- The 2012 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festival, widely-known as a hub where ground-breaking technology, music, and independent film intersect, has come to a close. Both SXSW newbies and seasoned festival attendees descended upon Austin, Texas last week to get their interactive and multimedia fix, soaking up the latest trends and getting a sneak peek at some of the newest tech, music and film offerings. Staying true to our editorial mission to showcase entrepreneurs and technology experts of color, <strong>BlackEnterprise.com</strong> presents <em>Faces of SXSW</em>, a photo gallery highlighting tech enthusiasts and innovators who attended the annual gathering.
(Image: SXSW)
![Hajj Flemings, CEO and Founder of Brand Camp University/CEO and Co-Founder of GoKit /BlackEnterprise.com Technology Columnist
Twitter Handle: @HajjFlemings
Websites: http://hajjflemings.com and http://BrandCampU.com
Favorite Mobile App: SignMyPad
5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: Square, Dropbox, Evernote, GoDocs and Hootsuite
On why SXSW Interactive is more about business than technology…
“In the digital world, we get enamored with scoreboards and tracking how many people are following or connected to us. SXSWi is about establishing or building relationships with digital tastemakers, connecting directly with brands and witnessing startups launch [their] new products.”](http://cdn4.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/03/Hajj_620x480.jpg "Hajj_620x480")
- <strong>Hajj Flemings, CEO and Founder of Brand Camp University/CEO and Co-Founder of GoKit /BlackEnterprise.com Technology Columnist </strong> <br> <br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/hajjflemings" target="_blank">@HajjFlemings</a><br> Websites: <a href="http://hajjflemings.com/" target="_blank">http://hajjflemings.com</a> and <a href="http://www.brandcampu.com/" target="_blank">http://BrandCampU.com</a><br> Favorite Mobile App: SignMyPad <br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: <a href="http://www.blackenterprise.com/2012/03/05/new-ipad-app-square-register-turns-tablet-into-cash-register/">Square</a>, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="http://www.evernote.com/">Evernote</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/godocs-for-google-docs/id348792440?mt=8" target="_blank">GoDocs</a> and <a href="http://hootsuite.com/" target="_blank">Hootsuite</a> <br> <br> <strong>On why SXSW Interactive is more about business than technology…</strong><br> <br> <strong>“</strong>In the digital world, we get enamored with scoreboards and tracking how many people are following or connected to us. SXSWi is about establishing or building relationships with digital tastemakers, connecting directly with brands and witnessing startups launch [their] new products.”<strong> </strong>
(Image: Winston Ford)
- <strong>Anthony Santagati III, Vice President of Marketing at Quincy Apparel </strong> <br> <br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/santagati" target="_blank">@santagati</a><br> Website: <a href="http://www.santagati.com/" target="_blank">http://www.santagati.com</a> <br> Favorite Mobile App: <a href="http://hipstamatic.com/the_app.html" target="_blank">Hipstamatic</a> <br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/" target="_blank">TweetDeck</a>, <a href="http://adium.im/" target="_blank">Adium X</a>, <a href="http://www.plexapp.com/" target="_blank">Plex</a> and <a href="http://www.photoshop.com/" target="_blank">Photoshop</a> <br><br> <strong>On what startups can learn from attending…</strong> <br> <br> “While I have a lot of experience with social media for well-known brands, there are a different set of challenges out there for new brands still developing awareness about them and their culture. At SXSW, we'll be getting a sense of what other startups in various industries are using to their advantage to do just that, and, ultimately, we'll take what we get from others and integrate it with our own observations to find the best fit for us.”
(Image: Mary Pryor)
- <strong>Kimberly "Dr. Goddess" Ellis, Activist/</strong><strong>Writer/Entertainer/Entrepreneur/Scholar of American and Africana Studies</strong> <br><br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/drgoddess" target="_blank">@DrGoddess</a><br> Website: <a href="http://drgoddess.com/" target="_blank">http://drgoddess.com</a><br> Favorite Mobile App: <a href="http://ubersocial.com/" target="_blank">UberSocial</a><br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: <a href="http://www.tweetdeck.com/" target="_blank">TweetDeck</a>, <a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>, <a href="http://www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/what-is.html" target="_blank">iPhoto</a>, <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/" target="_blank">Eventbrite</a> and <a href="http://www.airbnb.com/" target="_blank">Airbnb</a> <br><br> <strong>On how SXSW impacts your personal brand …</strong><br><br> “The networking was phenomenal, the information I learned helped me advance my career and I was very happy to have my proposal chosen to be a solo presenter in 2012. SXSW is everything, and I will try to attend every year!”
(Image: Mary Pryor)
![Wayne Sutton, Advisor/Entrepreneur/Tech journalist/ Co-Founder of GoKit and NewMe Accelerator
Twitter Handle: @WayneSutton
Website: http://socialwayne.com
Favorite Mobile App: Instagram
5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: Dropbox, Evernote, Google Docs, Wufoo and Google Voice
On why it’s important businesses/brands attend SXSW Interactive…
“Along with learning, networking is by far one of the main advantages of attending SXSWi. Most companies and some of the brightest minds in tech are in attendance, which allows hallways and late-night social [gatherings] or parties [to] turn into deal meetings.”](http://cdn3.blackenterprise.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2012/03/Wayne_Sutton_620x480.jpg "Wayne_Sutton_620x480")
- <strong>Wayne Sutton, Advisor/Entrepreneur/Tech journalist/ Co-Founder of GoKit and NewMe Accelerator </strong><br><br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/waynesutton" target="_blank">@WayneSutton</a><br> Website: <a href="http://socialwayne.com/" target="_blank">http://socialwayne.com</a><br> Favorite Mobile App: <a href="http://instagr.am/" target="_blank">Instagram</a><br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="http://www.evernote.com/" target="_blank">Evernote</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/google-d-s/documents/" target="_blank">Google Docs</a>, <a href="http://wufoo.com/" target="_blank">Wufoo</a> and <a href="http://www.google.com/googlevoice/about.html" target="_blank">Google Voice</a><br><br> <strong>On why it’s important businesses/brands attend SXSW Interactive…</strong><br><br> “Along with learning, networking is by far one of the main advantages of attending SXSWi. Most companies and some of the brightest minds in tech are in attendance, which allows hallways and late-night social [gatherings] or parties [to] turn into deal meetings.”
(Image: Mary Pryor)
- <strong>Adria Richards, Business Technology Consultant</strong> <br><br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/adriarichards" target="_blank">@adriarichards</a> <br> Blog: <a href="http://butyoureagirl.com/" target="_blank">http://butyoureagirl.com</a><br> Favorite Mobile App: <a href="http://www.hipmunk.com/" target="_blank">Hipmunk</a><br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day: <a href="http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html" target="_blank">Google Apps</a>, <a href="http://www.getharvest.com/" target="_blank">Harvest</a>, <a href="http://highrisehq.com/" target="_blank">Highrise</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/chrome" target="_blank">Google Chrome</a> and <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html" target="_blank">TechSmith’s Snagit</a><br><br> <strong>On why it’s important people of color are present at SXSW…</strong><br><br> “It is a ‘must-attend’ conference for those in the technology, startup and social media space. I continue to encourage friends and people I meet to attend by sharing my experiences at the event, and making it a point to submit topics each year.”
(Image: Mary Pryor)
- <strong>Kiratiana Freelon, Author/Culturist/Lecturer </strong> <br><br> Twitter Handle: <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/kiratiana" target="_blank">@kiratiana</a> <br> Websites: <a href="http://kiratianatravels.com/" target="_blank">http://kiratianatravels.com</a> and <a href="http://about.me/Kiratiana" target="_blank">http://about.me/Kiratiana</a> <br> Favorite Mobile App: <a href="http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/home" target="_blank">Skype</a> <br> 5 Tech Tools Used Every Day<em>: </em><a href="http://www.baydin.com/" target="_blank">Baydin Gmail Plugin</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://flipboard.com/" target="_blank">Flipboard</a>, <a href="http://www.hipmunk.com/" target="_blank">Hipmunk</a><em> </em>and <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/" target="_blank">iPad</a> (with Logitech keypad) <br> <br> <strong>On coming to SXSW with a goal…</strong> <br><br> In 2010, my goal was learning about the top players in the digital, social space. In 2011, it was delivering a good SXSW presentation and finding a job with a digital agency, which I did. This year my goal is to connect with content producers to get digital advice for a planned digital book, <em>The Travel Guide to Multicultural London</em>. I'm also going to connect with people doing digital work on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. There is no other conference that allows me to connect with so many leaders in various fields that are different but all connected to technology.”
(Image: Source)
- <strong><em><a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150651450012278.404468.16037737277&type=3" target="_blank">Click here to see the rest of the gallery…</a></em></strong>
(Image: SXSW Press)
