This is the first time a team from MistyWest will be attending the annual South By Southwest Interactive conference in Austin, TX. Every year thousands of technology companies, start-ups, speakers and superfans converge in the southern Texas town to pitch products, share ideas and network. We’re so excited to be sending down four Westies to co-host our very own official SXSW meet-up along with Invoke Labs and colleagues from Intel and Microsoft.
We hope to see many of you in Austin!
1. Hardware Prototyping Meetup
Join MistyWest, Invoke Media, Intel and Microsoft while we bring together engineers and designers working on cutting-edge innovations that lie at the intersection of hardware and software. Conversations will revolve around designing for success, common design pitfalls as well as best-practices.
Featuring Angela May of MistyWest, Â Marcelo Mejia Cobo of Microsoft and Seth Hunter of Intel Labs.
Moderated by Senzeni Mpofu of MistyWest and Michelle Reid of Invoke.Â
Mar 12, 2018 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
JW Marriott, Room 208, 110 E 2nd St.
2. SXSW Accelerator Pitch
Come see the latest pitches in AR/VR, Health and Wearables, Connected Communities and Sports & Performance Data Technologies LIVE in action, while new projects and teams duke it out in the funding trenches.
Pitches take place daily on Saturday March 10th  and Sunday, March 11th from 9:30 AM – 6 PM at the Hilton Hotel (4th floor, Salon A/B). But the real magic happens Monday, March 12th, Demo Day from 11:30 AM – 1 PM, when all the pitched hardware gets demo’d for your nerdy satisfaction.
Saturday, March 10 – Monday, March 12, Various times
Hilton Hotel, 4th Floor
3. 2018 Hardware Cup: Southern Regional
Watch as 6 hardware startups pitch to local VCs & investors. Winner gets: $3k cash, a free 1 year SOLIDWORKS license, and other prizes, as well as a chance to win the $50,000 grand prize investment at the International Finals in April.
Tue, March 6, 2018 // 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM CST //  Add to Calendar
Capital Factory // 701 Brazos St, Austin, TX Â // View Map
4. Nerd Nite Austin
We all know that learning is more fun when you’re drinking with friends and colleagues. Nerd Nite is a monthly event held in more than 50 cities across the globe during which several folks give 18-21-minute fun-yet-informative presentations across all disciplines – while the audience drinks along.
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 // 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
The North Door  (502 Brushy St. · Austin, TX)
5. Design x Tech: DIY Wearable Electronics
Join a discussion around sewable, soft, and wearable electronics for the hobby and handmade level. Presented by the lovely folks at Sparkfun.
Mar 12, 2018 | 9:30am – 12:30pm
JW Marriott, Room 310-311 110 E 2nd St.
6. Finding Agency in Our Electric Future
What is Open Hardware? What is the Hackaday Prize? And how can we as individuals use it to find agency in our electric future? Speaker Stephen Tranovich of Hackaday invites us to consider the options.
Mar 10, 2018 | 9:30am – 10:30am
Austin Convention Center, Room 5ABC, 500 E Cesar Chavez
7. Choice Architects: Design for Humanity’s Best Self
Join a bunch of RAD ladies seeking to “empower you to positively impact humanity through products designed for a world that doesn’t suck”. We can definitely get on board with that!
Mar 9, 2018 | 12:30pm – 1:30pm
JW Marriott, Salon E, 110 E 2nd St.
8. Designing with Bias
As we’re creating products and services for users, should we put gender consideration into the design process? What are the cues that lead people to believe products are for them?
Mar 9, 2018 | 5:00pm – 5:00pm
JW Marriott, Salon E, 110 E 2nd St.
9. Femtech: Women & Health Tech in the Trump Era
A new sector dedicated to meeting women’s needs has emerged. “Femtech” – i.e., products ranging from smart breast pumps to fertility trackers – is now attracting increasing VC dollars.
Mar 13, 2018 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Austin Convention Center, Room 9AB, 500 E Cesar Chavez
10. Disrupting Traditional Healthcare with Innovation
What potential exists to use IoT to provide timely care, increase preventative care efforts, reduce the overall cost of healthcare and provide seamless coordination between a patient and their often numerous practitioners? Join this panel discussion hosted by Carrie Byington to find out!
Mar 13, 2018 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Courtyard Marriott, Rio Grande Ballroom, 300 E 4th St.
Honourable Mentions
Humanizing Autonomy
It is the time to redefine the relationship: to fit what is natural for people, not just for machines. We discuss how empathetic, human-centered manifestations of autonomous technology can create a safer (and more pleasant) future.
Mar 10, 2018 | 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Fairmont, Manchester CD, 101 Red River.
Trap Star Yoga
Trap Star Yoga mixes Power yoga with Trap Music. This form of hip hop is bass heavy with themes ranging from working hard to being your best self. #yogandahood
Mar 13, 2018 | 9:30am – 10:30am
JW Marriott, Room 208 110 E 2nd St.
