Unified Jam 2023

440 East Saint Elmo Road,Austin TX 78745

11 March, 2023

Description

Join Jam '23, hosted by Unified, as we take stock of the midterms, talk about the most important challenges facing activists today, and plan for the future over a full day of panel discussions. When: 1st day of SXSW! March 11, from 9:30 AM - 7:00 PM What: 1 Day. 7 Panels. 3 Social Sessions. Endless Connections! Unified Jam is our annual celebration of activist culture. Every year, we bring together local and national voices to talk about the amazing work they're doing, learn from each other, and strengthen the organizer community. In addition to our main panel track, we host social events around lunch, happy hour, and other fun activities throughout the day to make sure people from different parts of our community got a chance to meet with each other. To put it another way, it’s like the SXSW for activists. Who: Candidates, Community Leaders, Activists, and Activist-Curious. Complete with 300 Attendees and 30 Speakers, some of our favorite stories from our first Jam include city council members hashing out policy details in our VIP room, panelists getting brand new headshots to use for future events, and a surprise visit from our own Congressional representative! SCHEDULEDoors Open & Morning Mingling: 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Grab some coffee, settle in, and enjoy the ride. Opening Keynote: 10:00 AM - 10:10 AM A few opening remarks from Unified's CEO, Shion Deysarkar, to welcome everyone and explain what makes Unified Jam so special. I Ran for Office - AMA: 10:10 AM - 11:00 AM Get the first-hand accounts of candidates who ran for office in 2022. Looking back on their time on the campaign trail, what do they remember most? What would they have done differently? This is your chance to hear from and ask questions of some of the most prominent Texas-area candidates from last year’s election. Speakers: More to Come! Celia Israel: Fmr. TX State House Rep, Candidate for Mayor of AustinZo Qadri: Austin City Council, District 9Reclaiming Rights: Organizing in a Post-Roe World: 11:10 AM - 12:00 PM Last year, the landscape for reproductive rights was fundamentally altered. This panel brings together individuals who have led and continue to lead the effort to (re)-secure those rights. They’ll share how their experiences help inform them on how to adapt organizing today to meet the challenges of this new landscape. Speakers: More to Come! Ilyse Hogue: President, PurposeWendy Davis: Founder, Deeds Not WordsCy White (Moderator): Managing Editor, Austin Woman Magazine Gen-Z's Impact on Today and Tomorrow: 12:10 PM- 1:00 PM A generation unlike any other. The activist and organizing leaders of Gen-Z have likely brought about more substantive change by this point in their lives than any previous generation. Learn how they view our current political climate and how they plan to shape the world to come. Lunch: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Enjoy the local Austin Food Trucks! Persuasion, Inspiration, and Activation: 2:10 PM - 3:00 PM How does someone go from apathetic to activist? What are the catalysts for change? This panel will cover the necessary ingredients to bring someone from disaffected to motivated and how organizers can use specific tactics to make this happen within individuals and communities. Speakers: More to Come! Tara McGowan: Publisher, COURIER Newsroom Organizing in Overlooked Communities: 3:10 PM - 4:00 PM Communities that are under-resourced, marginalized, and overlooked are often where the most innovative organizing happens. Hear from leaders in these communities on how they’re making a difference where no one thought it was possible. Speakers: More to Come! Anna Nguyen: President, PFLAG AustinAdri Peréz: Organizing Director, Texas Freedom NetworkThe Digital Difference: 4:10 PM - 5:00 PM Speakers: More to Come! Jose Nunez: Organing Director, DNCRemember to Laugh: 5:10 PM - 6:00 PM Speakers: More to Come! Meghan Ross (Moderator): Writer, Filmmaker, ComedianClosing Thoughts: 6:00 PM - 6:10 PM Happy Hour: 6:10 PM - 7:00 PM Kick back and relax! Take in everything you've learned with old and new friends.