Don't Miss These Thought Provoking Sessions at SXSW 2026
As SXSW 2026 prepares to descend on Austin, TX, there will be no shortage of memorable presentations, including these must-see sessions from Stern clients.
Justin Louis | February 12, 2026
This March, Austin, TX becomes a top destination for creators, leaders and thinkers as the annual SXSW conference rolls into town. We’re proud to represent nearly a dozen speakers on the SXSW 2026 agenda.
See below to learn more about the highly anticipated sessions on technology, teamwork and leadership that our clients will be participating in.
Rumman Chowdhury
“Rethinking Discovery Algorithms for the Creator Economy“
On Friday, March 13th, responsible AI pioneer and founder of Humane Intelligence Rumman Chowdhury will be part of a three-expert panel on how platform algorithms can be redesigned as discovery tools for creators, not just avenues for simply generating advertiser revenue.
Amy Gallo
“Why Work Feels So Unfair and How Hard Conversations Help“
Workplace dynamics and conflict resolution expert Amy Gallo takes the stage on March 14th for an eye-opening featured session. The author of “Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People),” discusses how leaders can build trust through transparency and honesty, even when difficult conversations are necessary.
Rana el Kaliouby
“Why the Future of AI Must be Human Centric“
In an ultra-timely keynote on March 15th, don’t miss pioneering AI researcher Rana el Kaliouby in conversation about the great opportunities the next generation of AI can lead to, emphasizing the urgent importance of “innovating with intention.”
Linda A. Hill & Emily Tedards
“Leading Innovation at Scale: The Genius of Collective Leadership“
In this March 16th session, renowned Harvard Business School professor and top leadership and innovation expert Linda A. Hill and HBS graduate researcher in organizational behavior Emily Tedards provide a look inside their latest book, “Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation.” They reveal the secrets to switching from generating bold ideas to scaling them across complex systems and industries.
Ruchika T. Malhotra & Amy Gallo
“UNCOMPETE: Choosing Collaboration Over Competition“
On March 17th, Amy Gallo returns to the SXSW stage to sit down with award-winning inclusion strategy consultant Ruchika T. Malhotra to show why collaboration, not competition, is what really drives innovation – the basis of Ruchika’s latest book, “Uncompete: Rejecting Competition to Unlock Success.”
Mark Roberge
“The Science of Scaling: Using Data to Decide When – and How Fast – to Scale Revenue“
Venture capitalist and Harvard Business School senior lecturer of entrepreneurial sales and marketing Mark Roberge will also be onstage on March 17th. The founding CRO of HubSpot will give attendees a primer on “The Science of Scaling,” his proven framework for taking the guesswork out of how, when and how fast to scale revenue.
Dava Newman
“Breaking Through Barriers to Innovation: Lessons from Space and Earth“
In this March 17th featured session, MIT Apollo Program Professor of Astronautics and former MIT Media Lab director Dava Newman details how leaders can create huge competitive advantages for their organizations by understanding how to properly leverage the opportunities that come along with today’s paradigm-shifting technologies.
Heidi Brooks
“What AI Can’t Replace: People Skills in a Changing World“
Those interested in how AI is changing the way we work, which should be everybody, won’t want to miss this March 18th session. Director of the Yale School of Management’s Program for the Practice of Everyday Leadership Heidi Brooks joins an expert panel to discuss the human skills that are now vital parts of any employee’s toolkit in today’s AI-assisted workplaces.
From working with cutting-edge technology to the human aspects of leadership and teamwork, today’s successful organizations rely on time-tested strategies from the world’s top experts. Stern Strategy Group connects you with renowned thought leaders whose insights, strategies and management frameworks help organizations fuel growth and disruptive innovation to better compete in a constantly changing world. Let us arrange for these esteemed experts to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting sessions, workshops and keynotes.
Don’t Miss These Thought Provoking Sessions at SXSW 2026 was last modified: February 11th, 2026 by
