SXSWORLD

SXSW Staffers at SXSL. Photo courtesy of Ellen Burris SOUTH BY SOUTH LAWN, SAY WHAT!? "Whenever I hear people make gloomy claims about how America is on the downswing, They're either out to promote themselves, or talking about some alternate reality. Think about it -- if you had to choose any time in the course of human history to be alive, you'd choose this one. Right here, right now, right in America. New technologies and new innovations are transforming the way we live, opening up incredible opportunities to create, to discover, and to do what we never thought possible. At the same time, we have to navigate these changes in a smart way. They also can be disruptive, even scary -- and sometimes, they leave folks behind. Our task is to come together and build a future that's more inclusive, tolerant, and full of opportunity for everybody. And I've never been more optimistic that we will. As President, I've spent the last eight years finding the best people to help us meet that challenge. People who reject cynicism. People who turn change into a force for good. People who believe that, no matter who we are, where we come from, who we love, or what God we pray to, we -- the people -- can create a world that's worthy of our brightest hopes. So today, I'm inviting a bunch of these folks to my backyard for South by South Lawn. Much like the festival I dropped by in Austin earlier this year, SXSL is, at its heart, a call to action. The folks out on the lawn today are artists, creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators who will share how they've used their unique skills to engage their communities in making the change they want to see -- whether it's curing cancer, fighting poverty, empowering women, and so much more." - Excerpt from email written by President Barack Obama and included in official White House press release announcing SXSL. October 3's first-ever South by South Lawn event proved to be a huge success. Attendees learned, listened, connected and brainstormed — what more can you ask for in an afternoon at the White House? At my end, four of the most important lessons that I will remember from this amazing experience are as follows: Partnerships are everything. SXSL hap- pened as successfully as it did because some relatively odd bedfellows (including two Austin-based companies, SXSW and C3) combined their talents for a common goal. Yes, it is amazing what can happen in a city like Washington D.C. when petty differences are suspended, and people work together to achieve the greater good. It all comes down to weather. Given that the Monday, October 3 weather in Washington D.C. was spectacular, luck also played a large role in the success of SXSL. The warmth and blue skies were a large contrast to the cool and rainy con- ditions of a few days earlier. Of course, it's hard to ignore the significant irony here — the perils of climate change serve as the focus of the powerful Leonardo DiCaprio documentary "Before the Flood" that ended the evening. "Better is good." This was a phrase that President Obama mentioned in his conversation about climate change with Leonardo DiCaprio and Texas Tech scientist Katharine Hayhoe. This thinking reflects eight years of political realism and the concept that you probably can't achieve all of your goals as quickly as you would like. But, the phrase also reflects an optimism that small steps are the solution to accomplishing big things. The audience is the answer. Speakers at the event packed significant star-power. But the most innovative thinkers were the 2000+ attendees, people whose energy and creativity will pave the future. In this sense, SXSL re-affirmed that the faces in the crowd (not the figures on the stage) are the ones whose actions will both build and inspire a better future. For those who were not able to attend SXSL, you can re-watch the stream from the event at whitehouse.gov. Will there be another similar gathering in the future? Maybe so, maybe no. But for now, let's just take some time to digest all of the ideas and connections from the first SXSL. SXSW.COM | N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 6 | SXS W O R L D 9

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