Texas A&M returns to SXSW with expanded Fast Company partnership showcasing innovation as a Force for Good
The university will appear throughout Fast Company Grill from March 13-15, then join Fast Company on March 16 for “In Good Company,” a new day of co-created programming focused on innovation, impact and purpose.
Texas A&M University is returning to SXSW 2026 with an expanded presence in Austin, building on its relationship with Fast Company through a three-day activation at the Fast Company Grill and a new fourth day of joint programming created in partnership with the influential media brand.
From March 13-15, Texas A&M will be active at the Fast Company Grill at the Cedar Door in downtown Austin, where the university will exhibit throughout the event and participate in panel programming inside one of SXSW’s most visible gathering places for leaders in business, media, technology and culture.
Then, on March 16, Texas A&M and Fast Company will extend that collaboration with “In Good Company,” a new day of co-created programming that builds on the existing activation and brings Texas A&M’s values, people and ideas into sharper focus. Inspired by Fast Company’s name and Texas A&M’s brand essence, “In Good Company” will convene prominent Aggies alongside leaders from business, entrepreneurship, media and culture for a day of conversations about innovation, responsibility and the power of ideas to do good.
Together, the four-day presence positions Texas A&M at the intersection of innovation, culture and purpose, showing how the university is helping build a brighter, safer world through research, leadership and service.
March 13-15: Fast Company Grill
Texas A&M’s SXSW presence begins at the Fast Company Grill, where the university will maintain an exhibit presence throughout the Grill’s first three days and engage attendees with interactive experiences that bring Aggie innovation in food, medicine, and energy to life.
Visitors will be able to explore exhibits highlighting Texas A&M breakthroughs and ideas with real-world impact, helping translate the university’s scale, ingenuity and mission into a format that is tangible, accessible and memorable for SXSW audiences.
Texas A&M also will be featured on a panel on Friday, March 13, showcasing three Fast Company Brands That Matter honorees. R. Ethan Braden, vice president and chief marketing and communications officer at Texas A&M, will join Ryan Sullivan, chief marketing officer of GoodRx; Damian Slattery, SVP of Marketing of Fast Company; and additional guests to explore how purpose, trust and cultural relevance elevate brands and communities, and how brands that matter inspire change, build lasting relationships and create meaningful impact. Josh Abbott and Adam Hill ’18 will conclude Friday’s schedule with an opening-night musical performance starting at 5 p.m.
The three-day presence places Texas A&M in the center of an influential SXSW environment where ideas travel, audiences gather and meaningful conversations take shape.
March 16: ‘In Good Company’
On Monday, March 16, Texas A&M and Fast Company will present “In Good Company,” a new day of joint programming that reflects a deeper and more intentional collaboration between the two organizations.
Created together by Texas A&M and Fast Company, “In Good Company” expands the SXSW activation with a full day built around shared themes of innovation, purpose, responsibility and impact. The programming will feature prominent Texas A&M voices alongside respected leaders recruited in collaboration with Fast Company, creating dynamic conversations shaped by both Aggie perspective and broader industry insight.
Panels and fireside chats throughout the day will explore how leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship and responsibility can come together to create lasting impact.
Confirmed speakers for the March 16 programming include Anthony Wood, founder and CEO of Roku; Pri Shumate, former CMO of the Miami Dolphins; Federico Muyshondt, president and COO of The Farmer’s Dog; Elizabeth Teran of Owlet, a Fast Company 2025 Brands That Matter honoree; Jack Giarraputo, co-founder of Happy Madison Productions; and Stef Strack, founder and CEO of Voice in Sport. Aiden Ross, winner of Season 28 of “The Voice” and current student, will wrap up the event with a musical performance beginning at 5 p.m.
“ ‘In Good Company’ reflects the kind of partnership we are building with Fast Company,” Braden said. “Together, we are shaping a day of conversations around innovation, purpose and impact with people who bring real perspective and credibility to those topics. By bringing Aggie voices together with leaders from across industries, we have an opportunity to show how Fast Company and Texas A&M are helping build a brighter, safer world.”
A visible expression of good
That idea will come to life in a vivid and public way on the morning of March 16, when Texas A&M launches a signature activation just across the street from the Cedar Door.
There, attendees will encounter a specially installed shipping container transformed into a fully functional, portable medical clinic, one of the Texas Aggie Medical Clinics designed, constructed and deployed worldwide by the student organization BUILD. The clinic stands as a powerful example of Texas A&M values in action, bringing together practical innovation, student leadership and service that meets real human need.
In collaboration with Secret Walls, Texas A&M will invite attendees to help create a live mural on the interior of the clinic, turning the installation into an interactive art experience and a tangible expression of the day’s central theme.
The activation gives SXSW attendees something immediate and concrete: a chance to see how creativity, ingenuity and service can come together in a way that is both memorable and meaningful. In one installation, Texas A&M will bring to life the spirit of “In Good Company” and offer visible proof of what it means to be a force for good.
Additional speakers will be announced. Find out more about Texas A&M’s participation in SXSW 2026 here.
