Crossover Day has arrived! Adding to the unexpected discovery of SXSW 2024 is the unique opportunity to experience the future of learning at SXSW EDU before the SXSW festivities kick off in earnest.
All SXSW EDU programming will be open to SXSW registrants for Crossover Day on Thursday, March 7! Experience the future of learning and join in on sessions, workshops, and much more.
Your SXSW Badge will grant you access to all that SXSW EDU has to offer on its final day of programming including sessions from industry thought leaders; interactive workshops; a screening of Butterfly In The Sky, a film about the beloved PBS children’s series Reading Rainbow; an inspirational closing Keynote with Yung Pueblo; and more Crossover Day programming.
Plus, explore our new series of specially-crafted crossover sessions aimed at bridging our two communities. Hear from speakers such as Vice-proclaimed "Musical Weirdo & Visionary," Beatie Wolfe; CEO of Austin Technology Council, Thom Singer; and Columbia University senior and activist, Sofia Ongele.
"Learning and discovery have been two of the core pillars of SXSW since it launched in 1987. Creating this unique blend of content that the SXSW EDU community can share with the SXSW community is the type of engagement that harnesses the power of convergence." – Hugh Forrest, SXSW Co-President & Chief Programming Officer
The community at the SXSW EDU Conference & Festival is comprised of learning professionals spanning from early childhood to higher education and lifelong learning. In addition to classroom practitioners, there are many entrepreneurs, investors, foundations, business leaders, administrators, and more that reflect the ecosystem of stakeholders involved in a learner’s journey.
New Curated Sessions
When Art & Science Unite to Catalyze Change
Pioneering sci-art rebel Beatie Wolfe shares how Art and Science can come together to create the kind of change we need in this world right now. From visualizing and humanizing 800,000 years of CO2 data to releasing the world’s first bioplastic record with Michael Stipe and Brian Eno, Wolfe shares a journey of creating new pathways that didn’t previously exist, continually asking the question of how we activate the kind of awareness that stays with people, shifts perceptions, and makes a tangible difference on the macro and micro scale. Wolfe will also premiere a new project, Smoke and Mirrors, which visualizes methane data alongside Big Oil spin.
- Beatie Wolfe, "Musical Weirdo & Visionary" – Vice
- Hugh Forrest, Co-President & Chief Programming Officer, SXSW
Austin’s High Tech Boom: Powered by Higher Education
ATX has emerged as one of the nation's top cities for new and emerging technologies, ranging from AI to quantum physics to space travel to synthetic biology (and almost everything in between). How did the city once known for its slacker culture come to be such a hotspot of all things innovation? Come to this session to learn how George Kozmetsky at The University of Texas as well as Austin's other outstanding institutions of higher education have played (and continue to play) a vital role in this incredible transformation of the Central Texas ecosystem.
- Montserrat Fuentes, Ph.D., President, St. Edward's University
- Jason Parrish, General Partner, Altus Nova
- Thom Singer, CEO, Austin Technology Council
- Becky Taylor, Interim Executive Director & Executive-In-Residence, Austin Technology Incubator
Engaging Gen Z in Socially Conscious Entrepreneurship
According to an Axios/Momentive poll, 54% of Gen Z has a negative view of capitalism. Meanwhile, ASA research has found that a similar amount—over half—have entrepreneurial ambitions, and 59% want a career that helps others. This panel discussion will focus on how we can help Gen Z fulfill their entrepreneurial aspirations while adhering to their values and aiding the social causes they care about the most.
- J.D. LaRock, President & CEO, NFTE
- Daquan Oliver, CEO & Founder, WeThrive
- Sofia Ongele, Senior, Columbia University
- Bill Taylor, CEO, BUILD
Which Generation is Going to Solve Gun Violence?
Three young innovators are using the entrepreneurial program at Westlake High School in Austin as a springboard to move past the gun safety debate. With a modern solution, these student founders will walk you through their approach to the most deadly issue facing American youth, and their journey from product ideation to the path forward all to save lives.
- Joey Spier, Co-Founder, SafeZone
- Annika Nanda, Co-Founder, SafeZone
- Mirabel Finger, Co-Founder, SafeZone
- Mitch Jacobson, Senior Advisor, Discovery to Impact & Austin Technology Incubator
Bridging Communities with SXSW & SXSW EDU
Join the organizers behind SXSW and SXSW EDU in celebration of Crossover Day to find connections across events and communities. Education, in and out of the classroom, is the first stepping stone to futures in technology, the arts, service, and beyond. We’re excited to meet with the passionate and creative communities that come together to discover, learn, and share in the SXSW spirit.
- Monica Sack, Senior Director, Conference Programming, SXSW
- Ron Reed, Founder & Executive Producer, SXSW EDU
- Greg Rosenbaum, Senior Director, SXSW EDU
- Julia Shatilo, Programming Director, SXSW EDU
More Crossover Programming
- Yung Pueblo Keynote: Unlocking Your Best Self for Yourself & Others
- Butterfly In The Sky Screening & Q&A
- Building the Next Gen of Black AI Leaders
- Creating a Sustainable Path to Neuroinclusion with XR
- Electing School Boards in a Presidential Election Year
- Explore Forbidden Design: Psychedelic Medicine at Stanford
- Grantmaking Strategies That Can Transform Cities Nationwide
- Hip-Hop & Politics: Political Education & Radical Tradition
- How Disruptive Philanthropy Is Reshaping the World of Giving
- How Will 2024 Elections Impact Education & Workforce Policy?
- Meaningful & Safe AI: Policy & Research Perspectives
- SHIFTing the Conversation: UT’s Zero-Proof Community Culture
- Skills-First Practices: The Catalyst for Inclusive Mobility
- Sustainable Bites: How Ur Campus Meal Fights Climate Change
- Taking Off The Mask Podcast: What's up with Young Men?
Pickup your SXSW Badge early to experience the full lineup of amazing Crossover Day content on Thursday, March 7.
