Disclaimer: This post is reflective of our company while under the name Pledgeling and the listed information may be outdated. Please refer to our main company website on Pledge for current information and resources.
South By Southwest is arguably the most influential (and massive) tech conference in existence today, bringing thought-leaders, artists, and brands of all size for 10 days of convergence and collaboration in Austin, Texas. This year, Pledge powered giving throughout the festival with our partners Pearson and Southwest Invasion.
Pearson hosted their Spelling Bee for Project Literacy in the SXSW Social Hub, where attendees texted in a donation for the chance to be a contestant in the Bee. The event was a huge success, raising $3,300 for Project Literacy throughout SXSW and with the winning word of “chrysanthemum.”
Our second activation was with Southwest Invasion, a free three-day music festival benefitting Whole Planet Foundation. Pledge powered donations through Southwest Invasion’s invitation, social media, and at the event with our donation widget.
Finally, we hung with our partners at Camp Tinder, where they celebrated their recent donation of $250,000 to 12 different women’s causes.
Aside from Pledgeling’s amazing partners, SXSW was full of incredible content and incredible people. Notably, a huge percentage of speakers were women -- not something you often see in the tech world. Two of my favorites were Whitney Wolfe, CEO and Founder of Bumble, and Tyler Haney, CEO and Founder of Outdoor Voices. These two dynamo women lead wildly successful companies with focused vision, empathetic leadership, and a fiercely feminist style. I left both of their talks fired up for the future of business in this world!
The hardest part about SXSW is knowing that it is physically impossible to do everything. Prioritization is hard to do - you just have to accept that you can’t be everywhere and see everything. That said, it was an incredible week in Austin and I am so inspired about all of the good that is being done in the world.