Presidential Appearance

President Obama and first lady head to Austin for monumental SXSW first

Kids' State First Dinner July 2013 Michelle Obama President Barack Obama

For the first time in SXSW history, the sitting president and first lady will appear at the event.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Austin's biggest festival — and a first in SXSW history. On Wednesday, SXSW revealed that President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will deliver keynote speeches at the 2016 event. It's the first time a sitting president has participated in the festival.

"I can't imagine a better way to celebrate our event's 30th year than to welcome both the president and first lady to SXSW," says festival co-founder Roland Swenson in a release. "As each new generation comes up at SXSW, they look for ways they can be of service, and it's important to reflect and support that message. President and Mrs. Obama's visit here will inspire attendees to that purpose."

President Obama's keynote will kick off the festival on Friday, March 11. Evan Smith, editor-in-chief of Texas Tribune, will lead the conversation on civic engagement.

"The president will call on the audience to apply their ideas and talents to make technology work for us — especially when it comes to tackling big challenges like increasing participation in the political process and fighting climate change," reads the release. Questions for President Obama will be sourced from the Tribune's online audience.

Michelle Obama's keynote speech is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16. The first lady will discuss her Let Girls Learn initiative, a global mission to make education more accessible for young women.

President Obama's keynote event will be open to Interactive, Gold, and Platinum badge holders. The first lady's speech is open to those with Music, Film, Gold, and Platinum access.

SXSW runs March 11-20 in Austin.

State of innovation

Texas ranks among 5 best states to start a business in 2025

Photo by Mykyta Kravčenko on Unsplash

Texas' friendly business climate has allowed the state to regain its rightful position among the top five best states to start a new business.

As one of the largest states in the U.S., it's no surprise Texas is big on business and entrepreneurship. Now the state is earning new praise among WalletHub's 2025 list of "Best & Worst States to Start a Business."

The Lone Star State claimed the No. 4 spot in the report's rankings — putting Texas in a better shape than it was last year when it earned No. 8 in WalletHub's 2024 report.

The study compared all 50 states across 25 metrics to determine the best places to start, grow, and find success with a new business. Factors that were considered include the number of startups per capita, job growth rates, financing accessibility measures, labor costs, and corporate tax rates.

The three states to outperform Texas are Florida (No. 1), Georgia (No. 2), and Utah (No. 3). Idaho rounded out the top five.

Across the study's three main categories, Texas performed the best in the "business environment" rank, earning No. 1 nationally. This section compared the states based on its five-year business survival rates, average business revenues growth, and more.

Texas ranked No. 12 in the nationwide comparison of "access to resources" – which covers working age population growth, venture investment amounts per capita, and other means – and earned a fair No. 34 in the report's "business costs" ranking.

But Texas can still do better with its business friendliness to reclaim a top-three overall ranking, which the state last earned in 2023.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report that it is imperative for potential new business owners to establish their enterprise in a place that can maximize their ability to succeed.

"Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living," Lupo said. "The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally."

Dallas has also proven to be at the top of the destination list for entrepreneurs who are looking for their next venture.

The top 10 best states to start a new business in 2025 are:

No. 1 – Florida
No. 2 – Georgia
No. 3 – Utah
No. 4 – Texas
No. 5 – Idaho
No. 6 – Oklahoma
No. 7 – Nevada
No. 8 – Colorado
No. 9 – Arizona
No. 10 – Kentucky

business entrepreneurship rankings texas wallethub