Less than one month ago, Austin hosted for the first time what has been one of the most important conferences in the crypto space since 2015: Consensus 2022. The city is also known for hosting South by Southwest “SXSW”, the Enterprise Digital Asset Summit, DCentral, ETH Austin, BitBlockBoom,  and many more. In addition to this, Austin is also home to companies like Gemini, Core Scientific, Talos Digital, and Scala.

When keeping in mind these events and companies, it is easy to understand the reasons behind Musk’s prediction. Austin is a vibrant city in which disruptive tech is not only welcome but has been encouraged over the past years. Back in 2018, Wanchain’s president Dustin Byington was already telling Crunchbase:

“Austin is a natural—and currently budding—hub for cryptocurrency. It has a strong tech and startup community, a big Libertarian influence which the crypto ethos is built off of, and the macro trend of companies moving to Texas because of the lack of state income tax—which could really benefit this new industry.”

Well, Austin has only gotten more relevant in the tech industry since these comments and now, it seems to be only a matter of sustaining organic growth. While the bay area still is the biggest tech hub in the US after having captivated top talent for years, this might be changing. The region’s inability to deal with spiking housing/living prices meant that, over time, the influx of workers and companies shifted directions, with remote working being a major factor.

But what are the reasons that make Austin so attractive to the FinTech, Crypto, and blockchain industries? This was one of the topics discussed in the “Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene” panel, which took place during Grit Daily House at Consensus 2022. Axios’ Reporter Asher Price sat with Henry Collective’s Founder & General Partner Tyler Knight and Silverton Partners’ Managing Partner Morgan Flager to talk all about the city’s vibrant FinTech scene.

If you missed the chance to attend Grit Daily House in person and to hear what these experts have to say on the future of Austin as a FinTech hub, worry not. You will be able to watch the panel in the video below and find our other panels on Grit Daily’s official YouTube Channel.

The post Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene: Why Texas’ Capital Might Become the Next FinTech Hub appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Miles Paschini is currently the Chief Executive Officer at FV Bank and has more than 20 years of experience in the Fintech industry as a C-level executive. A graduate of San Diego State University, Mile’s list of companies he has helped succeed includes names like Wave Crest Group, Grupo Libertad LLC, B21 Limited, and PayGlobal Limited.

As CEO of FV Bank, Miles will be flying to Austin to attend Consensus 2022 and will be joining us at Grit Daily House. As a global digital bank focused on providing businesses and individuals with accounts all around the world, FV Bank has become one of the biggest names in the Fintech and blockchain industries. This, in addition to his experience, gives Miles a unique opportunity to look into the future of the crypto, blockchain, and Fintech industries.

As its tradition now, Grit Daily House will be opening its doors from June 8th to June 10th as one of the media houses of Consensus. Those attending will not only get to learn and hear insights directly from experts like Miles but will also enjoy the hospitality that only George the Celebrity Doorman, Ozzy the Bartender, and a private chef can provide. All while also growing your professional network and knowledge!

Miles will be taking the stage at 2:30 PM on Friday, June 10th as part of a panel that also includes Stefan Rust, Laguna; Caitlin Long, Custodia Bank; and Roger Dooley, Forbes. The panel, titled “Here’s Where to Find Alpha in 2022”, will offer top-notch insights and tips to anyone looking to beat the market. This panel will prove invaluable to anyone looking to exceed their profit expectations during this bear market.

If you would like to join us in this edition of Grit Daily House for great food, insights, music, and networking, make sure to get your tickets here.

The post Here’s Where to See FV Bank’s Miles Paschini Speak During Consensus appeared first on Grit Daily News.

It has already been 2 months since Bitcoin 2022 took place in Miami and a lot has taken place in the NFT space. Regulatory efforts, hacks, launches, crashes, and funding announcements, are only some of the topics. Duckverse’s event represents a unique and fun way to keep up with these developments, getting insights directly from experts.

The event will be taking place on Saturday the 11th in a calm and gorgeous estate in Austin (judge by yourself). This makes it the perfect chance to escape the fast-moving pace of Consensus while also staying true to the nature of the festival. Networking, food, Duck Hunt, NFT expositions, and partying are all on the table. 

If you are wondering what the Duck Hunt is, it is just like an egg hunt with an added bonus: You can win valuable NFTs. Each duck you find will have a QR for you to scan, which effectively operates as a ticket to participate for up to $5,000 in NFTs. The schedule for the event is as follows:

• ​12 pm – 4 pm: Luncheon
• ​4 pm – 5 pm: Fireside chat with Coleman Maher, Head of Ecosystem at Waves Labs; and Swan Sit, former Global Head of Digital Marketing at Nike, Estée Lauder and Revlon. She’s now “the Queen of Clubhouse” with 3.5 million followers.
• ​5pm – 7 pm: Networking, Duck Hunt, NFT Gallery
• ​7 pm – 9 pm: Dinner
• ​9 pm – late: After hours by Trippy Labs

If you want to join Duckverse and participate in the event, make sure to RSVP here as only confirmed guests will be able to join. There is no need to worry if you are unable to join Duckverse’s event and want to catch up with the NFT space. At Grit Daily House we will also be hosting several panels around NFTs and many other topics.

The media house will be hosting from Wednesday, June 8th to Friday 10th,  and will bring together a lineup of experts from across the industry. Drinks, steak, shrimp, lobster, music, and networking are all things you should expect if attending…  In addition to panels and talks, of course.

Does this sound good to you? Here is our complete schedule in case you haven’t made your mind:

Schedule

Wednesday, June 8 – CryptoMondays x Grit Daily Mixer (Featuring Lou Kerner, ZenGo’s VP Business & Strategy Ido Sofer, and friends.)

• 5:00 PM: Reception with drinks & light bites, and keynote
• 5:40 PM: A welcome to Grit Daily House. Jordan French, with Lou Kerner and Olga Bashkatova, CryptoMondays.
• 5:45 PM: Wallets as the Gateway to Web3 Applications. Ido Sofer, ZenGo. Rachel Wolfson CoinTelegraph. William White, WalletConnect.
• 7:00 PM: Crypto Is What You Make of It. Lou Kerner, CryptoOracle VC. Lule Demmissie, eToro.

Thursday, June 9 – Bulls vs. Bears. What Do Investors Need to Know? (With Linqto and CSO Karim Nurani.)

Brunch: 11-2:30PM

• 11:30 AM: The Math of Socially Responsible Investing in Blockchain & the Metaverse. Karim Nurani, Linqto. Leah Callon-Butler, Emfarsis. Evin Cheikosman, World Economic Forum. Nisa Amoils, A100X Ventures.
• 12:30 PM: Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow? Karim Nurani. Evan Greenberg, Blockchain Beach. Marc Weill, Two Sigma Ventures.
• 1:00 PM: How Do You “Style” Your NFT? Amanda Terry, Metagood. Josh Kriger, Edge of NFT. Jared Christopherson, OneOf. Mark Murrell, Haddie’s Bay Club.
• 2:00 PM:  “2022: Crypto Investment Trends” Stefan Rust, Laguna. Karim Nurani, Linqto. Jason Urban, Galaxy Digital Trading. Lou Yu, KuCoin.

Reception: 2:30PM – 5:00PM

• 2:30 PM: Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene. Karim Nurani. Asher Price, Axios. Colton Seal, RouteFusion. Anne Ahola Ward, O’Reilly Author. Morgan Flager, Silverton Partners.
• 3:00 PM: Government and Its Relationship to Crypto. Karim Nurani, Linqto. Jill Malandrino, NASDAQ. J. Christopher Giancarlo, Wilkie & former Chairman CFTC. Ari Zoldan, iHeartRadio
• 4:30 PM: Where Is the (Market) Bubble? Karim Nurani, Linqto. Jenn Sanasie, CoinDesk. Cathy Hackl, Journey. Codie Sanchez, Contrarian Thinking.

Friday, June 10

Brunch: 11AM-230PM

• 11:30 AM: What’s In a Crypto Wallet? Robin Guyard, Laguna. Rachel Wolfson, CoinTelegraph. Blake Commagere, Vault12. Doug Horn, (Telos author) GoodBlock.

• 12:30 PM: Chilly This Winter? Cozy Up to these Crypto Plays and the Tech Behind Them. Stefan Rust, Laguna. John Ellett, Forbes. Victoria Dickson, Product Manager, Web 3.0, Veritone. James Wo, JSquare. Eric Christopher, Entrepreneur magazine. Anne Ahola Ward, CircleClick.
• 2:00 PM: How to Invest in the Web3 Economy. Cameron Lee, Laguna. Leah Peterson, (Telos author) GoodBlock.

Reception: 2:30PM – 5:00PM

• 2:30 PM: Here’s Where to Find Alpha in 2022. Stefan Rust, Laguna. Caitlin Long, Custodia Bank. Roger Dooley, Forbes. Miles Paschini, FV Bank.
• 3:00 PM: How -Not- to Invest in Crypto. Stefan Rust, Laguna. Jenn Sanasie, CoinDesk. Greg Gopman, ANKR. Christian Dickson, Senior Director, Metaverse, Veritone.
• 4:30 PM: Where Is the (Market) Bubble? Stefan Rust, former Bitcoin.com CEO. Katie Canales, Business Insider. Karim Nurani, Linqto.

To join the action, make sure to get your tickets here. A VIP Speakers & Media Dinner will also be taking place on Thursday and Friday, with tickets being sold separately.

The post Grit Daily and Waves Duckverse Partner Ahead of Consensus Festival appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Consensus 2022 is a festival organized by CoinDesk to talk about all things related to crypto, blockchain, web3, metaverse, and NFT. The event takes place in Austin between June 9th and 12, gathering more than 10k attendees and 500 speakers, as well as several media houses hosting satellite events. One of these media houses is Grit Daily House, which has a long history of enriching the experience of some of the most popular events in the city by bringing experts, journalists, investors, and enthusiasts together.

With this purpose in mind, Grit Daily House has brought together some of the most renowned names in the blockchain and crypto industry. These experts include Ido Sofer, VP of Business and Strategy at Zengo, who will be sharing his experience, insights, and expertise with attendees. Ido has been an essential part of the ZenGo team ever since joining back in 2021 as Senior Director of Business Operations and Strategy, helping it become one of the most popular crypto wallets.

As a project, ZenGo is all about making cryptocurrency as accessible as possible, an aspect that the technology has struggled with ever since its creation. Unlike other platforms, ZenGo avoids the use of complex passwords and long phrases, changing them for private facial biometrics and advanced encryption. So far, this approach has proven extremely effective at allowing users who lack the technical knowledge to access the world of crypto safely and securely.

With Web3 and the metaverse continuing to create headlines, crypto wallets are sure to play an integral role in making blockchain the de facto backbone of the digital world. If you want to hear what Ido has to say, and trust us when we say you do, you will be able to do so on Wednesday 8th at 5:45 PM. Ido will join CoinTelegraph’s Rachel Wolfson and WalletConnect’s William White for our “Wallets as the Gateway to Web3 Applications” panel. With the bear market still going strong, it is a great moment to get informed of the latest trends and what the future holds. If you still haven’t gotten your tickets for this edition of Grit Daily House and would like to join us, you can get them here.

The post Here’s Where to See ZenGo on Stage during Consensus Festival appeared first on Grit Daily News.

CryptoMondays started as a meetup for crypto enthusiasts in New York City, eventually growing to have chapters in over 50 cities such as Shanghai, Los Angeles, Medellin, Tel Aviv, Paris, London, Miami, Singapore, Malta, Tokyo, Las Vegas, and Medellin. In addition to geographical expansion, CryptoMondays has also gathered over 22k members and 800 speakers, all in the pursuit of fulfilling its mission: “Increase engagement with blockchain through live events in every city in the world.”

This mission resonates highly with Grit Daily House, which is why the announcement was only a matter of time: CryptoMondays will be joining us on June 8th. This will not only mean that members of CryptoMondays will be joining Grit Daily House on this day but also that organizers will be joining the panels.

The CryptoMondays x Grit Daily Mixer will take place on June 8th and will feature ou Kerner, ZenGo’s Ido Sofer (VP Business & Strategy), and friends. The schedule for the day is as follows:

• 5:00 PM: Reception with drinks & light bites

• 5:40 PM: A welcome to Grit Daily House.
  • Jordan French, Grit Daily.
  • Lou Kerner, CryptoOracle VC.
  • Olga Bashkatova, CryptoMondays.
• 5:45 PM: Wallets as the Gateway to Web3 Applications.
  • Ido Sofer, ZenGo.
  • Rachel Wolfson CoinTelegraph.
  • William White, WalletConnect.
• 7:00 PM: Crypto Is What You Make of It. 
  • Lou Kerner, CryptoOracle VC. 
  • Lule Demmissie, eToro.

With Consensus 2022 starting on June 9th, this meetup will present a unique opportunity for attendees to jumpstart their experience. If you would like to participate, make sure to get your tickets here.

The post CryptoMondays Lands at Grit Daily House-Austin for Consensus 2022 appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Starting on June 9th, Austin will see some of the biggest names in the space join in a celebration of all things related to decentralization. Of course, Grit Daily House plans to be there to bring even more value to this edition of the Consensus conference.

With the cryptocurrency market going through quite a rough time as the bear market continues, all eyes are set on conventions like Consensus and the satellite events they spawn. With this in mind, Grit Daily House will count with the participation of experts like Linqto’s Chief Strategy Officer Karim Nurani.

A seasoned speaker, investor, and entrepreneur, Karim is now one of the most sought-after speakers in the crypto space. His more than 30 years of experience in business development give Karim a unique vision of the cryptocurrency space. This, combined with his work helping Linqto become one of the biggest private investing platforms in the crypto space, make him one of the best persons to dissect the current market.

Those interested in learning from Karim’s unique insights and perspective will be able to do so on June 9th. These are the panels in which Karim will be participating:

Thursday, June 9th

• 11:30 AM: The Math of Socially Responsible Investing in Blockchain & the Metaverse. 
  • Karim Nurani, Linqto.
  • Leah Callon-Butler, Emfarsis. 
  • Evin Cheikosman, World Economic Forum.
  • Nisa Amoils, A100X Ventures.
• 12:30 PM: Where Is the Pre-IPO Deal Flow? 
  • Karim Nuran, Linqto.
  • Katie Canales, Business Insider.
  • Marc Weill, Two Sigma Ventures.
• 2:00 PM: 2022: Crypto Investment Trends.
  • Stefan Rust, Laguna.
  • Karim Nurani, Linqto.
  • Jason Urban, Galaxy Digital Trading.
  • Justin Chou, KuCoin.
• 2:30 PM: Meet Austin’s FinTech Scene.
  • Karim Nurani, Linqto.
  • Asher Price, Axios. 
  • Mike Marcantonio, LiveOak Venture Partners.
• 3:00 PM: Government and Its Relationship to Crypto. 
  • Karim Nurani, Linqto. 
  • Jill Malandrino, NASDAQ. 
  • J. Christopher Giancarlo, Wilkie & former Chairman CFTC. 
  • Ari Zoldan, iHeartRadio.
• 4:30 PM: Where Is the (Market) Bubble? 
  • Karim Nurani, Linqto. 
  • Jenn Sanasie, CoinDesk. 
  • Cathy Hackl, Journey. 
  • Codie Sanchez, Contrarian Thinking.

Karim will also be hosting Grit Daily’s official podcast, so expect to see him in room 2! In addition to the panels and the podcast, Grit Daily House represents the perfect opportunity for attendees to network not only with Karim but some of the other people shaping the world of tomorrow.

Starting on June 8th, Grit Daily House will be one of the media houses opening its doors during CoinDesk’s Consensus. Located only 4 blocks away from the convention center where the main conference will take place, Grit Daily will bring many visionaries of the decentralized world under the same roof. Music, panels, talks, networking, food, drinks, and expert insights are all on the table.

If you would like to attend Grit Daily House, make sure to get your tickets here.

The post Here’s Where to See Karim Nurani Speak During Consensus appeared first on Grit Daily News.

DCENTRAL, also an official satellite event to Consensus, runs June 7 and 8 and boasts over 2,000 attendees, with on-stage content on 3 stages, plenty of alpha, giveaways, and some of the best speakers in town to kick off Consensus Festival in Austin.

Held at the Long Center of Performing Arts (just south of the river), DCENTRAL Austin will showcase a variety of booths, talks, experiences and networking opportunities for the growing crypto industry. 

On DCENTRAL’s website you’ll see rows of speakers, including Brandon Hoffman of Samsung NEXT, Preston Woo of TaFi/Daz3d, Elena Sinelnikova from Metis, Tor Bair of Secret Network, Luca Netz of Pudgy Penguins, Matty (DCL Blogger) from Metakey and Alex Mayes of Coinbase NFT, along with Jordan French, Grit Daily (and sister publication, BlockTelegraph) founder and Executive Editor. 

For those in Grit Daily’s audience, we want you to go, so pick up a ticket here and for updates, drop into DCENTRAL’s Discord channel. (Grit Daily’s audience gets 30% off.)

On June 8, Grit Daily House (in Google Maps as Grit Daily House) opens early, on the “eve of Consensus” from 5-8pm Central Time for a collaboration with ally, CryptoMondays, and Lou Kerner, CEO of Blockchain Coinvestors Acquisition Corp. (NASD:BCSA), which was a notable “SPAC” that filed last year. 

Grit Daily House-Consensus, boasts the Consensus Media Stage, flanked by Ozzy the bartender with drinks du jour and a private chef grilling shrimp and seared steak tips along with amuse bouche and canapés in quintessentially Austin flavors. 

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Grit Daily House runs June 8, 9, 10 with collaborations from Linqto and CSO Karim Nurani, Laguna and CEO Stefan Rust, and CryptoMondays, among others, with moderators from Axios, Bloomberg, Business Insider, CoinDesk, CoinTelegraph, and other news outlets befit of a proper media house.

Grit Daily Startup Show with veteran podcaster Sebastian Rusk will record episodes live throughout the day on June 9 and 10. For tickets to Grit Daily House, click here.  

The post DCENTRAL, Grit Daily House, Announce Alliance for Consensus Festival appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Set to start on March 11th, SXSW has quickly become one of the bastions of the creative, tech, and music industry ever since being founded in 1987 when it started as an event with only 700 attendees on opening day. After gathering over 400k attendees in 2019, the height of the COVID19 pandemic forced the event organizers to cancel the 2020 edition and to run the 2021 edition virtually.

With 65% of all Americans fully vaccinated and the world returning to normality, Austin is now ready to receive attendees once again to the first in-person edition of SXSW since the start of the pandemic. While the city is still at Stage 3 of its COVID-19 Risk-Based Guidelines, the organizers and local government are positive about the upcoming conference, with Austin Public Health’s Interim Authority Dr. Mark Escott saying:

“I’m very confident that SXSW will look normal, or near-normal next year.”

If you are thinking about joining the party, you should start planning your itinerary to be sure you don’t miss the action. We have compiled a list of 10 tech talks that will be taking place during SXSW you won’t want to miss.

Remember that Grit Daily House, an accredited media partner to SXSW, will be hosting talks featuring start speakers spanning multiple industries. Four blocks from the Convention Center, you won’t want to miss the chance to join us!

A Vision of Money’s Digital Future – Tushar Nadkarni

When Satoshi Nakamoto published the whitepaper for Bitcoin back in 2008, no one would have imagined that cryptocurrencies would take the world by storm less than 10 years later. Now, even central banks are taking a page out of Bitcoin’s book as they race to develop their Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Tushar Nadkarni, Chief Growth & Product Officer at Celsius Network, will share his vision on the digital future of money, the latest trends, and how the transition will impact businesses and people around the world. Having worked for financial companies like Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, and PayPal, as well as his current role helping shape one of the biggest fintech platforms in the crypto space, few people are more qualified to predict the future of money.

Hosted by Grit Daily House, this talk will take place on Thursday, March 10 at 1:00 PM.

Women, Gamers, and Crypto in 2022 – Tal Bentov

Gaming and cryptocurrency have become increasingly relevant over the past year as talks about the upcoming metaverse continue to dominate tech media. With women starting to play an increasingly relevant role in both industries, 2022 is expected to be a pivotal year for gender equality in the blockchain gaming ecosystem.

Tal Bentov, VP of Lending and former Senior Director of Lending Operations at Celsius Network, is known in the crypto space as “The loan queen”. As one of the most successful women in the crypto space with years of experience under her belt, she will be providing attendees with important insights on the role women will play in the growth of gaming and crypto this year.

Hosted by Grit Daily House, this talk will take place on Thursday, March 10 at 3:15 PM.

What is web3? It’s Silicon Valley’s Latest Identity Crisis – Karim Nurani

Web3 was one of the hottest topics in and out of the blockchain space in 2021. Promising to be the next stage in the evolution of the internet, the popularity of Web3 has resulted in Silicon Valley giants struggling to retain top talent. With even the inventor of the internet, Sir Bernes Lee, joining the efforts to create a decentralized internet that brings control back to users, web3 is supposed to be the future.

Entrepreneur, Investor, and Chief Strategy Officer at Linqto Karim Nurani has a unique perspective of what Web3 is and what its effects will be in the tech world, especially when it comes to entrepreneurship. Having invested in some of the world’s biggest startups and unicorns across multiple industries, Karim has established himself as a visionary with an eye for what the future will be like. 

Hosted by Grit Daily House, this talk will take place on Friday, March 11th at 11:00 AM.

How NFTs Can Move Beyond Arts and Entertainment – Karim Nuran

Coverage of NFTs might have slowed down but the craze is still going in the crypto space with over $2 billion in sales over the past month, according to NonFungible. While NFTs have been mainly used by the arts and entertainment industries to satisfy the demand for collectibles, the potential of the technology is far greater.

With his experience spanning across industries, it is not a surprise that Karim Nuran believes there is much more to NFTs than meets the eye. Karim, who is also an Advisor for several blockchain-related startups like Andra Capital, will take the stage once again to discuss what the potential use cases on NFTs are.

Hosted by Grit Daily House, this talk will take place on Friday, March 11th at 4:30 PM.

The Next Level: How Video Games Help You Succeed – Reggie Fils-Aimé

Gaming has been one of the major drivers behind crypto and technological development over the past years, especially when it comes to the metaverse. With games like World Of Warcraft, Second Life, Roblox, Eve Online, Minecraft, and Final Fantasy XIV being considered precursors to the metaverse, the gaming ecosystem is worth looking for to know what to expect.

When it comes to gaming, Reggie Fils-Aimé is one of the most well-known games in the history of the space.  As the former president and chief operating officer (COO) of Nintendo of America, Reggie has played a major role in the success and growth of gaming and esports in the west ever since 2004. 

In this featured keynote, the American businessman will be talking about the role he expects gaming to play in the adoption and development of technologies like Web3 and the Metaverse. In an interview with SXSW, Reggie said about the role of video games in the tech industry:

“Video games have been the most experimental and most provocative form of entertainment — AR, VR, games as a form of exercise — and I fully expect that to continue. I think the pace of innovation in the space is unparalleled. The challenge of a leader is to create new targets, set new bars, and to reframe what success looks like.”

Hosted by SXSW, this keynote will take place on Saturday, March 12th at 1:00 PM at Ballroom D.

Can You Actually Change Big Tech From Within? – Various

With Big Tech becoming one of the most important factors in everyday life for individuals and governments, it is not surprising that all eyes are set on it. The debate of regulating or not regulating Big Tech has been a matter of controversy, with many believing that change must come from within… But is this possible?

This panel brings Rumman Chowdhury, CEO, FounderatParity AI; Raylene Yung,

U.S. Digital Response Leader at AspenTech Policy Hub; and Dr. Rachel Gillum

Senior Director, Ethical And Humane Use Of Technology At Salesforce, to discuss the matter. Moderated by Google engineer and Stanford Professor Mehran Sahami, we expect this panel to be full of provocative questions and interesting insights.

Hosted by SXSW, this panel will take place on Friday, March 11th at 10:00 AM at Hilton Austin Downtown’s Salon K.

Trusting in Digital Governance – Margrethe Vestager

It is not a secret that as the world has become more connected through the internet and other technologies, it has become more difficult to know which information to trust. With polarization, informational warfare, misinformation, and centralization, people around the world are at a crossroads never seen before.

The recent COVID19 pandemic and the situation in Ukraine are just some examples of how this issue can affect democracy, human rights, and public health. European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, one of the most respected leaders and experts in democratic digital governance, will be taking the stage to discuss the topic at a critical time.

Hosted by EU@SXSW, this talk will take place on Saturday, March 12th at 4:00 PM at Hilton Austin Downtown’s Salon H.

Wake Up Call: Women in Tech & Innovation – Various

While women have started gaining increasing relevance in the world of tech, there is still a long way to go until equality is reached. Studies show that not only are women still underrepresented in tech leadership but they also have a worse experience at all levels. With most experts agreeing that closing the gender gap can be beneficial for any organization, it would seem the time to act is now.

This panel will see Julie Ferland, VP Innovation Excellence at Shell; Van Truskett, Executive Director at The Texas Innovation Center; and Anna Jarman, Lead Innovation and Emerging Technology at Walmart, engage in an honest discussion moderated by Katie Mehnert, Chief Executive Officer and Founder at ALLY Energy to discuss this topic. If you are interested in knowing more about the unique role that women can play in the world of tech, this is the panel for you.

Hosted by Shell House, this panel will take place on Monday, March 14th at 9:30 AM at Antone’s. 

The Commercial Space Age Is Here

This decade promises to be one of the most important in the history of space exploration, with the James Webb Space Telescope being one of the most recent events. While NASA has long led these efforts, private companies like SpaceX, Sierra Nevada, Blue Origin, and many more have made important contributions over the past years.

Join Dr. Douglas Terrier, Associate Director for Vision and Strategy at  NASA’s Johnson Space Center; R. Matthew Ondler, CTO at Axiom Space; Timothy Crain, Chief Technology Officer at Intuitive Machines; and Arturo Machuca, Director at Ellington Airport and Houston Spaceport, to find out how cooperation between the public and private sector will shape the future of space exploration.

Hosted by Houston House, this panel will take place on Monday, March 14th at 1:00 PM at The LINE Hotel’s Onyx Ballroom.

The post 10 Tech Talks During SXSW You Won’t Want to Miss appeared first on Grit Daily News.

Officially recognized by Solana, at Hacker House Austin (colloquially known as “Solana Hacker House”) there will be over 100 invitations to “people who break things” on the Internet, fittingly, to build creative and new opportunities, especially using Blockchain technology. It is a community-led and driven initiative to provide a similar atmosphere for friends of Solana in Austin.

Grit Daily House is one of the “media houses” during SxSW and the only independent media house, heavy on on-stage programming and champion of “underdogs” and innovators. 

 Four blocks from The Convention Center, it skews “VIP” with a private chef, Adrian Davila, famed Austin bartender Ozzy Barajas. Content. On-stage programming is over half women and over half of the speakers are local entrepreneurs or media from Austin, Texas. 

“Given Grit Daily’s integrations with Celsius, Linqto, SafeMoon, Lifekey, Thesis*, and Mondavi’s NFT launch, Hacker House Austin is a natural ally. Hacker House’s community is welcome to Grit Daily House, a few blocks north where we’ll have on-stage content and a medley of creative drinks from Ozzy the bartender and The People’s Chef Adrian Davila grilling out,” says Jordan French, Executive Editor at Grit Daily. 

Grit Daily House is accessible for ticketed guests only. (Due to the capacity of Grit Daily House, a ticket does not guarantee entry.)

ABOUT GRIT DAILY

Grit Daily is the award-winning, New York-based news outlet that’s covered 8,000+ startups. Its sister publication is BlockTelegraph, the Blockchain industry trade publication supported by Polygon. Equally known for its events, including an alliance with Microsoft for events in Times Square and Miami Blockchain & NFT Summit, which Grit Daily sold to Mana to form NFT BZL, Grit Daily’s flagship event is Grit Daily House.

ABOUT GRIT DAILY HOUSE

Grit Daily House is a physical location in Austin, four blocks from the Convention Center, with an outdoor stage. The outdoor stage hosts some of the best content, with innovative company leadership across the startup, food, and drinks spectrum filming live. Grit Daily House is also the only “media house” that permits outside news outlets on its stage, including Digital Trends, Benzinga, Axios, CNBC, and Insider, among others. The featured Grit Daily House is tended by George the Celebrity Doorman, Ozzy the Bartender, and a private chef, grilling “quintessentially Austin” dishes in the backyard.

For those looking to join Grit Daily’s VIP & Media Dinners March 10-15, take a look at tickets here. 

ABOUT HOLAPLEX

Our mission is to empower creators and collectors with a suite of tools to create, market, and sell NFTs. 

Tools that are open source, owned by creators, are permissionless, and governed by the community.

The rapid rise of NFTs has allowed creators to build communities and monetize their work in innovative ways. So much talent has come into this space but there are barriers preventing some from joining. Using the tools needed to mint and sell NFTs is non-trivial even for experienced developers.

Holaplex is committed to building tools that will allow creators and collectors to join the NFT community easily and safely.

Holaplex is open sourced, decentralized, and community-driven. You can create your own storefront within minutes customizing it to your own branding. 

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Austin, Texas — March 1, 2022 — South by Southwest has announced the final round of Keynotes and Featured Speakers, as well as the podcast stage lineup, and Opening Speaker for the 36th edition of its annual Conference, which celebrates the convergence of the technology, film, and music industries. 

The Keynotes announced today include President of Beggars Group US, writer and author of the upcoming memoir My Life in the Sunshine (Viking/Penguin on June 7, 2022) Nabil Ayers with journalist, moderator, radio host, emcee, television reporter and podcaster Andy Langer;founder and CEO of MediaLink Michael E. Kassan and founder and co-CEO of Candle Media, Chairman of DAZN Group and co-founder and Managing Director of Smash Ventures Kevin Mayer with Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton; journalist and author, the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Ressa; and Grammy Award-nominated singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast and New York Times bestselling author of Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner.

“It’s been three years since we’ve held an in-person SXSW, and we couldn’t be more excited and honored to bring together not only today’s announced Keynotes and Featured Speakers, but our entire lineup,” said Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “This year’s conference really spans the depth, breadth and quality of creativity and leadership that make SXSW the global destination for creative professionals.”

Previously-announced Keynote Speakers include 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee and eight-time Grammy Award-winning artist Beck with The New Yorker writer Amanda Petrusich; founder and Managing Partner of Brentwood Growth Partners Reggie Fils-Aimé; global superstar, three-time Grammy Award-winning artist and star and Executive Producer of Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, a new unscripted series premiering this spring on Prime Video, Lizzo; writer and author Charles C. Mann with bestselling author of novels such as Termination Shock, Fall; or, Dodge in Hell, and the seminal Snow Crash Neal Stephenson; Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson; and award-winning director, producer and immersive storyteller Celine Tricart.

Facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and executive producer and host of The New York Times podcast Together Apart, Priya Parker has been announced as Opening Speaker. 

The lineup for the SXSW Comedy Festival was also announced this week and the participants include Anthony Atamanuik, Doug Benson, Matt Besser, Byron Bowers, Camilla Cleese, John Cleese, Jim Gaffigan, Vanessa Gonzalez, Punkie Johnson, Mitra Jouhari, Bruce McCulloch, Bonnie McFarlane, Sean Patton, Yamaneika Saunders, Dulcé Sloan, Nick Thune, Liza Treyger, Ricky Velez, Rich Vos, and more.

The SXSW Conference is organized into 15 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats. New for 2022 is the addition of Summits, which take a deep dive into specific topics relevant to the SXSW audience. More information about SXSW programming Summits, formats and themes can be found here.”

Newly-announced Keynote Speakers include:

• President of Beggars Group US, writer. and author of the upcoming memoir My Life in the Sunshine (Viking/Penguin on June 7, 2022) Nabil Ayers with journalist, moderator, radio host, emcee, television reporter and podcaster Andy Langer
• Founder and CEO of MediaLink Michael E. Kassan and founder and co-CEO of Candle Media, Chairman of DAZN Group and co-founder and Managing Director of Smash Ventures Kevin Mayer with Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton
• Journalist and author, the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Ressa
• Grammy Award-nominated singer and guitarist of Japanese Breakfast and New York Times bestselling author of Crying in H Mart Michelle Zauner

Newly-announced Featured Speakers include:

• Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University and author Ruha Benjamin, activist and sister of Breonna Taylor Ju’Niyah Palmer, founder and CEO of YESUNIVERSE Lady Pheønix, award-winning augmented reality designer, avant-garde movie producer, and multimedia artist Sutu and civil rights activist and partner of Breonna Taylor Kenneth Walker
• 19th Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
• Benchmark General Partner Bill Gurley

• Director and actress Gillian Jacobs (appearing virtually) with actor, comedian Joel McHale (appearing virtually) to discuss STEM and Jacob’s documentary, More than Robots
• Former Congressman and candidate for Texas Governor Beto O’Rourke in conversation with The Texas Tribune CEO and co-founder Evan Smith
• Facilitator, strategic advisor, acclaimed author of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters, and executive producer and host of The New York Times podcast Together Apart, Priya Parker
• Gravity Payments founder Dan Price

• Lucid Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technology Officer Peter Rawlinson
• Autodidactic singer, songwriter, director and composer Sevdaliza and Deputy CEO of Sensorium Sasha TityanAko

Newly-announced Featured Sessions include:

• A Conversation with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on the State of the American Workforce: Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh sits down with Politico’s Daniel Lippman to discuss worker empowerment, job growth, unionization, the “Great Resignation” and getting Americans back to work. Leading into the second year of President Biden’s term, Walsh will discuss how the administration is tackling the most pressing economic issues affecting America as the country emerges from the pandemic.
• Art & Climate: A Conversation with Brian Eno & Beatie Wolfe: In this session, English musician, record producer, visual artist and theorist Brian Eno (appearing virtually) and “musical weirdo and visionary” Beatie Wolfe will discuss how art can play a vital role in response to the climate emergency, with Brian sharing his music industry charity EarthPercent and Beatie sharing ‘From Green to Red,’ an environmental protest piece built using 800,000 years of NASA data to visualize rising CO2 levels.
• Birds Aren’t Real: How a Satirical Community Takes Flight: In this session, performance artist, filmmaker and founder of Birds Aren’t Real Peter McIndoe will answer questions such as how is decentralized community formed on the internet, what do people see in something like Birds Aren’t Real and what can be accomplished when these people come together?
• The Bold Jump to Streaming News: With the rise of streaming, the opportunities to break news and share engaging stories are more plentiful than ever before. In this session moderated by The Hollywood Reporter writer J. Clara Chan, hear CNN+ host and podcast host Rex Chapman; CNN+ anchor, correspondent and podcast host Audie Cornish; CNN anchor and Chief National Affairs Analyst Kasie Hunt; cook, writer and author of the New York Times bestseller, NOTHING FANCY Alison Roman talk about why they decided to make the jump into streaming with CNN+, a new platform set to debut this spring.
• Changing the Future of Food: All around the world, the hunger-solution NGO World Central Kitchen has sped to crisis locations to help with the most urgent of human needs: Feeding communities who suddenly find themselves with no access to food. In this session, join Imagine Documentaries co-president Sara Bernstein with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard and World Central Kitchen CEO Nate Mook for a behind-the-scenes look at their upcoming film WE FEED PEOPLE (World Premiering at SXSW 2022), featuring the work of renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés.
• Citizen by CNN Presents: How America Works: A conversation with CNN anchor Poppy Harlow and U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh. Resignations, unionization, hustle culture, essential workers and the gig economy – buzz words that pack a punch. COVID-19 fundamentally changed the American workforce. But moving forward, who and what works?
• ​​Dreamers Never Die: The Enduring Power of Metal: 50 years since its inception, Heavy Metal’s founders and fans rabidly continue to live the lifestyle even as they themselves turn gray. In this session, musician and singer Sebastian Bach, longtime bassist for the groundbreaking heavy metal outfit Black Sabbath Geezer Butler, President and Owner of Niji Management, Inc. Wendy Dio and host of the rock talk show Trunk Nation on SiriusXM Volume Eddie Trunk answer questions such as why has this music connected so powerfully with people and what does it mean to live an entire life by the values found in the world’s most extreme genre of music?
• Gamers: The New Icons of Pop Culture & Fashion: Over the last few years there’s been explosive growth in the video game industry and its influence in youth culture. Games are overtaking music as the most important impact on youth culture, and gamers are experiencing similar name recognition as major athletes and musicians. In this session, co-founder and Chief Gaming Officer at the Kansas City Pioneers LJ Browne, VP of Marketing at FaZe Clan Taav Cooperman, gaming content creator and producer TravelDanielle and co-founder and CEO of Gamers First Kenny Vaccaro discuss how innovative video content platforms like Twitch and TikTok allow gamers to grow their fan bases in a way that’s just as influential as celebrities.
• How to Win in the Future of Gaming: Technology and gaming companies are coming together like never before, innovating to level up the action in new ways and keep you on the leaderboard. In this session, join Co-CEO ESL Gaming Craig Levine; Qualcomm Incorporated CMO Don McGuire; and producer, writer and host Kate Yeager as they discuss the metaverse, esports and the future of new and premium gaming experiences.
• The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks: In this session, founding members of The Kids in the Hall Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson reflect on the group’s influential legacy and their experiences creating some of the most pivotal sketch comedy of all time. They will also discuss the new two-part Amazon Original documentary The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks (produced by Blue Ant Studios), which makes its world premiere at SXSW, and the upcoming Kids in the Hall reboot for Prime Video.
• Making Virtual Storytelling and Activism Personal: Neuroscience shows that storytelling can affect brain chemistry, moving us to be more empathetic, generous— and eager to take action.  In this session, Executive Director at Avow Aimee Arrambide, award-winning stereographer, cameraman and XR filmmaker Tom C. Hall, caregiver, intersectional feminist activist, storyteller and subject of The Choice Kristen Herring, Texas House of Representatives member Donna Howard and co-founder of Infinite Frame Media, XR director and producer Joanne Popinska, Ph.D. discuss The Choice, a virtual reality experience that uses personal storytelling and volumetric VR filmmaking to offer a new perspective on reproductive rights, and how personal storytelling such as this can influence cultural and policy change.
• A Movement So New It Hasn’t Been Named: In this session, Last Prisoner Project founder Steve DeAngelo and entrepreneur, producer, director and Badass Vegan author John Lewis will discuss things such as the interconnections between the rise of plant-based diets, plant-based medicine/consciousness, and plant-based industry, how cattle, petroleum and other extractive industries accelerate global warming and how the use of hemp based raw materials and consumption of plant based foods reduce it, how the rediscovery of plant based consciousness has opened minds and set the table for plant based diets and more. All while answering the question, do these interconnections point the way to a better future for humankind?
• Music & The Movement with Nathaniel Rateliff: Music has been a crucial component of social movements throughout history. A thoughtful partnership of musicians, organizers and activists can build a coalition that persuades audiences to action. In this session, cultural organizer and the executive director of The Marigold Project Kari Nott, musician and founder of The Marigold Project Nathaniel Rateliff and co-executive director of Highlander Research & Education Center Ash-Lee Woodard Henderson will discuss the careful considerations and thoughtful relationships that must be in place in order to build long-lasting, impactful justice movements.
• One Year Later: How NFTs Are Changing The World: In this session, CEO of Blockparty Vladislav Ginzburg, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Dapper Labs Ridhima Ahuja Kahn, co-founder and CEO of nft now Matt Medved and founder and Partner of Raised In Space Shara Senderoff will reunite one year after their SXSW 2021 panel to talk about bridging the gap between digital and physical NFTs, the rise of ‘NFT-commerce’ and how the rise of NFTs has forever changed our world.
• The Power of Finding Your Sound: How do brands stay top of mind without visual real estate? Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for Mastercard and President of the company’s healthcare business Raja Rajamannar has the answer: Engage consumers through the power of music. In this session, be one of the first to feel the beat of Mastercard’s new album and be ready to experience a priceless musical surprise with a special guest, as Raja reveals the brand’s next journey into sound.
• Pulling Off Everything Everywhere All At Once: In this session, film producer Allison Rose Carter, the filmmaking duo collectively known as “Daniels” Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, film producer Jon Read and film producer Jonathan Wang discuss just how absurdly challenging the comically ambitious screenplay for Everything Everywhere All at Once was to produce and the badasses behind the scenes who saved the day, kept it fun and pulled off the impossible.
• Ride into the Metaverse: How Cars Expand Storytelling & Entertainment: Storytelling takes you on a journey, the same way cars do. Through the emergence of the Metaverse, its ramp up and the phenomenal pace of technological advancements in web3 (and blockchain), we’re experiencing new media and experience formats that will change the face of entertainment. In this session, Partner at Lewis Silkin LLP Cliff Fluet, director, producer and screenwriter Joe Russo (appearing virtually) and CEO of holoride Nils Wollny will take you on a ride through the Metaverse as they discuss how storytelling will turn into storyliving through the power of motion and location aware content.
• Sound of Change: Patria y Vida and Cuba’s uprising: For over six decades, the slogan of the Cuban revolution, penned by Fidel Castro, was “Patria o Muerte” – Homeland or Death. But in the past year, the motto was turned on its head with protesters clamoring for “Patria y Vida,” the title of the subversive song performed by Black Cuban artists that reside in and out of the island. In this session, Billboard VP Latin Industry Lead Leila Cobo with world-renowned and influential artist Beatriz Luengo and Latin Grammy-winning singer and producer Yotuel Romero speak of “Patria y Vida’s” journey from indie release to agent of change that fueled the biggest anti government protests in Cuba’s history.
• ​​It Starts on TikTok: Discovering Your Audience: This session will discuss how TikTok creates space in the creator economy for artists to own their narratives, with singer-songwriter Sadie Jean chatting with US Head of Music and Content at TikTok Corey Sheridan about their success on the community-driven video platform and its impact on her artistry.
• Talent in Web3: Charting a course to mass adoption: With deep, emotional connections between content creators and fans, community is the bedrock of entertainment. As the digital arena continues to evolve and further empower artists to build and grow their brands (and followings) locally and globally, President of Blockchain Creative Labs and Chief Information Security Officer of FOX Corporation Melody Hildebrandt, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Producer of FOX Sports Eric Shanks and Head of Digital Assets at UTA Lesley Silverman will come together to discuss how Web3 will bring artists even closer to fans in new and meaningful ways.
• Ted Lasso Strikes Back: Season 2 of Ted Lasso hits a little different – it’s the Empire Strikes Back nod that, as Jason Sudeikis shared with Jimmy Fallon, “starts in the cold and ends in a little chillier place than where we started. Everybody’s gotta go in their cave and meet a little green man.” In this session, you’ll hear from Ted Lasso stars Brett Goldstein (appearing virtually) and Brendan Hunt (appearing virtually), COO of DigitalFilm Tree Nancy Jundi, Supervising Producer of Ted Lasso Kip Kroeger and Editor of Ted Lasso Melissa Brown McCoy as they unwind some of the ethos, intention and deep connection with fans.
• Welcome to the NFT Renaissance: Why It Matters For Creators: NFT’s are the beginning of how blockchain will reshape and rebalance the creator economy; bringing about an unprecedented age of opportunity for creators to monetize their art and build passionate, global, fan bases. In this session, join Solana co-founder Raj Gokal as he delves into a discussion about this new age of ownership for creators and how Solana is powering the future of NFT’s. 

Podcast Stage (presented by Shure with supporting sponsor Backtracks) Lineup:
Open to all badgeholders, the SXSW Podcast Stage presented by Shure with supporting sponsor Backtracks hosts podcasts as diverse and varied as the live audience in attendance.

• The Daily Show Presents: Being a Black Journalist in America: Join Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. and guests for a live recording of The Daily Show’s Beyond The Scenes podcast. Roy will sit down with veteran Black reporters to discuss the underrepresentation of Black journalists in America’s newsrooms, how this lack of representation shapes the media’s narrative on race, and the winding, eye-opening journeys taken by the panelists.
• The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz: Chidi Ahanotu? That’s how we’re fixing everything?” Those were the show’s first words nearly 20 years ago, and The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz has been sharing a uniquely Miami perspective on all things sports, pop culture and more ever since. Now, with their newfound “freedumb” from ESPN at Meadowlark Media, Dan, Stugotz and the rest of the family’s cast of characters continue to push the boundaries of sports coverage with their combination of serious commentary cloaked in unending laughter. Dan Le Batard will travel to SXSW for the first time this year, where he’ll offer his authentic perspective on a wide range of topics. As the Le Batard and Friends Network continues to expand, you’ll find a number of spin-off podcasts with new and diverse voices. 
• Deadline – Scene 2 Seen Podcast: Deadline Hollywood’s Associate Editor Valerie Complex will talk to the women behind the devastating documentary Aftershock. Directed by Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee, Aftershock chronicles the rise in maternal deaths of Black women. 
• Foundering: The Amazon Story LIVE!: Foundering is a serialized podcast from the journalists at Bloomberg Technology. The new season paints an unvarnished picture of Amazon’s unprecedented growth and its billionaire founder, Jeff Bezos, revealing the most important business story of our time. Host Brad Stone and executive producer Shawn Wen present a deeply-reported, sound-rich story of how a retail upstart became one of the most powerful and feared entities in the global economy. Stone also probes the evolution of Bezos himself—who started as a geeky technologist totally devoted to building Amazon, but who transformed to become a fit, disciplined billionaire with global ambitions; who ruled Amazon with an iron fist, even as he found his personal life splashed over the tabloids.
• Gen Z on the Power of Authentic Voices: With a rise in novel perspectives and values in policy, tech and impact, society is beginning to take on a new definition of innovation. By using these perspectives, we constantly develop frameworks to serve diverse groups and bring out authentic voices. But how can we leverage our ever-evolving culture to continue driving innovation forwards? Attend this live episode with the co-hosts of The Boss Ladies Podcast to understand how we can integrate the values of DEI and human-centric impact to spur the next generation of equitable change and dynamic innovation.
• The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter Live with Scott Feinberg: An exclusive recording of THR’s Award Chatter Live with senior awards analyst Scott Feinberg who will sit down with the award winning and Texas native filmmaker, Richard Linklater.
• ICYMI Live Show: Join Rachelle Hampton and Madison Malone Kircher twice a week as they gaze deep into the online abyss—and tell you what’s gazing back.
• Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain & Learn Faster: Every day — we’re sprinting to catch up. New technology. New people. New ideas, fast changes, endless updates… In our business, industry and even our daily personal life. Join brain performance expert and The New York Times best-selling author Jim Kwik to upgrade the most important technology and greatest creative wealth building asset you have – your mind. Kwik will share research, practical advice and proven tools from his recent book, Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life. During this talk, learn how to fuel your productivity, tap into boundless motivation, eliminate mental fog, sharpen your focus and even boost your memory to better remember all the ideas and individuals you meet at SXSW. This is a session you will never forget!
• A Little Bit Culty Podcast Live: Is this the golden era of cult shows? As cult whistleblowers turned podcasters documented in the critically-acclaimed HBO series “The Vow,” Sarah and Nippy have a lot to say about their experience, and burning questions to ask other survivors, experts and advocates. This panel will be a live podcast recording of A Little Bit Culty that explores the relationship between storytelling, survivorship and the expanding content cultiverse. Joined by Amanda Montell (linguist and ‘Cultish’ author) and Sarah Berman (VICE investigative journalist and ‘Don’t Call it a Cult’ author), Sarah and Nippy will cover the ways and means of extreme beliefs, cultic abuse and unpack how prime time cult storytelling can impact both real-life survivors and big-time scoundrels.
• Make It Up As We Go Season 2: This session will include conversations with the cast of the upcoming and critically acclaimed Audio Up scripted-musical podcast, Make It Up As We Go season 2. Series star and co-creator Scarlett Burke will be joined by Audio Up founder & CEO Jared Gutstadt and Grammy Award Winning songwriter Liz Rose, who has written original music for the new podcast series. Each conversation will lead into song performances from Burke, Gutstadt and Rose, all of which will be original music from the podcast.
• Offline with Jon Favreau: Step away from the Twitter-fueled news cycle with Crooked Media’s Offline with Jon Favreau. In his newest show, the Pod Save America co-host offers a chance to hear smarter, lighter conversations about all the ways that our extremely online existence is shaping our politics, culture and the ways we live, work and interact with one another.
• The Passion Economy: In this session, three humble, hilarious and honest individuals get real on money and how to find the nexus of profitability and passion. Join Jason Blumer, a brilliant accountant who teaches creative entrepreneurs how to organize businesses to scale, co-founder of NPR’s Planet Money and New Yorker economist and author of The Passion Economy, published by Knopf Adam Davidson and Meghan Phillips, a design and marketing studio owner who guides clients on how to convey their passion behind their products and services to audiences as they hit the podcast stage to discuss the rigor needed to pursue your passion in the value economy and the importance of masterful storytelling. 
• Ride the Omnibus: Crafting a Culture of Accessibility: Ride the Omnibus is a podcast parked at the intersection of pop culture and social justice, and regularly features and reports on marginalized voices in film and entertainment. The IATSE strike reverberated throughout the film industry, and was a response to working conditions that are not sustainable or accessible. If we want authentic stories from underrepresented voices, we need to change our practice on a structural level to allow previously excluded workers into the process at every level. In this panel/podcast, we will discuss how we can create balance in the production process that allows a fairer division of labor, increased productivity, access to all and above all, better storytelling.
• Wellness In Gaming: How Creators Adapt & Inspire Over the years, the gaming world has grown exponentially, with the mainstream finally catching on. Faze Clan members have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Ninja has been in Hollywood movies. But all of that success is due to their insane drive or “grind” online, usually at the expense of their health. In order to fight burnout, many have started to take their health more seriously, going through amazing physical transformations and bringing their audiences along. As well as connecting with top-tier athletes who have also enjoy the occasional video game. 
• X-Ray Vision with Jason Concepcion: From the minds of Emmy-award winner Jason Concepcion and Crooked Media comes X-Ray Vision. Join Concepcion and Eisner-winning journalist/co-host Rosie Knight as they take a journey through the zeitgeist-iest (patent pending) of film, TV and comics, with fandom knowledge and one-of-a-kind analysis.

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