SEGD Branded Environments / SEGD Xlab

Infusing over two decades of design excellence into her role as CEO of SEGD, Cybelle Jones is not just a leader but a passionate advocate for the transformative power of experience design. Firmly grounded in the conviction that design has the capability to engender positive change, Cybelle drives her multidisciplinary community to create experiences that intimately connect people with places. As the helm of SEGD, a non-profit member organization, Cybelle champions education, innovation, and design excellence. She works tirelessly to inspire the design of more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments, reflecting her belief in the pivotal role design plays in shaping our world. Before taking the reins at SEGD, Cybelle etched a notable career as Principal of G&A. Her 25+ year tenure saw her lead several acclaimed design projects, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. These high-profile undertakings not only attest to her design prowess but also her ability to infuse creativity with strategic insights. Cybelle’s influence extends beyond SEGD. As a thought leader, she has addressed audiences at prestigious forums like AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, and MuseumNext. Her active involvement on various boards sees her push the boundaries of experience design, contributing to the evolution of the profession. Driven by passion, guided by experience, and committed to innovation, Cybelle Jones is a beacon in the realm of design, illuminating the path to a more user-centric, equitable, and sustainable future.

Nasya Kamrat, Chief Experience Officer and Futurist. As an award-winning creative strategist, she has been creating content that spans traditional, interactive, experiential and digital media for nearly 20 years. Always torn between being “too business-minded” and “too creative”, Nasya found her niche as a creative strategist and futurist, spending her time diving deep into complex brand challenges. After a decade of working at global ad agencies, she started Faculty to create work that merges strategy, storytelling, tech and content to create bespoke human-centric experiences. Nasya is passionate about innovative storytelling, always searching for unique opportunities to create an authentic experience that people can connect with, whether it’s in real life or online (or the unique, ethereal space between them). She is drawn to Faculty non-linear narrative multimedia experiences that capture the imagination, bring humans together and provide a holistic storytelling journey. Nasya is dedicated to empowering women and people of color in business, and recently helped launch Komuna, a co-op agency model that offers seasoned c-suite leadership and access to a cross-disciplinary network of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ independent marketing agencies from around the world. Nasya volunteers as a mentor for PDX Women in Tech and PIE Incubator Experiment, is a founding member of the World Experience Organization and supports multiple startups and established brands as an innovation advisor.

With her passion for social responsibility, Kim brings empathy to her role as a creative director in Bluecadet’s New York office. Kim strives to create meaningful experiences that evoke emotional responses through digital interventions. Her work, which aims to transform social and cultural institutions, has been featured in the New York Times and Fast Company and was recognized with awards from Core77, IxDA, and OneClub working with institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum of City of New York, and IBM. Kim holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Heidi Holder, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is the Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has over 20 years’ experience in museums and higher education, where she has developed and led STEM and college student success programs, innovative community engagement initiatives and art and wellness programs. Heidi is the concept lead for the 81st Street Studio, the Met new children’s space. Her work in museum interpretation investigates the role of language justice, and interactive maker-spaces in promoting equity in museum settings and explores ways for communities to connect to art in ways other than talking and looking. She previously served as director of education at the Queens Museum and director of education at the Museum for African Art in New York, now The Africa Center. Holder holds a doctorate in Urban Education from the Graduate School and University Center, CUNY.

Brett Renfer is an experience designer and maker, with a focus on narrative-rich, architectural-scale responsive environments. As Senior Project Manager, Emerging Technology at The Met, Brett is helping the institution collaboratively explore and define the future of the museum experience. Brett has over 15 years of experience in interactive media in both the cultural and corporate sectors. Past clients include NASA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Intel, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. Accolades for Brett’s work include awards from the IxDA, SEGD, Communication Arts, Cannes, and Museums and the Web. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, kids, cat, and oodles of books and records.

Nasya Kamrat, Chief Experience Officer and Futurist. As an award-winning creative strategist, she has been creating content that spans traditional, interactive, experiential and digital media for nearly 20 years. Always torn between being “too business-minded” and “too creative”, Nasya found her niche as a creative strategist and futurist, spending her time diving deep into complex brand challenges. After a decade of working at global ad agencies, she started Faculty to create work that merges strategy, storytelling, tech and content to create bespoke human-centric experiences. Nasya is passionate about innovative storytelling, always searching for unique opportunities to create an authentic experience that people can connect with, whether it’s in real life or online (or the unique, ethereal space between them). She is drawn to Faculty non-linear narrative multimedia experiences that capture the imagination, bring humans together and provide a holistic storytelling journey. Nasya is dedicated to empowering women and people of color in business, and recently helped launch Komuna, a co-op agency model that offers seasoned c-suite leadership and access to a cross-disciplinary network of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ independent marketing agencies from around the world. Nasya volunteers as a mentor for PDX Women in Tech and PIE Incubator Experiment, is a founding member of the World Experience Organization and supports multiple startups and established brands as an innovation advisor.

With her passion for social responsibility, Kim brings empathy to her role as a creative director in Bluecadet’s New York office. Kim strives to create meaningful experiences that evoke emotional responses through digital interventions. Her work, which aims to transform social and cultural institutions, has been featured in the New York Times and Fast Company and was recognized with awards from Core77, IxDA, and OneClub working with institutions such as the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, Museum of City of New York, and IBM. Kim holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Heidi Holder, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is the Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. She has over 20 years’ experience in museums and higher education, where she has developed and led STEM and college student success programs, innovative community engagement initiatives and art and wellness programs. Heidi is the concept lead for the 81st Street Studio, the Met new children’s space. Her work in museum interpretation investigates the role of language justice, and interactive maker-spaces in promoting equity in museum settings and explores ways for communities to connect to art in ways other than talking and looking. She previously served as director of education at the Queens Museum and director of education at the Museum for African Art in New York, now The Africa Center. Holder holds a doctorate in Urban Education from the Graduate School and University Center, CUNY.

Brett Renfer is an experience designer and maker, with a focus on narrative-rich, architectural-scale responsive environments. As Senior Project Manager, Emerging Technology at The Met, Brett is helping the institution collaboratively explore and define the future of the museum experience. Brett has over 15 years of experience in interactive media in both the cultural and corporate sectors. Past clients include NASA, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Intel, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. Accolades for Brett’s work include awards from the IxDA, SEGD, Communication Arts, Cannes, and Museums and the Web. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, kids, cat, and oodles of books and records.

Eric Alba, a Creative Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor, brings over 20 years of deep knowledge in creative design, production, and technical supervision to the table. He enjoys venturing into uncharted territories, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams of designers, architects, artists, and engineers to design and build meaningful experiences that engage and inspire audiences. With a storied reputation for blending traditional production tactics with emerging technologies to deliver stories in unique and compelling ways, Eric has had the opportunity to work on award-winning projects. These include the Museum of The Future exhibit at the World Government Summit, Tónandi for Magic Leap & Sigur Rós, Nike Camp Victory, and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. More recently, he served as VP/Executive Producer at Immersive and MSG Sphere Studios for the Sphere in Las Vegas. This "world-first" venue has just launched and is shaping the future of immersive, large-scale, location-based live experiences. He currently is working as a Producer, Designer and Consultant on various brand and cultural projects. Beyond his professional pursuits, Eric is a dedicated photographer and art enthusiast who enjoys sharing his knowledge and inspiration through leadership, mentorship, and collaborative initiatives in the industry, sometimes over a bowl of ramen.

Award-winning creative director with over 20 years of leadership experience in the US and Europe. Leads teams in crafting immersive, digital and physical experiences and brand activations, fusing together art, technology, interactivity, and content through a futuristic storytelling lens. Guides all facets of the creative process to materialize a brand’s vision from concept through strategy, design, and launch. Brings a diverse portfolio of global work in culture, luxury, technology and entertainment, marked by a passion for futuristic design and innovation.

Julian Rad is an award winning creative director and experience designer and world builder working in brand, film, digital, experiential, strategy and design. A Drama Desk nominated theater maker, he has won awards in film, stage, ID and UX and had two films at Sundance. He’s even done a couple of Super Bowl ads. He was the VP, Group Creative Director overseeing Google's immersive and experiential business and led creative for Google’s largest events for Google Ads, Google Cloud, YouTube and Waze. He shepherded the rebrand of Morgan Stanley after they merged with Dean Witter through an experiential-first multi-platform strategy. He designed, directed and led creative for product launches for HTC, Qualcomm, Nokia, Samsung and LG and was creative director for HTC’s Video Highlights, an ambient video editing product that shipped, won awards and is now a feature on the mobile device in your pocket; even if you have an iPhone. He has developed and pioneered hybrid experiences for launch events and community development for Samsung and Intel, recently led creative for Microsoft 365 and Twilio, and was recently an Artist in Residence developing a new experience technology, Cosm.

Wiena Lin is a Creative Director and Fine Artist who creates sensory experiences in physical and digital spaces by extending the expressiveness of traditional art and design mediums with technology. She has created experiences for clients including IBM, Microsoft, Google, Adidas and Cartier. As a Fine Artist, she explores themes of environmental sustainability, the Singularity and spirituality and has exhibited internationally with institutions including The Smithsonian, Institute for the Future and BMW / ADO.

Eric Alba, a Creative Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor, brings over 20 years of deep knowledge in creative design, production, and technical supervision to the table. He enjoys venturing into uncharted territories, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams of designers, architects, artists, and engineers to design and build meaningful experiences that engage and inspire audiences. With a storied reputation for blending traditional production tactics with emerging technologies to deliver stories in unique and compelling ways, Eric has had the opportunity to work on award-winning projects. These include the Museum of The Future exhibit at the World Government Summit, Tónandi for Magic Leap & Sigur Rós, Nike Camp Victory, and HBO's Boardwalk Empire. More recently, he served as VP/Executive Producer at Immersive and MSG Sphere Studios for the Sphere in Las Vegas. This "world-first" venue has just launched and is shaping the future of immersive, large-scale, location-based live experiences. He currently is working as a Producer, Designer and Consultant on various brand and cultural projects. Beyond his professional pursuits, Eric is a dedicated photographer and art enthusiast who enjoys sharing his knowledge and inspiration through leadership, mentorship, and collaborative initiatives in the industry, sometimes over a bowl of ramen.

Award-winning creative director with over 20 years of leadership experience in the US and Europe. Leads teams in crafting immersive, digital and physical experiences and brand activations, fusing together art, technology, interactivity, and content through a futuristic storytelling lens. Guides all facets of the creative process to materialize a brand’s vision from concept through strategy, design, and launch. Brings a diverse portfolio of global work in culture, luxury, technology and entertainment, marked by a passion for futuristic design and innovation.

Wiena Lin is a Creative Director and Fine Artist who creates sensory experiences in physical and digital spaces by extending the expressiveness of traditional art and design mediums with technology. She has created experiences for clients including IBM, Microsoft, Google, Adidas and Cartier. As a Fine Artist, she explores themes of environmental sustainability, the Singularity and spirituality and has exhibited internationally with institutions including The Smithsonian, Institute for the Future and BMW / ADO.

Julian Rad is an award winning creative director and experience designer and world builder working in brand, film, digital, experiential, strategy and design. A Drama Desk nominated theater maker, he has won awards in film, stage, ID and UX and had two films at Sundance. He’s even done a couple of Super Bowl ads. He was the VP, Group Creative Director overseeing Google's immersive and experiential business and led creative for Google’s largest events for Google Ads, Google Cloud, YouTube and Waze. He shepherded the rebrand of Morgan Stanley after they merged with Dean Witter through an experiential-first multi-platform strategy. He designed, directed and led creative for product launches for HTC, Qualcomm, Nokia, Samsung and LG and was creative director for HTC’s Video Highlights, an ambient video editing product that shipped, won awards and is now a feature on the mobile device in your pocket; even if you have an iPhone. He has developed and pioneered hybrid experiences for launch events and community development for Samsung and Intel, recently led creative for Microsoft 365 and Twilio, and was recently an Artist in Residence developing a new experience technology, Cosm.

Former Disney Imagineer and Refinery29/Vice Media Experiential Creative Director, Stephanie Riggs has bridged narrative, immersive, and interactive technology for over 25 years through ground-breaking projects across theatre, theme park, film, experiential, VR and AR, leading the VRAR Association to hail her as “truly the renaissance woman of the immersive era”. She is currently the CEO of Odeon Theatrical, a platform and creative studio integrating AR with live performance. Stephanie’s collaborations have pushed the boundaries of technology and story across media companies such as Instagram and Google as well as start-ups, non-profits, and academia. Passionate about inspiring diverse, interdisciplinary teams, Stephanie frequently mentors and speaks around the world (TedX, SXSW, SIGGRAPH, Stereopsia, Media Tech Hub, BBC). At Refinery29, she created and delivered multi-million dollar activations with clients such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fashion, Hulu, NBC, CBS, Reebok, Bonobos and Intuit. As a creative technologist, her XR accomplishments include setting world records, producing the first feature film in VR on the DK2, an invitation to film President Barack Obama in 360 VR, published research papers, and premieres around the world at festivals and conferences including Tribeca, SIGGRAPH, Stereopsia and Future of Storytelling. An international keynote speaker, she is the author of the acclaimed book “The End of Storytelling” (Chose as a Top 25 AR Books of All Time and Best Mixed Reality Books of All Time) and director and producer of award-winning films. Co-Founder of the World Experience Organization, Women in Experience, 5th Wall Forum and Odeon Theatrical, she led research at Yale University’s Blended Reality Lab, Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, and contributed to NYU’s Future Reality Lab and ITP programs. She earned simultaneous degrees from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama (Directing) and School of Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction), and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar.

Before launching Hunters Point, Kelly served as the VP of Experiential at Refinery29. She doubled the work supervising over 50 events in the US & UK for a myriad of brands. In Y1, she grew the top & bottom line revenue from $6M to over $16M. In Y2, she scaled to over $24M and enabled 29Rooms to be bought by IMG Live. Under her leadership, R29 won 2 Digiday awards, was nominated for its first Webby, an LA Think award and named the Hottest Event Business by Adweek. Credits include: Mighty Dream Forum for Pharrell Williams, HBO’s Game of Thrones immersive US tour; Entertainment Weekly's POPFEST; the Time100 Gala with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande; the Intel Developer Forum; Jaguar’s XL Launch; Sega's Sonic Moom Fan event at Comiccon; William Rast's spring runway show for Justin Timberlake; Intel at NY Fashion Week; and Coca-Cola’s Rihanna record release concert. She has been listed on the #Bizbash500, presented at Xlive, Fast Company Innovation Festival, Bizbash East, She Runs It, the Association of National Advertisers and NYU’s Stern School of Business. Kelly is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Emilie Baltz is an experiential artist and creative director who explores how the human senses work together to craft perception and meaning. Best known for her delightful, innovative work in food & technology, Emilie uses food as a medium (and metaphor) for designing multisensory experiences. With 20+ years of work in design, performance, events, hospitality, technology and new media, her fluency as a leader across diverse creative industries successfully embraces both analogue and digital experience. Her expertise lies in using the 5 senses to tell stories that deepen engagement through embodiment; inspiring wonder through invention; and fostering world-class teamwork through play. Her work has been featured in the Museum of the Future in Dubai, NEW MUSEUM, IDFA DocLab, Sundance New Frontiers, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, Liberty Science Center, Museum of Sex, as well as supported by patrons, brands and communities that believe that art, design and imagination can be used to positively transform society from the inside, out. She presently is a Creative Director for Digital Experience Design at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm, where she explores how immersive experience and integrated technology can transform the human relationship to space.

Nasya Kamrat, Chief Experience Officer and Futurist. As an award-winning creative strategist, she has been creating content that spans traditional, interactive, experiential and digital media for nearly 20 years. Always torn between being “too business-minded” and “too creative”, Nasya found her niche as a creative strategist and futurist, spending her time diving deep into complex brand challenges. After a decade of working at global ad agencies, she started Faculty to create work that merges strategy, storytelling, tech and content to create bespoke human-centric experiences. Nasya is passionate about innovative storytelling, always searching for unique opportunities to create an authentic experience that people can connect with, whether it’s in real life or online (or the unique, ethereal space between them). She is drawn to Faculty non-linear narrative multimedia experiences that capture the imagination, bring humans together and provide a holistic storytelling journey. Nasya is dedicated to empowering women and people of color in business, and recently helped launch Komuna, a co-op agency model that offers seasoned c-suite leadership and access to a cross-disciplinary network of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ independent marketing agencies from around the world. Nasya volunteers as a mentor for PDX Women in Tech and PIE Incubator Experiment, is a founding member of the World Experience Organization and supports multiple startups and established brands as an innovation advisor.

Ian Schatzberg is the founder of General Idea, a brand design agency based in New York, established in 2019. Ian oversees the vision and strategy for the agency working across its client base in entertainment, fashion, retail, hospitality and the public sector. Prior to starting General Idea, Ian was a co-founder and partner of Wednesday Agency, a creative agency, which was acquired by BBDO in 2017. He is also the co-founder of Reference, a motion graphics and technology agency focused on creating highly aesthetic experiences that traverse screens and physical environments.

Nasya Kamrat, Chief Experience Officer and Futurist. As an award-winning creative strategist, she has been creating content that spans traditional, interactive, experiential and digital media for nearly 20 years. Always torn between being “too business-minded” and “too creative”, Nasya found her niche as a creative strategist and futurist, spending her time diving deep into complex brand challenges. After a decade of working at global ad agencies, she started Faculty to create work that merges strategy, storytelling, tech and content to create bespoke human-centric experiences. Nasya is passionate about innovative storytelling, always searching for unique opportunities to create an authentic experience that people can connect with, whether it’s in real life or online (or the unique, ethereal space between them). She is drawn to Faculty non-linear narrative multimedia experiences that capture the imagination, bring humans together and provide a holistic storytelling journey. Nasya is dedicated to empowering women and people of color in business, and recently helped launch Komuna, a co-op agency model that offers seasoned c-suite leadership and access to a cross-disciplinary network of women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ independent marketing agencies from around the world. Nasya volunteers as a mentor for PDX Women in Tech and PIE Incubator Experiment, is a founding member of the World Experience Organization and supports multiple startups and established brands as an innovation advisor.

Ian Schatzberg is the founder of General Idea, a brand design agency based in New York, established in 2019. Ian oversees the vision and strategy for the agency working across its client base in entertainment, fashion, retail, hospitality and the public sector. Prior to starting General Idea, Ian was a co-founder and partner of Wednesday Agency, a creative agency, which was acquired by BBDO in 2017. He is also the co-founder of Reference, a motion graphics and technology agency focused on creating highly aesthetic experiences that traverse screens and physical environments.

Infusing over two decades of design excellence into her role as CEO of SEGD, Cybelle Jones is not just a leader but a passionate advocate for the transformative power of experience design. Firmly grounded in the conviction that design has the capability to engender positive change, Cybelle drives her multidisciplinary community to create experiences that intimately connect people with places. As the helm of SEGD, a non-profit member organization, Cybelle champions education, innovation, and design excellence. She works tirelessly to inspire the design of more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments, reflecting her belief in the pivotal role design plays in shaping our world. Before taking the reins at SEGD, Cybelle etched a notable career as Principal of G&A. Her 25+ year tenure saw her lead several acclaimed design projects, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. These high-profile undertakings not only attest to her design prowess but also her ability to infuse creativity with strategic insights. Cybelle’s influence extends beyond SEGD. As a thought leader, she has addressed audiences at prestigious forums like AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, and MuseumNext. Her active involvement on various boards sees her push the boundaries of experience design, contributing to the evolution of the profession. Driven by passion, guided by experience, and committed to innovation, Cybelle Jones is a beacon in the realm of design, illuminating the path to a more user-centric, equitable, and sustainable future.

Renée Hampton is passionate about bringing creativity into the way we do business and experience entertainment. In particular, combining digital experience design and behavioral psychology together with innovative technologies and experiential media to influence how people engage with spaces, communities and new ways of storytelling. As Strategic Partnerships Manager at Electrosonic, Renée brings over 10 years of partnership strategy, account service and project management experience into business development; building valuable, trusted relationships and advancing projects that push the boundaries of experiential media, art, technology and architecture. With a creative media production background, Renée specializes in consulting on immersive media architecture, experience design, media production, content strategy, interactive user experiences, and creative technologies with project partners spanning from architecture and design firms, to content producers, fabricators and developers.

As Director of Strategic Partnerships, Chris Johnson enjoys building new relationships and partnerships within the cultural market. He is passionate about working with like-minded people to deliver stories and experiences for visitors of all ages to enjoy. He uses his experience and industry relationships to ensure that Electrosonic can deliver great visitor experiences in museums, visitor centers and heritage centers. With almost 25 years’ experience in the audiovisual industry, Chris has worked on some of Electrosonic’s most iconic museum and visitor center projects, ensuring that they deliver value to the business as well as a great experience for visitors.

Infusing over two decades of design excellence into her role as CEO of SEGD, Cybelle Jones is not just a leader but a passionate advocate for the transformative power of experience design. Firmly grounded in the conviction that design has the capability to engender positive change, Cybelle drives her multidisciplinary community to create experiences that intimately connect people with places. As the helm of SEGD, a non-profit member organization, Cybelle champions education, innovation, and design excellence. She works tirelessly to inspire the design of more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments, reflecting her belief in the pivotal role design plays in shaping our world. Before taking the reins at SEGD, Cybelle etched a notable career as Principal of G&A. Her 25+ year tenure saw her lead several acclaimed design projects, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. These high-profile undertakings not only attest to her design prowess but also her ability to infuse creativity with strategic insights. Cybelle’s influence extends beyond SEGD. As a thought leader, she has addressed audiences at prestigious forums like AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, and MuseumNext. Her active involvement on various boards sees her push the boundaries of experience design, contributing to the evolution of the profession. Driven by passion, guided by experience, and committed to innovation, Cybelle Jones is a beacon in the realm of design, illuminating the path to a more user-centric, equitable, and sustainable future.

Former Disney Imagineer and Refinery29/Vice Media Experiential Creative Director, Stephanie Riggs has bridged narrative, immersive, and interactive technology for over 25 years through ground-breaking projects across theatre, theme park, film, experiential, VR and AR, leading the VRAR Association to hail her as “truly the renaissance woman of the immersive era”. She is currently the CEO of Odeon Theatrical, a platform and creative studio integrating AR with live performance. Stephanie’s collaborations have pushed the boundaries of technology and story across media companies such as Instagram and Google as well as start-ups, non-profits, and academia. Passionate about inspiring diverse, interdisciplinary teams, Stephanie frequently mentors and speaks around the world (TedX, SXSW, SIGGRAPH, Stereopsia, Media Tech Hub, BBC). At Refinery29, she created and delivered multi-million dollar activations with clients such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fashion, Hulu, NBC, CBS, Reebok, Bonobos and Intuit. As a creative technologist, her XR accomplishments include setting world records, producing the first feature film in VR on the DK2, an invitation to film President Barack Obama in 360 VR, published research papers, and premieres around the world at festivals and conferences including Tribeca, SIGGRAPH, Stereopsia and Future of Storytelling. An international keynote speaker, she is the author of the acclaimed book “The End of Storytelling” (Chose as a Top 25 AR Books of All Time and Best Mixed Reality Books of All Time) and director and producer of award-winning films. Co-Founder of the World Experience Organization, Women in Experience, 5th Wall Forum and Odeon Theatrical, she led research at Yale University’s Blended Reality Lab, Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center, and contributed to NYU’s Future Reality Lab and ITP programs. She earned simultaneous degrees from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama (Directing) and School of Computer Science (Human-Computer Interaction), and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an Andrew Carnegie Society Scholar.

Neil Redding is a keynote speaker, author, Innovation Architect and Near Futurist. Neil has worked at the convergence of digital and physical for decades, and is an expert in spatial computing, augmented reality (AR), AI and convergent brand ecosystems. As a Near Futurist, Neil focuses on connecting what's possible with what's practical — pulling the future into the present through a digital experience lens. He has started and led Near Future teams at firms as diverse as Mediacom, Gensler, and Thoughtworks — always leveraging the emerging possible in service of practical business value for his clients. Neil is currently Founder and CEO of Redding Futures, a boutique consultancy that enables brands and businesses to engage powerfully with the Near Future. Prior to founding Redding Futures, Neil held leadership roles at Mediacom, Proximity/BBDO, Gensler, ThoughtWorks and Lab49. He has delivered for clients including Visa, Nike, Cadillac, Macy’s, NBA, Verizon, TED, The Economist, MoMA, Converse, Morgan Stanley, Apple, Oracle, Financial Times, and Fidelity Investments. He has spoken at numerous conferences including SXSW, AWE, Immerse Global Summit, infoComm, Tech2025, CreateTech, SEGD XLab, A.R.E. Shoptalk, Creative Technology Week, Design+AI and VRevolution. Neil is also editor of Near Future of Retail, author of the forthcoming book The Ecosystem Paradigm, and advises multiple startups at the leading edge of the digital-physical convergence.

Entrepreneur and storyteller. In 2017 she founded Garage Stories in Silicon Valley, a collaborative traveling lab that gathers the best creatives and technologists around the globe to play, design and prototype innovative projects with emerging media to foster positive impact. She mainly works  in collaboration with private companies and public institutions to formulate positive visions of the future as lines of action to achieve the SDGs and leverages the potential of emerging technologies (VR / AR / AI) to create innovative start up projects that can get us there. Garage Stories labs have already taken place in cities such as Barcelona, San Francisco and Mexico; and at institutions such as the Institute for the Future, the Sonar + D and the USC University in Los Angeles. Some of the resulting projects have been presented at TEDx.

Justin Bolognino is the original META. His ground-breaking and award-winning endeavors are threaded by technology, real-time design, and evolutionary immersive experiences focused on revealing hidden human connections. The “Synchronicity Architect"" is the founder and CEO of META, an immersive experience studio that specializes in “The Art of Being There.” A new META spinoff, Unreality is set to be the definitive professional ecosystem for the global “Immersive Media industry.” Taking their skills and touch to nature, Bolognino and his wife Elizabeth founded Silent G Farms in 2014 in North Branch, NY, a retreat compound designed for nourishing creativity, music, wellness and consciousness. With brand clients like Spotify, Twitter, HP, Samsung, Google, Vimeo, and artistic collaborations with St. Vincent, Dubfire, Skrillex, Phish, Questlove, Porter Robinson, Troye Sivan, Clyde Stubblefield, Tiesto and many more, META creates live, multi-sensory experiences that use technology, design and storytelling to ignite the human spirit. META was originally born as “the Meta Agency” in 2009 under Bolognino’s philosophy that the artists creating cutting-edge digital experiences and high-tech performance elements should be recognized, much like the celebrities and brands they create for. JB also developed the brand and social marketing for Brooklyn Bowl (2009), serving as Creative and Media Director, which would go on to open four more wildly successful venues throughout the country.

Darragh Dandurand is an award-winning creative director, photojournalist, and curator. She currently consults Le Book around new technologies affecting Fashion and Luxury and recently worked as an Independent Creative Director for VICE Media Group across digital content and experiential activations. As a Creative Director, she has conceptualized and crafted mixed media campaigns and content for brands like Miami Art Basel, Ralph Lauren, Expedia, CVS, 1800 Tequila, Hulu and others. As a curator, Darragh programs around new media / emerging tech, such as 2022’s Digital Playgrounds, hosted in partnership with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy and France’s National Film Board. She is currently serving as an Advisory Board Member for SXSW Pitch, as well as a judge for AV Magazine’s annual Ad Awards contest.

Robin has partnered with museums to guide the design and development of interactive storytelling experiences since the late 1990s. She provides strategic insights and production expertise as clients seek to understand the opportunities and challenges offered by AR and VR in developing virtual cultural experiences. Robin is also an expert speaker, presenting at conferences on the opportunities and challenges for cultural organizations offered by immersive world building technologies. She has organized panels on this topic for: • 2022 Immersive Global Summits in Madeira • Augmented World Expo 2018 and 2022, • Alliance of American Museums in 2021, MW2021, • Virtual Reality Augmented Reality Association in 2020. She blogs at XR Matters on MediaCombo’s website. Robin has produced 3D projects, including an Augmented Reality audio tour for the Morgan Library & Museum and an award winning 6DOF VR experience for the Pollock-Krasner House & Study Center in East Hampton. She is currently developing a VR experience for The Everson Museum. She is currently involved in developing a new Virtual Reality platform to teach interpersonal skills with Visual Thinking Strategies and other immersive art experiences, in collaboration with Watershed.

For over 25 years Melvin had a knack for using marketing and technology in concert and has been across multiple industries. In his current role, as Founder of Solve Innovation Group, he is developing key guidance on innovation, tech, equity, data, and AI, while championing diversity investment in the martech, experiential, and fintech sectors. As a speaker, advisor, and investor he looks forward to creating more diverse funding sources for startups and maker communities, and to developing diverse and bias-free digital ecosystems.

With a career aperture as wide as his interests, Scott is the founder of Firetower Futures. This consultancy specializes in disruptive innovation at the intersection of content, data, and emerging technologies. His portfolio spans a diverse range of clients including Google, GM, MARS Petcare, and Riot Games. With past leadership roles at Jack Morton's Jack X and other industry-shaping agencies across media, PR and advertising, Scott combines creative vision, strategy, and an obsession with the ‘recently possible’ to deliver groundbreaking solutions.

Scott Brown has been a long-time technologist and nine-time entrepreneur with a strong history of building companies from inception to exit. Currently, he is the CEO of Immersion, a platform that is democratizing the predictive power of neuroscience. Scott was recognized on the Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist for his work running early stage VC for the global broadband industry. As an active angel investor, advisor and bestselling author, Scott has helped hundreds of startups perfect their pitch with a framework he created called (C)lean Messaging. Available on Amazon, (C)lean Messaging is a system to help innovators and entrepreneurs talk to humans. A sought-after speaker, Scott has presented around the world for Fortune 500 companies, startup events, TEDx, and many more. His unique perspectives on corporate innovation and entrepreneurship have inspired thousands. From Hamlet to hiring, and (C)lean Messaging to the Speculative Startup, Scott is known to speak about the magic that happens when ideas collide. In 2016, Scott is credited with inventing the world’s first bacon-wrapped tot.

Architect turned XR-chitect crafting virtual environments and the spectacles within, since 2016 Alex Coulombe has run the award-winning NYC XR creative studio Agile Lens with an eye toward utilizing emerging technology to craft new forms of narrative. Projects and clients include: Epic Games, Intel, Dell, Vodafone, Samsung, Nvidia, HTC, Lenovo, Magic Leap, IBM, Four Seasons, Waldorf Astoria, Lincoln Center, The Park Avenue Armory, The Shed at Hudson Yards, Christmas Carol VR, La Pasion by the Gateway Chamber Orchestra, and The Orchard Off-Broadway starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Jessica Hecht. He is also an authorized instructor partner with Epic Games who has created over 20 courses for instructor-led training.

Kristopher is an award-winning set designer, spatial designer, and art director who creates immersive worlds that captivate audiences and push the boundaries of entertainment and emerging technology. His work has been featured at world-renowned festivals including Cannes, Tribeca, and SIGGRAPH. He is a member of the NYU Future Reality Lab and has worked with companies such as Meta, Amazon, and Netflix.

With over 20 years of experience as a product designer, Silka has worked as a design leader in both large organizations and startups. Currently, Silka is working on AI-infused tools and advising startups.

Eric Gunther is an artist / designer working at the intersection of technology, experience, and well-being. Co-founder and Creative Director of the digital experience design firm SOSO, he envisions a world in which design and technology work hand in hand to bring us closer to ourselves, each other, and the planet. With SOSO he has created commissions for clients including Google, IBM, and Porsche, and exhibited work internationally. In his art practice, Eric brings together meditation and emotional work with sound and vibration to invent new experiences for the body, heart, and mind. His multisensory installation, Seated Catalog of Feelings, brought joy to visitors at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Museum. He also co-directed End Love, a time-bending music video for OK Go, and produces electronic music.

Sadah Espii Proctor (she/her/Espii) is a multimedia director and composer/sound artist working in live performance, installations, and immersive experiences. Directorial credits include "Ancestral Futurisms: Unapologetically Melanated" (The Alliance for Media Arts & Culture) and "Girl Icon" (Oculus VR For Good). She was also a Co-Producer of the "Futures We Dream" film series as part of the Smithsonian FUTURES exhibit. She is currently the Head of Multimedia & Video at 25 Broadway, a joint venture between Cipriani and Moment Factory. Home to one of the country's largest projection mapping installations for events, she works with a range of corporate, commercial, non-profit, and social organizations to bring an immersive and experiential touch to their programs. Member of ONX, Television Academy, Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), Alliance of Women Directors (AWD), and New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT).

As a journalist turned technologist, Elena Piech is passionate about the transformative potential of emerging technologies. Her journey led her to ZeroSpace, a cutting-edge virtual production and R&D studio, where she plays a pivotal role in building real-time 3D experiences that redefine the boundaries of storytelling. She's produced projects for Nike, Jack Daniel's, Disney, and several independent artists. From virtual concerts recorded with markerless motion capture to real-time volumetric video livestreams, Elena is used to producing first-of-its-kind projects and initiatives. Before entering the media and entertainment side, Elena spent her career working in enterprise technology. Previously, Elena was the Senior Marketing Manager at The Glimpse Group, the nation's first pure play VR/AR company to be listed on the NASDAQ ($VRAR). Elena Piech is an Emerging Media (B.S.) graduate from Ithaca College, graduating Summa Cum Laude and a recipient of the prestigious Park Scholarship, reflecting her dedication to the future of culture, community, and interactive media. Her work at ZeroSpace continues to shape the immersive technology landscape.

Katy Yudin is Director of Studio Development at Cosm, the leading global experiential media and immersive technology company redefining the way the world experiences content. Based in New York City, Katy oversees original productions and interdisciplinary community partnerships as part of Cosm Studios, Cosm’s content and storytelling arm. Katy’s expertise as a creative storyteller is defined by her vast experience in immersive content production. After a stint at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Katy joined Amsterdam-based production company Submarine Channel in 2012 as Editor and Creative Producer, where she developed and produced original web series and award-winning interactive documentaries. In 2014, Katy moved back to New York City to serve as Curator and Creative Producer at The Future of Storytelling, where she created community-focused bespoke art and technology activations, led creative programming and experiential projects across cross-disciplinary mediums, and developed strategic partnerships with arts and cultural institutions around the world. Most recently, Katy served as Director of Strategic and Cultural Partnerships at experiential art platform ARTECHOUSE, where she led strategy, execution, and growth of global partnerships, including with Pantone, United Nations Foundation, National Air and Space Museum, FedEx, and SXSW. She is also co-founder and Creative Producer at Affect Lab, a not-for-profit creative and cultural insights practice. Katy’s passion for bridging emerging technologies with immersive entertainment experiences have led her today to Cosm Studios, where she draws on her experience across content curation, strategic partnerships, the immersive creator community, and executive production to build the future of Shared Reality. A New Yorker and global citizen, Katy earned her B.A. in Psychology and Spanish at Binghamton University and M.A. in New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam.

Andrew Lazarow is the Studio Leader of the LAB at Rockwell Group, an experience design and technology studio embedded within Rockwell Group. An award-winning interactive designer, Andrew leads the LAB and its compelling branded experiences, immersive environments, exhibitions, and pop-ups. Recent and current projects include: Illuminarium Experiences, FUTURES at the Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building; the Harvey Fierstein Theatre Lab at the New York Public Library; the Museum of Broadway; and a new immersive theater for Norwegian Cruise Lines. Prior to joining Rockwell Group, Andrew regularly collaborated with the firm, including as the video and projections designer for Terms of My Surrender on Broadway, the Norwegian Cruise Lines tour of Kinky Boots, and My Very Own British Invasion at the Paper Mill Playhouse. Other theatrical works include Head Over Heels on Broadway, Brooklynite at the Vineyard Theater, and Privacy with Daniel Radcliffe at the Public Theater. Lazarow graduated from Williams College and received a Master of Professional Studies in Interactive Telecommunications from New York University. He has taught design at NYU for the past eight years.

Celebrating 23 years with Electrosonic, Chris has been an integral part of the company’s evolution and success on some of the most prestigious projects worldwide. As part of the executive management team, Chris has helped create business strategies that help grow our business in unique and creative ways. Today, Chris serves in multiple important roles throughout the company including as Executive Consultant and Global Ambassador. As Executive Consultant he works with clients in the early stages of a project to interpret the client’s vision, provide technology education to the project team, and set the unique technical direction for the client’s project. Chris also works closely with the Electrosonic Design Consulting Division and Systems Integration Engineering team throughout the duration of the project offering advice and guidance to achieve the client’s final vision. His extensive experience in technology design, production, and construction brings real value to any project team allowing him to help drive projects to success. Chris also serves as Global Ambassador to represent and present the company’s history, project portfolio, and unique capabilities to clients, industry partners, and audiences around the world. As one of the longest serving professionals at Electrosonic, and with his extensive background in technology and project development, Chris works closely with the New Business Development and Sales teams to not only seek and pursue new and unique opportunities that are a perfect fit for our company, but he is highly skilled at building and maintaining trusted relationships with new and existing clients alike. Audiovisual technology design is Chris’s forte, and throughout his career he has worked on projects around the world in theme parks, museums, World Expos, theater, spectacles, and hospitality. His background as a Technical Director and Executive Consultant for numerous themed entertainment projects gives him great credibility with his peers and clients alike.

Infusing over two decades of design excellence into her role as CEO of SEGD, Cybelle Jones is not just a leader but a passionate advocate for the transformative power of experience design. Firmly grounded in the conviction that design has the capability to engender positive change, Cybelle drives her multidisciplinary community to create experiences that intimately connect people with places. As the helm of SEGD, a non-profit member organization, Cybelle champions education, innovation, and design excellence. She works tirelessly to inspire the design of more equitable, sustainable, and user-centric environments, reflecting her belief in the pivotal role design plays in shaping our world. Before taking the reins at SEGD, Cybelle etched a notable career as Principal of G&A. Her 25+ year tenure saw her lead several acclaimed design projects, including the National WWII Museum, the International Spy Museum, and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. These high-profile undertakings not only attest to her design prowess but also her ability to infuse creativity with strategic insights. Cybelle’s influence extends beyond SEGD. As a thought leader, she has addressed audiences at prestigious forums like AAM, the V&A, FIT, AIGA, and MuseumNext. Her active involvement on various boards sees her push the boundaries of experience design, contributing to the evolution of the profession. Driven by passion, guided by experience, and committed to innovation, Cybelle Jones is a beacon in the realm of design, illuminating the path to a more user-centric, equitable, and sustainable future.