Speaker Connects are an opportunity to join a limited number of attendees for an intimate discussion with SXSW Speakers. Come brainstorm new ideas and engage in conversation in this unique format. Advance sign-up is required, and access is limited to Interactive and Platinum badge holders. Please stay tuned to sxsw.com for updates to the RSVP process in late February.

Catherine Burns is a Peabody Award–-winning director, storytelling midwife, consultant, and public speaker. From 2003 to 2023, she was the artistic director of The Moth, where she was host and producer of The Moth Radio Hour and co-author of the NYT bestselling "How to Tell a Story." As a lead director on The Moth’s Mainstage, she has helped hundreds of people craft their stories, including a New York City sanitation worker, a Nobel Laureate, the Tower of London’s Raven Master, a jaguar tracker, and an exonerated prisoner. She also edited the best-selling and critically-acclaimed books The Moth: 50 True Stories, All These Wonders, Occasional Magic, and A Point of Beauty. Born and raised in Alabama, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and young son.

David Litt is A former senior presidential speechwriter for Barack Obama, David Litt was described as the "comic muse for the president" for his work writing jokes for the White House Correspondents Dinner. Since leaving the White House, David has written two books, including the NYT bestselling memoir, "Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years." From 2016-2018 he was the head writer/producer for Funny Or Die DC, and has written comedy pilots for Comedy Central, ABC, and NBC. He continues to write speeches and books for clients from NFL quarterbacks and Fortune 100 CEOs to former cabinet secretaries and leading philanthropists. His upcoming book "It's Only Drowning," about surfing with his Joe Rogan superfan brother-in-law, will be released in June 2025.