Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson Featured Session Announced for SXSW 2025

SXSW is pleased to announce the addition of a Featured Session with former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson on Thursday, March 13 at 1pm CT.

“Michelle Obama has long been an inspiration to us at SXSW and to millions of people around the world," said Hugh Forrest, SXSW President and Chief Programming Officer. “Her belief that we lift each other up by sharing our stories with one another is a core part of the SXSW experience and a key catalyst in helping creative people achieve their goals. It is the ultimate honor and an incredible thrill to welcome Michelle and her brother, Craig Robinson, to the 2025 event.”

Michelle’s passion for storytelling has set sales records, garnered awards and accolades, and earned her global acclaim. Her memoir, Becoming, spent over 130 weeks on the New York Times Bestsellers list, sold more than 17 million copies worldwide, and won a Grammy Award. American Factory, the first film produced by her and her husband President Barack Obama’s media company Higher Ground, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2020. Upon its release in 2020, The Michelle Obama Podcast was the most successful original in Spotify history, bringing in more women listeners over 40 than any other podcast. Through the Obama Foundation, she founded the Girls Opportunity Alliance, which supports adolescent girls' education and empowerment around the world. She is also a Co-Founder and Strategic Partner of PLEZi Nutrition, working behind-the-scenes to guide the company's mission to be a driver of change and a model for how food and beverage brands can support the health of the next generation.

Craig is the Executive Director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and host of the Higher Ground podcast Ways To Win. From 2017-2020, he served as the vice president of Player Development and Minor League Operations for the NBA’s New York Knicks. Previously, he was a Division I head men’s basketball coach at Oregon State and Brown, and spent more than a decade working as a trader in the investment banking industry.

SXSW has also recently added additional Keynote and Featured Speakers to the Conference lineup, including Tom Morello, Bryan Johnson, Lars Ulrich, Ben Stiller, Eddy Cue, Holly Herndon, Zane Lowe, Ayanna Pressley, Priscilla Chan, Shreya Murthy, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, and Robert Rodriguez. For more information, please visit the 2025 SXSW Schedule.

Register today to join us at the 2025 SXSW Conference & Festivals from March 7–15 in Austin, Texas.