I’m incredibly excited about the 15 thought-leaders announced earlier this week as our first batch of Featured Speakers for the 2025 SXSW Conference. From veterans such as emerging technology futurist Amy Webb and perennial crowd-pleaser Ian Bearcraft to impressive newcomers like best-selling longevity author Peter Attia and human rights advocate Nadia Murad, these leaders set an extremely high bar for the season.
I am also thrilled about the involvement of SXSW in HAAM Day 2024, which occurs Tuesday, September 24 in Austin. Now in its 19th year, HAAM Day is one of the city’s most iconic celebrations of community and live music, raising awareness and critical funds for healthcare for the many uninsured artists that make Austin such a hub for creativity.
Support for efforts like HAAM Day are central to SXSW. Every year we host the Community Service Awards, with five honorees for 2025 to be revealed in mid-January. We also feature several sessions throughout the conference that highlight the amazing work people are doing in the world. Check out recordings of three sessions from March 2024 that addressed the power of nonprofits and helping out our neighbors:
- Collaboration vs Competition: Community Building for Creatives: This session explores the roles of competition, collaboration, and diversity in fostering creativity. The all-female speaker lineup demystifies the impacts of inclusive communities on innovation, redefining boundaries in our global landscape.
- Community is the Future of Public Safety: Community-centered solutions are working in cities across the nation, addressing the root causes of violence and healing trauma in those communities. Listen to this session to learn how communities are redefining public safety and the extraordinary impact these new approaches are having on current and future generations.
- The Role of Food as a Form of Community Resilience: This session explores how initiatives like the USDA’s Local Food Promotion Grant, the food-as-medicine movement, farmers-first markets and local agriculture can increase the resilience of not only our food systems but our communities too.
Discover all the community-focused content for SXSW 2025 when the next round of Conference programming is announced in late October.
Buy your badge now to ensure low prices as well as the best selection of convenient downtown hotel rooms. Special discounts are available for groups as well as students and early career attendees.
