These SXSW panel proposals include DC tech leaders

SXSW isn’t until March, but it’s a key time for anyone looking to give a talk at the annual interactive extravaganza in Austin, Texas, as well as those who want to shape the agenda.

That’s because SXSW puts some of the decisions about who will speak to a vote. The PanelPicker format allows for user-generated talks to take the stage at the big event. Voting for sessions that were proposed for the 2018 conference is open through Aug. 25. We’ve already seen a pair of proposals from #dctech that are up:

Digital inclusion-focused training org Byte Back wants to put together a panel on increasing diversity in tech and creating new pathways to careers. The panelists would include Executive Director Elizabeth Lindsey, Washington D.C. Economic Partnership tech sector lead Kevin Morgan, Mentor Method CEO Janice Omadeke and Patricia Davis-Muffett, Senior Leader of Global Public Sector Marketing for Amazon Web Services.

Byte Back also has a talk by Lindsey up for SXSWedu, which is held a week prior. It’s titled “Breaking Tech Teaching Norms.”

The title of a panel featuring Crowdskout CEO Zack Christenson looks poised to stand out in the crowd, as well as offer some timely perspective. “How Technology is Eating Politics” is set to look at how tech tools are helping voters define the agenda, and campaigns use data.

Hey #dctech, need your help. Vote for @Crowdskout's panel for #SXSW 2018: How Tech Is Eating Politics. https://t.co/56BsYSWUeS Thx! pic.twitter.com/QHFKuZRRKA

— Shana Glenzer (@ShanaGlenzer) August 9, 2017

The Fashion Innovation Alliance proposed three talks that are up for a vote. One panel, titled “Building a More Inclusive Startup Culture,” features the D.C.-based Alliance’s CEO Kenya Wiley and Case Foundation Senior Vice President for Innovation Sheila Herrling and Erik Moe of Erik Moe Creative. “Beyond Activism: Tech, Fashion and Government” would feature Wiley, Axios Technology Editor Kim Hart and U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. The Alliance Privacy and Digital Advisor Michael Kubayanda is also seeking to organize a panel on “AI: Transforming Luxury, Fashion and Beauty.”

Elsewhere, PCDNetwork CEO Craig Zelizer is the organizer of a proposal for “Build a Career of Impact: An Interactive Bootcamp.” Along with Zelizer, the panel would feature leaders of D.C.-based organizations including Monika Kang of Innovators’ Box, and Nick Martin of TechChange.

Who else is proposing talks? Let us know.