AUSTIN, TX – March 6, 2025 – If there’s one city that understands the power of a gathering, it’s Austin. Home to SXSW and a thriving ecosystem of artists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, this city has long been a breeding ground for movements that reshape industries. But something different happened last night at CUBA512, a vibrant Latin-inspired venue that pulsed with the energy of possibility.
It was the inaugural edition of Purple Jam, a bold new campaign blending thought leadership with the intimacy of community-building—an ambitious attempt to connect rising leaders across disciplines, industries, and causes. The room was buzzing, not just with conversation, but with the sense that something bigger than a single event had begun.
A New Blueprint for Social Impact
Purple Jam, the brainchild of Twelvenets, a social impact firm committed to amplifying transformative ideas, is not just another networking event. It is designed to bridge the gap between conversation and action, between isolated efforts and collective movements.
Similar initiatives in history—such as the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Clinton Global Initiative, and TEDx—have proven that when the right minds meet, entire sectors shift. Purple Jam is positioning itself in that lineage, creating a space where leaders don’t just exchange business cards, but rewrite the rules of engagement.
Confronting the Hard Conversations
The evening unfolded in three power-packed panels, each one peeling back the layers of today’s most pressing challenges and reframing them through the lens of opportunity.
Tech Integration in 2025: The Innovation Dilemma – Liberty Madison (Founder, Liberty Madison) and Dr. Richard Otto (COO, Playcology) tackled a problem that is as old as technology itself: how do we harness its potential without widening the digital divide? From AI in education to blockchain in social enterprise, they examined how cutting-edge tools could empower rather than exclude.
Education for All: Bridging the Access Gap – Few topics stir as much passion as education, and with Dr. Darryl Williams (SVP, Franklin’s Institute of Technology) and Michela Laverty (CEO, OLY ABLE) at the helm, this discussion laid bare the economic cost of an undereducated society. Citing studies linking higher literacy rates to national GDP growth, the panelists made a compelling case: investing in education is not philanthropy, it’s economic strategy.
The Politics of PR in a Polarized World – With Tuky Ibarra (Owner, CUBA512) and Emmanuel Nyame (CEO, Twelvenets) leading the discussion, this session didn’t shy away from the hard truths. In an era where brands are expected to take a stand yet risk alienating half their audience, the conversation centered on navigating media minefields with authenticity.
More Than a Conversation – A Movement in the Making
There was something about the way people lingered long after the last panel ended, exchanging ideas as though the night were just beginning. The crowd—ranging from startup founders to activists, from tech visionaries to artists—felt more like an incubator than an audience.
“We don’t just want to talk. We want to ignite action,” said Emmanuel Nyame, the force behind Twelvenets. “Movements are born in rooms like this. And tonight was just the beginning.”
He’s right. The world has seen this before—small gatherings that lead to policy shifts, groundbreaking ventures, and industry revolutions. From the Harlem Renaissance to Davos, from the Civil Rights lunch counter sit-ins to Silicon Valley’s first tech meetups in garages, history is written in spaces where ideas meet urgency.
What’s Next for Purple Jam?
If you weren’t there, you missed more than just a night of powerful dialogue—you missed the opening notes of something that could change the way we think about collaboration and social impact. But the good news? This was just the first in a series of events that will continue to explore how rising leaders can drive economic growth, equity, and lasting change.
The next Purple Jam is already in the works, and if last night was any indication, you’ll want to be in the room when it happens. Because history doesn’t wait, and neither does progress.
For updates on the next edition of Purple Jam, visit mypurplejam.com or @mypurplejam on all social media handles.
