SXSW Trends. We can all make a difference!

Odile Roujol
7 min readMar 13, 2024

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SXSW is unique, “keeping Austin weird” for good reasons. It mixes a movie and music festival with great success and focuses panels on innovation across all verticals. Guests are coming from San Francisco, NYC, Sao Paulo, Latam, Asia, and Europe, with diverse profiles across tech, entertainment, and all industries. All are eager to continue to learn, meet new people, and see diverse perspectives.

It is always an opportunity to listen to awesome speakers who are experts in their space and gain an overview of trends, consumer behaviors, demographics, and tech. Let’s try to share the takeaway with key simple messages (and screenshots). And my own call to action. I’m sure you’ll find yours!

MIT TRENDS: the list of 10.

Each year, MIT Technology Review reporters and editors assemble a list of the top breakthrough technologies that will change the world. This list is one of the most popular meetings!
Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, the Publisher and CEO of MIT Technology Review, shares the publication’s list of ten breakthrough technologies with the SXSW audience, explaining each one and how it will impact the way we live and work.

-AI will be everywhere! And it goes fast. Be ready for computer laptops with AI built-in, adds Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, in another talk later in the week, sharing some visual effects with David Conley (WetaFX), also partnering with Adode. Exascale computers will be the norm.

Sharing a link for free Coursera videos (panel with Marni Baker Stein and her collegues of Microsoft and Google Cloud) about GenAI as you need to be ready to learn for life, and adapt to the new revolution https://www.coursera.org/learn/generative-ai-for-everyone/home/welcome

-In Health, and Beauty, Ozempic(lowering blood sugar) is just the first generation of drugs for weight loss/obesity.

You could have 15% of US adults having a prescription in the near future…

Future consumer economies: Trends SXSW by Bain consulting

Let’s explore what’s next: how people live, work, socialize, and care for themselves and each other will change dramatically over the coming decade, with a profound impact on how consumer-facing sectors should adapt to serve future needs. In the talk, Joelle de Montgolfier Head of the Global Consumer Lab, and Joëlle de Montgolfier, Executive Vice President of the Retail and Consumer Products Practices, and Leah Johns took us on a high-energy ride to 2035 and beyond with groundbreaking research that illuminates future consumers.

People want first Connections, Connectivity, and Security. Let’s put forward a few highlights.

Re-routed trend explore why people will be on the move. Voluntarily or not.

Because of Climate change. Some because of where they want to live and how they want to work as changed (digital nomads)

Re-defined families. The percentage of single households will continue to increase, and new solutions will be needed to fix their problems in daily life.

2 billion shades of Grey! And they need solutions for a better living.

Conscious and slow. Sustainability is a rising concern. 64% of people now say they are extremely concerned about environmental sustainability.

Dimensions of conscious living: be ready for massive disruption in the fashion industry.

Autonomous agent: “Embrace tech and make time your ally to humanize your life” Chat GPT

All of us check our phones 80+ times per day. On average, teenagers receive 350 notifications a day.

A US household has 22 devices, and 42% of Americans feel they have no free time for leisure activities.

SuperHuman. “Dying young as late as possible”

Sleep +8% in 10 years for young people!

Disparities in health could increase by income, ethnicity, and gender.

Voilà! as we say in French.

Rewriting the GenZ Playbook.

Maghan McDowell, senior innovation editor at Vogue Business was joined by Alice Yu, VP of global consumer insights at Tapestry and Ben Harms, chief growth officer at Archrival to discuss surprising insights into how the next generation communicates and shops.

  • 1 out of 4 is Hispanic in the US ( 18% for millennials); 14% are black and 6% Asian.
  • GenZ is all concerned with money, and already at 29 years old, they have planned to save every month. But… They have already purchased a luxury item at 15 or 16!

.Metaverse ? Betaverse! If a brand, go to them, they have so many platforms and communities. Don’t expect them to come to you. Be part of their conversation.

46% say they are loyal customers of a brand, but none of them intend to purchase an item in the coming months. Loyalty means loving the brand, engaging in the community, and having a sense of belonging.

Genz expects brands, products, experiences, and entertainment to reflect the world they see around them: diverse, global, and out-of-the-box. Vulnerability and empathy gain social currency.

-” Colorful, bright, bold” does not mean the same for a Texan girl and a Tokyo one. Be careful to have a deep understanding of what they mean with words and visuals. (story about the wardrobe with only grey, white, and black, only a pattern on gloves evoking what was said)

-more and more GenZ are retreating into private digital hideways.

GenZs increasingly seek independent, decentralized, self-governing communities.

AND NOW?

I believe each of us can make a difference.

As the founding partner of Fab Ventures (seed), I feel good to back purpose and data-driven founders aiming at changing the world for the best.

I’m a proud investor in conscious beauty/wellness and sustainable fashion companies.

Supercircle closed-loop supply and Kintrafibers material science company.

HelloBiome a groundbreaking microbiome AI-powered platform.

Veracity skin health with the “natural ozempic”, and helping women to care about their hormonal balance.

I believe longevity is a new space for health close to beauty: “younger for longer,” as Novos Labs platform claims, helping you to measure your biological aging; tracking your biomarkers with Function Health to improve your health.

We can do better, especially for women’s health. Stix is leading the trend, helping all women to have access to education, products and services.

GenZ are shaping our future.

Bubble has developed new products for teens' skincare (with teens!). They also take care of their mental health, support non-profits, and are part of the conversation with an engaged community.

Good Light World is about gender inclusivity and gives confidence to all.

Yina was co-founded by a Traditional Chinese medicine doctor, Ph.D., Shaz, and Kiks, by two sisters proud of their Indian roots and eager to share Ayurvedic beauty with all of us.

Thirteenlune, The Folklore, and BrowGirlJane are beauty-inclusive destinations and brands.

DapperBoi in fashion is size and gender inclusive.

“Call it a clan, network, or family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” Jane Howard.

As the founder of FaB community (now 4000 subscribers to the newsletter, more than 100 meetings in the past years in 19 chapters worldwide), I’m excited to continue to support fabulous founders, focusing on conscious living, and how to impact our life in a positive way. I couldn’t put all founders forward but know more about them: https://www.fabcocreationstudio.com

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Odile Roujol

Founder Fab Ventures and Fab Fashion & BeautyTech community - Conscious Living -Women. BA, Board member, ex CEO Lancôme @loreal /CDO @Orange - L.A. / SF