Welcome to Willpower HQ, our refreshed hub for wellness, performance, and the brands shaping culture.

Edition 03 is your field guide to everything happening across wellness and CPG at SXSW. There’s a lot unfolding across the city, so we’re tracking what matters, highlighting where to be, and will continue to update as new events, brands, and moments come online.

That also means Wellness House is officially back. We’re returning for year three on Friday, March 13, bringing the community, programming, and energy that’s become a cornerstone of the week. Full details below.

If you’re enjoying where HQ is headed, we’d love for you to share it with a friend or peer who should be here too.

— The Willpower Team

SXSW is operating a little differently this year. There’s no central convention center hub, instead, it’s more of a downtown Austin takeover spread across 12+ official venues and hotels.

Programming will be distributed throughout downtown rather than anchored in one place, which means a lot more movement between venues like The LINE, Fairmont, JW Marriott, Austin Convention-adjacent hotels, and other partner spaces.

Access is also tighter this year. Badge enforcement will be stricter across venues, with fewer secondary access points and less casual drop-in flexibility than in past years. If something is badge-required, expect that to be consistently checked.

The result: SXSW will feel more decentralized and citywide, part conference, part downtown circuit. Planning ahead and knowing what’s actually worth your time will matter more than ever.

That’s where we come in. We’re tracking the wellness and CPG events happening across the city and will keep updating this guide in every edition leading up to SXSW as more announcements drop, so you can stay locked in and plan accordingly.

We’re returning with Willpower Wellness House for its third year, right in the heart of SXSW weekend, to continue building a space for the people shaping what’s next across wellness, performance, and CPG. Registration will remain approval-based to keep the experience curated, intentional, and high-signal.

The day will open with a morning run and workout session led by LSKD, followed by a full day of programming designed around where wellness, performance, and CPG are actually heading. Highlights include Greg Lavecchia, founder of Bloom, joining as a keynote speaker, a live Founder Roast hosted by Noah Obstfeld, and additional voices from brands like Goodwipes, Throne Science, SweatPals, and It’s Skinny, with more to be announced.

The full experience will unfold across workshops, activations, product discovery, and community-led moments designed to keep the room engaged from start to finish.

We’ll also debut two event-only collaborations: a limited-run T-shirt with LSKD and a custom shoe created with KANE Footwear and the San Antonio Spurs, both designed specifically for Wellness House and available exclusively to attendees. Additionally, we’re introducing VIP-only programming throughout the day with limited spots, to create smaller, closed-door sessions designed for executives and decision-makers.

This takes place the weekend before SXSW, but if you’re a founder looking to invest in an experience that will genuinely push you forward, and connect you with other like-minded operators, this is a strong one to consider.

The retreat is designed around intimate, founder-first conversations, shared experiences, and learning from people actively building and scaling meaningful brands. A mix of thoughtful programming, downtime, and real relationship-building with a tight group of peers.

The itinerary spans workouts, contrast therapy and recovery sessions, founder-led workshops, and shared meals designed to foster real conversation. Expect morning trail runs and training sessions, deep-dive discussions with guest founders, and plenty of unstructured time to connect with other operators in a smaller, high-trust environment. It’s equal parts performance, perspective, and peer connection heading into the week of SXSW.

Speakers include:

Todd Anderson — Founder, Dream Performance & Recovery
Greg LaVecchia — Founder, Bloom Nutrition **
Scott Hickle — Founder, Throne Science **
Keith Nowak — Founder, Ten Thousand
Eric Hinman — Brand builder & investor
Pete Nelson — Founder, SiSu Sauna

If you’re a founder heading into SXSW and want an experience that will set the tone for the week, this is it.

** If you’re unable to make the retreat, Greg (Bloom) and Scott (Throne Science) will also be joining us as speakers at Wellness House this year, so you’ll have a chance to hear from them there as well.

If you’re looking for something more policy, systems, and future-of-food focused during SXSW week, the Food Tank “All Things Food” Summit is one of the more substantive rooms to be in.

While it spans the broader food system, the conversations consistently land on topics that matter for wellness and CPG including: ingredient transparency, supply chains, sustainability, access to better-for-you food, and how emerging brands are shaping the future of what and how we eat.

Expect a room of thought-leaders who are thinking seriously about where food, health, and consumer behavior are heading next.

This is a good add if you want more of a counterbalance to the pop-up brand activations and social events happening across the city.

Honorable mention from the Willpower community: if you were at our Catalyst Series last August, you might remember Waxed on Wheels, the pitch built around a pickleball tournament where the losers quite literally got waxed. If you weren’t there, just trust us… it was equal parts chaotic and hilarious.

That concept has since evolved into hālo haus, now shaping up to be a major beauty + wellness activation during SXSW week.

hālo haus will take over a full street closure on W 4th Street between Colorado and Congress, right in the center of the SXSW pedestrian corridor, for four days of programming across beauty, wellness, longevity, and consumer experience. Expect an open-air format anchored by a dedicated stage for thought leadership and fireside-style conversations, alongside a recovery lounge and brand activations designed to balance SXSW’s typically tech-heavy energy.

The activation runs March 12–15 and is open to the public, with priority access for badge holders. If you’ll be in Austin that week and operating in (or simply interested in) beauty or wellness, this is one to have on your radar, we’ll share more as details continue to unfold.

If you’re in the mood for something a little more unfiltered during SXSW week, this one will be a blast. Pitch Roast Live is bringing the heat with a CPG-focused roast where founders pitch and get real-time feedback (and a healthy dose of friendly fire) from Noah Obstfeld and a panel of comedians. Think: Shark Tank meets a comedy show. Equal parts entertainment and actual insight, it’s a refreshing break from the usual polished panels and fireside chats.

Noah will also be hosting a Pitch Roast with an all-star lineup of CPG founders earlier that same day at Wellness House, so if you want to catch him in action there, or double down and see more, this is absolutely one to add to your calendar. Expect sharp takes, fast-paced banter, and a room full of founders who can take a joke (and maybe learn something from it too).

This one isn’t strictly wellness or CPG, but it’s still a worthwhile stop if you’re looking to plug into the broader brand, culture, and creativity conversations happening around SXSW.

Fast Company Grill consistently brings together big-name speakers, culture drivers, and executives shaping modern consumer brands. Expect a mix of pop culture, marketing, and brand-building at scale, the kind of conversations that sit just outside the wellness bubble but still deeply influence how brands grow, position, and stay relevant.

This year’s lineup includes John Stamos, along with standout voices across CPG and brand:
Katie Diasti, Founder & CEO of Viv Period Care
Andy Pearson, VP of Creative at Liquid Death
Jen Zeszut, Cofounder & CEO of Goodles

If you’re building a brand, especially in wellness or CPG, this is a good opportunity to hear from people who have done an exceptional job shaping culture, both within and beyond your category. The kind of room where you leave with fresh perspective on innovation, storytelling, and how great brands actually break through.

Similar vibe here: not strictly wellness or CPG, but very founder-forward and worth flagging if you’re looking to spend time in rooms with people actively building and scaling modern brands.

Inc. Founders House brings together operators, creators, and business leaders for conversations spanning entrepreneurship, brand-building, and growth. The programming leans broader, but there’s strong crossover with wellness and consumer, from founders navigating scale to leaders shaping culture-driven brands.

This year’s lineup includes Poppi founders Allison Ellsworth and Stephen Ellsworth, Natalie Holloway, co-founder and CEO of Bala, and Mark Cuban speaking on his work with Cost Plus Drugs, alongside other notable operators and industry voices.

Between Poppi’s breakout growth over the past few years and Bala’s continued cultural momentum in the wellness space, this is a strong set of panelists. If you’re building a brand and want to hear directly from founders who’ve successfully scaled both product and presence, this is definitely one we’d recommend carving out time for.

This takes place every Saturday, but if you’re in town for SXSW and looking for a reset from the chaos (while still getting your steps in), it’s a fantastic add to the weekend.

The Board Walks is built around a simple but effective concept: long-form walks with thoughtful people. Show up with a topic on your mind or just float between conversations as you go, it’s an easy, low-pressure way to meet curious individuals outside of crowded venues and packed schedules. Expect fresh air, good conversation, and a more organic approach to connection.

If you’re looking for something grounding between events, or just want to hit 10k steps while meeting great people, this is a really cool one to check out.

This is a strong add if women’s health, longevity, and wellness innovation are on your radar. She Media Co-Lab’s Whole Life Health experience brings together journalists, physicians, and thought leaders for conversations centered on the future of women’s health and care.

Programming focuses on menopause, longevity, musculoskeletal health, pelvic health, and how media and brands are shaping more informed, empowered health decisions for women.

Speakers include Katie Couric, Dr. Vonda Wright (Orthopedic Surgeon & NYT Best-Selling Author), Robert Hammond (President of Therme US & Co-Founder of The High Line), Dr. Nathan Price (Chief Scientific Officer at Thorne), Chaunte Lowev (4x Olympian, Olympic Medalist, and Award-Winning Author), along with many other highly accomplished panelists, bringing a mix of clinical expertise, media influence, and real-world application.

If you’re building something more technical in wellness, or want a deeper, more substantive lens on women’s health, this is a worthwhile stop during SXSW weekend.