Each year, the Case Foundation looks forward to discussing exciting ideas from changemakers across the country at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive stage. This past March, we joined in the conversation at SXSW with a packed room for an author talk from our CEO Jean Case on her new book Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose, and led sessions on building more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems and helping founders—particularly women and founders of color—learn to tell their stories.
This year, we submitted a number of ideas for the SXSW PanelPicker to allow for discussion around critical topics like the importance of fostering diversity in entrepreneurship, millennial engagement and providing an opportunity to shine a light on social movement and philanthropy leaders who often do not get the chance to tell their stories.
We need your help to get these panels to SXSW 2020. Below, you can learn more about the panels we submitted and how you can cast your vote for them. Not registered for SXSW 2020 yet? That’s okay! You don’t need to register to attend SXSW to vote. To vote, all you have to do is sign into, or create, a PanelPicker account. In addition to casting your vote, we would appreciate your help in elevating the conversation around these important topics by spreading the word on your social media accounts and encouraging your friends to participate in the voting process.
See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting closes on August 23rd!
Unicorns of Color: Where are they?
Everyone is searching for this year’s unicorns, startups that are valued over $1 billion. While they come from a wide range of industries, unicorns are overwhelmingly founded by white men. So, where are the unicorns of color? How can we break down the barriers that hold back founders of color from finding this kind of success? Unicorns of color shouldn’t be so rare. Join representatives from venture capital firms and ecosystem builders that focus on finding these future unicorns and igniting pathways to capital.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Where are the unicorns of color & how can we break down the barriers that hold back founders of color from finding this kind of success? @sarahtkoch @reneewittemyer & @KathrynFinney want to bring this discussion to SXSW. Vote for it now! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103019
Female Founders Breaking out of the Beauty Aisle
Female-founded companies receive only 2.2 percent of VC funding, and it’s even worse for those starting gender-neutral businesses. Many famous female-led unicorns from 2018 and 2019 were companies like Glossier, Rent the Runway and Third Love, all of which cater mostly to women. Crunchbase found gender-neutral businesses get 54 percent less funding than female-founded businesses that are female-focused. In a discussion moderated by Sarah Koch of the Case Foundation, Renee Wittemyer of Pivotal Ventures, Kristen Sonday of Paladin, and Sky Kelley of Avisare explore how women can find big success in building businesses outside of traditionally female-focused fields.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Gender-neutral businesses get 54% less funding than female-founded businesses that are female-focused. Vote for @sarahtkoch @reneewittemyer @SkyKelley1 & @kristensonday’s SXSW panel on female founders breaking out of the beauty aisle. https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103017
Millennials: The New Philanthropy Champions
10 years of research on the Millennial Generation from the Case Foundation has shown that Millennials are changing the way change is made. Millennials are more likely to give than generations before them, even with lower earnings and student debt. And with young Americans poised to inherit an estimated $30 trillion of wealth from baby boomers over the next 30 years, it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ they start to change how they think about philanthropy and investing. Already we see young philanthropists and investors trying new ways of giving and making a social impact through day-to-day interactions and where they divert their resources. Learn how Millennials are changing the social impact sector and why your organization can’t afford to ignore this cohort, 80 million strong.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Millennials are changing the how change is made & orgs can’t afford to ignore this cohort (80 million strong!). Uplift this conversation at SXSW by voting for a panel featuring @_stephxsteph, @derrickfeldmann, @RachelGerrol & @ActuallyJZ! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/104412
It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur
It takes a village to raise an entrepreneur. When there are so many different actors within an entrepreneurship ecosystem, what is the best way to work together to create opportunities and wealth for an entire community? Unlikely allies have joined together in cities like Minneapolis, Cleveland and Kansas City to create networks, move capital and expand inclusive ecosystems. Investors, accelerators and foundations are finding their unique roles in their cities to create conditions for success for their entrepreneurs. Learn from the Case Foundation, Jumpstart, Center for Economic Inclusion and the Kauffman Foundation about their efforts to support ecosystems that will support entrepreneurs who live all across the country.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: It takes a village to raise an entrepreneur. @sarahtkoch, @CathyBelk, @TawannaABlack & @andystoll are joining forces at #SXSW to share efforts to support ecosystems that will support entrepreneurs who live all across the country. Vote! 👇https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103192
DIY: Women Starting their own VC Funds
It’s well known that female founders face discrimination raising venture capital funding (raising only 2.2 percent of all VC funding in 2018). What’s worse, only 8 percent of the top 100 venture capital firms have women partners. Women are choosing to break out of firms that are male-dominated and start raising their own funds, so they have power. When more women are on the other side of the table, yielding the power and influence, more female-founders will get their shot. However, female venture capitalists face tremendous obstacles when starting their own funds. Sutian Dong and Kimmy Paluch discuss their experience raising money and offer insight to those looking to jump into the arena; moderated by Sarah Koch from the Case Foundation.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Female VCs face tremendous obstacles when starting their own funds. On this proposed #SXSW panel, @sutiandong & @kimmypaluch share their experience raising money and offer insight to those looking to jump into the arena. Vote plz! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103673
Do This, Not That: How to Tell Your Startup Story
Take a deep dive during this interactive panel on how to tell your startup story and shine in front of reporters. Three seasoned journalists and experts in storytelling will share their tips for what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to prepare for interviews both on-air and in person, fatal flaws to avoid when speaking with reporters and how to build effective relationships with media outlets. At the conclusion of the session, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real-time. Come to this session with your media pitch in hand.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Interested in learning tips and tricks to successfully tell your #startup story and shine in front of reporters? Vote on #PanelPicker for this interactive #SXSW panel featuring @KateClarkTweets, @MClendaniel & @JadeFloydDC! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102490
Movement Makers: How Movements Drive Social Change
What makes a social movement? Successful movements are citizen-centered and formed from the grassroots up. Philanthropy has an important role to play in driving social change through movement building. These organizations breakthrough, capturing the interest and action of the masses. Learn how they inspire, educate and activate people to action – from social citizens who penned and passed 27 pieces of legislation for sexual assault survivors, to a public health organization that has reduced teen smoking to single digits and national group of coastal defenders who transform their passion to protect our oceans. Meet the movement makers.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Movement makers inspire, educate and activate people to action and @nguyen_amanda, @chadenelsen, @easche & @ActuallyJZ want to highlight them at #SXSW. Vote for their panel on #PanelPicker here! 👇https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102610
The Million Dollar Club is Getting Less White
Why should the startup world care about what we call, the Million Dollar Club? Well, the median seed round raised by companies is approximately $600,000, so $1 million raised would indicate the startup has been able to raise additional funding after their seed round. Harlem Capital found 117 founders of color that raised over $1 million and Digitalundivided’s research found 34 Black women founders raised over $1 million in 2017—up from only 12 in 2015. That number continues to grow. By the end of 2017, 58 Latinx Women have raised over $1 million in venture funding. Hear from founders of color that accomplished this great achievement, how they did it and how we can support other founders to raise over $1 million in capital.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Interested in a #SXSW panel featuring founders of color who made it into the Million Dollar Club? Vote here on #PanelPicker to get @carolynrodz & @SkyKelley1 on the stage for a discussion moderated by @sarahtkoch! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102199
When Women Hold the Wealth
Women are set to inherit $41 trillion of wealth over the next 40 years, and they are emerging as a driving force as investors, entrepreneurs and leaders of the impact investing movement. Women have also demonstrated that they often make purchasing decisions based on their personal values. So what happens when women hold the pocketbook? This panel will explore how leading female venture capitalists, female founders and investors are taking the reins in a male-dominated world.
Speakers:
Vote Here
Tweet your support: Vote for this #SXSW panel on #PanelPicker that will explore how leading female venture capitalists, female founders and investors are taking the reins in a male-dominated world! @JeanCase, CEO of @CaseFoundation will lead the discussion: https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/103693
No, Millennials Aren’t Ruining Everything
Even though headlines say Millennials are ruining the housing market, brick and mortar stores, and even marriage, Millennials have actually wielded their influence for social good over the past decade. During the past 10 years, the Case Foundation researched how Millennials interact with the world around them, seeking out possibilities across all aspects of their lives, pushing social movements forward and disrupting antiquated practices.
Speakers:
- Matrika Bailey-Turner, Director of Social Innovation, The Case Foundation
- Steven Olikara, Founder & President, Millennial Action Project
- Derrick Feldmann, Managing Director, Principle Researcher, Cause and Social Influence
- Jessica Clancy, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal
Vote Here
Tweet your support: No, millennials aren’t ruining everything. In fact, research says the opposite. Help bring this important conversation to the stage by voting for a #SXSW panel featuring @StevenOlikara, @derrickfeldmann, @jsultzer, & @MatrikaBT! https://panelpicker.sxsw.com/vote/102562
Every year, we are impressed with the conversations we are able to have at SXSW and the way we leave inspired to continue to make an impact. With your help, we will be able to ensure that these important topics are front and center at SXSW 2020 and that we use every possible tool in the toolbox to drive these important conversations forward.
