SXSW Eco Announces William McDonough Keynote and Initial Programming Slate

AUSTIN, Texas, June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --­ SXSW Eco®, the conference celebrating the power of design, technology and business to drive global change, has announced a Keynote talk by famed architect, designer and leader in the Cradle to Cradle movement, William McDonough. Also announced is the initial wave of programming sessions and Startup Showcase judges for the 2016 SXSW Eco event that will take place on October 10-12, 2016 at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX.

For more than 40 years, William McDonough—through his companies McDonough Innovation, William McDonough + Partners, Architects, and MBDC—has defined the principles of the sustainability movement and created flagship projects at all scales. The radical Cradle to Cradle® philosophy he co-created with Michael Braungart and codified in Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, is a framework for understanding what we make as biological or technical nutrients that can be returned to the soil or upcycled endlessly, with clean water, renewable energy, and social fairness. At SXSW Eco, he will share insights on how to take this revolutionary design framework even further to create carbon positive cities.

William McDonough joins previously announced SXSW Eco 2016 Keynotes Kate Brandt (Google), Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Waterkeeper Alliance) and Bill Nye (Author, Educator and Entertainer).

In addition, SXSW Eco has announced its initial 2016 programming slate which includes:

Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz: Art, Parks & VR
Speakers: Cheryl Haines (FOR-SITE Foundation), Kate Bickert (Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy).

Can Probiotics Replace Antibiotics on the Farm?
Speakers: Derrick Lewis (Novozymes), Matt Koci (North Carolina State University), Michelle Kromm (Jennie-O Turkey Store).

Climate Change is Funny
Speakers: Alicia Prevost (Defend Our Future), Brad Jenkins (Funny or Die), Mik Moore (Moore + Associates).

3.0 Exponential Conservation
Speakers: Dr. Alex Dehgan (Conservation X Labs), Matthew Markus (Pembient: Bioengineered Wildlife Products), Shah Selbe (Okavango Wilderness Project, National Geographic & Conservation X Labs), Paul Bunje (XPRIZE Foundation).

CSR Beyond Carbon Neutrality
Speakers: Amanda Ravenhill (Project Drawdown), Noah Deich (Center for Carbon Removal), Adepeju Adeosun (Virgin Earth Challenge).

Dairy Freedom: Creating Healthy, Plant-Based Milks
Speakers: Adam Lowry (Ripple Foods), Neil Renninger (Ripple Foods).

Designing a Just City: Hip Hop Architecture
Speakers: Michael Ford (Hip Hop Architecture), Bryan Lee (Arts Council of New Orleans).

Energy Gang Podcast: Live
Speakers: Jigar Shah (Generate Capital), Stephen Lacey (Greentech Media), Katherine Hamilton (38 North Solutions).

Equity in practice: Building Power in the Rio Grande Valley
Speakers: Thor Erickson (buildingcommunityWORKSHOP), Juanita Valez-Cox (La Union del Pueblo Entero), Nick Mitchell-Bennett (Community Development Corporation of Brownsville), John Henneberger (Texas Low Income Information Services).

Exploring the Advanced Nuclear Ecosystem
Speakers: Joshua Freed (Third Way), Rachel Slaybaugh (University of California), John Kotek (U.S. Department of Energy), Nick Irvin (Southern Company).

Graphitecture: Interface for Placemaking
Speakers: Brett Snyder (Cheng+Snyder / UC Davis), Janette Kim (All of the Above), Nicholas deMonchaux (UC Berkeley).

Hands-on Guerilla Marketing with Ed Begley, Jr.
Speakers: Ed Begley (Actor, director and environmentalist), Diana Cohen (Plastic Pollution Coalition).

HAZEL A Tool for Water-Smart Design in Drylands
Speakers: Rowan Roderick-Jones (Arup), Deborah Weintraub (City of Los Angeles), Leigh Christy (Perkins+Will Hadley), Arnold Arid (Lands Institute).

Indigenous Storytelling for the 21st Century: Decolonizing Communications & Media
Speakers: Clayton Thomas Muller (350.org), Dallas Goldtooth (Indigenous Environmental Network), Jade Begay (350.org), Tara Houska (Honor the Earth).

Little Sun: Creating Inclusive Business through the Power of Art
Speakers: Felix Hallwachs (Little Sun).

New Tech to Fight Kleptocracy in Africa
Speakers: Steven Feldstein (U.S. Department of State), Stefanie Ostfeld (Global Witness), Varun Vira (C4ADS).

Nuclear Sharks; How Innovation Will Save Our Seas
Speakers: Philippe Cousteau (Voyacy Ventures), Ashlan Cousteau (Voyacy Ventures).

Plus Wonder: Partnerships Changing the World
Speakers: Jean Oelwang (Plus Wonder; Virgin Unite).

Reviving Cities through Collaboration
Speakers: Fady Atallah (Infinite City), John Marcicky (Rock Ventures), Surale Phillips (Decision Support Partners, Inc.), Mouna Andraos (Daily tous les jours).

Shaping Signals: Speculative Design for the Future
Speakers: Phil Balagtas (GE Aviation), Diana Freeman-Baer (GE Aviation).

The Future of Utility In Emerging Markets
Speakers: Bim Adisa (Beacon Power Services), Seyi Fabode (Asha Labs Inc).

The New Radicals: Companies Embracing Transparency
Speakers: Josh Mogerman (NRDC), Michael Laas (SH Group), Rhiannon Jacobsen (USGBC), William McDonough (McDonough Partners).

The Street of the Future
Speakers: Zach Barasz (Kleiner Perkins), Ryan Popple (Proterra), Veronica Juarez (LYFT), Julian Specter (The Atlantic's CityLab).

The Wealth of Tanzania: Design, Social Innovation + Honey
Speakers: Mary Canning (Follow the Honey), Julius Akinyemi (Applied Technology Solutions Corp.), David Camara (National Beekeeping Supplies Ltd.), Mark Gardner (Jaklitsch/Gardner Architects P.C.).

We're from DC and Here to Help: The DPDAN Network
Speakers: Jess Zimbabwe (National League of Cities), Elizabeth Okeke-Von Batten (American Architectural Foundation), Clark Wilson (Environmental Protection Agency), Beth Silverman (Urban Land Institute).

More information on panels and speakers can be found at sxsweco.com/speakers.

The Startup Showcase is a rapid­ fire pitch competition spotlighting innovative early stage companies in the areas of Food + Agriculture, Building, Energy, Global Health, Internet of Things + Software, Not ­for ­Profit, Supply Chain + Product Innovation, Transportation, Reuse + Recycling and Water. The initial lineup for judges participating in the Startup Showcase has been announced and includes:

Ben Schiller (Fast Company), Christine Primmer (SJF Ventures), Eric Bielke (GE Ventures), Garrett Hester (Centrica Connected Homes North America), Gene Han (Target), Karl Popham (Austin Energy), Lauren-Kristine Prizant (Mercury Fund), Lina Constantinovici (BVC Fund), Mark Fischetti (Scientific American), Monica Jain (Fish 2.0), Rose Maizner (Renewable Tech Ventures), Sarah Applebaum (Pangaea Ventures), Scott Horner (Midland Capital), Stonly Baptiste (Urban.Us), Weston Sylvester (Cisco Systems), Yann Moreau (Veolia Research and Innovation), Zach Barasz (Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers).

Applications are open to companies for the Startup Showcase through June 24. sxsweco.com/startup-showcase

About SXSW Eco
SXSW Eco creates a space for business leaders, investors, innovators and designers to advance solutions that drive economic, environmental and social change. The conference will feature collaborative events to facilitate direct connections, as well as focused panel sessions and exciting competitions that will introduce attendees to transformative technologies, policies, products and ideas. sxsweco.com

SXSW Eco 2016 is sponsored by Southwest Airlines and The Austin Chronicle.

Please visit http://sxsweco.com/about/press for more information.

Contact:

Brett Cannon
SXSW Eco Press & Publicity
[email protected]  

SOURCE SXSW Eco

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