Making Connections Through the Mentor Program | SXSW EDU 2025 Rewind

One of the most unique aspects of the SXSW EDU experience is the plethora of opportunities on the program to network with other attendees. And two of the best ways to meet your new besties are the Mentor and Roundtable Programs.

One-on-One Mentor Sessions offer a more personal experience, as attendees can chart their own mentorship journey in selecting from Mentors with a wide range of experience and expertise to draw from.

On Monday morning, Barbara Bray shared insights on amplifying your voice and owning your story to create a platform or brand that represents your true self. This theme stood out as a strong trend in our Arts & Storytelling track. Tuesday, attendees were really interested in writing and publishing their creative works or delving into leadership skills, both areas which Ugochi Emenaha from our Teaching & Learning track brought expert guidance. To wrap up the Mentor Program on Wednesday, conversations shifted toward the future of work. And who better to jump into that topic than with Robert Bajor from our Work Reimagined track, who gave insight on digital credential implementation, which is gaining traction as a new trend in the workplace.

Of course, all of our One-on-One Mentors brought so much more insight and experience to the conversations that we could learn something new from them each time.

Our Roundtable Discussions are lively group discussions with multiple mentees and mentors over the course of an hour. Proving to be one of our most popular networking programs, almost all of our Roundtable discussions were full with attendees who were excited to network and meet new people to talk about each subject.

Shoutout to the Empowering Families & Communities to Improve Literacy mentors who brought books for all of the mentees who participated at the Roundtable! That was such a cute and engaging way to start the conversation. Innovation and Tech are always at the core of the SXSW thesis and the Startups & Investment and Future of Tech Roundtables were so popular that attendees who were not able to join due to capacity limitations, created their own roundtable outside of the room. I love that ingenuity and desire to network that’s at the heart of SXSW EDU, and y’all really bring that energy every year!

Shoutout to all of the mentors and mentees who participated in the Mentor Program this year, I hope y’all made new friends and were able to learn a thing or two. If you’re interested in being a Mentor for SXSW EDU 2026, stay tuned for the application coming later this summer. Sign up for our newsletters so you’re the first to know when they open up!

Watch SXSW EDU 2025 On-Demand Content

Take a look back at SXSW EDU 2025 and relive exciting Keynotes, Featured Sessions, and more, now available to watch on our official YouTube channel, plus listen to hundreds of audio recordings in the schedule.

Stay tuned for more information about registration and participation opportunities for SXSW EDU 2026 coming later this summer.

Photo by Tico Mendoza