This blog is written by one of 15 individuals attending the South By Southwest Conference in Austin with the intention to bring back ideas and to reimagine Richland County.
Well, today is our last day at SXSW. Here are a few of my thoughts as I prepare to leave. Don’t worry, I will keep this blog post a little less technical…
First, my apologies to Cameron Haring (Cameron was my roommate).
Second, I have been to some pretty cool/fancy coffee shops this past week, and let me tell you, none of them compare to the awesomeness of Relax It’s Just Coffee. If you don’t know, we have a coffee gem in our downtown.
Third, and most importantly, I met some pretty creative, smart people this week. Specifically, my friends from Mansfield.
We joined together from different journeys and backgrounds. It was interesting to see how each person brought a different perspective in how we believe Mansfield can move forward.
I went to dozens of sessions this past week. I learned from some of the best and brightest people in their field of work. I heard a lot of really cool ideas, and will bring home some good information. But some of my best learning experiences came from sitting around the table with the #SXSW419 group having conversations about the possibilities of our downtown. It was fun taking the ideas that we’ve seen and heard, and pondering the question…could this work in Mansfield?
On a final note, I am reminded about how many people care about our city. The position I have with the city over the past few years has afforded me the opportunity to see this firsthand. After spending time with the SXSW group, I am even more encouraged about our downtown’s future.
By the way. I am told the hard work is about to begin. It’s time to start taking these ideas and formulating them into a plan. I am even more excited about seeing this plan come to fruition.
Stay tuned and follow the progress via #SXSW419. And watch for more blogs at richlandsource.com/rising_from_rust/sxsw.
