My
#SXSW whirlwind is officially over, and I need a nap for the next week. This was my third time attending, and I definitely give this one an A . Here’s a short recap:
My adventures began even before the official SXSW kickoff, with the 2nd Annual Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit, put on by Breyer Capital and
@UTAustin.
Jim Breyer (
@jimihendrixlive) and Jay Hartzell (
@JCHartzell) led an unbelievable group of leaders, thinkers, and innovators from Austin and around the nation to answer the central question: “How can we elevate the Austin Bio Health ecosystem to the next level?”
It was probably the best event I've ever attended in terms of the caliber of speakers, the depth of topics covered, and the distinguished attendees present.
My first official event of the festival was watching my wife, Sara, on the
@USNavalX Reverse Pitch Panel. It was her first SXSW, and she was already on the stage. She definitely wins the competition in our house. 😁
I spent the rest of the day at UT’s Hook’em House, hearing about innovations in AI, robotics, brain-controlled interfaces, and the next startup boom in Austin's Life Sciences and Bio Health. It’s like they designed the day just for me.
The second day was capped by attending the launch of the University of Austin’s (
@uaustinorg) new debate society, The Austin Union. Amazing what happens when we combine real debate and civil discourse. I even got to meet my first-ever presidential candidate, Robert Kennedy Jr.
Austin innovation was center stage with
@ICON3DTech's Domus Ex Machina event, where
@JasonDBallard launched the Phoenix – their new 2-story 3D printer; CODEX – a digital catalog of ready-built homes; CarbonX – their new low carbon concrete; and Vitruvius – an AI designed to design and build homes. I can’t wait to play with it. The kids want me to design a Lego home.
Amid these capstone events were panels and firesides with Austin trailblazers and newly arrived icons like
@MichaelDell,
@LisaSu,
@bgurley, Anthony Wood, and more.
There were so many amazing creative collisions, as is supposed to happen at these types of events. Look for upcoming Austin Next episodes on the intersection of philanthropy and innovation, the state of streaming and media technology in Austin, and the quantum moment we are in and why Austin is going to be the center of it.
Finally, it was great to connect and reconnect with so many great builders, innovators, and thinkers.
What’s Next?