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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.

hello@mavencreative.com 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

Page 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

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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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