Edge City Austin: A Closer Look at What’s Happening

Summary

Edge City Austin is an immersive gathering for people pushing the edges of tech, science, and culture. You can buy tickets directly here.

Three key benefits from attending the event: 

• 1. Learn: You will better understand the state of frontier technology and how it can be used to enhance human flourishing. 
• 2. Co-create: You will co-create the experience through our participant-driven unconference or hosting your own programming. 
• 3. Connect: You will meet curious, kind, and high-agency people that you would never otherwise meet. 

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Here are the details:

From March 2-7, we’re creating a mini popup village where deep conversations meet hands-on collaboration.

• 🏙️ Location: Hotel Magdalena & Keiretsu Co-working, Austin, TX
• ⏰ Programming: Come and go as it suits your schedule. Sunday will be a full day of lightning talks, workshops, and meeting other participants
  
  • Mornings: Workouts and connection
  • Daytime: Coworking open for group work & meetups, Snacks & Hangs (2PM - 4PM)
  • Evenings (4PM - 8PM): Talks, workshops, and sessions
  • Kids Programming (3:30PM - 5PM)
• 🌟 Highlights: Sessions on AI, health & biohacking, cryptography & crypto, the future of cities & community, and more
• 🎤 Speakers: Vitalik Buterin (on D/ACC technology), ICON (3D printing homes), Justin Mares (Founder of Truemed on US health policy), Josie Zayner (Gene Editing), and many others (including you!) 
• 🏡 Community Participation: Add events at your homes, at the park, or elsewhere to the calendar for anyone interested in joining!

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☀️ Get your tickets here

Our first blog post introduced Edge City Austin—a six-day unconference running March 2-7, leading into SXSW. Now, we want to give you a clearer picture of what the experience will actually be like: the people, the sessions, the venues, and how you can take part.

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Speakers and Sessions: A Preview

We do programming differently. You’re not just going to sit and listen to talks, because sessions are participatory. We encourage you to engage with ideas, solve problems, ask questions, and debate with some of the most curious and driven minds exploring frontier problems. 

Even if a topic is completely new to you, this is one of the best ways to get involved—by thinking through it alongside others, rather than just absorbing information passively.

We have a packed lineup of frontier thinkers and builders leading talks and workshops. Here are the first batch (more to be announced soon): 

• Vitalik Buterin – Exploring the path forward for d/acc philosophies
• Justin Mares – How to make healthy cities, and how we can use health policy for a healthier US
• ICON Team – Exploring 3D-printed houses and the future of construction.
• Josie Zayner – Leading a hands-on session on gene editing and biohacking.
• Brendon McCord (Cosmos Institute) – Exploring the intersection of AI and Philosophy
• Joshua Farahzad – Building a Proto-Town for Hard Tech
• And many more to be announced soon! 

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This is just a taste of what’s happening. The schedule will be flexible and dynamic, with room for spontaneous discussions, lightning talks, and community-hosted sessions.

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What to Expect Day to Day

‍Mornings (7AM - 9:30AM): Start your day with morning workouts at Hotel Magdalena—think group HIIT workouts, power yoga, or light runs. We’ve got the best instructors in town. After that, grab breakfast with other attendees at Summer House, the restaurant next to our main venue. These casual meals are where some of the best conversations happen.

‍Daytime: Our co-working space at Keiretsu is open for focused work, collaboration, and impromptu discussions. The middle of the day is for you. Use the time to work on your own projects, join spontaneous meetups, or dive into deep conversations. Make co-working productive by learning and working with others for a week, especially if you're someone who typically works from home.

‍Evening Programming (5PM - 8PM): The main talks and workshops happen in the evenings, so you don’t have to worry about missing key sessions if you have work during the day. Expect high-quality discussions across different fields, with the ability to host your own sessions.

After 8PM, there will be community dinners, chances to organize salons at homes, or head to one of the venues for more informal conversations.

There will also be Kids Programming from 3:30pm-5pm; more details to come soon! 

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How to participate

Edge City isn’t a spectator event or conference. It’s designed for active participation. Here’s how you can shape the experience:

‍1. Host Your Own Session

‍There will be an open calendar and a dedicated space for an ongoing unconference, where anyone can sign up to host a talk, workshop, or discussion. Want to run a session on emergent governance models? Longevity? Designing new social systems? Just add it to the calendar! 

‍2. Invite People into Your Space

‍Some of the best moments happen in homes, not venues. Have an Airbnb with a cozy living room? A sauna? A backyard with a fire pit? Open it up for an intimate salon or dinner and meet a host of amazing people. 

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The Venues: Where It’s All Happening

We’re taking over two key spaces in Austin:

‍Hotel Magdalena

Our main talk space is also the first mass timber boutique hotel in North America. A beautiful venue with both indoor and outdoor areas, where we’ll gather for workouts, meals, and spontaneous conversations.

‍Keiretsu Coworking

Our dedicated co-working and breakout session space, with two extra rooms for workshops and unconference-style lightning talks. These venues provide the perfect balance—structured programming in the evenings, open and dynamic spaces in the day.

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Why Join?

• Experience a microcosm of a new way of living. Edge City is designed to be immersive, social, and dynamic—an alternative to both conferences and daily life. This is the easiest way to get a sample of our types of events. 
• Meet interesting people you would never otherwise meet. You’ll be surrounded by curious, high-agency builders from across tech, science, philosophy, and art.
• It fits into your schedule. Talks happen in the evening, so you can work during the day or attend as much as you want.
• You can create your own experience. Host, share, and contribute in ways that go beyond passive attendance.
• Be healthy for a week. Use the infrastructure we’re providing and the social network to stay accountable to living your healthiest week. 

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How to Join

The event runs from March 2-7, 2025 in Austin, Texas.

🔗 Buy your tickets here

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‍Want to help spread the word? We’re offering a 10% discount for partner organizations—if you think your network would be interested, reach out.

Edge City Austin is going to be an incredible week of ideas, collaboration, and connection. See you there.