Laurene Powell Jobs, Jack Dorsey, Stephen Colbert & More Join SXSW 2020
Announcing the next wave of Keynotes and Featured Speakers for the 34th edition of the SXSW Conference which celebrates the convergence of technology, film, and music industries.
The Keynotes announced today include award-winning immersive artist Gabo Arora; Grammy-winning musician, DJ, producer, and cultural figure Diplo; and Emerson Collective founder and president Laurene Powell Jobs.
"From amplifying social change to remake our lives and communities better to imagining new ways to leverage technology in storytelling, we're truly excited about the programming that we've announced today," said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. "The creative and bold innovative talent speaking at SXSW this year continues to provide a compelling destination for people across industries to gather and engage with strong vision for our future."
Newly-added Featured Speakers include Samantha Bee, Brené Brown, Bob Chapek, Stephen Colbert, Jack Dorsey, Nicholas Thompson, Jonathan Van Ness, Jen Wong, and more.
As you get to know the latest round of speaker additions below, add events to your SXSW Schedule and explore 22 programming tracks associated with each Conference session.
Looking for career development opportunities? Your next creative collaborator? Inspiration for a new decade with a side of queso? Save big when you register by Friday, January 17 to help us write the next chapter of SXSW from March 13-22, 2020 in Austin, TX. It checks all the boxes.
Keynotes
Award-winning immersive artist, professor, and former UN diplomat Gabo Arora (Convergence)
Grammy-winning musician, DJ, producer, and cultural figure Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo (Music)
Emerson Collective founder and president Laurene Powell Jobs (Convergence)
These visionaries join previously announced Keynotes Erin Lee Carr (Film), Reggie Fils-Aimé (Convergence), Kim Gordon (Music), Roger Waters (Music), and Whitney Wolfe Herd and Jon Korngold with Gayle King (Interactive).
Featured Speakers
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee host, comedian, writer, producer, and actress Samantha Bee (Media & Journalism)
Researcher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Brené Brown as part of the launch of her new weekly podcast, Unlocking Us, in conversation with activist and #metoo founder Tarana Burke, on the topic of empathy (Climate & Social Action)
Veteran industry executive and River House Artists founder Lynn Oliver-Cline (Creating & Monetizing Music)
Award-winning executive producer, writer, and host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, bestselling author, actor, producer, and comedian Stephen Colbert (Film & TV Industry)
Patreon co-founder, musician, and filmmaker Jack Conte (Future of Music)
Co-founder and CEO of Twitter and Square Jack Dorsey in conversation with Axios business editor Dan Primack (Tech Industry & Enterprise)
Investor and bestselling author Tim Ferriss in conversation with neuroscientist, philosopher, and bestselling author Sam Harris in a live version of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast, where they will discuss dangerous ideas, meditation, psychedelics, and more (Connection & Culture)
Center for Humane Technology co-founder and design ethicist Tristan Harris (Design)
Thirty Five Ventures co-founder and partner, and Kevin Durant's manager Rich Kleiman in conversation with ESPN host, former basketball player, and entrepreneur Jay Williams in a discussion about The Boardroom: the innovative content platform that showcases the new way athletes & executives engage off the court and at the intersection of sports, business, tech, entertainment, and culture (Sports)
Global adventurer, TV host, motivational speaker, and bestselling author Leon Logothetis (Connection & Culture)
Founder of music management company Monotone, Inc. and co-founder of the media and production group LBI Entertainment Ian Montone (Creating & Monetizing Music)
Researcher and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Brené Brown as part of the launch of her new weekly podcast, Unlocking Us, in conversation with Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness, on the topic of vulnerability (Connection & Culture)
Professional speaker and storyteller Dan Nevins, Yoga instructor Gioconda Parker and Wanderlust Yoga Austin founder Ashley Spence in conversation about Rising Voices, a training platform that provides healing and authentic connection through storytelling (Climate & Social Action)
NSA Director of Cybersecurity Anne Neuberger with WIRED editor-in-chief Nicholas Thompson (Tech Industry & Enterprise)
Mycologist and author Paul Stamets (Health & MedTech)
Writer, journalist, editor, and science fiction novelist Bruce Sterling (Fantastic Future)
Amazon.com Chief Technology Officer Dr. Werner Vogels (Tech Industry & Enterprise)
Reddit Chief Operating Officer Jen Wong (Advertising & Brand Experience)
Featured Sessions
Less Trust, More Truth: The Web 3.0 Thesis (Tech Industry & Enterprise) – A presentation on trust, truth, and the new internet with Ethereum co-founder and CTO Dr. Gavin Wood with a Q&A by Austin Blockchain Collective Executive Director Pete Harris.
Sparking Female Stories: Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere (Making Film & Episodics) – Join the powerhouse production team behind Hulu's upcoming adaptation of Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere, for a conversation around the changing dynamics of the entertainment industry today. Showrunner and executive producer Liz Tigelaar, directors Lynn Shelton, Nzingha Stewart, Michael Weaver, and executive producers Lauren Neustadter of Hello Sunshine and Pilar Savone of Simpson Street will discuss the importance of using storytelling as a means of charting a new path forward for women and how they are working with stars Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, who are leading the charge in female-driven productions, to transform gender and ethnic representation in film and television.
Supernatural: 15 Years of Fandom (Making Film & Episodics) – From the series launch in 2005 on the former WB Network to the current 15th and final broadcast season on The CW, Supernatural is a case study in how a little “series-that-could” beat the odds to become the longest-running American sci-fi series in television history. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, series stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and Misha Collins will join a panel of Supernatural experts, including Samantha Highfill from Entertainment Weekly and Alice Jester from The Winchester Family Business, to discuss how a series with more than 300 episodes continues to trend on social media, sell out magazine covers and merchandise, pack fan conventions around the world, and be a force for social good — all while trying to make a positive and lasting impact.
Technology + Storytelling = Magic (Experiential Storytelling) – Today's technological revolution is changing the game when it comes to experiential storytelling, and Disney is staying ahead of the curve by leveraging emerging tech to revolutionize the Guest Experience. In this conversation, Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, will be joined by Disney Imagineers to give attendees a behind-the-scenes look at some of the incredible innovations Disney uses to bring stories to life at destinations around the world.
2020 Featured Speakers & Sessions
Join Us for SXSW 2020
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2020 Speakers (l-r) Laurene Powell Jobs, Jack Dorsey, and Stephen Colbert – Photo courtesy of the speakers
01/13/2020