the importance of addressing electric system vulnerabilities and supporting Austin Energy while ensuring the needs of the community are met.

Episode Links

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione: Website, Twitter
Rep. John Bucy III: Website, Twitter
Innovation & Technology Caucus of the Texas Legislature : Website, Twitter

Next Episode

undefined - From SXSW to the Texas Biohub: Exploring the Future of Healthcare with Melinda Richter and Stacy Feld from Johnson & Johnson Innovation

From SXSW to the Texas Biohub: Exploring the Future of Healthcare with Melinda Richter and Stacy Feld from Johnson & Johnson Innovation

Melinda Richter and Stacy Feld of Johnson & Johnson Innovation discuss healthcare innovation and technology, including J&J's involvement in SXSW, the potential for Austin as a major biohub, and both the challenges and opportunities the sector faces.

Episode Highlights

J&J's sponsorship of the Health and MedTech track at SXSW signifies a shift for both J&J and the overall festival, showing its growing prominence.
JLABS is an example of J&J's approach between internal and external collaboration to help early-stage innovators by giving them access to resources and expertise they need to bring their solutions to market.
Consumerization of healthcare is a trend that can make healthcare more affordable and accessible but finding the right business model can be difficult.
Austin is a potential hub for healthcare innovation, and discussions about healthcare innovations and business models at SXSW could lead to a more efficient and effective healthcare system.
J&J recognizes the importance of leveraging data and insights to become more effective and efficient in providing care and solutions.
The future of telehealth is likely to include continued growth and innovation, as healthcare providers and patients become more comfortable with remote care and technology continues to improve.
What's next for Austin?
- Stacy Feld: "Continuing to unlock the value of the rich academic and clinical institutions, not just with UT and Austin, but across the Texas Triangle and to find the synergies and pair our disease area expertise and the resources that we have with entrepreneurs and with academics."
- Melinda Richter: "What's next for Austin is to become that next big player for health tech, solving equity and access issues, changing patient care and lives, and leading the charge. All of those things together combined with such a diverse population, people coming from all over the world."
What's next for J&J in Austin?
- Stacy Feld: "Building new early relationships with entrepreneurs, launching new companies out of academia, and continuing to invest in building long-term relationships."
- Melinda Richter: "There's going to be an amazing hub at SXSW with lots of J&J folks from around the company in different disciplines. And so we really want to have these conversations with everybody. So please reach out, come see us, and certainly, we want to continue to grow that conversation over time."

Episode Links

Top 10 Tips for Standing Out at Pitch Competitions
Melinda Richter: LinkedIn, Twitter

Stacy Feld: LinkedIn, Twitter

J&J Innovation: Website, Twitter

JLABS: Website, Twitter