Photo of Bre Pettis courtesy MakerBotSXSW Interactive is excited to reveal that Opening Remarks for the 2013 event will be delivered by the Brooklyn-based DIY enthusiast Bre Pettis, one of the driving forces behind the 3D printing revolution.

The CEO of MakerBot since its founding in 2009, Pettis is passionate about providing the tools for individuals and organizations to create the world around them. He has spoken publicly about empowering students to solve the problems of the future, and worked behind the scenes to bring professional-quality 3D printing technology into the hands of consumers.

In 2012, Pettis was honored with the Disruptive Innovation Award from the Tribeca Film Festival, for "creating an entire ecosystem for desktop 3D printing." He has been a highly sought-after speaker and interview subject, gracing the cover of numerous magazines (most recently WIRED), and been a guest on The Colbert Report, and many more. MakerBot was featured in the October 2012 edition of Fast Company as a 2012 Innovation by Design awardees, as well as in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Engadget, Make:Magazine, Rolling Stone, Time.com, IEEE Spectrum, CNN, Financial Times, NPR, Vogue Italia and many others.

Pettis is also a long-time member of the SXSW Interactive community, having attended (and spoken at) the event on numerous occasions. A portion of his Opening Remarks will re-count his experiences building the MakerBot community via SXSW – and will encourage attendees to use the event to create a community for what they are passionate about.

Pettis' Opening Remarks are scheduled for Friday, March 8, 2013 from 2:00-3:00 pm in the Austin Convention Center. Please stay tuned to the SXSW website on Monday, October 15 for a list of 400+ accepted sessions for the 2013 event.