Co-founder of Instagram heads early list of speakers
South by Southwest has made its first round of programming announcements for the March 2019 event, leading off with a set of keynote speakers that includes Instagram co-founder and CEO Kevin Systrom, Garbage vocalist Shirley Manson and Chvrches singer-songwriter Lauren Mayberry on the music side, and writer, producer and director Marti Noxon (“Sharp Objects,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) for film.
Systrom founded the popular photo social service Instagram with Mike Krieger before it was famously acquired by Facebook. Systrom will be interviewed by TechCrunch editor-at-large John Constine.
In a news release, SXSW chief programming officer Hugh Forrest said: “We’re excited about the addition of our keynotes — Kevin Systrom, who as the co-founder of Instagram has redefined the culture of the mod-
ern internet and the way that we connect with others; Marti Noxon, whose prolific career and dedication to her craft has created some of the most beloved and acclaimed series of the past two decades; and Shirley Manson with Lauren Mayberry, two talented musicians whose passion, continued experimentation and career evolution are values we celebrate at SXSW.”
South by Southwest also announced a handful of featured speakers. They include: film producer Jason Blum in conversation with John Pierson; former Uber engineer Susan Fowler, a central figure in the ongoing #MeToo movement; designer Bjarke Ingels; musician Amanda Palmer; Upworthy co-founder Eli Pariser; author Michael Pollan; media theorist Douglas Rushkoff; entrepreneur Joanna Shields; blockchain experts Ari Paul, Kyle Samani and Linda Xie; and New York University futurist Amy Webb.
South by Southwest 2019 is scheduled for March 8-17.