Hillside Ventures at SXSW

Aspiring VC Professionals Attend South by Southwest

by: Maya Fox

Hillside Ventures at SXSW 

Attending the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) is an experience that many professionals in various industries look forward to every year. Held in Austin, Texas, SXSW welcomes over 400,000 attendees from all around the world, making it one of the most diverse gatherings of creative and innovative minds. Joseph and I had the privilege of being part of this buzzing crowd, and we were excited to take Hillside Ventures to Texas. Alongside us were Nelson Cortez, a digital media and design student, and Rachel Laemle, a nutritional sciences student. Together, we went into Austin with an open mind and excitement for what we would be able to uncover. 

The SXSW experience itself was as immersive as we hoped it would be. We attended a variety of different events, including panels, networking parties, and startup crawls. For Joseph and I, it was an exciting opportunity to exercise our venture capitalist brains and tap into our business skills. We spent most of our week exchanging conversations, ideas, and starting new connections with industry experts, other inventors, and entrepreneurs. 

On top of the events in SXSW, we also got to meet with six wonderful alumni, many of these meetings over a good cup of coffee and a great meal. This setting allowed us to have valuable conversations, naturally enabling the students to soak in and learn as much information as possible. These alumni included Matt Martin, Catherine Friar, Eileen Crossin, Monica Parades, Eric Weitz, and Vijay Sekhara. They provided valuable advice, each bringing their own unique perspective to the table, helping us navigate the complex and competitive world of entrepreneurship. 

In addition to experiencing the great city of Austin, we were able to engage with the vibrant startup ecosystem and gain valuable insights and inspiration for our own entrepreneurial pursuits. SXSW provided a wealth of lessons and experiences for us. We learned that a good conversation, no matter how short, can be a vital point of information that can contribute to our education and career. As a first semester analyst with only a few months of networking experience, I felt slightly intimidated approaching founders or industry experts. However, to make the most of these networking opportunities, SXSW taught me to be both prepared and confident. It provided me with a structured environment for networking and making connections, allowing me to exercise the part of me that would be hesitant to otherwise.  Beyond this, SXSW is at the forefront of technology and creativity, and we were able to bring back valuable information about technological trends and ideas. We were able to see what makes an engaging pitch and presentation, as well as gain new industry insights. Most of all we were taught the importance of perseverance - building a successful business is not easy, and SXSW was able to show the resilience of many great innovators and entrepreneurs. 

In conclusion, SXSW was a valuable place to engross ourselves in the rapidly growing entrepreneurial environment, as well as a much deserved trip to Texas for our hardworking student group. By connecting with alumni and attending a plethora of events, we gained knowledgeable experiences and skills that will help us forward our careers in the future. SXSW is an excellent example of how experiential learning opportunities can accelerate growth and development in the startup world, and I look forward to more opportunities that may come.