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More St. Louis-led panels added, STLMade taking over the Midwest House, and St. Louis to take part in “City Pitch” event
St. Louis is expanding its presence on the global innovation stage, adding more STLMade events to the programming at South By Southwest 2023. SXSW is one of the largest annual gatherings of global leaders in business, innovation, music, film, entertainment, and culture.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. spearheaded the effort to submit multiple panel proposals and is coordinating the St. Louis delegation’s activities at the Midwest House as part of its regional business and talent attraction efforts.
“We’re bringing St. Louis together and proactively taking our message to national and international audiences,” said Steven Pearce, Chief Business Attraction Officer for Greater St. Louis, Inc. “We are going directly to the global stage of South by Southwest to show the world how we are innovating in St. Louis and why they need to come be a part of what we are building here.”
St. Louis has already placed two panels at SXSW 2023. Those will feature St. Louis’ new Major League Soccer franchise, St. Louis CITY SC, and the world-class microbiome science institutions of Washington University in St. Louis and the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. The two panels were selected out of 3,500 submissions from across the globe; only 10% of the panels submitted were selected.
In addition to the two previously announced panels at SXSW, St. Louis will lead two more discussions at this year’s conference:
- Reparative Futures: How Arts and Affordable Housing are Reimaging St. Louis. Two parallel projects in St. Louis – Counterpublic 2023 and the St. Louis Arts Place Initiative – are taking innovative approaches to repairing historic harms and creating new pathways for community-led development, sustainable land use, and artist-engaged action to uplift neighborhoods. Artists Pacia Elaine Anderson and Damon Davis will join James McAnally of Counterpublic, and Chris Hansen of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, and Kaveh Razani of the St. Louis Art Place Initiative for the discussion. Sunday, March 12, from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. (CT).
- Net Zero by 2040: Hype or Hope. In this panel, leaders from three different STLMade companies discuss how technology is being harnessed and connected to create a credible, efficient, and transparent marketplace that incentivizes corporations, capital, and human behavior to move in the same direction toward science-based targets that sustain our planet’s health. Dr. Dedric Carter of Washington University in St. Louis will moderate this panel that features Bob Elfanbaum of Tolam Earth, Dr. Kelly Gillespie of Climate Corporation, and Nick Reinke of HabiTerre. Monday, March 13, from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. (CT).
In addition to these new panels, STLMade, an initiative of Greater St. Louis, Inc., will take over the Midwest House Sunday, March 12, and will run an immersive showcase of the city’s creativity and innovation that includes STLMade startups, food, beer, and music from musician and producer Mvstermind. The Midwest House will also serve as a meeting place for business attraction and networking meetings and as home away from home for St. Louis alumni to gather.
St. Louis to Compete in City Pitch
Furthermore, St. Louis was selected to participate in the City Pitch competition at SXSW. The competition features cities from across the globe making a six-minute pitch to an audience of startups, creatives, and investors who will vote to determine the winning pitch. St. Louis will highlight why we are a place where you can Start Up, Stand Out, and Stay with a four-person presenting team comprised of: Jess Belomo of Arch Grants, Will Bubenik of Nebula Media Group, Tara Nesbitt of Harmonee, and Akeem Shannon of Shark Tank winner FlipStik.
NOTE: For news and updates on the St. Louis team at SXSW 2023, visit GreaterSTLinc.com/SXSW. And to follow the St. Louis team at SXSW 2023 on social media, use the hashtags #STLMade and #SXSW (used together).