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Yes
No
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Brian Artka,
Size43, LLC
The label "Freelancer" is getting old and outdated. Freelancers are really agencies of one...
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The label "Freelancer" is getting old and outdated. Freelancers are really agencies of one. This moderated panel will answer the burning questions of how these solo creatives work, sleep, eat, and oh yeah, survive in this crazy industry. Some of us started our businesses in the middle of the worst economic times the US has recently had. Some of us have had our own businesses for a very long time. How, and more importantly, why do we do it?
Business / Startups / Funding business, creative agencies, freelance
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Yes
No
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Rob Millis,
Dynamo Player
Bubble or not, tech companies are operating in a frothy market. With deals closing at a fever pitch,...
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Bubble or not, tech companies are operating in a frothy market. With deals closing at a fever pitch, how do founders, investors and even customers protect themselves from misjudgment, inflated numbers and outright fraud while maintaining good faith on all sides?
How do you protect your startup from loaded term sheets, mistrustful partners and competitors who seem to win by deception?
This panel represents a diverse range of perspectives on the art of fair dealing in an aggressive environment. Panelists will share the lessons they have learned working as investors, advisors, founders and legal counsel. You'll come away better equipped to work with new partners, maintain good faith with existing partners, and protect the interests of your company.
Business / Startups / Funding founders, Funding, startups
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Yes
No
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James Moran,
Yipit
Daily Deals are perhaps the first time local services has been digitized, brought online and sold. G...
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Daily Deals are perhaps the first time local services has been digitized, brought online and sold. Groupon, LivingSocial and now thousands of other group buying sites allow us to purchase online what we consume locally.
The structure of a "daily deal," however, is idiosyncratic to the startups who innovated the concept. As inboxes get full and merchants grow sophisticated, this model is starting to evolve into more sophisticated and sustainable forms of local ecommerce.
For the last two years, I've done nothing but aggregate and analyze data on hundreds of thousands of daily deals. This presentation will draw trends from this historical data, and extrapolate from them what's in store for the future.
Ten years from now, we may look back at Daily Deals as nothing more than a catalyst to the seismic shift in local spending, as it moved from offline to online.
Business / Startups / Funding Daily Deals, Group buying , Groupon
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Yes
No
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Kevin Leahy,
LaunchSquad
It happens in every industry. A neighborhood produce market gets threatened by the new Whole Foods i...
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It happens in every industry. A neighborhood produce market gets threatened by the new Whole Foods in town. Apple enters a market that a handful of startups were already disrupting. But, no matter how dire the situation may look, small companies can and should have a very clear edge on their Goliath competitors.
Take an example from the automotive industry. Ford was the first-to-market and seized a bulk of the early market share of drivers internationally. But companies like BMW have found an opportunity in luxury markets Ford can't touch. By seizing car owners who wanted their rides to scream 'luxury' a one-time little guy found success.
Being a small dog does not translate to weakness. It means you have different assets, like the ability to be fast, nimble and innovative without bureaucracy getting in the way. You have the unique ability to connect with customers and treat them like gods. No matter your industry, if you play your small dog role the right way, when the big dogs come knocking, you'll be ready to come out winning.
Business / Startups / Funding competition, Innovation methods, Small businesses
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Yes
No
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Erica Labovitz,
IndieGoGo
We know crowdfunding is an alternative way to raise money for an idea or business. Been there, done ...
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We know crowdfunding is an alternative way to raise money for an idea or business. Been there, done that. Now, learn how your crowdfunding campaigns can help you build your business from day one, even before one dollar is contributed. Of course we will tell you how to raise money, but also how to build an audience and validate your business idea all in one fell swoop. IndieGoGo, the pioneering crowdfunding platform based in San Francisco, will take you through the good, the bad and the future of crowdfunding. Hear stories of innovative entrepreneurs who are not only raising capital, but validating their share of market, building community and meeting their customers - before their product is even in exists.
Business / Startups / Funding
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Yes
No
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Karyn Campbell,
The IdeaLists
It doesn't matter if you're a tech startup, ad agency or production company - getting the best talen...
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It doesn't matter if you're a tech startup, ad agency or production company - getting the best talent on board is always key to making good ideas a great reality. How can new technologies help us identify, work with, and afford stellar skill sets? With crowdsourcing on one end and traditional approaches on the other, we'll explore the middle ground where new tools can help you assemble the craftiest team possible.
Business / Startups / Funding Creativity, ideas, talent
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Yes
No
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Amanda Sydor,
SecondMarket
With the tremendous amount of growth in the secondary market for private companies and Congress turn...
READ MORE
With the tremendous amount of growth in the secondary market for private companies and Congress turning its attention towards the rules governing them, venture-backed startups are atwitter! Private companies such as Facebook and Foursquare are all the rave these days but these companies don’t even begin to scratch the surface of what is happening in this emerging space. During this hour-long presentation, SecondMarket’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jeremy Smith will present his expert views on the evolution of the secondary market, the public policy debate surrounding it and the underlying transaction process and mechanics on private company marketplaces, such as SecondMarket.
Business / Startups / Funding secondary market, SecondMarket, startups
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Yes
No
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Nick Finck,
Blink
No matter how many departments your organization has, to your customers, it's all the same business....
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No matter how many departments your organization has, to your customers, it's all the same business. They expect a cohesive experience across all touch-points with your company, regardless of whether it's related to advertising, customer service, social presence, or the actual product or service you provide. The satisfaction of your customers, and thereby the success of your organization, depends in no small part on your ability to create a cohesive and consistently high-quality cross-channel experience.
Applying consideration for the cross-channel experience is much easier said than done. It requires a significant level of coordination and collaboration between the stakeholders, to understand not just how to optimize their particular part of the service, but to maintain that optimal and consistent experience throughout. For example, the customer service department can do a great job of correcting a problem after the fact, but they can add greater value to the product or service as a whole by collaborating with sales and product teams to prevent the issue from arising in the first place.
Business / Startups / Funding cross-channel, Customer Experience, User Experence
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Yes
No
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A. Lekan Bashua,
Turnstone (a Steelcase Company)
Looking for ways to find new clients? How about going against the herd? How about looking at old sch...
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Looking for ways to find new clients? How about going against the herd? How about looking at old school industries that are ripe for disruption?
Join me for a conversation on how you can land new clients by helping them reinvent their business. We will talk about practical ideas you can follow to land new clients, make the right business case to them and sometimes even scare the hell our of them for their own good!
Business / Startups / Funding Big Data, Business Disruption, Mobile strategy
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Yes
No
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Emily Johnston,
Arent Fox LLP
You’re a creative, passionate entrepreneur who risked it all to get your company off the ground. ...
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You’re a creative, passionate entrepreneur who risked it all to get your company off the ground. But how do you take your business to the next level? Our leading panel of experts wants to guarantee that your business excels and remains vibrant for years to come. Join an interactive “Hollywood Squares” style conversation with leading technology lawyers and entrepreneurs who will share their first-hand experiences about how legal issues have shaped the path of their businesses. You will learn how to build a cost-effective legal strategy that meets your short and long term objections of growing, sustaining, or selling your company. Our panel will discuss legal obstacles and opportunities that are unique to innovative technology-related enterprises and the unforeseen traps into which many entrepreneurs fall.
Business / Startups / Funding entrepreneur, Growth, legal
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Yes
No
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Christian Leman,
AXESSIO USA
Whether it is about partially opening your capital to investors, or selling your entire company, it ...
READ MORE
Whether it is about partially opening your capital to investors, or selling your entire company, it remains both the most exciting and the most stressful decision you are going to make as an entrepreneur. Of course, timing is everything: in terms of stage of development of your business, but also with regards to the overall market situation, especially in the current volatile economy. We have seen an exciting series of successful transactions in the last months, but is it going to last? Your understanding of the expectations of potential investors/strategic buyers, of their acquisition process, and of the possible negotiation strategies will also make a real difference in the success of your exit strategy. The panel will give you full access to executives working for top VCs, corporate M&A team, technology auditors, as well as start-up owners who have been through the acquisition experience before you.
Business / Startups / Funding Capital, investor, vc
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Yes
No
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Jennifer Spencer,
PerkStreet Financial
Start-up culture isn’t about deciding where to put the foosball table. It’s about hiring the rig...
READ MORE
Start-up culture isn’t about deciding where to put the foosball table. It’s about hiring the right team, keeping them motivated and focused, and being able to move quickly to adapt to changes while still keeping the company mission and goals top of mind. Not qualities you think of finding in a “boring” industry like banking, but it happens more and more every day. In the end, it’s going to be the companies that can pivot, test, and prove that will see the biggest success.
“I work in a regulated industry; we could never do this.” “My company is too big.” “My boss is so old-school he’d never go for this.” “I’m not high enough on the totem pole to affect change like this.” Get all of your excuses out of the way now and come to this session with an open mind. Be ready to brainstorm ideas specific to your company or industry, collaborate with your peers, and take away action items to put into play as soon as you get home.
Business / Startups / Funding Corporate culture, regulated industries, start up
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Yes
No
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Justin Fishner-Wolfson,
137 Ventures
Equity is the main driver of employee compensation at start-ups, yet a lot of the terminology and ma...
READ MORE
Equity is the main driver of employee compensation at start-ups, yet a lot of the terminology and machinations around how to manage stock is shrouded in mystery. This session will explore how employees can maximize the returns from their hard work and how founders can structure equity packages to be the most lucrative tools possible for recruiting top talent while being fair to their employees. From day one, understand how to compare the financials behind job offers. Learn standard terms from vesting, cliffs, accelerations and triggers to the differences between incentive stock options (ISOs), non-qualified stock options (NSOs) and restricted stock units (RSUs). Know your options for maximizing the value of your equity including what it means to do an 83(b) election. Arm yourself with knowledge to hire qualified tax advisors and know what pitfalls to look for when talking to wealth management advisors. Find out what resources are available for free online and how to best protect yourself.
Business / Startups / Funding Compensation, Equity, Start-up Employees and Founders
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Yes
No
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Nelson de Witt,
AnasMiracle.com
With over 10,000 projects funded and $75 million dollars raised, Kickstarter is quickly becoming a p...
READ MORE
With over 10,000 projects funded and $75 million dollars raised, Kickstarter is quickly becoming a powerful platform to launch creative projects. But how does one get a project funded? During this panel you will hear from several Kickstarters who successfully completed campaigns ranging from consumer products to film, and we will explore the thought process and strategies that went into them. Whether you are trying to find an audience for your idea or leverage an existing one, this panel will look at what it takes to get your project off the ground.
Business / Startups / Funding crowdsourcing, Funding, Kickstarter
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Yes
No
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Bob Metcalfe,
UT Austin
Panelists will present short summaries of their startups, currently in development at UT Austin....
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Panelists will present short summaries of their startups, currently in development at UT Austin.
Business / Startups / Funding Entrepreneurship, startups, UT Austin
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Yes
No
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laura gluhanich,
about.me
You've just launched your world-changing, flawless product. Now, how the heck do you support it? Whe...
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You've just launched your world-changing, flawless product. Now, how the heck do you support it? Where should you channel questions, feedback and how do you communicate between users and the rest of the team? I'm here to help clarify what's out there, what you have to have to give the best support to your users and where you should plan to grow.
Business / Startups / Funding Feedback, scaling, support
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Yes
No
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Beth Temple,
bethtemple4u llc
Welcome to the A.D.D. economy where short consumer attention spans, accelerated technology advanceme...
READ MORE
Welcome to the A.D.D. economy where short consumer attention spans, accelerated technology advancements, and an overabundance of choices are shortening the life cycles of products – and, ultimately, companies. This talk will outline the trends behind the phenomenon and take a look at some of its victims, including Sony, Friendster, netbooks, and Flip Video – who went from releasing the Flip Ultra in 2007 to being extinct by 2011 when video had become a standard feature of every smartphone. Come and find out how you and your business can thrive in an era of rapidly changing tastes, technology, and timelines.
Business / Startups / Funding Product, Startups / Entrepreneurship, Trends
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Yes
No
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Iz Conroy,
LaunchSquad
Imagine building a company that lives through booms, bubbles and busts; a company that keeps innovat...
READ MORE
Imagine building a company that lives through booms, bubbles and busts; a company that keeps innovating and creating value; a company that’s around in 100 years. It’s not as crazy as you think, but it requires a radical shift in start-up and investment culture. Far from the quick exit, it's all about believing in your vision and focusing on your users. If you do, then your company will last well into the future. In this presentation, Phil Libin will share how Evernote is winning over lifetime trust in a service, while simultaneously building what hopes to be a century old company.
Business / Startups / Funding application platform, Business Strategy, Startups / Entrepreneurship
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Yes
No
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Susan Jackson,
Harvard Business Review
Who is worth more -- one amazing programmer or one hundred adequate ones?
According to a commonly ...
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Who is worth more -- one amazing programmer or one hundred adequate ones?
According to a commonly held belief, and a comment by the Facebook CEO, one fantastic employee is worth more than one hundred average ones.
You've heard about the war for talent raging in Silicon Valley, and beyond. If your business is looking to take over the world (or just your industry), how do you first build your talent pool?
Do you fill your ranks with free-agent superstars, or foster a team of people whose names will never make the marquee, but are skilled enough to make your company a success?
Your choice has implications for your culture, and your bottom line.
This debate kicked up a tremendous response on hbr.org, but the jury is still out. What makes the world go 'round — individual brilliance or group genius?
Business / Startups / Funding Business Growth, hiring, startups
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Yes
No
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Josh Gertz,
Hip Digital Media
Want to get your new business venture funded? Move your technology company from start-up to acquisit...
READ MORE
Want to get your new business venture funded? Move your technology company from start-up to acquisition phase? Join us for an inside look at a few different paths to get your business funded and the advantages/disadvantages of each.
Find out how venture capital companies evaluate an opportunity and what industry “angel investors” look for in the business. Also get insights into why FUSE Holdings Inc. invested in various technology companies.
Business / Startups / Funding Fundraising, Venture Capital (VC) / Angels / Investors
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Yes
No
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Steph Hay,
Stephanie Hay, LLC
Companies that make promises they can't keep … well, they can't keep their customers. And nowhere ...
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Companies that make promises they can't keep … well, they can't keep their customers. And nowhere can tales of awesome (and awful) customer service experiences spread like wildfire more than online, where an influential Twitter update is just a click away.
In this session, Steph will illustrate examples of companies whose content sets seemingly impossible expectations. On the flip side, she'll also showcase examples of companies that aren't hampered by elegant-but-empty marketing messages; instead, they're embracing genuine customer service by speaking in plain language to their audiences -- and they keep that voice consistent across *all* their user experience channels.
These positive outliers are setting a new standard for their customers, whether in their website content, email messages, or Twitter and Facebook interactions. And they're the kinds of examples that session attendees should follow to better engage their users in a lifelong relationship full of awesomesauce.
Business / Startups / Funding business, content, customer service
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Yes
No
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Victoria Fratz,
M-Edge Accessories LLC
Everyone’s chasing that big order from Walmart, Best Buy, or Target that will launch your business...
READ MORE
Everyone’s chasing that big order from Walmart, Best Buy, or Target that will launch your business into the stratosphere and make your brand a household name. How did M-Edge do it? With an emphasis on company culture and values, kickass customer service, and balancing the competing priorities of innovation and the bottom line. During this panel, M-Edge CEO Patrick Mish will tell you about his journey from creating the company in his own living room to becoming a major player in the consumer electronics space.
Business / Startups / Funding branding, innovation, startups
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Yes
No
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Shamir Karkal,
Simple Finance Tech Corp (BankSimple)
Technology startups are beginning to focus on traditional, regulated industries that until now haven...
READ MORE
Technology startups are beginning to focus on traditional, regulated industries that until now haven’t seen many startup entrants. But taking on archaic, multi-billion-dollar industries isn’t easy. Startups face a variety of issues, from thorny regulations to apathetic customers demoralized by poor experiences, and competition from name-brand, established competitors. Building a new company in a regulated industry is a daunting task, but it holds the potential to transform an industry and dramatically improve the status quo.
Business / Startups / Funding Banking, energy, healthcare
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Yes
No
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Kellye Crane,
Crane Communications, LLC
Most creative, interactive and marketing professionals have fantasized about it at some point -- han...
READ MORE
Most creative, interactive and marketing professionals have fantasized about it at some point -- hanging out a shingle and going it alone. But how do those who succeed turn this dream into reality? Can you really make enough money to reach your goals, maintain a good quality of life, and keep your sanity?
This Core Conversation will be full of straight talk, practical advice… and horror stories of things learned the hard way. Topics may include how to find and keep clients, how to price services, business processes and contracts, pro tools, and long-term survival strategies. Join us for a no-holds-barred sharing of time-tested ideas, tips/tricks, and pitfalls to avoid, and leave with real-world strategies and inspiration.
Business / Startups / Funding Agency, Independent, Self-employed
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Yes
No
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April Kyle,
Schipul - The Web Marketing Company
Who needs Facebook when there’s Sugar and Salesforce? As social network tools flux in popularity,...
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Who needs Facebook when there’s Sugar and Salesforce? As social network tools flux in popularity, how are the sales guys going above and beyond basic social networking on the Web? This panel will focus on real sales people in real (and profitable) Web agencies that are growing their business and kicking ass using CRM tools to stay connected, manage promotions and turn leads into happy customers. We’ll talk to the brains behind these tools and real life users and innovators of CRM systems, touching on best practices, hacks and other pieces of awesomeness that will make that bottom line happy. Translation: happy paychecks, happy boss, happy Web agency!
Business / Startups / Funding Business technology, CRM tools, Sales
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Yes
No
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Courtney Kaczak,
Powell Communications
Inspired by ABC's hit show "Shark Tank," a panel of five ad industry experts invite SXSWi ...
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Inspired by ABC's hit show "Shark Tank," a panel of five ad industry experts invite SXSWi entrepreneurs and agency execs to find out if they have what it takes to swim with the sharks. Is your app the next big thing? Are you the agency of the future? Is your start–up worth investment? Do you have the next killer social platform? Panelists Buz Sawyer, President and CEO of Cheil NA Holdings, David Rosenberg, Director of Innovation at LBi, Sharon Napier, of Project: Worldwide, Neil Munn, Global Head of BBH Zag, Richard Schatzberger, Chief Technology Experience Officer at Co: Collective, and PSFK, the go-to source for new ideas and inspiration for creative professionals. Audience members will be invited to present their elevator pitch, and receive high-level advice on how to prime a proposal for investment from the experts. While cash won’t actually flow during the interactive panel, the most attractive investment opportunities will be featured in an upcoming story in PSFK.
Business / Startups / Funding entrepreneurs, Shark Tank, Start-up
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Yes
No
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Jeff Jordan,
Andreessen Horowitz
He’s done it all—and with class. Jeff Jordan redefined online commerce as the head of eBay Marke...
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He’s done it all—and with class. Jeff Jordan redefined online commerce as the head of eBay Marketplaces, popularized digital payments by scaling PayPal and brought the restaurant industry into the Internet Age as the CEO of OpenTable. As a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he’s now funding the next wave of online innovation. In this one-on-one conversation with the New York Times' Jenna Wortham, Jeff will share his insights into the digital consumer and what’s next for all of us on the information superhighway (we’re rooting for the ability to make reservations for dinner on the moon or bid on someone to do our daily—erm—okay, weekly gym workouts). Hailed as the ultimate team player, Jeff will also delve into what it takes to lead a company that has to scale exponentially. Join Jeff as he takes us into the future.
Business / Startups / Funding business, entrepreneur, Venture Capital
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Yes
No
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Anna Yen,
appSmarty
Every entrepreneur hopes to be the next Google or Facebook, but truth be told, huge ideas like those...
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Every entrepreneur hopes to be the next Google or Facebook, but truth be told, huge ideas like those are rare. If you have an idea that is disruptive to a market segment, then build your business to be acquired. This presentation explains why selling your company within the first 18 months of operations has the best risk/reward ratio, and why handing it over to a larger company will benefit society more than if you were to go at it alone. The hour also covers the right strategies to pursue in order to achieve the best exit valuation, focusing on unconventional approaches to achieve quick market traction and brand awareness. Anna Yen co-founded two technology companies, both of which were sold successfully within the first two years of operations. She has also been on the executive teams of companies like CBSMarketWatch, Pixar Animation Studios and SmartForce, all of which were acquired at excellent valuations.
Business / Startups / Funding Exit strategies, Marketing / PR / Branding, team building
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Yes
No
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Elias Bizannes,
StartupBus
StartupBus first happened in 2010 after a joke-challenge by Australian Elias Bizannes on whether a s...
READ MORE
StartupBus first happened in 2010 after a joke-challenge by Australian Elias Bizannes on whether a startup could be created on a roadtrip to SxSW from San Francisco. 25 people took the challenge and produced six startups. The following year 158 people in 38 teams took the challenge.
People have said "the StartupBus is the best thing to come out of SXSW in the past two years", with exposure from all over the tech press and mainstream media validating the interest people have had in this unique concept. Come hear the stories of the people, the startups -- and the buses -- by the founder who will share lesson's that have come out from this unique experience that has changed multiple people's lives.
Business / Startups / Funding lean startup, StartupBus, Startups / Entrepreneurship
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Yes
No
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Zachary Smith,
gtrot
With the meteoric rise of Chicago-based Groupon, interest in the Windy City startup scene has spread...
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With the meteoric rise of Chicago-based Groupon, interest in the Windy City startup scene has spread to both coasts and beyond, bringing new companies and hundreds of millions of VC dollars to the region. This panel features top Chicago investors, entrepreneurs, and journalists with diverse perspectives on the emergence of a Chicago startup community. Combining lifelong Midwesterners and recent transplants, young founders and seasoned venture capitalists, the panel will discuss how the Chicago startup scene has evolved in the past year, what it will look like in 5, why they chose Chicago over New York and the Valley, and the unique challenges of building a business in the Midwest.
Business / Startups / Funding Chicago, Midwest, startups
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