SXSW 2025: Top Industry Leaders Announced as Featured Speakers and Sessions Unveiled
Austin, Texas — September 17, 2024 — South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conference and Festivals is thrilled to unveil the initial Featured Speakers for its 39th annual Conference, celebrating the convergence of technology, film, television, and music. SXSW 2025 will take place from March 7-15 in Austin, Texas.
This year’s Featured Speakers include:
- Dr. Peter Attia – #1 New York Times bestselling author, host of the podcast The Drive, and founder of Early Medical.
- Johanna Faries – President of Blizzard Entertainment.
- Nadia Murad – Nobel Laureate and advocate for survivors of genocide and sexual violence.
- Douglas Rushkoff – Author, documentarian, Professor of Tactical Media at City University of New York, Queens College, and host of the podcast Team Human.
- Dr. Laurie Santos – Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of the podcast The Happiness Lab.
- Amy Webb – Founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute and professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business.
“Featuring thought leaders from technology, entertainment, welfare, and advocacy, today’s announcement showcases many of the verticals that make SXSW a can’t-miss event for professionals and creatives worldwide,” said Hugh Forrest, Co-President and Chief Programming Officer. “We’re looking forward to welcoming back SXSW veterans such as Douglas Rushkoff and Amy Webb, and introducing newcomers like Nadia Murad and Dr. Peter Attia to our incredible community.”
The SXSW Conference is organized into 23 programming tracks presented in a variety of session formats. Tracks for 2025 include:
- 2050
- Advertising & Brand Experience
- Artificial Intelligence
- Climate & Sustainability
- Creating Film & TV
- Creator Economy
- Culture
- Design
- Energy
- Fashion & Beauty
- Film & TV Industry
- Food
- Game Industry
- Government & Civic Engagement
- Health & MedTech
- Music & Tech
- Music Industry
- Psychedelics
- Startups
- Tech Industry
- Transportation
- Workplace
- XR
For more information about SXSW programming tracks and formats, click here.
Announced Featured Sessions
SXSW 2025 will also offer a diverse array of sessions led by industry experts and thought leaders. Some of the highlighted sessions include:
- 10 Myths Busted: The Real Impact of AI and Emerging Tech: Join Sandy Carter, Founder and Chief Operations Officer of Unstoppable Domains, as she debunks common myths about AI and emerging technologies. This session promises to be a rollercoaster ride filled with laughs, “A-ha!” moments, and eye-opening insights into why successful AI projects are essentially business transformations in disguise.
- Amy Webb Launches 2025 Emerging Tech Trend Report: Founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute and NYU professor, Amy Webb, will launch the 18th edition of the Future Today Institute’s Tech Trends Report. Expect a data-driven analysis of emerging tech trends that will shape the future.
- Breadth is the New Depth: Why the Future Favors Learn-it-alls Over Know-it-alls: Mike Bechtel, Chief Futurist at Deloitte Consulting LLP, returns to SXSW to discuss why the most promising futures favor broad knowledge over deep expertise. This session will highlight the importance of polymathy, conceptual cross-pollination, and industry convergence.
- Claiming the Future of Entertainment: Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment, will explore how gaming IPs continue to engage audiences and build communities in the entertainment and pop culture spaces.
- Design in Tech Report 2025: Autodesigners on Autopilot: John Maeda, VP of Engineering at Microsoft AI Platform, will present the 2025 Design in Tech report, exploring how AI is transforming designers into “autodesigners” and what this shift means for the future.
- From Survivor to Advocate: Nadia Murad’s Fight for Human Rights and Justice: Nobel Laureate Nadia Murad will share her powerful story of survival and advocacy, highlighting her efforts to promote justice, peace, and human rights worldwide.
- “The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos” Live: Join Dr. Laurie Santos, Yale Psychology Professor, for a live taping of her podcast The Happiness Lab, where she explores scientific research on happiness.
- How Not to Screw Up an AI Transformation While Shaping the Future of Your Company: Ian Beacraft, CEO and Chief Futurist at Signal and Cipher, will offer insights on how organizations can successfully navigate AI transformations and achieve the promised value of generative AI.
- Human-centered Storytelling: Driving Connection & Culture: Cheryl Miller Houser, filmmaker and founder of Creative Breed, will share a storytelling framework to foster deep connections and drive culture through human-centered storytelling.
- Level Up. The 2025 State of Play on Games, Tech, and Media: Joost van Dreunen, NYU professor and CEO of ALDORA, will provide a data-driven exploration of gaming’s future and how emerging technologies are reshaping the industry.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of opportunities to meet and connect with people. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and individuals come together. SXSW 2025 will take place March 7–15 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.