News and Insights
FINN Clients on Stage at SXSW 2023
March 3, 2023
Brands that are tackling some of society’s most challenging issues head on, spurring cultural movements, sparking imaginations and making the impossible, possible. These are industry heavy-weights taking the stage at SXSW 2023 we’re proud to count as clients and changemakers in arms.
Take a look below to learn more:
SXSW EDU
March 6 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST
Panel: Are Smartphones the Next Teen Addiction Crisis?
Speakers: Kelley Brill, Miami Country Day School; Rosa Li, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Jim Winston, Winston Family Foundation (Client)
Studies show that kids and teens spend as much time on devices as in school, which affects their brain development and mental health. Experts in psychology, education, and neuroscience suggest ways to help students, including a neuroscience-based digital media curriculum and resources to teach teens about their changing brains and encourage healthy device use.
March 7 | 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. CST
Keynote: Design-based Learning Unwrapped: Build Our Future
Speakers: Frank Gehry, Gehry Partners; Doreen Gehry Nelson, Honorary AIA, The Center for City Building Educational Programs (Client); Liz Willen, The Hechinger Report
The Doreen Nelson Method of Design-Based Learning (DBL) has been a successful teaching approach used worldwide since 1969 in K-12 classrooms. DBL’s 6 ½ Steps of Backwards Thinking™ are based on learning by doing in the spatial domain, allowing students to create physical artifacts and design solutions to content-related problems, fostering higher level thinking skills, agile decision-making, and the ability to apply concepts across the curriculum through self-expression.
Exhibition Booth 539: Anatomage
Hall 4
SXSW MAIN
March 11 | 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CST
Panel: How to Save America from a Human Rights Meltdown
Speakers: Regina Blye, Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation (Client); Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine; Tess Rowland, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Client); Tash Terry, Indigenousways
Although mega-charities receive most donations in the U.S., small grassroots organizations can have the most profound impact. The Innocence Project, founded by two law clinic students, exposed flaws in the justice system, while Camp Jened helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act. To address human rights crises and support lesser-known causes, the leading voices in the nonprofit world discuss the need to democratize support for grassroots organizations.
March 13 | 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. CST
Panel: Why DEI Matters for Video Game Characters
Speakers: Angélica Alvarado, ABInBev (Client); Zeena Koda, 2K (Client); Ioana Tanasa, ABInBev (Client); Jess Tompkins, Skeleton Key
Diverse characters in the gaming world are hyper-sexualized, violent, stereotyped, or omitted altogether. Most lead characters are male, and 4 out of 5 female characters have unrealistic physical proportions. Less than 10% of characters are non-white, resulting in a lack of diversity among pro-players, with only 3% being women in LATAM. Accurate representation in games can have a meaningful impact on young people. Top LATAM and global gaming executives discuss the importance of DEI principles to ensure virtual realities reflect life outside the screen.
March 14 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST
Panel: Organic Qubits: Quantum Computing Through Nature
Speakers: Emily Creedon, Infleqtion (Client); Prineha Narang, Harvard University; Hannah Sage, Classiq; Jennifer Strabley, Quantinuum
Nature’s quantum particles, such as atoms, ions, and photons, act as building blocks for the universe. These particles possess great computing and sensing potential when isolated and cooled down. Industry experts explore how quantum technology can harness these particles to solve society’s toughest problems in this session.
March 16 + 17 | 8:00 p.m. – 1:50 a.m. CST
Showcase: Iceland Airwaves
Business Iceland (Client), Iceland Music and Record in Iceland are bringing their unique flavor of Nordic charm to SXSW, showcasing four of Iceland’s best up and coming artists, including: