Michigan House names lineup for SXSW

Michigan House names lineup for SXSW

Courtesy Michigan House

A day-long series of Michigan-centered panel discussions will present the state to the world next year.

Michigan House pop-up space will host official programming of the South by Southwest Music, Film and Interactive Conference and Festival, or SXSW, in Austin for the fourth consecutive year on March 10. 

The Michigan House is spearheaded by the Detroit-based arts and culture economic development organization Creative Many Michigan and produced by Middle West, which creates pop-up "environments" around events.

“The Michigan House gives creative practitioners from across the state the unique opportunity to collaborate in ways that shine a light on the depth of value the creative industries contribute in Michigan,” said Jennifer Goulet, president and CEO of Creative Many Michigan. “We’re excited to head back to Austin with partners from a wide variety of sectors that come together to make the most out of South by Southwest.”

The group will be joined this year by organizations including Start Garden, Rock Ventures, The New Economy Initiative, Spectrum Health, Faurecia, Founders Brewing Co., Steelcase, Experience Grand Rapids, the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, Planet M, Brightly and others.

“People don’t realize how innovative Michigan is in a lot of areas, especially in the unique ways we collaborate and work together,” said Darel Ross of Start Garden. “South by Southwest is the perfect stage to get that message out, all the while learning best practices from the rest of the world.”

The series of panel discussions and speakers will include:

Making The Future Of Mobility

Jessica Robinson, director of City Solutions, Ford Motor Co.

Alisyn Malek, COO and co-founder of May Mobility

Garry Bulluck, deputy chief of Mobility Innovations, city of Detroit

Brian Brackenbury, business development leader of Gentex Corp.

Strategies For Neighborhood Health In Michigan

Amanda High, chief of Strategic Innovations, Reinvestment Fund

Jeremy Moore, director of Community Health Innovations, Spectrum Health

Debra Furr-Holden, C.S. Mott endowed professor of Public Health, Michigan State University

Darel Ross, director of Start Garden

Think Different, Teach Different

Jeff Sorensen, co-founder of optiMize, director of Social Innovation, University of Michigan

Trudy Ngo-Brown, director of TeenArts+TechProgram, WMCAT

Damien Rocchi, CEO and co-founder, Grand Circus

Skot Welch, founder of Mosaic Film Experience

Water Insights From The Great Lakes State

Seth Bernard, founder of Earthworks Music

Liz Kirkwood, executive director of For Love of Water (FLOW)

Lee Sprague, member of Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians

Robert Koenen, CMO of Boxed Water Is Better

Big City Problems, Neighborhood Solutions

Jackson Koeppel, co-director of Soulardarity

Shamayahim “Mama Shu” Harris, founder of Avalon Village

Diana Nucera, director of Detroit Community Technology Project, Allied Media Projects

Ezekiel Harris, executive director of MACC Development