Represent! Vote LA at SXSW: the following panels have been submitted to SXSW by Angelenos — vote early, vote often, vote UP.
LongLA: Los Angeles’s Bustling Tech Ecosystem (link)
Three strong women in LA’s tech scene — Rachel Payne, Robyn Ward, and Krisztina Holly — discuss why now is the best time to start & run a business in Los Angeles.
Role of Science and Tech in News Consumption (link)
Serena Ehrlich of Business Wire looks at the four distinct attributes of communications – technology, human behavior, science and content – and how they increase the visibility and consumption of news, and the impact of these changes on companies and journalists alike.
Crowdfunding to Surpass VC in 2016 (link)
Paige Craig and Chance Barnett discuss how the JOBS Act has transformed the future of fund raising.
Screen to Table: Using Food to Generate Film Buzz (link)
Babette Pepaj of BakeSpace explores how food can be a powerful ingredient for film promotion, and how marketers can tap the foodie community — even when a film isn’t overtly food-related.
How Much Branding Should Be in Branded Content? (link)
Erik Deutsch and a diverse panel of branded content experts discuss how to find the right balance between storytelling that’s too promotional and storytelling that fails to deliver its promotional message.
Tapping the Global Millennial Workforce (link)
Bryce Maddock of TaskUs gives a behind-the-scenes look at building a people-focused business that also operates at a $35 million run rate.
Podcasts Grown Up: Community and Monetization (link)
Ryan Williams, Jemele Hill, and Tom Merritt discuss how to build an authentic community + magnify / monetize your content without selling out.
Women Lead VR: 4 Execs Discuss Creation (link)
Executives from four female led VR companies –Christine Cattano (Framestore), Christina Heller (VR Playhouse), Nonny De La Pena (Emblematic Group), Nancy Bennett (Two Bit Circus) — discuss creating content in this emerging industry.
Building the Urban Tech Ecosystem (link)
Lori Mitchell (Women in Tech LA), John Henry Co Found Harlem, Mutale Nkonde (Two Weeks Notice) talk about the work they are doing to develop a a tech eco system within their respective cities and provide a counter narrative to the “there are no good minorities in tech,” which seems to be implied in the poor recruitment figures by big tech firms in Silicon Valley.
This Is Not A Film: Phenomenology in VR (link)
Ian Forester of VR Playhouse unpacks the differences in the received experience between filmic storytelling and VR storytelling to identify the elements traditional filmmakers need to consider if they hope to create compelling VR content.
What’s the Endgame? The Ins and Outs of a Startup (link)
Chris Vaughn, Paige Craig, and Sarah Buhr address what makes a successful startup, how to test product/market/fit, approaching investors and structuring a company for a successful acquisition or exit.
ROI of Investing in Diversity (link)
Alyse Killeen, Lo Toney, and Hamet Wyatt discuss the talent pipeline, and highlight successful practices of minority-focused entrepreneurs.
The Reality of VR Content (link)
Kimmi Lorman, Alex Rosenfeld, Morris May, Andrew Cochrane, and Maureen Fan will explore the reality of VR content; what is currently out there, who is creating it and where to discover new content.
Will Technology Sideline Sports? (link)
LA Dodgers CFO Tucker Kain and R/GA CTO Nick Coronges will explain what’s already here and what’s to come in the world of sports technology.
All the News That’s Fit for Your Facebook Feed (link)
Cenk Uygur, Jeanmarie Condonm, and S. Mitra Kalita discuss the different roles, responsibilities, and impact of traditional and digital media on the 2016 Election.
Developing News Leadership for the New Normal (link)
Delaney Chambers, Jim Brady, S. Mitra Kalita, Imaeyen Ibanga discuss how both established and emerging executives from start-up, blended and legacy newsrooms are preparing the next-level leader.
Attracting Chinese Visitors- Lessons from L.A. (link)
William Karz, George Cao, Mikaela Poltz, Simon Dang use LA as a case study to cover the topic from the perspective of a tourism department, a cultural destination, and the agencies that provide expert support.
Unleashing Your Billion Dollar Zombie Idea (link)
Jay Samit lays out steps to go from zero to hero with unstoppable Zombie Ideas, spotlights the trends VCs are looking to fund — and shows why some concepts are deemed unfundable.
Writer’s Blockchain: Full Stack Storytelling (link)
Ann Greenberg, William Kendall, and Neal Baer discuss how the blockchain can provide a trusted environment for creators wanting to open up their stories and characters to deeper audience engagement, interaction, and participation.
Get Rid of Your Day Job: Create Full Time (link)
Ali Spagnola, Shaun Spalding, Ben Landis, and Espree Devora give insight on the financial, legal, and creative aspects of embracing the call of every artist, musician, YouTuber, podcaster or other content creator.
From Garage to Million Dollar Growth (link)
InMotion hosting founder Sunil Saxena discusses how they built a team, created strong technology, selected pricing, focused on customer experience and became profitable.
Sex (hormones) and the brain (link)
Neuroscientist Megan Herting will tell you how hormones prepare your brain to be a good lover.
Designing “Space”: LGBT Seniors and the Arts (link)
Katie Poltz and Leon Mostovoy present findings from LGBT seniors at the Los Angeles LGBT Center in design thinking workshops to explore the concept of “space.”
A Cognitive Comparison of Dance & UX (link)
Kiran Lokhande will illuminate the cognitive and psychological principles that provide deeper insight into why UX principles can be relevant even outside of UX.
Copyright & Creators: 2026 (link)
Lateef Mtima, Betsy Rosenblatt, Alexandra Mogyoros, and Jon Healey debate the trajectory of copyright law and where some of the future conversations and conflicts will be a decade from now.
ADDITIONAL VR PANELS: Mannnn, there are so many LA-based VR panels proposed that we could have their own event! (Wait, we already do…)
Too many to list all the details, but dig in:
Storytelling in Virtual Reality (link)
Exploring a Holographic Mars (link)
VR Porn: Future Is Upon Us, What’s Next? (link)
Dude, Where’s My Par? Making Virtual Reality Golf (link)
VR in Sports: How Soon, How Real, How Big? (link)
VR Journalism: The Next Disruption (link)
Mobile VR: The Key to the Killer Consumer App? (link)
5 Best Startup Ideas in VR / AR (link)
Cause & FX: The Good and the Bad of VR for Causes (link)
Stories in the Round: How VR Is Changing Creativity (link)
Virtual Reality for Future News Media (link)
Creative Throwdown: VR vs TV (link)
Do Not Pass Go – Go Directly to VR Jail (link)
Why VR Needs Killer Content To Drive Adoption (link)
VR: How Compelling Content Overcomes Barriers (link)
Making Virtual a Business Reality (link)
Virtual Reality as a Fan Engagement Tool (link)
Roller Coaster from Your Couch: A Virtual Reality (link)
New Advertising Models for Virtual Reality (link)
Disrupting J School with Digital Culture (link)
The Purple Pill: Mixing Dreams & Reality (link)
The New Screens: Worldbuilding and Worldblending (link)
Ed Saxon: The Power of Story in a Digital Age (link)
