Coachella CEO, Queer Eye star, and Co-founder of Slack join SXSW Sydney

sxsw sydney

The festival welcomes Paul Tollett, Tan France, and Cal Henderson

SXSW Sydney is just around the corner, and the festival has announced another batch of speakers making their way Down Under. 

Joining the Speaker Lineup: 

Paul Tollett

Since its inception more than two decades ago, Coachella has become much more than just a music festival. It’s a cultural phenomenon, having hosted the biggest artists in the world and delivered some of the most spectacular live performances ever seen (see: Beyoncé in 2019). 

The man behind the phenomenon is Paul Tollett, CEO of Goldenvoice, the promoter behind Coachella. Beginning his career as a rock promoter in the ‘80s, Tollett has expanded Goldenvoice’s offering to include the beloved Stagecoach country festival, which has hosted artists like Willie Nelson and Carrie Underwood

Tan France 

Fashion designer, best-selling author, content creator and life-changer, Tan France has worn many hats. Growing up gay in a traditional South Asian family in Yorkshire, France knew from a young age that a makeover comes from more than a new set of clothes; it’s addressing real-life issues, tackling change and ultimately acceptance on all sides. From humble beginnings, to leading the fashion department on the Emmy-winning Queer Eye (Netflix) he’s making America fabulous again.

Along with his time on set, France has written a New York Times best-selling memoir, released the first season of the viral hit Dressing Funny (YouTube), co-hosted Next In Fashion (Netflix), hosts the Queer Icons podcast, and started his own gender-neutral clothing line: Was Him. 

Cal Henderson 

Not many people around the world can claim they have changed the way we work but that’s exactly what Cal Henderson has done, as the co-founder and CTO of messaging platform Slack. 

Henderson is an expert in web scalability and created the basis for OAuth and oEmbed, frameworks that changed the face of the internet. In 2019, he was named a Fortune 40 Under 40 honouree and a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Few are better placed than Henderson to speak on tech that’s building the future.

See Also: SXSW Sydney: The latest round of speakers and Session Select Panels

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