TENWEST 2025 returns to downtown Tucson from March 25-30, bringing together thought leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs for a dynamic mix of professional development and community connection, organized by Startup Tucson.
Arizona Arts Live is co-presenting the featured keynote, Guy Raz; the featured performer, Reggie Watts; and an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., highlighting the intersection of arts and innovation.
- RESCHEDULED: The Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. talk has been postponed to May 7 due to illness.
“TENWEST is a celebration of creativity, innovation, and community—values that lie at the heart of Arizona Arts Live,” said Chad Herzog, executive and artistic director of Arizona Arts Live.
“We’re thrilled to co-present these visionary artists and thought leaders, whose work challenges conventions and inspires new ways of thinking. From Guy Raz’s deep storytelling to Reggie Watts’ boundary-pushing performances and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s powerful cultural insights, this year’s lineup is an exciting reflection of the intersection of arts and ideas.”
For more information about TENWEST and the full schedule, visit TENWEST.com.
TENWESTx Talks: Guy Raz (How I Built This)
March 26, 7:30p
Centennial Hall
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Arizona Arts Live and TENWEST welcome Guy Raz, the award-winning journalist and host of How I Built This, for a keynote at Centennial Hall on March 26.
Raz, hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most popular podcasters in history,” has spent decades uncovering the stories behind the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. His keynote, 7 Lessons I’ve Learned from the World’s Greatest Entrepreneurs, will equip attendees with actionable insights and inspiration to fuel their own creative and business pursuits.
With a career spanning NPR, CNN, and podcasting, Raz has captivated millions with his engaging storytelling and sharp interview skills. His accolades include the Peabody Award and the Edward R. Murrow Award, and he remains one of the most influential voices in media today.
Collective Community Vision, feat. Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Black Faculty Speaker Series
March 28, 6p
Centennial Hall
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Open to the public, free admission, tickets required
- RESCHEDULED: The Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. talk has been postponed to May 7 due to illness.
Join Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. for a fireside chat and lecture, “Collective Community Vision,” exploring community building as a collective practice. This presentation is part of the university’s 2025 Black Faculty Speaker Series. Presented by the Office of the Provost, with Arizona Arts as a platinum sponsor and support from TENWEST and Arizona Arts Live..
Fireside Chat
March 28, 3p
Holsclaw Hall
RSVP Here
Open to U of A faculty, students and staff only.
Earlier in the afternoon the renowned historian will provide an insightful Fireside Chat on community building, genealogy, and history, featuring highlights from his PBS series Finding Your Roots, including memorable moments with Congressman John Lewis. Open to U of A faculty, students, and staff. Attendees are encouraged to register early to receive his complimentary book, “Black Box: Writing the Race.”
Dr. Gates is an acclaimed cultural critic and institution builder. He is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. Among his dozens of books are recent New York Times bestsellers Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow and The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. He has also produced and hosted an array of documentary films. The Black Church (PBS) and Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO), which he executive produced, received Emmy nominations. Finding Your Roots, Gates’s groundbreaking genealogy and genetics series is now in its tenth season on PBS.
Professor Gates has received countless awards and honors, including a George Polk Award for his social commentary in The New York Times, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Chicago Tribune Literary Award for lifetime achievement, and the prestigious Gold Medal from the National Institute of Social Sciences, among many others. His filmmaking has received Emmy, Peabody, and NAACP Image Awards and an Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award. Recently, he the coveted Spingarn Medal from the NAACP.
TENWESTx Live: Reggie Watts
March 28, 8p
191 Toole
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On March 28, musician, comedian, and writer Reggie Watts brings his genre-defying performance to 191 Toole. Best known as the bandleader for The Late Late Show with James Corden, Watts combines beatboxing, improvisation, and humor in an unpredictable and engaging live show.
Described by The New York Times as “the most influential absurdist in comedy today,” his spontaneous performances leave audiences in awe, laughing, and fully immersed in the moment. Watts has captivated audiences at Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Just for Laughs and his Netflix special “Spatial” received critical acclaim.
About TENWEST
Founded by StartUp Tucson in 2015, TENWEST is Southern Arizona’s largest professional development experience, blending a multi-day conference with a community festival. With sessions covering technology, entrepreneurship, and creativity, the event provides opportunities to learn from experts, connect with peers, and explore new ideas.
Arizona Arts Live is honored to be part of this year’s lineup, showcasing artists who challenge conventions and inspire innovation.
Event Details
- TENWESTx Talks: Guy Raz – March 26, 7:30p, Centennial Hall | Get Tickets
- Collective Community Vision feat. Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., March 28, 6p, Centennial Hall | Get Tickets
- TENWESTx Live: Reggie Watts – March 28, 8p, 191 Toole | Get Tickets