AUSTIN, Y'ALL // SXSW Interactive: Who to Look For

We’re doing a three part series on who to look for during South by Southwest, starting with the Interactive session March 8-12. The hundreds of events, panels and parties that go on is vastly overwhelming; we’ve found that keeping a few key events in mind, then having a willingness to be flexible and spontaneous from there is key. Here are some of the Interactive events on our list…




Jane Pratt: Secrets of a Publishing Renegade

Jane Pratt, founder of the iconic Sassy magazine (and later on Jane), is speaking Tuesday, March 12, from 11:00 AM to 12. For a generation of women, Pratt’s publications let us know that it was okay to be loud, honest, and weird. Sassy’s untraditional approach to a teen girl magazine carried through to Jane, and now exists in a different form on xoJane.com. At this panel, she’s going to talk about the problems with the traditional media model and the anecdotes from 25+ years of editorial experience.



My God, SXSW is Full of Stars: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Superstar astrophysicist and author, Neil deGrasse Tyson, will be one of the keynote speakers on March 8 at 2:00 PM. It sounds like a cliche, but, truly, deGrasse Tyson has made science cool. Rather, he’s taken concepts that scientists already knew were cool and made them accessible to all of us. We’re hoping this interview is streamed somewhere for those of us without an Interactive badge.



Nasty Gal: Turning Heads While Turning Profits

Nasty Gal's CEO Sophia Amoruso has a success story that most of us dream of. She went from an Ebay-based vintage clothing store to one of the fastest-growing private companies in the world - all in the span of seven years. Inc. Magazine senior writer Christine Lagorio-Chafkin will be discussing the explosion of Nasty Gal and what has made the business’s unique model thrive. The company was built by a risk-taker for the young ‘n trendy fashion risk-takers of the world, and we’re excited to hear what she has to say. She’ll be speaking on March 8 at 11:00AM.