Texas McCombs at SXSW 2019
A major startup pitch competition—and faculty and alumni experts on stage
When SXSW kicks off tomorrow, Texas McCombs is taking the homefield advantage in showcasing the innovation and entrepreneurism that characterizes both the school and our home in Austin. McCombs and UT Austin are represented in bold news ways this year: from a major pitch competition to leading researchers and alumni sharing their expertise to SXSW volunteers clad in UT-branded T-shirts.
A full list of the 40-plus UT-powered sessions can be found here. Below are highlights of where to find McCombs at SXSW this year.
Event
PitchTexas
The University of Texas presents the sixth annual 2019 SXSW Graduate Startup Pitch competition, with prize money of $50,000. PitchTexas was started and is run by the Texas McCombs MBA Entrepreneurship Society, a graduate student organization at The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.
The semi-finals will be held 9–11am, Friday March 8, at Rowling Hall. They are open to everyone, including non-badge holders.
The finals will be held at the Hilton at 5 pm and are open to badge holders. Judges include President Gregory Fenves and innovator CEOs Heather Brunner and Rod Favaron.
The Longhorn Band leads the winning team in the PitchTexas competition and the crowd from the Hilton Austin Hotel to the official SXSW PitchTexas after-party at HandleBar on East 5th Street.
Faculty
Cara Biasucci, Creator and Program Director, Ethics Unwrapped
Ethics and AI: How to Plan for the Unpredictable
Cesare Fracassi, Associate Professor
Blockchain Deathmatch: Permission-ed vs -less
Julie Irwin, Professor
Ethical Shopping: Why Good Intentions Go Bad
James Scott, Associate Professor
Big Ideas in AI: Solving Problems… Since 1696
Dr. Elizabeth Teisberg, Executive Director of the Value Institute for Health and Care at Dell Medical School and the McCombs School of Business
Alumni
Alissa Bayer, MBA ’04, Owner of Milk + Honey
The Business of Making People Feel Good
Jay Kleberg, MBA ’13, Producer and Character
The River and The Wall, World Premiere Documentary
