SXSW Festival comes to UTS Business School

SXSW, the renowned festival that celebrates the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries, has long been a major player on the global tech and innovation stage. Its first-ever venture to Sydney is seen as a testament to the city's growing reputation as a tech and innovation hub and UTS is proud to be the official Education Partner of the festival.

SXSW at UTS House will be a dynamic melting pot of forward-thinking entrepreneurs, creative minds, tech visionaries, and global thought leaders. Attendees can freely enjoy a captivating blend of keynote speakers, panel discussions, workshops, interactive showcases, and networking opportunities.

The festival will also facilitate connections with key partners, opening doors for students, startups, and established businesses to explore new possibilities. With Sydney's vibrant cultural scene as a backdrop, SXSW at UTS House is sure to be a unique experience for all participants.

Business Sessions @ UTS House

Ageing with Dignity: imagining the future of aged care services in Australia 

Ensuring appropriate care for older people is one of the most significant challenges we will face in the coming decades. Aged care services are provided to more than 1.3 million Australians, and with our ageing population, this number will grow. Join us for a dynamic panel discussion about the future of aged care services in Australia, featuring experts from Business, Law, Design, and Health. Drawing on their unique perspectives, the panelists will illuminate the challenges, opportunities, and pathways to creating an aged care system that provides older people with quality, safe, dignified care. 

The panel is moderated by Dr Nicole Sutton, co-lead of the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative, who brings together in conversation: 
David Brown – Professor of Management Accounting at UTS Business School and Business & Strategy Research Lead at the UTS Ageing Research Collaborative
Phillippa Carnemolla – Associate Professor in the School of Business Environment and leading researcher in the design and evaluation of inclusive environments, products and information
Deborah Debono – Associate Professor in the Health Services Management Program
Teresa Somes – Lecturer in the Faculty of Law

Pricing carbon and saving the climate 

Pricing a resource causes it to be valued, expended more judiciously and generally managed more responsibly. So why aren't we already pricing carbon as a society? And if we are in pockets, are we doing it as well as we could be?   

In this panel discussion, we speak to an academic and industry expert on the challenges involved in designing and delivering on a carbon pricing system, and what governments as well as organisations need to do in order for us to better activate its potential. 
 

Guest speakers:
Mona Mashhadi Rajabi – Post Doctoral Research Associate at UTS, with expertise in the carbon pricing space
Peter Lawrence – Partner in the sustainability space at Pitcher Partners

Beyond Greenwashing: the end of leadership as usual 

Are executive roles really being recalibrated for business for social good so we can claim the end of leadership as usual? Has humanity been overly focused on saving the planet, while neglecting to turn the mirror on ourselves as both plunderers and potential saviours? Business leaders have severely underestimated what it means to create a safe operating space for humanity in a climate changed and technology infused world. But are we ready, or do we even know how to identify leadership that can help humanity adapt, survive, and prosper? What attributes, practices, and everyday acts of bravery mark the talented people who can navigate new trajectories for global prosperity within this decade?  

The panel is hosted by UTS Business School's Serena Stewart who brings together in conversation: 
Chris Kay – Founder at andOpen. former Saatchi+Saatchi CEO, and Industry Professor at UTS Business School 
Dani Matthews – Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer at Abundium 
Melissa Edwards – Director, Centre for Business and Sustainable Development and Australian Business Deans' Council National Climate Action Fellow 

Business and Human Rights 

The topic of business and human rights is gaining international momentum. Whilst governments primarily have the duty to protect and promote human rights, countries and companies around the world are increasing their efforts to ensure a basic duty to respect human rights. However, while the business narrative of aligning people, planet and profits should now be commonplace, this is not always accompanied by meaningful action. Too few are walking the talk, as we have seen from various Royal Commissions into the disability sector, aged care, and more. The statistics and results have been alarming, with issues such as modern slavery, disability employment and care still remaining as a major challenge for Australia.  

Guest speakers: 
Jennifer Burn – Founder and Director of Anti-Slavery Australia 
Simon Darcy  – Professor in Management at UTS Business School, and works on projects related to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Australian Disability Strategy 2021-31, disability citizenship and person-centred approaches
Dr Alice Klettner – a Senior Lecturer at UTS Business School with expertise in corporate governance and sustainability

Indigenous employment leadership in modern corporations: What are we missing?

Many modern corporations are working hard to increase holistic employment opportunities for Indigenous people that includes meaningful jobs and career development to the most senior levels of organisations, including boards, yet most fail to do so.  

Amongst those that do succeed to attract, many struggle to retain. What are employers missing? What are they doing, or not doing to better attract and retain Indigenous employees and how can we learn from these lessons to better serve all employees in organisations?  

In this panel discussion, we explore how organisations can better service the needs and aspirations of Indigenous employees, while pursuing and better meeting their own organisational goals in the medium to longer term. 

Guest speakers:
Nareen Young – Associate Dean of Indigenous Leadership and Engagement at UTS Business School at Professor at Jumbunna Institute
Prabhu Sivabalan – Pro-Vice Chancellor of Enterprise Learning at UTS.