We might be biased, but ATX is one of the best destinations in the U.S. The eccentric, dog-friendly culture, parks, live music scene, and the food …what’s not to love?
Our city is also home to South By Southwest (SXSW), an annual festival and conference that draws more than 300,000 people from around the globe. It’s one of the most significant celebrations of creativity and culture spanning music, film, technology, and – of course – fintech. With more than 15 tracks of programming featuring workshops, keynote speakers, panels, and podcasts over the course of ten days, it’s important to carefully construct your itinerary. It’s impossible to take it all in!
If you’re heading to SXSW 2023 and looking to hear from the most brilliant minds in financial services or fintech, here are the top sessions we recommend checking out.
- Session: Financial Innovation: Towards an Inclusive Future
Making financial services accessible for everyone is part of our core values at CSTMR. In this session, you’ll hear from Dan Schulman, President & CEO of PayPal, and Adrienne A. Harris, Superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services about how innovations in the industry are breaking down systemic barriers to services.
- Session: How to Build the Damn Thing
Kathryn Finney is on a mission to change the fact that Black founders receive a tiny fraction of overall Venture Capital in the U.S. As the Managing General Partner of the venture fund, she is ready to share her experience to encourage other diverse entrepreneurs.
- Mentor: Joe Sanchez (Tech Stars)
Interested in business development, fintech, and funding? You’ll want to grab time with Joe
Sanchez. His global track record boasts of more than 20 years of experience managing high-performance solutions for top-tier institutions in global financial services, retail, electronic payments, BPOs, and the deployment of accelerator programs for innovative corporate partners and investors.
- The Breakthrough of Alternative Data
Alternative data holds the power to change finance and corporations forever – enabling firms to make better decisions with access to billions of unique data points. Our world can’t keep pace with the exponential amount of data generated each year, and alternative data is the solution – this panel will explain how.
- Permeating Institutional Finance
We have all heard about crypto, social media, and robo advisors and the increasing role they play in retail investing. But when institutions adopt these trends, what does it mean for the future of institutional investing? Dani Fava and Anthony Pompliano will share their insight.
- Fintech & E-Commerce Meetup
Join other creatives in the fintech and E-Commerce space to discuss the opportunity at our fingertips because of “The Great Reset,” and build an ecosystem that is more purposeful.
- SXSW Pitch: Innovative Technologies
Five early-stage technology start-up companies will debut and present their innovations, products, and platforms in front of a live audience and a panel of judges. One finalist will be crowned as the winner of the Innovative World Technology category.
- A Guide to XR Content Finance Distribution
Four experts living and breathing production, finance, and distribution, will give an overview of the current state of creative XR content. Attendees will gain real, practical information to help producers build a viable finance and distribution strategy.
- The Distro Deal or Distro Crisis
Major labels are no longer the only option for music artists with the rise of middle market companies offering what’s called “The Distro Deal.” But there’s a disconnect between artists and distributors because distributors cannot service all the artists they onboard and license music at scale to produce profits.
- Keynote: Ryan Gellert, Patagonia
“Earth is now our only shareholder.” Hear about the future of business from CEO of Patagonia, Ryan Gellert, and Katie Couric.
- A Citizen-Centric Future City
Cities are centers of finance but also vibrant places where people live. How can cities shift from looking at people only as consumers but also as true citizens who drive culture, mobility, housing, etc.? This panel includes an architect, mobility expert, and post-purpose preacher to weigh in on how to prioritize human connection in urban design.
- Founding, Funding, and Running a Startup in a Time of Economic and Financial Market Uncertainty
Jason Schenker, the Chairman of The Futurist Institute and President of Prestige Economics, will discuss how startups can navigate challenges in times of economic uncertainty. He’ll address things like hot interest rates, investor hesitation, tech layoffs, and supply chain risks.
Plan to Drink from the Firehose
Attending a global conference like SXSW can be a little…overwhelming. Plan early and decide what you want to gain out of the sessions you attend. There are so many opportunities to learn, make connections, and be inspired. For more details on the technology track, check out the full roster of events.
Welcome to our home in Austin, TX, and if you’d like to talk fintech, SXSW or just catch up, reach out to Rory.
