SXSW 2019: The Must Attend Sessions and Events

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! That’s right, it’s SXSW season. The annual pilgrimage to Austin starts soon with more than 430,000 people from across the globe coming for content, concerts, community and good food. This year, SXSW Conference programming is organized into 25 tracks divided among Interactive, Film, Music and Convergence, presented in a variety of session formats.

This year’s keynote speakers are not to be missed and include Michael Pollan and Tim Ferriss,  Emmy Award-winning journalist Maria Shriver, storyteller Brené Brown, investor Arlan Hamilton, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, philanthropist Priscilla Chan, politico Alexandria Ocasio Cortez with Briahna Gray, Vox Media’s Jim Bankoff and Soledad O’Brien, Kara Swisher of Recode, WIRED Editor in Chief Nicholas Thompson, actress and producer Olivia Wilde, Instagram co-founder Mike Krieger in a conversation with Kevin Systrom and Josh Constine, musician and creative A$AP Rocky and many more.

Each year, SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people expand their knowledge and foster the opportunity to meet fellow innovators on a mission to change the world. It is THE essential destination for social impact leaders, startup founders, investors, philanthropists and innovators. The Case Foundation team is excited to announce that we will join thousands of movers and shakers to take the stage for four sessions this year:

Our CEO Jean Case will take the stage for a Be Fearless book talk and signing, moderated by journalist Soledad O’Brien. Hear her share a mix of storytelling and strategy, practical tips and inspiration to teach you how to put these five principles to work so to spark the sorts of remarkable breakthroughs that can change the world. Copies if the book will be available at the SXSW bookstore. Pick up your copy of Be Fearless and bring it with you!

Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and our CEO, Jean Case, for a discussion on all things Be Fearless. Jean Case will bring to life the principles at the center of Be Fearless, which aims to break the myths surrounding the road to success and changing the world. Following Jean’s talk, we’ll hear from an impressive group of women about their fearless endeavors along their professional and personal journeys.

Jade Floyd (that’s me!) will moderate a session on How to Tell Your Startup Story featuring Veronica Dagher of the Wall Street Journal, Jean Ellen Cowgill from Bloomberg’s TicToc and Catherine Clifford from CNBC. Attendees will learn their tips for founders seeking to break their next big story, what makes an effective and compelling pitch, how to build relationships with reporters and how to make your company stand out. At the session’s conclusion, we will invite attendees to share their pitches with the journalists for feedback in real time (one-minute pitch each).

My colleague Jessica Zetzman will moderate a conversation exploring programs supporting Latinx entrepreneurs, what tips they have for recruiting investment and how together we can foster more inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems. Speakers include Dyan Gibbens of Trumbull Unmanned, Marcos Gonzalez from Vamos Ventures and C’Pher Gresham from Seed Spot.

In addition to sessions, attendees can experience an endless number of houses and activations like the #WeDC House (led by the D.C. Economic Partnership), the Jane Club House, the Bumble House, the Google Lab, Capital Factory’s VIP Lounge, the Global Innovation Zone hosted by the Rockefeller Foundation, the Girls Lounge (The Female Quotient), Startup of the Year House, Fast Company Grill and Create & Cultivate. Also, Generation Titans, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Google, Envolve Entrepreneurship, and the Soze Agency will launch the inaugural Titan Generator at Google Austin offices.

And per usual, when in Austin, one must eatand eat well. In addition to the hundreds of SXSW sessions and parties, you’ll find top-notch Texas restaurants and food trucks to keep you busy. Our team of former Texans here at the Case Foundation recommends a new set of restaurants to check out this year: Darcy’s Donkey, Carpenters Hall, Dean’s One Trick Pony, Domo Alley-Gato and old timers like Holy Roller, Franklin Barbecue, Kerlin BBQ, El Naranjo, Tamale House East, Launderette, La Barbeque, Le Politque, Emmer & Rye, Tiger Fork and Hula Hut. For those looking for a memorable sunset and a scenic drive, try the Oasis on Lake Travis.

But when it does come to sessions, we at the Case Foundation have done our homework so you don’t have to. We researched every single session at SXSW this year and have detailed over 30 that should be on your radar:

March 8th

Join speakers Jennifer Abramson of Rethink Impact, Shelly Bell of Black Girl Ventures, Vanessa Dawson of The Vinetta Project and Brian Kenner from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for a conversation on why Washington, D.C. is the capital of inclusive innovation.

Start your SXSW right by joining this exclusive session filled with highlights from the all new ninth edition of the WSJ bestselling book Non-Obvious, where non-boring trend curator Rohit Bhargava will offer an inside look at some of the latest trends from his popular annual report.

Join industry experts from Barney’s, Etsy, Demestik and Poshmark for an inside look at how online marketplaces have allowed entrepreneurs to find success on their own terms, regardless of gender, age or education.

Explore how we can tackle the funding gap and ensure that future minority and women entrepreneurs don’t face the same funding challenges.

This presentation by a veteran change agent who brought meaningful change to CIA will give you the practical skills to not just overcome organizational obstacles, but to prosper and succeed as a change agent.

Code 2040 and Capital One team up for a conversation with organizational leaders and change agents about empowering diversity champions across the tech industry and increasing representation of Black and Latinx technologists.

Building on the success of her instant No. 1 NY Times-bestselling book, I’ve Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers and Meditations for a Meaningful Life, Maria Shriver continues to explore the life topics, issues and ideas that we’re all thinking about.

Grab a cocktail at PitchTexas, the startup pitch competition for university graduate students, with a total of $50,000 in prize money. Immediately following the contest, UT president Gregory L. Fenves invites you to celebrate UT at SXSW with the contestants.

March 10th

This talk explores what a disrupter looks like. Hear stories from female changemakers of finance, healthcare, communications and entertainment to unpack the essential ingredients, challenges, and exhilaration of innovation and learn how gender plays into being a disruptor. Panel includes representatives from Vanguard Innovation Studio, Comcast, Jefferson Health and Chariot Solutions.

Gender bias and business has been intertwined in a problematic way. Through real life accounts of gender bias (magnified for mothers and women of color), this innovating panel paints womanhood and motherhood not as a hindrance to entrepreneurship, but as essential to creating a healthier, wealthier and more equitable world. This panel includes individuals from Happy Woman Foundation, Marigold Capital and Gell.

This session will explore how Puerto Rico’s business environment is a combination of tax incentives, public policy, support organizations, human capital and infrastructure with a modern Caribbean lifestyle. With the support of local entrepreneurship programs, an international startup accelerator, and a non-profit created to promote innovation in the island, Puerto Rico is becoming a startup city with hundreds of ideas advancing to become globally focused companies. The island’s entrepreneurial spirit has attracted international startups, investors and service providers to view Puerto Rico as an innovation hub. Marie Custodio from Parallel 18 will present.   

This meet up will connect black tech founders, entrepreneurs, investors, professionals and those interested in breaking into the tech space. This event aims to connect companies with diverse talent and start-ups with investors. Avant-Garde Network and Heartspace NYC host.

March 11

The panelists will discuss how they have moved beyond the statistics, and propose practical solutions, debating how to leverage women’s unique traits as founders, funders and customers to create a parallel investment ecosystem. Panelists include Daina Trout of Health-Ade Kombucha, Tosca Musk of Passionflix Inc, Maxine Kozler Koven of LDR Ventures and Sarah Chambliss of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLC.

ProjectDiane 2018, a report by Case Foundation grantee digitalundivided, revealed that Black women raised only .0006% of the total $424.7 billion of tech venture funding since 2009. The amount for Latinx women is even smaller. Join this panel of Black & Latinx startup founders as they have a candid conversation about the journey through entrepreneurship, from incubators, to pivots, setbacks and first rounds of funding. Panelists include digitalundivided graduates from The Labz, Vamos Ladies, Quirktastic Media and Sola Travelers.

A recent study stated that 95% of Fortune 500 CEOs are white males. By supporting youth innovation, we can change that statistic. Hear from Gen Z entrepreneurs on why a breeding ground for youth entrepreneurial involvement is critical to shifting the narrative for minorities in corporate culture. These youth will discuss innovative instruments which can be used to challenge inequalities perpetuated by institutionalized forms of bias. Panelists are students at University of Pennsylvania and have created their own companies, including ToxSafe, Threading Twine, ELEVATE Senior and SOAR (Students for Oncological Aid and Relief).  

According to Boston Consulting Group, 95% of startups wish to develop long-term corporate partnerships. Panelists will discuss how Austin-area companies are approaching innovation differently, what startup-corporate partnerships mean today and how both startups and corporations can find the right fit. Speakers are from Dell, Kilroy Blockchain, Oracle and Bunker Labs.

Session leaders will speak to the learnings, opportunities, and challenges of becoming location independent. Exploring such topics as what it’s like to run a fully distributed team, how life on the road increase productivity, efficiency and communication, as well as all the different ways remote entrepreneurship is changing the way we live and work. Panelists include speakers from Maverick Investor Group, Gallaher Edge, TJR Films & To The Nines Menswear, and Vitaly Design Ltd.

This is a networking session to introduce influencers to digital communicators, strategists, and managers who can potentially collaborate to work on social good issues, causes, and projects. This meet up with Women in Digital and Black Bloggers Connect will discuss the best practices when working on joint projects.

Austin is well known for its burgeoning technopreneur scene which got its start with Dell Technologies, built out of a UT dorm room back in the 80s. But local entrepreneurs are going a step further building businesses with a core focus on transforming lives with technology. Come hear from Austin’s own DivInc, along with Dell Technologies, Tiffs Treats and Cuvee Coffee to see how they weave a social mission into the fabric of their business.

Google is know for creating various opportunities for startups to partner and work with- beyond typical funding. Opportunities range from support/assistance on core products to custom partnerships. This session will uncover how Silicon Valley tech companies assess and review the trends driving these partnerships. Panelists include representatives from Google, Anchor and Overtime.

Dailey is one example of a company that went through an administrative shift that changed how employees looked at their deeply-rooted company culture. From the nuts-and-bolts of pay equity audits to socially conscious creative projects, join Dailey’s leadership for a panel discussion about how diverse leadership can create a space in which all kinds of people thrive.

Are you an angel investor or considering becoming one? Join representatives from Angel Capital Association (ACA) and Alliance of Texas Angel Networks (ATAN) for a conversation about the topics impacting angel investing today. If you’re newer to angel investing, angel groups are a great avenue to build your understanding and confidence as an investor. Join your peers to discuss these topics, make connections, and exchange ideas about the future of angel investing.

In this interview-style session, Ikechi Nwabuisi, an entrepreneur and son of Nigerian immigrants, will interview Jason Ford, a founder who sold his business in 2014 to Bazaarvoice. Ikechi and Jason bring an insider perspective to the crossroads of entrepreneurship and diversity, highlighting different levels of access and resources that shape their experiences.  

March 12th

As new tools and technologies enable startup ecosystems around the world, entrepreneurs in these communities are starting to plug themselves into global markets. This panel will draw from their experiences in fostering new ecosystems in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America to illuminate promising solutions to these challenges. Join this session which including Affinis Labs, Pomona Impact, Samasource and Invest2innovate.

This panel of professionals in their 30s, 40s, and 60s will take a generational approach to questions around women in the workplace as they explore the value of gender diversity, why empowering women matters, and how each generation is uniquely suited to effect change. Panelists include women from T3, Women Rising, Facebook and Spredfast.

The field of philanthropy is undergoing a transformation, as new models of giving are empowering more women and communities of color to lead through giving. Case in point: in #GivingTuesday 2017, 65% of all donations came from women. This panel will explore who these new philanthropists are, what motivates them and how they are new models for helping to democratize philanthropy. Join experts from the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, Facebook and the YWCA as they share new research, digital data and real-world insights.

Is AI everything? This panel will discuss the types of AI startups VCs look to fund, showing investment dollars are shifting away from unproven futuristic ideas and toward more pragmatic, foundational AI infrastructure. Panelists from Blumberg Capital, Venture Capital Journal, New Enterprise Associates Inc and Verizon Ventures will also discuss the specifics they look for when assessing an AI company in the pitch room.

March 13th

For 132 years, HearstLab has survived within the media sphere, but modern challenges are pressing old companies to evolve rapidly. This presentation will share an insider’s look at Hearst’s blueprint on how they successfully select and integrate startups into their diverse organization. HearstLab goes well beyond the typical accelerator model and puts clear emphasis on the positive impact it has on all constituents including startup founders, Hearst executive leaders and all Hearst employees, and how the Lab has helped identify rising talent, encourage collaboration and create new businesses.

This session convenes some of the country’s most forward-thinking scholars to discuss how the lack of diversity throughout the tech ecosystem will impact social equality, employment, prosperity and the future of Black communities. Panelists include individuals from the Inclusion Clearinghouse, The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Kapor Center for Social Impact and Quality Education for Minorities Network

What other sessions are on your radar? Share them with us on on social media @CaseFoundation. We hope to see you at SXSW!

 

The Future of Business Will Be More Female

This Spring, the Case Foundation brought together a dynamic slate of female founders at SXSW for a conversation on why we believe the future of business is female. Case Foundation Board Member, Sonal Shah, who heads Georgetown University’s Beeck Center on Social Impact & Innovation led a discussion with Stephanie Lampkin from Blendoor, Jennifer Stybel from the Rent the Runway Foundation and Cindy Whitehead from The Pink Ceiling. Together they explored why intentionality around equal opportunity for women is key to building and funding a successful startup enterprise and the new pathways for investing in women-led companies.

Lampkin, who founded Blendoor, works with hundreds of tech companies—from Salesforce, to Google, Microsoft and more eliminating unconscious bias in job hiring by creating identity-blind applications. Meanwhile, Whitehead—who sold a company for more than $1 billion dollars three years ago—shared more on how she raised money to fund her company in unconventional ways. Her new company, The Pink Ceiling, provides seed investing and commercial support for female-led startups. The panelists each shared how they pay it forward by making early bets on other women-led companies and providing support for female entrepreneurs. Jennifer Stybel shared how Rent the Runway Foundation is doing just that. She, along with Whitehead and Lampkin are building a pipeline of women-led startups set to change the world.

Watch their conversation above.

SXSW 2018 PanelPicker—Cast Your Vote by August 25!

Every year, the Case Foundation and our partners love to share some of our exciting work and ideas that we find compelling from the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive stage. This past March, we celebrated the Case Foundation’s 20th anniversary at SXSW by hosting the #GetInTheArena lounge and presenting on four panels. We got to talk about Inclusive Entrepreneurship, Impact Investing, millennial engagement, social good and the important role citizens play in science in the 21st century. We worked with incredible speakers and learned invaluable lessons on innovation across movements.

This year, we submitted 14 panel ideas for the SXSW PanelPicker that discuss topics like diversity in entrepreneurship, women in Impact Investing, millennial engagement, open source technology, business journalism, user generated content, digital analytics and more.

We need your help getting them to SXSW 2018. Below you’ll find out about each panel and how you can vote for them. In addition to casting your vote, you can help these important topics be part of the discussion at SXSW by spreading the word with the social messages below and encouraging your friends and networks to vote as well.

See our panels below and be sure to vote before SXSW PanelPicker voting ends on August 25th!

Under Her Eye: Women Are Our Future

Women—nearly 4 billion strong—are our business leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, global leaders, journalists, scientists, philanthropists and CEOs making their mark on the world today. Women multiply the impact of an investment made in them by building businesses that outperform, creating better lives for their family and cultivating strong communities. Explore why women are vital to long-term business and community success and meet dynamic female leaders championing other women.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Why are women vital to long-term business success? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2wqwcSP


Gen Unaware: Can Millennials Invest for Impact?

The next generation of investors are bringing increased attention to the world of sustainable and impactful investing. As more investors and consumers put real focus on how companies stack up on environmental, social and governance criteria, these factors influence markets, and by extension, business. Learn new strategies that can turn you into an impact investor today.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Interested in learning about how Millennials can invest for impact? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vGwBlQ


Building a More Inclusive Startup Culture

Leading women in tech continue to speak out about injustices in working with tech executives and investors, but gender and racial imbalances remain. Meanwhile, Paris, London and other European cities are pouring money into innovative startups. This panel will explore how government, big tech and investors can help build a more inclusive and innovative startup ecosystem. The panelists will also discuss getting past the unconscious biases of VCs that tend to invest in founders who resemble them.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: I’m hoping to discuss how to increase diversity in the startup world at #SXSW2018. Vote for my panel here: https://bit.ly/2vj28Zb


Get in the Arena: Fearless Changemakers Tell All

Meet the leaders, activists and social entrepreneurs who drive and inspire us to change the world. From igniting civic engagement, to creating sustainable oceans, and leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs of color, these social impact champions are catalyzing efforts to create transformative change. Join the Case Foundation as they explore the breakthrough organizations and individuals who are taking bold risks, and failing forward in order to produce exponential social returns.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how social impact champions are living our #BeFearless principles? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel https://bit.ly/2vdyJkG


The Overlooked Future of Entrepreneurship: Latinx

The Latinx community accounts for more than half of the population growth in the US, but Latinx entrepreneurs represent less than two percent of venture-backed companies. Hear from Latinx entrepreneurs and the investors who back them to understand who they are, what they’re building and why investors should be paying attention to this important group of entrepreneurs.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to hear about the future of Latinx entrepreneurship at #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here: https://bit.ly/2vfMtJV


Creating a Movement through User Generated Content

User Generated Content (UGC) has quickly become a valuable form of marketing, and today’s rich analytics environment means we have more information than ever about how people are reacting to brands and using different platforms. But creating a campaign that leverages UGC across multiple channels—playing to each of their strengths—remains a challenge for many marketers. Join Nat Geo, ONE Campaign, NBCU and the Case Foundation to see how they are creating cross-platform campaigns centered on UGC.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to create a movement w/ user generated content @ #SXSW2018? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s panel here https://bit.ly/2vdxO3t


Women and Wealth: The Drivers of Impact Investing

With news of the $41 trillion intergenerational wealth transfer, there’s a real opportunity to change the face of social impact. Wealthy women are taking over familial decision making, armed with a view of the world that blends profit and purpose. Young millennial women are also making waves to disrupt traditional structures and try their own hand at changing the world. This panel will examine the role women will play to truly tip the Impact Investing movement.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How are women driving Impact Investing? Help @CaseFoundation discuss at #SXSW2018 by voting for this panel on #ImpInv https://bit.ly/2wnK002


No Margin, No Mission: Building Social Enterprises

Social enterprise is not always not-for-profit and having a great idea is not enough to create a sustainable impact venture. Generating revenue via sales or fundraising is critical to the sustainability of social enterprises. Learn from experts on how to weave mission throughout the fabric of impact ventures, while transforming idea into viable businesses. Join Halcyon for this session to see how we do it!

Speakers

  • Sheila Herrling, Senior Vice President for Social Innovation, Case Foundation
  • William Eggers, Executive Director, Center for Government Insights, Deloitte
  • Melissa Bradley, Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University
  • Ryan Ross, Program Director, Halcyon Incubator, Halcyon

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to know how a for-profit startup can be a high-impact social enterprise? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel: https://bit.ly/2vgqfZV


Build It & They’ll Come! Data Viz for the Dataless

Data visualizations are a great way to communicate a complex subject or issue, but how can you leverage this powerful storytelling tool with imperfect data? By being fearless! Using the Case Foundation’s Impact Investing Network Map as a case study, we’ll dig in with data science & impact investing experts to discuss leveraging available resources & creative problem solving to build a useful data visualization platform, while creating conditions and infrastructure to meet your eventual objective

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How does the Network Map leverage data visualization with imperfect data? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2fqyAoy


The $1 Million Club

Fewer than twenty African American woman have raised more than a million dollars in venture capital. What’s going on here? Meet some of those women and the investors who back them. Learn why they are building the next breakthrough businesses that will change America.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: <20 African American women have raised over $1M in VC. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss the issue https://bit.ly/2ujOo2I


Improving Digital Communications Through Analytics

In the fast moving world of digital communications, it can be hard to find the time to step back and evaluate what is working, what is not, and where there is room to innovate—but doing so has never been more critical. In this hands on workshop, take some time to learn how to build an internal Analytics, SEO and KPI’s (ASK) team, set up regular, smart digital experiments and report them out to senior staff in a way that is relevant, interesting and actionable.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: Want to learn how to step up your digital comms & analytics game @ #SXSW2018? Vote for this panel from @CaseFoundation https://bit.ly/2vd8muR


Next Frontier in Philanthropy: Open Source

As technology continues to be a pivotal element of social-change oriented activities, it is imperative that these efforts have access and tools to use open source software. Leaders from both the nonprofit and technology sectors explain why recognizing open source contributions made by individuals and organizations as a new form of philanthropy is crucial to the future of both sectors. This includes well-established projects but it also increasingly includes purpose-built technologies.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: #OpenSource is the next trend in philanthropy. Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will discuss how the 2 come together https://bit.ly/2uAeKJ5


Millennial Activism in the Trump Presidency

On Saturday, Jan 21, 2017 we witnessed a massive shift in social issue engagement. Millennials took to the streets with an energy, never before seen for this generation. Petitions began to drive online voice to real-life action, showing Millennials what issues affect them, how to contact reps and where to meet for protests. But what does all of this energy add up to? What do Millennials really care about and what action are they taking? Join a discussion on the research tackling these questions.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How did the 2016 election affect Millennial activism? Vote for this #SXSW2018 panel that will look at the research https://bit.ly/2hDq0Dr


Covering America: Journalists Challenging the Business

Journalists are conquering stereotypes and busting myths everyday through their digital, online and print platforms. Meanwhile, newsrooms are taking increased steps to cover diverse audiences and the changing demographics of business in America. The Case Foundation leads the conversation on how news agencies are sharing stories that shatter the status quo. Seasoned journalists share how they are covering communities of color, inclusive networks and entrepreneurs who are the new faces of business.

Speakers

Vote Here

Tweet this: How are journalists’ stories changing entrepreneurship? Vote for @CaseFoundation’s #SXSW2018 panel to find out: https://bit.ly/2vLy23m

A Message From SXSW: The Undiscovered Next Big Thing

For many years, SXSW has been the place to go to see the new thing, the new product, the new trend. Market leading products like Twitter took off when they launched at the annual Austin conference and hit shows like Game of Thrones and stars like Jay Z have flocked to Austin to join in the fun and be associated with the newest trends.

Each year as I head to SXSW, I can’t help but wonder what the “next big thing” might be that will have the conference abuzz. This year, it wasn’t a product and it wasn’t a personality. Instead, it was a powerful idea: double down on the secret sauce that has made America great by expanding the pool of entrepreneurs who are building great companies and bringing new innovations. And while the idea itself may seem simple, the potential for transformative impact is extraordinary. And for any investor, this idea represents a potential new source of innovation, talent and access to untapped markets.

This was my message and the message of the Case Foundation as we went to SXSW, but we didn’t expect to find similar sentiments echoing from the SXSW stage throughout the conference, in hallway conversations and at cocktail parties. And it was the central message in my fireside chat with Reena Ninan of CBS News. Like any “hot” issue, there is usually some arresting set of facts that serves to ignite passions. In this case, the data is so stark that it provides a great entrée for the topic more broadly. Consider this data on the state of venture capital investing in the United States:

At the same time, women owned firms are growing 5 times faster than the national average. And a growing body of data reports that both women-run firms and firms with diverse teams, outperform their counterparts. First Round Capital, for instance, reported when it separated out performance in its portfolio of companies, it found that female-led firms outperformed their counterparts by 60%. Traditional investing is starting to realize that perhaps diversifying leadership is a business imperative to boost performance, with the point driven home most clearly from State Street Global Advisors, with trillions of dollars of assets under management, State Street placed a bronze statue of a young girl staring down Wall Street’s bull, and matched it with a message that they will use their proxy power if needed to ensure those firms in their portfolio diversify leadership. Sure, investing in more women and people of color is a social justice issue, but it is also a powerful economic opportunity for investors and for our nation.

This was the topic of a Ted Talk I gave a few months ago and it was great to see the SXSW attendees engage so eagerly on this subject—from world-class investors looking for paths to these untapped segments, to reporters hearing from more diverse voices and perspectives on the panels they led, to entrepreneurs from these segments asking how they can find the funders who get this and are willing to listen to good ideas, no matter the gender, color of skin or geography.

And I was not alone at SXSW in talking about these issues.

  • Beth Comstock, Vice Chair of GE, spoke eloquently about the efforts GE was taking to look for great ideas in more diverse places and how they were building more flexible workplace rules so all could succeed at GE.
  • Aspect Ventures founding partner Theresia Gouw, BBG Ventures President and managing partner Susan Lyne, and Joyus founder/CEO and angel investor Sukhinder Singh Cassidy joined Fortune senior editor Kristen Bellstrom on a panel on Monday to talk about the lack of diversity in VC funding for women and share suggestions about steps to take to change the status quo.
  • Dan Lyons, a tech journalist, former Silicon Valley screenwriter and author of the New York Times best-seller, “Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Startup Bubble” spoke in his SXSW panel about how “bro culture” and bias were holding back the industry and how we had to change the way they thought about hiring and promoting to ensure our most actively funded companies did not become too insular.
  • And Case Foundation chairman (and my husband), Steve Case, talked about the “Rise of the Rest” initiative that he runs separately from the Foundation, spotlighting and funding entrepreneurs across America, from places between the coasts that investors often ignore, but where the vast majority of our Fortune 500 companies in America were started.

And the programing and general conversation around SXSW supported this yearning for more leadership and support for a wider community of innovators. At the National Geographic venue on 6th street, National Geographic Explorers who came from non-traditional backgrounds were greeted by thousands of SXSW attendees. These included Albert Yu-Min Lin, who spoke about maintaining his passion for exploration after losing a limb, and how those in the field have the responsibility to tell the stories and make a difference. David Lang, who is designing and building underwater robots that are being used by citizens to explore oceans, rivers and lakes in ways that have never been accessible to non-academic and government officials; and Erika Bergman, who leads Google Hangouts as she pilots her submarine so all can get the chance to see the discoveries she is making thousands of feet underwater. All of these Explorers leveraged their unique backgrounds and passions to explore in ways that were outside the norm, bringing new perspectives to their work and opening doors to citizen science that had previously been closed.

Finally, this call for a wider pool of innovators was echoed by Vice President Biden as he made an impassioned plea at SXSW to support cancer research. He called on SXSW attendees to use their diverse skills and backgrounds to participate in cancer research, trials and to lend their minds and access to improve detection, prevention and treatment of cancer. In calling on more innovative thinking and engaging more diverse participants, Vice President Biden said “If we did nothing more than break down the silos preventing greater collaboration because of the way the system has been built up—not intentionally—over the last 50 years, we can extend the life of a lot of people with cancer.”

While SXSW is often known for opening our eyes to new products, this year’s SXSW was a venue where the message was clear: the next undiscovered big thing is people and the innovations that those not traditionally in the mainstream can bring to the table. Frankly, it was a breath of fresh air and we, at the Case Foundation, stand ready to keep the momentum started at SXSW going so we can see real change in the faces and ideas of the innovators who power the next generation of ideas.