When the Rules Break, Change the Game

UPDATE NOV 2025: I didn’t make the SXSW 2026 lineup but no worries – the process of developing this proposal was exactly the catalyst I needed to evolve this concept further.

Stay tuned as exciting future projects are in the works for this topic in the coming year. Thanks so much to everyone who voted and cheered this on!  

My ​2026 Session Proposal:

The Challenge and Opportunity: In our recent posts, From Chaos to Power and our HTTE Transition, we’ve been exploring this tumultuous era of change and the powerful opportunities it offers us.

In my presentation, I’ll share practical strategies and frameworks to help cutting edge leaders, activists and concerned citizens harness the momentum of change to create something better for everyone and change the game – not as victims but as creators, architects, and leaders. I’ll share how to:

Shift from fixing to building – Stop wasting precious time and energy trying to fix what’s broken and not serving us. Instead, direct our powerful energies toward what actually moves us forward. We’ll explore 4 critical warning signals (values betrayal, complexity chaos, limited impact, and disconnected action) that help leaders and communities make this pivot faster and shift to a new mindset and new opportunities.

Shift from other-centered to people-centered solutions – Move beyond solutions focused on competing priorities and agendas to people-centered solutions that put humanity first – the foundation of our People-First/Humanity First approach.

Shift from isolation to coalition – Unite and unleash our phenomenal talents through powerful coalitions that speed up impact and build the lasting change we deserve.

You can still find my original presentation proposal here: When the Rules Break, Change the Game

And you can find me briefly describing my proposal in the video below:

Stay tuned! ♥

#SXSW is Austin’s annual conference celebrating the convergence of tech, film, music, education, and culture. 

~ Carmen