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Howdy, Reader,
This month, Velma is offering the Interactive Issue 06 online and in print. Because what’s more
interactive than holding paper in your hands, right? That remark might leave you scratching your
head because these days we only think about computer technology as interactive. However, the
printed word is in fact the original information technology.
In this issue, Velma is exploring the true definition of interactive, which is “(of two people or
things) influencing or having an effect on each other.”
Instead of obsessing over the screen experience, the Velma team opted to take a step back and
look at our modern environment as interactive touchpoints. How does the modern world influ-
ence you? And through this lens, what predictors can we focus on for the next big thing? Because
right now in Austin that’s what’s on everyone’s mind. March is SXSW time, and with it comes an
expectation for spotting trends and innovations that will blow up in 2015. The energy in the air is
thick with the anticipation of discovery.
But focusing on trends isn’t the way to spot what’s next. Because trends are merely indicators
of what’s already happened. Being able to spot what’s to come requires observing the existing
needs that have yet to be met. Don’t look at what’s already been solved. Look at what has yet to
be solved.
Free your mind. Explore without judgment. Let go of statistics. Release yourself from reports.
Engage in the interactive world that surrounds you. Be present in the moment.
Our creative talent in Austin excels at interactive experiences. The creative environment that sur-
rounds us is so alluring that 110 new residents show up each and every day. Like puzzle pieces, all
of this interaction offers tools for solving a need and becoming the next big thing. But it requires a
subjective mind. Allow yourself to be affected by new ideas through creative interactions.
In this issue we explore the sensory experiences that are more about ideas than services or prod-
ucts. The influence of these experiences are what lead to truly innovative solutions to existing
needs. Before the business model must come a purely creative interaction.
Enjoy!
JessJessica Lowry
Founder, Velma Magazine
Page 3
Staff
Danielle is a recent transplant to Austin and is originally
from Abilene. She’s an artist & designer at Pasadya, where
she creates illustrations, abstract fine artwork, murals,
and logos; she brings these skills to Velma as well and is
to credit for the staff sketches featured here. She’s also
a photographer, specializing in photos of “loving families,
beautiful people, and simplistic scenery.” Danielle is a
proud owner of a socially-awkward Boston terrier and
an accomplished baker of lemon meringue pies. Danielle
finds Velma a refreshing addition to her life and enjoys
being surrounded “by bright, supportive individuals who
are both generous and courageous to share their skills and
experiences with others who are excited to learn.”@DanieSelby
Jessica Lowryfounder
Jessica Lowry grew up in Toronto, Canada, and is founder
of Clave, LLC, the force behind Key to the Street, She-
HacksATX, SheDesignsATX, and now, Velma Magazine. Her
knack for thinking outside the box and passion for broad-
ening the perspective of others by creating communities
that help conquer fear has inspired these creations and
powers Jessica’s collaborative aspirations. She has lived on
three different continents but settled in Austin two years
ago and can often be found unwinding at barre3, walking
around Town Lake, or swimming at Barton Springs Pool.
She believes that Velma “will show women (and men) a
world devoid of fear and enriched by courage,” believing in
the spirit of the magazine because “everyone deserves the
chance to live their best lives possible.”@jeslowry
Danielle SelbyCover artist & Design team
Meet the Velma
Staff
Jennifer has one of the best job titles ever, and as Co-
Groover and CEO of Groove, she makes tools that
educate and empower women to take control of their
reproductive health and fertility. Originally from Atlan-
ta, Georgia, Jennifer has lived in Austin for a little more
than a year and can be found riding her bike all around
town, often in search of kale and/or dark chocolate.
Jennifer is featured in the first issue of Velma and be-
lieves in the mission of the magazine because, in her own
words, “I think it will help inspire the next generation of
change-makers.”@JAldoretta
Velma Staff
Jennifer aldorettaDesign team
Nicholle is from Orange County, CA, and has called Austin home
for two years. As Event Manager at Capital Factory, Austin’s en-
trepreneurial center of gravity, Nicholle coordinates the pre-plan-
ning and on-site execution of 40+ events a month, including
hackathons, meetups, VIP receptions, and, most notably, a visit
from the President and White House staff in 2013. Nicholle has
a prolific sweet tooth, indulges in all things Star Wars– and Harry Potter–related, and aspires to be able to do a cartwheel someday.
For Nicholle, Velma is about “breaking down barriers, providing a
community to spark positive conversation, and helping make big
things happen. Velma provides a platform for women to voice their
opinion, offer resources that might otherwise not be available,
pursue an idea, ask for tips or help, and so much more.”@NicholleJ
Nicholle ShaverCommunications team
Page 4Page 5
Kelly, a technical writer at CSID specializing in APIs and
SDKs, hails from Kansas City but has called Austin home
for more than three years. She is an accomplished writer
currently working on her third fiction novel. When not
wordsmithing technical documentation, short stories, and
poetry, Kelly heads to the gym to stay sane. Her indul-
gences include watching mass amounts of football on the
weekends and ordering the house wine at Winebelly. Kelly
believes in Velma because “the women in tech scene in
Austin needs more light and less heat. I know too many
local female developers and other tech professionals that
it’s silly for them to feel alone.”@KellyHitchcock
Velma Staff
Valle is a Senior UX Researcher who asks people questions
about the Internet and then tries to figure out how to make
it a better experience for them. Valle grew up in New Jer-
sey but has called Austin home for over four years. She has
a knack for controlling her face, a weakness for pretzels,
and a guilty pleasure in watching Tommy Lee Jones. She
believes in Velma because, “Women in tech are few. There
should be spaces for women in tech (and everywhere) to
feel heard / empowered / supported / proud / nervous /
scared / frustrated / humble / hilarious / awesome without
having to scream too loud or look too hard. Thanks, Velma.”@ValleTown
Valle Hanseneditorial team
Kelly Hitchcockeditorial team
Page 7
SXSWWomen of Note
DESI
GN
BE ONTHE
LOOKOUTFOR THESECREATIVEMINDS
Amber Case
Virginia Ingram
Marti Gold
Paola Antonelli
Lisa Lindström
Women of Note: Design
Page 6 Page 7
AMBER CASE@caseorganicCheck out Amber’s talk!
VIRGINIA INGRAM@ginginCheck out Virginia’s talk!
Amber is a major player in the location-based
technology field, with focuses on mobile software,
augmented reality, and “reducing the amount of time and
space it takes for people to connect.” She’s responsible for the
location-based developer platform Geoloqi, Inc., and currently
works at Esri R&D in Portland. She’s currently exploring how
mixed reality—“a wired habitat where computers mediate our
perceptions of reality, objects talk to each other and experienc-
es are hyper-customized based on carefully assembled, person-
al datasets”—will change our lives.
Virginia is a partner at The Workshop Group, which
fosters “experiences, conversations, and products to
help organizations make a bold move.” She is a digital
veteran and has had her hand in a lot of innovative tech
spaces. Her work currently involves designing practical,
usable technology solutions for the disabled, and she’ll
be speaking about designing solutions for unforeseeable
problems.
Page 7
Women of Note: Design
MARTI GOLD@martigoldCheck out Marti’s talk!
As Managing Director of User Experience for Tonic3,
the UX division of W3 Digital Agency, Marti has evangelized
the use of pattern libraries and style guides in design. Rather
than continually reinventing the [design] wheel, you can use
her Style Frameworks for a standardized approach to solving
design problems.
PAOLA ANTONELLI@CuriousOctopusCheck out Paola’s talk!
Paola is a Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture &
Design at New York’s esteemed Museum of Modern Art. With
prestigious credentials under her belt, Paola has been trying to
leverage design as a way to help people cope with change and
“grow the future.” Her goal is to “insistently promote design’s
understanding, until its positive influence on the world is fully
acknowledged and exploited.”
Page 8
Page 8
Lisa Lindström@lisalindstrmCheck out Lisa’s talk!
Lisa, CEO of renowned design consultancy Doberman,
has been named one of Sweden’s top 10 female leaders,
and with good reason. With high-profile clients like Spotify and
HBO, she’s turned design innovation on its head. Lisa is
currently working with customer experience consultant Kerry
Bodine (@kerrybodine) on leveraging kids’ digital behaviors and
goals in design for adults.
Women of Note: Design
Learn to codein Austin.Life’s too short for the wrong career.
T H E I R O N YA R D.C O M /AU S T I N
G I V E U S A C A L L : ( 5 1 2) 5 9 6 -2 9 3 9
8.5x5.5.indd 1 2/25/15 4:49 PM
Learn to codein Austin.Life’s too short for the wrong career.
T H E I R O N YA R D.C O M /AU S T I N
G I V E U S A C A L L : ( 5 1 2) 5 9 6 -2 9 3 9
8.5x5.5.indd 1 2/25/15 4:49 PM
Page 7
SXSWWomen of Note
DI
VERSITY
BE ONTHE
LOOKOUTFOR THESEADVOCATES
Kimberly Bryant
Jan Ranade
Michelle Zatlyn
Page 10
Women of Note: Diversity
Page 10 Page 11
KIMBERLY BRYANT@6GemsCheck out Kimberly’s talk!
Kimberly has spent much of her career advocating to
equalize gender, race, and economic divides in tech. She is
the founder of Black Girls Code, a nonprofit that gives girls of
color an introduction to technology and coding. At South By,
she’ll be refuting the idea that women are, by their very nature,
not programmed to succeed in STEM fields.
JAN RANADE@janimal20Check out Jan’s talk!
Armed with an MBA from Harvard and some experience in the
startup industry, Jan founded a subscription service startup,
Citybox, that highlights the “local flavor” of your city so you can
avoid going to big chains like Starbucks or Walmart for all your
basic needs. As a female entrepreneur going solo, Jan has insight
into not only the why of the marginalization of women in tech, but
also the how of getting past it.
MICHELLE ZATLYN@zatlynCheck out Michelle’s talk!
Michelle is the co-founder of CloudFare, a leading web
performance and security company. She’s been a woman to
watch on many prestigious tech and entrepreneurial lists for
some time now, and she hasn’t disappointed yet. However, she’s
not immune to the gender discrimination that comes with the
territory, and her unique perspective becomes particularly
poignant when expounding on the path to CloudFare’s success
while working with a male co-founder.
Photo courtesy of ABOSCH
Page 11
Big Heels to Fill: Attracting and Retaining
Women in TechMelissa Smith (L) & Loren Zeid (R)
Photo by: Kelly Hitchcock
By: Kelly Hitchcock
Ever since there have been women in tech,
people have been saying we need more
women in tech. For recruiters Melissa
Smith and Loren Zeid of CSID (a local tech-
nology company specializing in identity
protection data), who spend their working
lives trying to attract and retain talent,
getting more women in tech is about more
than just checking the diversity box. As
Smith points out, these days, “more women
are graduating from college, and we defi-
nitely want to have the most skilled and
educated people.” The sad reality, though,
is that even companies with an impressive
female population have few women in
leadership and technical roles. “We still
have a big gap to fill,” Zeid says, citing that
90 percent of the applicants who apply for
tech positions are men.
At 70 percent male and 30 percent female,
Big Heels to Fill
Photo by: Kelly Hitchcock
“... it really doesn’t help [women] when they’re making concessions. You make too many concessions, and then people start questioning you.”
– Loren Zeid
Photo by: Kelly Hitchcock
CSID has better male-female ratios than some
of the biggest names in tech (ahem, Twitter and
Google), but they still think it’s important to keep
thinking about what perks and benefits they can
offer employees to attract solid female talent. In the
past year alone, CSID has increased its benefit level
for women on maternity leave and ensured its ma-
ternity leave and short-term disability policies were
more clearly defined—something that’s often a gray
area in the standard company handbook. They’ve
also made a popular switch to an unmetered paid
time off (PTO) system (where paid time off is nei-
ther accrued nor tracked and employees are en-
couraged to take the time they need as long as they
can get their work done), something that benefits
both men and women who have to balance career,
family, and personal schedules. As Smith points out,
no one wants to keep living in an era where Dad’s
not allowed to leave work and Mom is expected to
take on all the responsibilities. Work-life balance
is a genderless issue, and it’s one that causes both
sexes to leave the very fields we need more of them
in, but it disproportionately affects women even in
the era of shared family responsibility.
However, promising women they’ll have support
and flexibility and actually executing it in the work-
place are two different things, as women sometimes
find out only after they’ve accepted a position and
it’s too late. Luckily, it’s something CSID can demon-
strate every day just by taking a look at its senior
leadership. Its CFO and two of its VPs are wom-
Big Heels to Fill
“
en—including the VP of data engineering—and
all three senior leaders are women with families.
As a company, CSID sponsors events that pro-
mote young women in STEM fields like Girlstart
Game Changers, and they send all their interested
female employees to the Texas Conference for
Women. Finally, based on experience and per-
formance, compensation for male and female
employees in similar roles is evaluated yearly and
made equal, as everyone agrees it should be.
When asked whether women undersell their qual-
ifications when applying for tech roles, both Smith
and Zeid nod vehemently. With female candi-
dates, they’ve seen everything from backtracking
on compensation—”but I don’t need that much”—
to questioning themselves and, worst of all,
profusely apologizing for making career demands.
“It goes back to the stereotype that women want
to be nice and well liked, and I see that even in the
recruiting process, but I don’t see that from men,”
Smith says. “That is very interesting to me, be-
cause it really doesn’t help [women] when they’re
making concessions. You make too many con-
cessions, and then people start questioning you.”
Even when women are just as competent, skilled,
and experienced as their male counterparts who
are applying for the same position, they can put
themselves in a bad spot by appearing insecure
about their abilities.
It’s easy to be intimidated by the male dominance
of the tech field, but Smith and Zeid say women
need to show confidence in themselves when
they’re vying for tech roles. “Take out the issue of
gender when applying or interviewing. Specifical-
Big Heels to Fill
Page 14 Page 15
Take out the apology, have more confidence, have more of a solid stance on demands because
chances are, the next two candidates are doing the exact same thing, whether male or
female. “
Page 15
ly, just home in on your abilities and your
experience, and again, do not apologize
for any demands that you’re making,”
Zeid says. “Take out the apology, have
more confidence, have more of a solid
stance on demands because chances are,
the next two candidates are doing the ex-
act same thing, whether male or female.”
Smith believes attracting and retain-
ing women will eventually become the
norm in the tech world, not the excep-
tion. “Women are really valuable. They
have different skills and they relate
to people in a different way that helps
enhance business and relationships. I
look forward to having more and more
women enter the tech field so they can
start offering those different skill sets.”
For Zeid’s part, she believes providing
benefits and perks to support female
employees is a small price companies
should pay to fully experience the value
of having talented women in tech. “We
pride ourselves in supporting our base of
female employees and I look forward to
continuing to support that and offer the
resources they need.”
Big Heels to Fill
2014 SXSW Interactive Session Spotlight: Feminism 2.0 - Technology and Women's Empowerment
SXSW Interactive will be well populated by people who care about attracting and retaining women in tech-related roles. Check out the Interactive Session Spotlight on Feminism 2.0: Technology and Women's Empowerment on Mon-day, March 10 for Java programmer Carla Franklin’s belief that careers in tech-nology are uniquely empowering to women. View a primer of this session at the link below.
http://sxsw.com/interactive/news/2014/2014-sxsw-interactive-session-spot-light-feminism-20-technology-and-womens
Page 7
SXSWWomen of Note
LEADERSHIP
BE ONTHE
LOOKOUTFOR THESELEADERS
Ari Horie
Lisa Stone
Kira Wampler
Page 18
Page 18
Women of Note: Leadership
Page 19
ARI HORIE@AriHorieCheck out Ari’s talk!
Ari founded Women’s Startup Lab expressly in order to pro-
duce more successful, confident, and powerful female entre-
preneurs. She emphasizes the importance of strong, supportive
networks, and stresses that the little things matter, too. She’ll
be speaking at SXSWi about how the philosophy of “Hito” (Jap-
anese for “human”) has made a difference in women’s leader-
ship roles.
LISA STONE@LisaStoneCheck out Lisa’s talk!
As CEO and co-founder of BlogHer—a guide to “news and trends
among women in social media”—Lisa has been instrumental in
taking the company from a tiny tech startup to a cross-platform
media company. A former journalist herself, she still writes regu-
larly for periodicals like the New York Times and the Huffington Post.
Lisa and Kira Wampler will be participating on a panel addressing
how to make it to the C-Suite.
KIRA WAMPLER@KiraswCheck out Kira’s talk!
Kira is the Chief Marketing Officer at Lyft, a position she
earned after 20 years in marketing and product leadership
for various high-profile tech companies in Silicon Valley. She
broke through the glass ceiling and is vocal about the challeng-
es women face in reaching for the top. Kira will participate in
a panel to talk about how she started out, how she overcame
challenges, and how she ultimately made it big.
Photo courtesy of BSmartGuide.com
Page 18 Page 7
SXSWWomen of Note
FASHI
ON
BE ONTHE
LOOKOUTFOR THESEFASHIONISTAS
Sara Wilson
Aubrie Pagano
Caroline Waxler
Page 20
Page 20
Women of Note: Fashion
Page 21
SARA WILSON@wilsonspeaksCheck out Sara’s talk!
Sara works to foster strategic partnerships for Facebook in
the fashion and lifestyle spaces. She’s been exploring how
technology has affected the fashion industry—from a more
global audience to social media judging to wearable tech on the
runway. She’s currently collaborating with former model and
co-founder of Karlie’s Kookies, Karlie Kloss, to identify tech
trends in fashion.
Aubrie Pagano@AubriePaganoCheck out Aubrie’s talk!
As founder and CEO of Bow & Drape, a platform that offers
“mass-customized” fashion, as opposed to mass-produced. This
revolutionary consumer customization “uses technology to enable
shoppers to custom-design everything from footwear and jeans to
automobiles and chocolates.” Aubrie is on the leading edge of this
new mode of consumerism.
Caroline Waxler@CWaxlerCheck out Caroline’s talk!
Fashion blogging is not dead—at least not according to Caro-
line, who is founder and CEO of Harkness Hall, a conference
and digital strategy company. Fashion bloggers still have a place
and a voice in the industry, and Caroline has new ideas about
where they belong. Check out her talk on what it will take for
fashion blogging to stay relevant in an era when legacy fashion-
istas are pushing back.
As a website designer and digital marketing
analyst, Claire has served start-ups and
Inc. 500 companies alike and learned to
consider the intent, style, and tone of every
piece of content she has composed, from
logos and layouts to email and social media
campaigns.
About Claire Jordan Dunn
@ClaireJordanATX
Claire Jordan DunnPhoto by: Amy Parks
Preparing to Speak at SXSW
ASK VELMA:
Page 20
Speak at SXSW
By: Claire Jordan Dunn
I’m not a well-known public speaker, or
even a well-versed one. I’ve always been
more comfortable as the woman behind
the curtain rather than front and center
stage. But after finding myself leading
a successful, innovative hackathon—a
two-day event bringing Austin’s techie
community together with nonprofit and
civic leaders to craft new solutions to local
problems—that demonstrated true poten-
tial for effecting change, I let my fear of
standing alone in the spotlight melt away
thanks to the encouragement of friends,
family, and colleagues, and applied to
present a solo session at SXSW Interactive
2015.
Half my battle in preparing for SXSWi
has been mental. My fears of speaking in
public were paired alongside my fear of
applying in the first place. True prepara-
tion began last summer, when I attended a
phenomenal session at Capital Factory, led
by SXSW staff, on the best way to shape
your panel or session application. The
hour spent absorbing their insight and rec-
ommendations was invaluable and helped
me add the pop and pizazz my application
“By framing my presentation early and committing to it, I cut my stress and workload down considerably and feel more confident in this presentation than any other I’ve ever led.”
Claire Jordan DunnPhoto by: Amy Parks
Speak at SXSW
required. I walked away feeling more
confident in myself, my ability to assert
my ideas, and, most important, the valid-
ity and importance of my subject—“for
good” hacking—in context of SXSW. Once
I believed my session had true worth, I felt
comfortable submitting an application I
believed in on a subject I knew myself to
be uniquely knowledgeable about. My
session, “Hacking the Hackathon for the
Social & Civic Good,” explores strategies
for turning the traditional, brand-focused,
code-fest hackathons into opportunities
for digital creatives to come forward with
their core talents and skill sets in order
to address local issues through a focus on
community-sourced solutions.
After applying, I put SXSW almost en-
tirely from my mind. I posted my session
on social media, calling for votes once
or twice, but was eminently aware that
if my session wasn’t selected, I might be
eating crow. Fortunately, three days into
a brand-new job, I received word that my
session had been chosen and I realized
that I’d better start squaring myself with
the reality of speaking during SXSW Inter-
active within six months’ time.
Here’s how I got myself ready:
Get Organized I use workflowy to organize my life, and
immediately upon learning of my session’s
acceptance (in mid-October 2014), I start-
ed planning backward from March 2015,
entering every due date and item sepa-
rately in my SXSW branch of workflowy.
Fortunately, SXSW provides an exception-
al online forum for managing presenta-
tions, complete with a timeline of when all
assets and details are due online.
Do the DetailsMy Interactive Speaker Assistant, as-
signed by SXSW, has been a real peach in
sending out reminders about deadlines
as well. The early pieces, like my event
hashtag and summaries, were no-brain-
ers. I struggled the most with my bio,
believe it or not, as so much had changed
in my life between when I applied in July
2014 and present day.
Choose a MediumNow all that remains is polishing up my
Page 23
“
Speak at SXSW
actual presentation. Even though I’ve
long been a fan of Prezi for my profes-
sional presentations, I’ve decided to
use slides.com for my solo session due
to the platform’s device-agnostic ease
of use. I know that as March 15 nears
I’ll want to run through my presenta-
tion as many times as possible using
whatever technology I have handy,
and slides.com best fit that bill for me.
Get the Presentation ReadyOne of the best things I did for my-
self was writing extremely detailed
questions for the “five questions you
will answer during your presentation”
section of my application. I spent more
time on those than on any other part
of the application, and as a result I’ve
had the broad-strokes outline for my
presentation ready since mid-July. By
framing my presentation early and
committing to it, I cut my stress and
workload down considerably and feel
more confident in this presentation
than any other I’ve ever led. I strongly
recommend taking these five ques-
tions in the application seriously and
allowing yourself to dig in deep to the
areas of your subject you most want to
discuss. You (and your future audi-
ence) will thank you for setting expec-
tations that you know you can meet.
As presentation day nears, I feel exhil-
arated and overwhelmingly delighted
to have this opportunity. I’ve been
downplaying it a bit, not out of shame
or fear, but because I know that—no
matter how well or poorly my actual
presentation goes—I’m not going to be
the talk of SXSWi. It’s an
It’s an amazing
experience and I feel
truly grateful for the
opportunity to share my knowledge
about this niche thing I’m
passionate about ...
“
“ Page 24
How’s your investmentlooking?
Advertising. Branding. Strategy.
Looks matter. We can help.
[email protected] mavencreative.com
Through a unique engagement method, we seek to uncover insights
and potential challenges to your brand, your voice, and your experience.
Ultimately, these are the most crucial connections to brand loyalty, customer
satisfaction, and reaching your business goals. The right brand experience will
yield the right results.
amazing experience and I feel truly grateful
for the opportunity to share my knowledge
about this niche thing I’m passionate about with
others at such an amplified level. Yet I know
that when all is said and done, at 1:30 p.m. on
March 15, my life will be the same (except I will
have this presentation under my belt and in my
personal history).
And then I’m going to celebrate like a wild thing.
Speak at SXSW
Velma’sBack Pages
Velma features stories about women in Austin working within the tech/startup industry. Velma embodies smart, talented women who aren’t afraid of saying the wrong thing, and our readers are too busy getting things done to notice they’re breaking through barriers.
Since our readers are so busy, Velma provides resources for the following
activities:
connectdiscover
eat & drinkspend
Resources - Connect
Female Entrepreneurs Meetup
Friday, March 13
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
JW Marriott
Room 501
110 E 2nd St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP40059
Page 28
Working Moms Meetup
Friday, March 13
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
JW Marriott
Room 509
110 E 2nd St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP35527
Mentor Session: Nicole Forbes
Principal Consultant
Violet Crown Consulting
Friday, March 13
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Brazos III
300 E 4th St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP996567
Mentor Session: Darlene Fiske
Owner The Fiske Group:
Friday, March 13
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Brazos I
300 E 4th St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP37461
Resources - Connect
Mentor Session: Francesca Pick
Int’l Community Connector & OuiShare Fest Chair
OuiShare
Saturday, March 14
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Brazos I
300 E 4th St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP36933
Mentor Session: Michelle Phan
Digital Pioneer
Tuesday, March 17
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Courtyard Marriott
Brazos III
300 E 4th St
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP42443
Page 29Page 46
Resources - Discover
Page 31
#FeelingBeautiful: Social Media and Women’s Egos
Friday, March 13
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
JW Marriott
Salon 8
110 E 2nd St
We all know that the amount of time we spend on social platforms has a direct effect on how we see
ourselves as women. The pressure to post images showing off thin thighs, perfect skin, and sexy poses is
not just on teenagers. Recent studies have linked plastic surgery requests and eating disorders to social
media habits. But, thankfully, there is another side that has emerged—a side of positivity that includes
pop performers like John Legend and Meghan Trainor; ad campaigns like “Like a Girl” and grass-root ef-
forts like the #NoFilterProject. How can we collectively use social media to help build confidence among
women and girls? What can we do as individuals? How do we feel about brands who are jumping on this
bandwagon? Do their messages work?
The conversation will include author Katherine Schwarzenegger, television host Amanda de Cadenet
and blogger Gabi Gregg. Led by InStyle’s Angela Matusik.
Hashtags #RealBeauty #FeelingBeautiful
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP36073
What Fashion Can Learn from Female-Led Companies
Saturday, March 14
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
JW Marriott
Room 206
110 E 2nd St
Despite the fact that women spend the majority of consumer dollars in the United States (controlling
more than 80 percent of spending), and populate the majority of fashion jobs, there’s a surprisingly thick
glass ceiling in fashion. There’s a disconnect between the male CEOs of major retail corporations (such as
Target), which often cater to female demographics such as young mothers and teen girls.
We’d pull together leaders of fashion, shopping, and beauty companies—many of whom we’ve already
profiled on the site—to discuss how big companies can learn from their successes, and how best to cater
to today’s women.
Hashtags #SXstyle
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP43225
Resources - Discover
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Impact: Taking My Chance to Lead
Saturday, March 14
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Austin Convention Center
Ballroom A
500 E Cesar Chavez St
Be inspired from seeing how a nontraditional approach to change can make a big impact. Ari Horie,
Founder and CEO of Women’s Startup Lab, describes a company designed to grow more successful
female entrepreneurs from a community based on the concept of Hito ( ) and her experience of how a
few small acts in her life led to what is now possible. Ari shares key moments in her life underpinning the
creation of this company. Participate in her personal journey as an entrepreneur as she builds a company
designed to grow more successful female entrepreneurs. Within a unique community, based on the con-
cept of Hito ( ), founders develop a network of powerful support. Giving back, sometimes in the smallest
of ways, can make a huge difference. A startup founder and their ideas are inseparable, so strong and
effective skills in startup development and founder/leader competencies combine to grow a business
and drive to success.
Hashtags #makeimpact
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP43182
Boardroom or Baby? The Choices Women Have in Tech
Saturday, March 14
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
JW Marriott
Room 407
110 E 2nd St
There’s an indisputable gap between the number of male and female employees in technology and we
need more women working at tech companies to close that gap. This session supports closing that gap by
helping women manage a career in tech. How? By analyzing one simple decision—does tech fit into family
or does family fit into tech? That is the main basis of all the other decisions a woman will have to make at
different points in her life. There is no right or wrong path but navigating each starts with recognition.
Whether you’re already in tech, thinking of starting a career in tech, or would like to transition into tech,
the choices you make are different at every stage of life. Judith will arm you with tools that will help
you navigate those choices, including a list of questions every woman should ask themselves. Judith will
include the different avenues to working at a tech company; whether it’s engineering, product develop-
ment, marketing, or the road to becoming a CEO.
Hashtags #techwomen
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP32329
Resources - Discover
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Girl Power(ed)
Saturday, March 14
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
JW Marriott
Salon 1
110 E 2nd St
When it comes to women in tech, the question is not “can women have it all?”, the question is “can women
do it all?” And the answer is “yes.” The conversation around women in technology has exploded in the
past few years, especially with programs like Girls Who Code and STEM education initiatives encourag-
ing school age girls to code. Women working in this typically male-dominated field are carving their own
paths, and thriving—it’s highly likely that the next big break in technology will come from a woman. Why
is the time now? How is the female tech experience different? There are advantages to being the minori-
ty gender—from varied backgrounds (you don’t have to have a degree!) to being underestimated and
over-delivering to having an innate ability to empathize. You’ll hear about the reality of female engineers
who are successfully working at some of today’s hottest startups and get inspired to code.
Hashtags #GirlPower
http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_IAP42552
SXSW Comedy
Looking for some comic relief from all the South By seriousness? SXSW Comedy is a convergence event
that is open to both badge holders and locals with wristbands, and consists of showcases, live recordings,
conversations, improvisations, and late-night parties. SXSW Comedy events take place March 14–17
during Film + Interactive, with back-to-back events (standup, improv, sketch, podcasts, panels, and par-
ties) each day and night as well as March 18–21 during Music with one event each day at Esther’s Follies
and the Hideout. Check out the full lineup at http://sxsw.com/comedy/schedule.
Resources - Eat & Drink
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Craft Pride
Get your ass down to Rainey Street if you want to taste all the craft beers Austin has to offer. Let the
bartender hook you up with a personalized flight and then fight for a seat. If you’re lucky enough to go
during a quiet time (in mid-March this would be shortly after they open at 4 p.m.), you can perch comfort-
ably at the bar and discuss all things cool with the staff.
61 Rainey St
Austin, Texas
(512) 428-5571
https://www.facebook.com/CraftPrideAustin
Easy Tiger
One of the best beer gardens in Austin is also home to an extensive bar list and homemade baked treats
that make you feel like you’ve died and gone to heaven. A bakery that also smokes its own meats is quint-
essentially Austin. Don’t leave without sampling the beer cheese!
709 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 614-4972
http://easytigeraustin.com/
Mellizos Tacos
Austin has so many food truck and breakfast taco options it can make your head spin. But this taco spot is
a loved local favorite because it never disappoints. Mellizoz Tacos in South Austin serves up fresh, au-
thentic, and extremely yummy tacos every single day from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
1503 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78704
http://mellizoztacos.com
Resources - Spend
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Pinballz Arcade
Geek out and get away from the SXSW madness with a field-trip to this epic game spot. Pinballz offers a
massive 13,000 square feet of Classic Arcade experience that won’t disappoint.
If you’re a local and love you some pinball, consider getting yourself an annual membership: http://www.pinballzarcade.com/services/memberships
Pinballz Arcade
8940 Research Blvd., Suite 100
Austin, TX 78758
512-420-8458
http://www.pinballzarcade.com/
Teddies for Bettys
In need of some sexy indulgences? Austin might be a place to dress for comfort, but that doesn’t mean
you need to be casual in your undergarments. This ain’t no Shades of Grey boudoir bullshit. It’s straight-
up femininity served up in satin and lace.
Did you know that most women don’t wear the right sized bra? It’s true! Get your girls a new stylish ride.
(They’ll thank you by sitting up pretty and proud.)
221 West 2nd Street
Austin, TX 78701
http://www.teddiesforbettys.com/
Rock of Ages Tattooing
Rarely do sitters comment on easy tattooing, but that is one of the comments from patrons. Maybe you
can find a cheaper place to get inked, but if you want an authentic, classic, solid tattoo, this is the place.
All of the artists are experienced and skilled. Best of all, none of the artists slam ink into the skin. These
artists want you to walk out of the shop with a big grin on your face sporting a badass tattoo.
2310 S Lamar Blvd #105
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 804-1213
www.rockofagestattoo.com/
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