Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, actor, and author Ashanti made history in 2002 with her double-platinum, self-titled album Ashanti, which holds the record as the highest selling debut by any female artist in music history. As the twenty-year anniversary of that landmark release approaches, she’s about to make history again in the fields of music and technology with a major announcement at SXSW. She will be joined by Canadian tech entrepreneur Janice Taylor for a groundbreaking conversation about the creative economy and female empowerment. Ashanti made headlines when she shared plans to reclaim her power as an artist and entrepreneur by re-recording her landmark release for a special anniversary edition. “It’s so important to me to get the message out that artists should own their intellectual property,” Ashanti says. “By empowering myself through new technology I’m trying to help other women avoid going through the things that I’ve been through. The future belongs to those who take control and make it their own.”