Pine Crest School at SXSW EDU

Pine Crest School has submitted a proposal to present at SXSW EDU 2026, a leading national conference where educators and innovators share bold ideas shaping the future of learning.

Mrs. Keri Kolettis with Logan Schwedelson ’26, Mehak Gadh ’25 and Rodney Henry ’26 have formed a panel presentation titled "Start-Up Spirit: The Real-World Impact of Student Ventures."

To get to SXSW EDU, the selection process, called PanelPicker, depends on community support. Help Pine Crest School earn a spot on this influential stage, share our story and encourage others to vote. Together we can showcase our commitment to student innovation and connect with education leaders nationwide.

How to Cast Your Vote

Visit this link!
Click the ❤️heart icon next to our session title: Start-Up Spirit: The Real-World Impact of Student Ventures.
You’ll be prompted to create an account. Click Sign Up. Follow the steps and check your email.
Click the verification link in your email to activate your account.
Once verified, you’ll return to the site.
Type the session title into the search bar: Start-Up Spirit: The Real-World Impact of Student Ventures.
Click the ❤️heart icon on the right-hand side of the session title. Make sure it turns red. That means your vote is in!
Watch this video for step-by-step instructions

Why This Panel? Why Now?

Our pitch to SXSW EDU

We submitted a panel called “Start-Up Spirit: The Real-World Impact of Student Ventures.” The session aims to showcase how high school students are launching real companies with measurable impact.

Our proposed panel would feature three of our Social Entrepreneurship Fellows: Logan Schwedelson ’26, Rodney Henry ’26 and Mehak Gadh ’25. These students have built ventures spanning wearable med-tech, augmented reality platforms, sustainable fashion and community health programs. Their stories reflect what happens when entrepreneurial thinking, innovation and purpose collide inside the classroom.

Moderating the panel would be Mrs. Keri Kolettis, Vice President of Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Pine Crest. Under her leadership, the School’s Social Entrepreneurship program has evolved into a nationally recognized initiative that empowers students to create meaningful change in their communities and beyond.

Why This Panel, and Why Now?

We believe that Pine Crest students are not just preparing for the future but are actively building it. This panel shines a spotlight on what is possible when schools become launchpads for innovation. It also speaks directly to a broader educational trend: the growing need for future-ready skills like adaptability, analytical thinking and resilience in an unpredictable world.

Our students are learning these skills not through textbooks, but through the real-world process of ideating, prototyping, pitching and iterating. They are gaining first-hand experience in navigating complexity, learning from failure and working with purpose. These are not just academic lessons but life lessons.

SXSW EDU offers an ideal platform to share this story with a global audience of educators, policy-makers and innovators. If selected, our panel will serve as a powerful example of what students can achieve when given the tools, mentorship and freedom to lead.