Guild Members

Felami Burgess is a media professor, producer, creative director and writer based in New York City and the southern coast of Kenya. In a desire to create greater opportunities for women,

Kamal Sinclair, the Executive Director of the Guild of Future Architects and artist at Sinclair Futures. She served as an External Advisor to the MacArthur Foundation’s Journalism & Media Program,

As co-founding member of the Rada Film Group, filmmaker, artist, and author Michèle Stephenson draws from her Panamanian and Haitian roots to tell provocative stories in a variety of media

Romain Sepehr Vakilitabar is the founder of Pathos Labs, a non-profit laboratory focused on finding ways that technology and media can most effectively dismantle hatred, and create understanding and compassion

I’ve had the honour to contribute to meaningful projects with people and organisations that I admire and respect. I often work on much of the visual side of things: graphic

Jordan is a facilitator of ideas and people shaping humanity’s future. He is a Senior Advisor at JumpScale, an impact investment and philanthropy advisory agency that guides clients toward Integrative

Amelia Winger-Bearskin is an artist, technologist, and community-builder whose practice explores the relationship between systems and storytelling. Working in immersive media such as VR, performance, and participatory events, Winger-Bearskin invites

Nancy Baker Cahill is a new media artist who examines power, selfhood, and embodied consciousness through drawing and shared immersive space. Her goal is to approach complex social issues through

Jen is a future architect with a deep commitment to collaboration and coherence. Through her work as a facilitator and coach, she focuses on connecting people, teams and organizations to

Dr. Wilneida Negrón is a social entrepreneur, researcher, and public interest technologist developing new models for people-centered systemic change and equity, focused on four interconnected sectors: labor markets, capital/finance, tech,

Dr. Natalie Gosnell is an observational astrophysicist and Assistant Professor of Physics at Colorado College. Dr. Gosnell received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and

Currently on contract with Facebook working on virtual events. Jeffrey Abramson is a creative strategist, producer and marketer with more than 20 years of experience working at the intersection of

Dedren Snead is a writer, technologist and futurist from Atlanta, Georgia. Known for his award-nominated fantasy comic book series SORGHUM & SPEAR, Dedren created a fantasy saga featuring African folklore

Cidney Hue is a director and filmmaker in NYC with a focus on building inclusive futures through science fiction. Her most recent award-winning film, Ovum, is a Black Mirror-esque short

Writer of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Most recently a podcast enthusiast and practitioner. I have dedicated my storytelling practice to be a bridge between distant worlds, to translate what sometimes

Dao is the co-founder of the groundbreaking NFB Digital and CBC Radio 3 studios and their industry shifting bodies of work. He has won over 100 awards including Producer of

Awarded director, writer and narrative designer working at the convergence of design, science and storytelling. European Director of the World Building Institute since 2008. Together with Alex McDowell, he developed

Salome Asega is an artist and researcher based in Brooklyn, NY. Salome has participated in residencies and fellowships with Eyebeam, New Museum, The Laundromat Project, and Recess. She has exhibited at the Shanghai

Andrew Wagner is a writer, editor, creative director, and strategist. He builds brands big and small. He loves making things happen and simply making things.

Dr. Iqbal Akhtar is an associate professor with a dual appointment in the departments of Religious Studies and Politics & International Relations in the Steven J. Green School of International

Aguilar y Wedge is a Latinx civil engineer turned artist synthesizing design and technology to develop large scale installations and immersive experiences. Inspired by the translation of concepts to material

Michelle Woo is an art producer, art historian and arts business consultant based in Los Angeles. She is currently the director of For Freedoms and received a 2017 ICP Infinity

Alexandra is known for her work as a feature documentary producer, primarily of social justice and culturally relevant films. Her films have received critical success, premiering at prominent film festivals

M. Rako Fabionar is a consultant, facilitator, and healer who creates learning environments for people to experience deeper connection, insight, and well-being. He is sought after for his powerful presence

Nick Fortugno is a designer of games and interactive narrative experiences and co-founder of Playmatics. Fortugno has been lead designer on dozens of works, including leading interactive narrative design on

Sam Osoro is a health economist focused on the underserved population in Massachusetts at Tufts Health Plan. He is focuses on risk adjustment and how to address chronic illnesses at

Karim Ben Khelifa is an award-winning Belgian-Tunisian transdisciplinary artist and director, whose documentary storytelling is at the crossroads of Art, Science and Journalism. A proponent of cross-pollination that spans disciplines,

“I make art with human somas.” Micheline Pierrette Berry is a Somatic Artist, Embodiment Catalyst, Post-Modern Dancer, Filmmaker, Spoken Word Weaver, Mischievous Ritual Instigator, and Teacher Trainer. She has spent

Tatiana Vahan, works at the intersection of art, research, activism, and community organizing. As an artist, her work 
analyzes and critiques existing social and economic systems. Since 2016 this work

Rahdi Taylor is a documentary film executive with expertise in film development, artist development, DEI/JEDI, and strategic program design. She is EVP at Concordia Studio, where she designs and directs a

Marina Zurkow is a multi-disciplinary artist focused on near-impossible nature and culture intersections. She uses life science, materials, and technologies including food, software, animation, clay and other biomaterials to foster intimate connections

Erin Michelle Washington is an Artist, Scholar, and Waymaker from Montgomery, AL. She attended Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and obtained her MFA in Acting from American Conservatory Theater.  In

Darius is a sleep physician from Chicago, Illinois. He is the director of the Advocate Aurora Children’s Sleep Network, a program dedicated to building capacity in a growing number of

Diego Galafassi is a transdisciplinary artist from Brazil with a practice grounded at the interface of art, sciences and co-creative processes. He is a director, writer and producer of documentaries,

I am an innovation consultant, writer and educator – focused on questions of system thinking, metrics and the psychology of creativity. I had the honor to be an inaugural member

Bruce is a brand strategist and writer who has helped Fortune 100s, national nonprofits and leading institutions tell their stories. With 25 years in the Boston and New York City

I create with the hopes of waking people up to new truths. My stories deliver visceral impressions through what is felt but doesn’t fit into words, where imagination and subtext

Bristol Baughan guides & inspires people in the shift from extractive to regenerative ways of being. She works with leaders in healing intergenerational trauma, discovering who they are and why

Karim Ahmad is a writer, cultural strategist, husband & father, member of the Guild of Future Architects, and Director of the Outreach & Inclusion Program at the Sundance Institute. Karim

Caroline Woolard (b.1984) is a systems-change artist who, in making her art, becomes an economic critic, social justice facilitator, media maker, and sculptor. Since the financial crisis of 2007-8, Woolard

Lyel builds products and teams to help ensure technology creates a more just and prosperous future for everyone. He is the Co-founder of Swayable, which uses data science to create

Jillian Mayer is an artist and filmmaker. Through, videos, sculptures, online experiences, photography, performances, and installations, Mayer explores how technology affects our lives, bodies, and identities by processing how our

Andy Horwitz is a writer, producer and cultural programmer working at the intersection of live art, technology and social impact. He lives in Culver City, CA where he is developing

Alfredo Salazar-Caro is creator living/working between Mexico City, NYC, and Online. His works is an amalgamation of portraiture, installation/sculpture, documentary, video and VR/AR. Salazar-Caro is co-creator and creative director of

Lisa Lomax (formerly Biagiotti) is a writer and filmmaker. She is currently working on her debut novel, Body Parts, a coming-of-middle-age story set in the near future where a feminist

Eli Pariser is an author, activist, and entrepreneur focused on how to make technology and media serve democracy. In 2004, at 23, he became Executive Director of MoveOn.org, where he

Sandi DuBowski turns movies into movements. He is the Director/Producer of Trembling Before G-d, Producer of A Jihad for Love, Co-Producer of Budrus. His award-winning work has screened at Sundance,

Joe Brewster draws from his experience as an activist,  psychiatrist, and native of LA to tell compelling personal stories using a variety of media.  His work is designed to inform,

Started playing music professionally as a Percussionist in 1973. Member of the core group of teachers at “The great Mother Conference” since 2010. In 2001, in collaboration with Robert Bly,

Jheanelle Brown is a film curator/programmer, educator, and arts administrator based in Los Angeles whose curatorial practice creates frameworks to explore the boundlessness of Black life in experimental and non-fiction

Sarah Wolozin is the founding director of the MIT Open Documentary Lab where she develops and oversees lab projects, programs, and operations. She is the founder and editorial director of Docubase,

Julia Kaganskiy is an independent curator and cultural producer working across art, design and technology. She is currently curating the forthcoming AI, Ethics & Health season at Science Gallery London.

Cedric Tai is a conceptual visual artist and facilitator whose work focuses on neurodivergent experience, labor and politics.

Stephanie Dinkins is a transmedia artist and Associate Professor at Stony Brook University who creates platforms for dialog about artificial intelligence (AI) as it intersects race, gender, aging, and our

I decided to dedicate my life to this grand experiment known as Liberia, and on a larger level, post-colonial Africa. I knew that it was my calling to look forward.

Co-founder & chef at food design and production studio Hank and Bean. Co-founder & director of communications & agency relations at Farm2People. I’m currently interested in how to better promote

Hussein Rashid, PhD, is a native New Yorker whose pop culture worldview is shaped by Star Wars. His idea of fun is getting into the minutiae of speculative fiction, without

Jane M. Saks is a founding member of the Guild of Future Architects and the Founding President/Artistic Director of Project&. Her work focuses on new models of cultural participation with

Madebo is a foresight strategist and a writer, building a practice at the intersection of arts, technology, and culture. His passion is using storytelling about the future to empower better

Rigoberto Lara Guzmán (they/he) is a xicanx producer, organizer, and gardener based in New York City. His practice explores how coded knowledge systems interact with space, culture, and time to

Ari is on a quest to activate creators and generate stories that bring about a more flourishing world. He is the Founder and a Managing Partner of m ss ng

Janani Balasubramanian is an artist and researcher working at the intersections of contemporary art and science. Janani’s work has been presented and/or commissioned by over 160 venues across North America and

Olivia Powell is a writer, artist, director and Storyteller who wonders what else stories can be and do. With a particular interest in metafictions, musicals, (historical) fantasy and the mortality of

Lauren Ruffin is a thinker, designer, & leader interested in building strong, sustainable, anti-racist systems & organizations. She’s into exploring how we can leverage new technologies to combat racial and

Mutale Nkonde is the founding CEO of AI For the People (AFP) a non profit communications agency.Our mission is to eliminate the under-representation of black professionals in the American technology

Mark is a humanities scholar and a venture investor in quantum and AI technologies. 

Idris is an innovative and passionate individual who uses his technical and artistic expertise to disrupt traditional narratives through immersive experiences, all the while empowering others to do the same.

Stephanie Lepp is an artist and producer whose work strives to hold up a mirror — inviting us to grow from what we see.  She’s the producer of Infinite Lunchbox,

Tahir is a creative technologist whose practice investigates the role systems play in the generation of form and the role collaborative knowledge production plays in the resilience of communities. Tahir

Roddy Schrock is an arts executive and curator supporting artists untangling cultural knots. Schrock is the Executive Director of Eyebeam, an institution dedicated to supporting art engaging technology. There, he

Barry Threw is Executive Director of Gray Area — a San Francisco non-profit institution focused on creative action for social transformation through public events, education, and incubation. His previous leadership

Shawn Peters is a cinematographer and storyteller represented by the William Morris Agency, listed as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces in Independent Film in 2016, and is a

Adam Huttler is a serial entrepreneur at the intersection of technology, culture, and social justice. His career emphasizes developing innovative business models for mission-driven companies, in both the for-profit and

Martin Pettis is a mental health professional and community engagement advocate with over 20 years of experience working with underserved communities. He is the Executive Director of CARE in partnership

Courtney Sheehan is a dream tech researcher, impact producer, business strategist, and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Previously, she was Executive and Artistic Director for Northwest Film Forum, the largest

Rosa Weinberg is a design educator and artist. Trained as an architect, she focuses her teaching and creative practice on the conceptualization and fabrication of sculptural wearables, assistive devices for

Andrea Steele is Founding Principal of Andrea Steele Architecture (ASA), a New York-based practice that believes the scale of architecture is not measured by its physical size, but by its

Ari Melenciano is an artist, designer, creative technologist, researcher, and educator who is passionate about exploring the relationships between various forms of design and the human experience. Currently, her research

Sharon Chang is a future architect and the Founder of the Guild of Future Architects. Her work focuses on reframing the relationship between creativity, capital, and impact. Nearly two decades

Laurie is a neuroscientist turned filmmaker & podcast producer. Her work in the Cognitive Affective Laboratory explored chronic pain and the placebo effect, utilizing fMRI and EEG. She is currently

Richard splits his time between being the Chief Catalyst, Fung Group, focused on new value creation and building innovation across the group, And, on new business ventures focused at the intersection

Hank is a conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to perspective, identity, commodity, media, and popular culture. His work is included in numerous public collections including the Museum of

Ahmed Best is a multi-hyphenate artist, educator, host and futurist. A true polymath, Ahmed started his career as a songwriter and producer on Atlantic records and then went on to

Katerina Cizek is a two-time Emmy-winning and Peabody-winning documentarian working across emergent media. She is currently the artistic director and co-founder of the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab,

Hailed by Dance Magazine as “One of the most influential people in dance today,” Sydney Skybetter’s choreography has been performed at such venues as The John F. Kennedy Center for

Jacob Ellenberg is a maker, storyteller, organizational consultant, and meditation teacher. In the realm of storytelling, Jacob has developed films, novels, tv shows and executive produced the TV series Dark

Thomas Debass is a civil servant in the field of economics and international relations spanning over two decades and three federal agencies. He regularly gives lectures and talks about strategic

Barton is a future thinker who is always curious to learn about new topics. Newly based in San Diego, California, he is looking to bring his curious, open-minded thinking to

Melinda is a social change architect, master facilitator, ordained minister, and social entrepreneur. She is the Founder/CEO of Beautiful Ventures, a creative social enterprise that influences popular culture, disrupts anti-blackness

Lafayette’s practice engages projects at the intersection of urban planning and speculative fiction. He leverages the radical imagination and world building capabilities of speculative fiction and the multi-disciplinary, strategic implementation

Lisa Dent is an advocate for living artists and cultural workers. Her background includes work in film, theater and the visual arts as a curator, gallerist, writer, production designer and creative

I’m an XR industry-leading Emmy award-winning producer, public speaker and champion of independent artists dedicated to building the pipeline, vernacular and stories of the tech-centric content ecosystem for audiences worldwide.

Cara Mertes has championed the artists as leaders in society, working to harness the power of cultural expression to support communities, policies and priorities rooted in dignity and justice. She

Kemi Ilesanmi is Executive Director of The Laundromat Project, which advances artists and neighbors as change agents in their own communities. She is inspired by the immense possibilities for joyful

Tao Leigh Goffe is a writer and a DJ specializing in the narratives that emerge from histories of imperialism, technology, and abolition. She is an assistant professor of literary theory

Mark is a Board Member of the Guild of Future Architects and Managing Partner of Heartland P5 Holdings, a Public Benefit Corporation aggregating, strengthening and deploying regenerative strategies and technologies

A framework generalist and network entrepreneur, Kaz uses pattern recognition and agile prototyping to uncover blind spots and identify opportunities. The founder of Curious Catalyst, and the daughter of two

Usha Devi Venkatachalam is a technologist who has implemented software solutions and conducted capacity building trainings in over 20 countries. Her expertise and passion are in architecting sustainable, culture-specific, and

Heidi Boisvert is an interdisciplinary artist, experience designer, creative technologist and academic researcher who interrogates the socio-cultural and neurobiological effects of media and technology. Simply put, she studies the role

Elizabeth M. Webb is an artist and filmmaker originally from Charlottesville, VA. Her work is invested in issues surrounding race and identity, often using the lens of her own family

Creating spaces has always been the driving motivation of Leila’s work – physically as well as personally by bringing people together. Within this, the question of healthy building materials –

Donna Morton is the network entrepreneur in residence at Salmon Nation,  a network of artists, activists and entrepreneurs healing everything from Alaska to California. She was the former CEO and

Sabrina is the Director of Civic Design for the New Urban Mechanics. She is also a public artist and illustrator whose work explores people, identity, deep reflection, storytelling and the

Claudia is on the faculty at UCLA currently teaching in the Gender Studies Department and at the Law School. Her scholarship and research focus on trauma and the law. She

Eric Gottesman is an artist who studied history before art and whose work addresses nationalism, migration, structural violence, history, and intimate relations. Gottesman’s work is always collaborative. He has never

Kate Digby is a choreographer/director, performer, somatic movement educator, and assistant professor of dance at Kansas State University. Her current research involves the creation and presentation of original interdisciplinary performance

Rachel is a visual artist, director and facilitator with a background in cultural anthropology. They explore the personal, social and political costs of conformity with the participants in their films

Melissa Painter heads MAP Lab, a product invention and incubation studio for emergent technologies, and is the founder of Breakthru, a platform of immersive wellbeing experiences for the workplace powered

Sarah works at the intersection of culture, ideas, and people. For two decades, the central theme of her work has been designing new ways for teams to create and collaborate

Kadallah Burrowes is a nomad most content while pushing their limits and exploring new possibilities. Because of their interest in the intersection of art and technology, they find themselves gravitating

Trista will MacGyver her way into the most unexpected situations to discover the signals of the future that will help you make the world a better place. Trista has worked

Jennifer Brandel is CEO and Co-founder of Hearken, a company that helps organizations around the world develop and operationalize participatory processes. Hearken took home the prize for “Best Bootstrap Company”

Paulien Dresscher is working as an independent curator and researcher in the field of culture and digital media. Currently she curates the Interactive program of the Nederlands Film Festival, the

Oona is a systems-minded, entrepreneurial-leaning leader. She’s in her element when bringing visionary ideas to life and does so through community-building, communications strategy, and learning journey creation. She has worked

Robyn is a third-culture kid who discovered an affinity for tackling complex, systemic issues while traveling extensively during her studies. Her early career revealed a natural affinity for operations design