Step inside the TED Fellows community

AI, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Machine learning, brains, neural networks

2024

United States

AI engineer + innovator // AI engineer + innovator

2025

South Africa

2017

Indonesia

Documentary filmmaker // Reid Davenport has made five short documentaries that explore the perspective of people with disabilities. He received a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University in 2016. As an undergraduate student at the George Washington University, Reid received the Luther Rice Collaborative Fellowship to travel to Western Europe and document the lack of physical accessibility for people with disabilities. Reid spent three weeks in Europe and produced a 28-minute documentary entitled "Wheelchair Diaries: One Step Up." His film awards include Best Short Documentary at the 2013 Awareness Film Festival (“Wheelchair Diaries”), the Artistic Visions Award at the 2016 Big Sky Documentary Festival (“A Cerebral Game”) and the Enerson Foundation Production Grant (“RAMPED UP”). He also co-founded an organization called Through My Lens, which teaches students with and without disabilities how to collaboratively make films. He hopes that this will lead to more narratives from the perspectives of people with disabilities. // Reid Davenport has made five short documentaries that explore the perspective of people with disabilities. He received a Master of Fine Arts in Documentary Film & Video from Stanford University in 2016. As an undergraduate student at the George Washington University, Reid received the Luther Rice Collaborative Fellowship to travel to Western Europe and document the lack of physical accessibility for people with disabilities. Reid spent three weeks in Europe and produced a 28-minute documentary entitled "Wheelchair Diaries: One Step Up." His film awards include Best Short Documentary at the 2013 Awareness Film Festival (“Wheelchair Diaries”), the Artistic Visions Award at the 2016 Big Sky Documentary Festival (“A Cerebral Game”) and the Enerson Foundation Production Grant (“RAMPED UP”). He also co-founded an organization called Through My Lens, which teaches students with and without disabilities how to collaboratively make films. He hopes that this will lead to more narratives from the perspectives of people with disabilities. // Documentary filmmaker // rice, documentary, accessibility // California|Oakland|United States|USA

California|Oakland|United States|USA

2009

India

Agri-business entrepreneur // Reshma Anand foundered Earthy Goods, a venture enabling rural agri-based businesses to be competitive. She graduated from IIM Bangalore in 1997. She worked with Hindustan Unilever Limited and then transitioned to the social sector to work with Development Alternatives and ICICI Bank. Reshma has worked extensively in rural India in areas including Bundelkhand, UP, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. // Reshma is a business school graduate with over 20 years of extensive leadership experience in mission driven social impact ventures and non profit organizations. She crossed over successfully from a mainstream corporate career to work on market-based solutions to address India's development challenges. Reshma took on uncharted roles as she set up two impact start-ups : an accelerator for rural entrepreneurs in agriculture & hand crafts and an advisory firm to help non-profits and social entrepreneurs build resilient scale. Reshma's worked extensively with donors and has led several focused efforts to drive informed philanthropy in India through thought leadership and collaborative funding platforms. She is also an Aspen Fellow and anchors leadership programs for young professional women. Reshma's always ready for a road trip and has a bag packed to go at all times. // Reshma is a business school graduate with over 20 years of extensive leadership experience in mission driven social impact ventures and non profit organizations. She crossed over successfully from a mainstream corporate career to work on market-based solutions to address India's development challenges. Reshma took on uncharted roles as she set up two impact start-ups : an accelerator for rural entrepreneurs in agriculture & hand crafts and an advisory firm to help non-profits and social entrepreneurs build resilient scale. Reshma's worked extensively with donors and has led several focused efforts to drive informed philanthropy in India through thought leadership and collaborative funding platforms. She is also an Aspen Fellow and anchors leadership programs for young professional women. Reshma's always ready for a road trip and has a bag packed to go at all times. // Agri-business entrepreneur // agriculture, resilience, rural, entrepreneurship, rural entrepreneurs, led, women // India|New Delhi|Delhi

India|New Delhi|Delhi

Arts & education, Arts Administration, Arts Consultant and Advisor, Dance, Film - Directing, Producing, Writing, Editing, Cinematography, Gender & Identity, Gender Studies, Media Arts, Media Studies/Film Studies, Performance Studies, Performance and Dance, Public Speaking, Scholarly research and publication, Strategic Planning

2010

United States

Performance + media artist // American dancer, choreographer, multi-disciplinary artist-scholar and filmmaker exploring the intersections of the human body and media. "His present is fascinating...his future would seem limitless." - The New York Times. Please visit: www.move-itproductions.com // "His present is fascinating, his future ... limitless." - The New York Times Richard Move, PhD, MFA, is a TED Global Oxford Fellow, Artistic Director of MoveOpolis! and Assistant Arts Professor in the Department of Dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Move's wide range of interdisciplinary commissions include productions for Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project, two works for the Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as creations for the European Capital of Culture/France, Guggenheim Museum/New York, Gardner Museum, Parrish Art Museum, Dame Shirley Bassey, New York City Ballet Principal, Heléne Alexopoulos and Astronaut - Artist, Dr. Sarah Jane Pell at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Move’s works as filmmaker include; Bardo - Jury Prize nominee at Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera Festival; BloodWork - The Ana Mendieta Story - National Board of Review Award at Directors Guild of America; GhostLight - Tribeca Film Festival premiere, and GIMP - The Documentary, which premiered at the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival. Martha@..., Move’s critically acclaimed performances of 20th Century icon, Martha Graham, received two New York Dance and Performance Awards (“Bessies”) and tours globally. MoveOpolis! has been presented by New York Live Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, Sitelines/River to River Festival, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival and on tour internationally. Move’s esteemed collaborators include designers Alba Clemente, Patricia Field and Isaac Mizrahi, visual artist Charles Atlas, author Hilton Als and Deborah Harry of Blondie. Move’s recent publications include chapters for the Oxford Handbook of Dance and Reenactment, Ally: Janine Antoni, Anna Halprin and Stephen Petronio, and Rhythm Field - The Dance of Molissa Fenley. In 2018, Move was appointed Artist in Residence at Pratt Institute and at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to joining the faculty at New York University, Move served as Assistant Professor of Dance at CUNY/Queens College and as Lecturer in Design and MFA Thesis Advisor at Yale University’s School of Drama. Move earned their PhD, MPhil, and MA in Performance Studies at New York University, after earning their MFA in Media Arts Production from CUNY/The City College of New York, and their BFA in Dance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Please visit www.move-itproductions.com // "His present is fascinating, his future ... limitless." - The New York Times Richard Move, PhD, MFA, is a TED Global Oxford Fellow, Artistic Director of MoveOpolis! and Assistant Arts Professor in the Department of Dance at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Move's wide range of interdisciplinary commissions include productions for Mikhail Baryshnikov and the White Oak Dance Project, two works for the Martha Graham Dance Company, as well as creations for the European Capital of Culture/France, Guggenheim Museum/New York, Gardner Museum, Parrish Art Museum, Dame Shirley Bassey, New York City Ballet Principal, Heléne Alexopoulos and Astronaut - Artist, Dr. Sarah Jane Pell at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Move’s works as filmmaker include; Bardo - Jury Prize nominee at Lincoln Center’s Dance on Camera Festival; BloodWork - The Ana Mendieta Story - National Board of Review Award at Directors Guild of America; GhostLight - Tribeca Film Festival premiere, and GIMP - The Documentary, which premiered at the Lincoln Center Dance on Camera Festival. Martha@..., Move’s critically acclaimed performances of 20th Century icon, Martha Graham, received two New York Dance and Performance Awards (“Bessies”) and tours globally. MoveOpolis! has been presented by New York Live Arts, Dance Theater Workshop, The Kitchen, Sitelines/River to River Festival, Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival and on tour internationally. Move’s esteemed collaborators include designers Alba Clemente, Patricia Field and Isaac Mizrahi, visual artist Charles Atlas, author Hilton Als and Deborah Harry of Blondie. Move’s recent publications include chapters for the Oxford Handbook of Dance and Reenactment, Ally: Janine Antoni, Anna Halprin and Stephen Petronio, and Rhythm Field - The Dance of Molissa Fenley. In 2018, Move was appointed Artist in Residence at Pratt Institute and at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Prior to joining the faculty at New York University, Move served as Assistant Professor of Dance at CUNY/Queens College and as Lecturer in Design and MFA Thesis Advisor at Yale University’s School of Drama. Move earned their PhD, MPhil, and MA in Performance Studies at New York University, after earning their MFA in Media Arts Production from CUNY/The City College of New York, and their BFA in Dance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Please visit www.move-itproductions.com // Performance + media artist // rivers and lakes, arts consultant and advisor, film - directing, arts administration, education, writing, scholarly research and publication, performance and dance, strategic planning, producing, research, editing, arts & education, design, gender & identity, cinematography, dance, gender, media arts, documentary, gender studies, public speaking, performance studies, media studies/film studies // New York|United States|USA

New York|United States|USA

AI for good, Africa, Climate resilience, Data, Education, Gender inclusion, Hunger + poverty, India, Machine learning, Public health, Rural communities, Rural development, Smallholder farmers, Sustainable agriculture, Technology

2009

United States

Oracle; Blue Origin; Draper Laboratory; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Columbia University; Digital Green; Microsoft; CleanStar; Amazon.com

Digital Green is a global development organization that partners with governments and community organizations in multiple countries to boost the cost-effectiveness of public extension systems. By leveraging an AI-powered platform, Digital Green empowers extension agents to deliver timely, localized advisories to small-scale farmers. The organization focuses on improving farm productivity and income levels by providing digital tools to extension agents, resulting in increased farmer income and savings on agricultural inputs. Digital Green's innovative AI assistant helps extension agents manage tasks, log feedback, and retrieve advisory information efficiently. The ultimate goal is to transfer the platform to governments to serve as a public utility. Through its commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency, Digital Green provides detailed financial reports, including audited financial statements, tax documents, and annual reports, showcasing its impactful work in advancing agricultural development. // - Leading the convergence of technology and social organization to improve the well-being of rural communities in India and Sub-Saharan Africa- Managing partnerships with research, government, and non-profit agencies- Leveraging support from government departments, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation // - Researched and developed an agricultural extension system (Digital Green) that uses participatory videos and mediated instruction to train smallholder farmers in sustainable agricultural practices and technology. - Quantified impact in a controlled study to show the system can multiply the value of extension officers by over ten times, per dollar spent, that of classical extension models. Published papers in IEEE/ACM ICTD, American Society of Agronomy, and e-India. // - Investigated an e-card system for credit vouchers and electronic farmer record-keeping- Automated data analysis processes for evaluation of the Earth Institute's Tropical Agriculture Program and United Nation’s Millennium Villages Project in Africa // - Researched and productized a linguistic-based search system for text retrieval that used phonetic similarity and entity extraction for document matching. Two patents pending. // - Strategized a micro-utility startup to generate sustainable source of biofuels and income on the wastelands of rural Maharashtra. // - Developed algorithms to plan the actions of collaborative unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in uncertain environments. // - Architected an integrated toolset environment and conducted trajectory analysis for the conceptual design of a suborbital space tourism launch system. // - Designed, developed, and deployed UI tools and back-end technology to run at distribution warehouses to accurately process inventory. // Oracle; Blue Origin; Draper Laboratory; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Carnegie Mellon University; Columbia University; Digital Green; Microsoft; CleanStar; Amazon.com // Rikin Gandhi is a seasoned professional at the forefront of merging technology with social initiatives to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. With a strong focus on managing partnerships with various stakeholders, including research institutions, government bodies, and non-profit organizations, Rikin has successfully leveraged support from prestigious entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation. His expertise spans across diverse projects, from developing innovative agricultural extension systems to researching linguistic-based search systems and strategizing sustainable biofuel solutions. Rikin's contributions also extend to the realms of automated data analysis, UAV planning algorithms, and trajectory analysis for space tourism launch systems, showcasing his versatile skill set and commitment to driving impactful change through technology. // The world's 570 million small-scale farmers (<2 hectares) face climate extremes, poverty and hunger – challenges compounded for women, who do most of the farm work, by gender inequities. Leveraging increasing mobile phone ownership and the power of generative AI, Digital Green is putting information access in the hands of small-scale farmers and farmer-facing frontline workers. Our AI-enabled digital assistant empowers farmers and frontline workers to: 1) seek information on demand to address evolving challenges and weigh trade-offs surrounding new farming practices by querying the system via text, voice or photo; and 2) share their insights and feedback to influence content, research agendas, and agricultural policies. By 2030, Digital Green will reach 60,000,000 small-scale farmers (50% women) by equipping and training 60,000 frontline workers, and through direct service provision to farmers. We will elevate farmers’ voices to build a future in which small-scale farmers manage millions of hectares sustainably, receive a more just income for their labor, and engage with markets with greater equity. By 2030, this will result in participating farmers earning livable wages by driving 100% income increases from a starting point of $1-3/day. Reducing the cost of adopting a sustainable, profitable ag practice from $35 to $0.35 will drive sustainability and scale. This work builds on community video partnerships in India, Ethiopia and Kenya, which have reached 6,000,000+ farmers (60% women) via 100,000 frontline workers, contributing to 24% income increases at one-tenth the cost of traditional extension. // Rikin Gandhi is a seasoned professional known for his pioneering work in merging technology with social initiatives to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. With a strong focus on managing partnerships with various stakeholders, including prestigious entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation, Rikin has successfully led diverse projects ranging from developing innovative agricultural extension systems to researching linguistic-based search systems and sustainable biofuel solutions. His expertise extends to automated data analysis, UAV planning algorithms, and trajectory analysis for space tourism launch systems, showcasing a versatile skill set and commitment to driving impactful change through technology. As a key figure in Digital Green, Rikin Gandhi plays a crucial role in empowering small-scale farmers and frontline workers through AI-powered platforms, ultimately aiming to improve farm productivity, increase farmer income, and promote sustainable agricultural practices on a global scale. // Agricultural tech innovator // Rikin Gandhi is chief executive officer of Digital Green. Rikin’s interests include sustainable agriculture and technology for socioeconomic development. He co-founded Digital Green as a research project in Microsoft Research India’s Technology for Emerging Markets group and now leads the spin-off of Digital Green that works to amplify the effectiveness of agricultural development in South Asia and Africa. Rikin is a licensed private pilot and received patents for linguistic search algorithms that he helped develop at Oracle. He has a master's in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a bachelor's in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University. // At Digital Green, Rikin works to empower smallholder farmers globally -- with a focus in India and Ethiopia -- to lift themselves out of poverty by harnessing technology and grassroots partnerships. He received his education in computer science and aeronautical engineering. The impetus for Digital Green began with Microsoft Research India’s Technology for Emerging Markets Team, where Rikin worked before founding the organization he now leads in 2006. // Rikin Gandhi is a seasoned professional known for his pioneering work in merging technology with social initiatives to enhance the livelihoods of rural communities in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. With a strong focus on managing partnerships with various stakeholders, including prestigious entities like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation, Rikin has successfully led diverse projects ranging from developing innovative agricultural extension systems to researching linguistic-based search systems and sustainable biofuel solutions. His expertise extends to automated data analysis, UAV planning algorithms, and trajectory analysis for space tourism launch systems, showcasing a versatile skill set and commitment to driving impactful change through technology. As a key figure in Digital Green, Rikin Gandhi plays a crucial role in empowering small-scale farmers and frontline workers through AI-powered platforms, ultimately aiming to improve farm productivity, increase farmer income, and promote sustainable agricultural practices on a global scale. // Agricultural tech innovator // technology, grassroots, entrepreneurship, bioenergy, education, public health, rural communities, data, tourism, machine learning, climate resilience, biofuel, job skills training, farm development, finance, hunger and poverty, gender inclusion & climate resilience , research, tropical agriculture, inequity, agriculture, inclusion, participatory, resilience, climate, design, farming, sustainable development , sustainable agriculture, farmers, agricultural practices, rural community development, women, mining, climate extremes, data analysis, rural villages, vehicles, smallholder, gender, data mining, small-scale farmers, taxes, community development, ai for good, responsible ai, transparency, workers, rural, africa, science, hunger, poverty, india, agronomy, software, government, artificial intelligence, development, farm productivity, income, capacity building // India|USA|Nairobi|California|Bangalore|Addis Ababa|Ethiopia|United States|Kenya|New Delhi|Davis

India|USA|Nairobi|California|Bangalore|Addis Ababa|Ethiopia|United States|Kenya|New Delhi|Davis

Community Outreach, Music, Neuroscience of music, mental illness

2010, 2011

United States

Violinist // Indian-American violinist ROBERT VIJAY GUPTA joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in June 2007 at the age of 19 and is currently the youngest member of the prestigious ensemble. Prior to joining the orchestra, Gupta received a Master’s degree in Music from Yale University and a Bachelor’s degree in biology from Marist College. Parallel to his undergraduate studies in biology, Gupta attended the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School of Music, Pre-College Division. His principal teachers have included Glenn Dicterow, Ani Kavafian, and Isaac Stern. Gupta made his solo debut at the age of eleven in Tel Aviv with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He has performed as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Bombay Symphony Orchestra, among many others. He has also performed widely as a chamber musician and recitalist on an international scale since the age of eight, and frequently appears on the Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Society and Green Umbrella new music series. Gupta has also performed as a guest concertmaster with LA Opera under James Conlon and the Orquestra Comunitat de Valencia at the Palau de Les Arts in Valencia, Spain under Mehta. Gupta directs a non-profit organization called the Street Symphony, which actively brings live musical outreach and educational workshops to audiences without access to the arts throughout Southern California. Street Symphony ensembles perform for the homeless and mentally ill living on Skid Row in downtown L.A., as well as at prisons and terminal care facilities, for injured and homeless veterans, and centers for mentally retarded children and adults. Gupta is a TED Senior Fellow. Throughout his undergraduate course of study, Gupta held Research Assistant positions at CUNY Hunter College in New York City, where he worked on spinal chord neuronal regeneration, and at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine Center for Neurologic Diseases, where he studied the biochemical pathology of Parkinson’s disease. He is passionate about discovering more about how music affects the brain, especially in neurological disorders. Gupta recently recorded his debut album after crowdsourcing funding through a Kickstarter campaign. The album includes the premiere of Gupta’s own composition upon the Indian raga Jaunpuri as well as LA Phil Principal Timpanist Joseph Pereira’s Partita for Solo Violin. The recording also features solo violin works by John Harbison, Eugene Ysaÿe, and HIF Biber. The album was recorded at Walt Disney Concert Hall on the 1716 “Milstein” Stradivarius, and will be available early 2012. Gupta plays on a 2003 violin made by Kansas City luthier Anton Krutz. // Robert Vijay Gupta is an Indian-American violinist and musical activist, and a 2011 TED Senior Fellow. At 24, Gupta is currently the youngest member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and directs Street Symphony, a non-profit organization bringing free music performances to mentally ill individuals living within homelessness and incarceration. Gupta has performed as a soloist and recitalist around the world since the age of 8, but obtained an undergraduate in Biology at 17 and a Master's in Music from Yale at 19, after working in several neuroscience laboratories studying Parkinson's Disease and neurodegenerative biology. // Robert Gupta, violinist with the LA Philharmonic, talks about a violin lesson he once gave to a brilliant, schizophrenic musician -- and what he learned. Called back onstage later, Gupta plays his own transcription of the prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1. // When Robert Gupta was caught between a career as a doctor and as a violinist, he realized his place was in the middle, with a bow in his hand and a sense of social justice in his heart. He tells a moving story of society's marginalized and the power of music therapy, which can succeed where conventional medicine fails. // It's a master class in collaboration as violinist Robert Gupta and cellist Joshua Roman perform Halvorsen's "Passacaglia" for violin and viola. Roman takes the viola part on his Stradivarius cello. It's powerful to watch the two musicians connect moment to moment (and recover from a mid-performance hiccup). The two are both TED Fellows, and their deep connection powers this sparkling duet. // Robert Vijay Gupta is an Indian-American violinist and musical activist, and a 2011 TED Senior Fellow. At 24, Gupta is currently the youngest member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, and directs Street Symphony, a non-profit organization bringing free music performances to mentally ill individuals living within homelessness and incarceration. Gupta has performed as a soloist and recitalist around the world since the age of 8, but obtained an undergraduate in Biology at 17 and a Master's in Music from Yale at 19, after working in several neuroscience laboratories studying Parkinson's Disease and neurodegenerative biology. // Violinist // children, research, regenerative, community outreach, activism, marginalized, music, neuroscience of music, education, housing, homelessness and housing, mental illness, teachers, social justice, justice, campaigns, disease // California|Los Angeles|United States|USA

California|Los Angeles|United States|USA

Agriculture, Community Development, Forced Migration

2017

Pakistan

Urban refugee expert // Robert HAKIZA is a Congolese living in Uganda as a refugee since 2008. He holds a degree in Agriculture from the Catholic University of Bukavu (DRC). In 2015 he attended the International Summer School of forced migration of Oxford University. He is a Co-founder and Executive Director of the Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) a refugee-led organization which empowers refugees and builds community. He is also a founding member of the Refugee-Led Organization Network. He is a steering committee member of the Global Refugee-Led Network. He worked as an Assistant Researcher respectively with the Humanitarian Innovation Project (HIP) of Oxford University, the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and Toronto University. He is a refugee Advocate. He has a big experience working with urban refugees and also works to educate others about obstacles refugees face. He is a TED Fellow and Aspen New Voices Fellow 2017. // The prevailing image of where refugees live is of temporary camps in isolated areas -- but in reality, nearly 60 percent of them worldwide end up in urban areas. TED Fellow Robert Hakiza takes us inside the lives of urban refugees -- and shows us how organizations like the one that he started can provide them with the skills they need to ultimately become self-sufficient. // Robert HAKIZA is a Congolese living in Uganda as a refugee since 2008. He holds a degree in Agriculture from the Catholic University of Bukavu (DRC). In 2015 he attended the International Summer School of forced migration of Oxford University. He is a Co-founder and Executive Director of the Young African Refugees for Integral Development (YARID) a refugee-led organization which empowers refugees and builds community. He is also a founding member of the Refugee-Led Organization Network. He is a steering committee member of the Global Refugee-Led Network. He worked as an Assistant Researcher respectively with the Humanitarian Innovation Project (HIP) of Oxford University, the International Institute of Environment and Development (IIED) and Toronto University. He is a refugee Advocate. He has a big experience working with urban refugees and also works to educate others about obstacles refugees face. He is a TED Fellow and Aspen New Voices Fellow 2017. // Urban refugee expert // agriculture, forced displacement, urban areas, community development, forced migration, refugees, advocacy, humanitarian, urban, migration, displacement // Uganda|Kampala|Central Region

Uganda|Kampala|Central Region

Aerial drones, artificial muscles, biohybrid robotics, controls, engineering, machine learning, marine life, mechanical engineering, robotic manipulation, soft robotics, technology

2022

United States

Amazon Robotics; ABB; Auris Health, Inc; ETH Zürich; Liselotte-Gymnasium, Mannheim, Germany; Soft Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich; studentec; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; ETH AI Center; Stanford University; PCK Systemhaus; Dexai Robotics

The Soft Robotics Lab, founded by Prof. Robert Katzschmann, focuses on developing soft robots and biohybrid robots using compliant materials. Their research includes designing fluidic and electric drive concepts, modeling, controls, and machine learning algorithms for interactions with objects and living beings. They offer opportunities for PhD students, Postdoctoral researchers, and Master students to work on projects involving soft robotic arms, soft robotic fish, and soft robotic fingers. The lab explores advanced fabrication techniques, control methods, and learning techniques to enhance the capabilities of soft robots. Their work has been recognized in various media outlets and academic publications, showcasing their innovative contributions to the field of robotics. // Robert Katzschmann is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at ETH Zurich. His research focuses on developing soft robotic technologies, including the creation of SoFi, a soft robotic fish for exploring marine life, and innovative soft robotic manipulators for object grasping. He has also worked on dynamic control algorithms for soft robots, enabling them to perform various real-world tasks. Robert's work has been widely recognized, with numerous publications, citations, and invited talks at prestigious conferences. // Soft Robotics ResearchPhD in Mechanical Engineering, GPA: 4.9PhD Thesis Title: “Building and Controlling Fluidically Actuated Soft Robots: From Open Loop to Model-based Control”Thesis Committee: Daniela Rus, Russ Tedrake, John Leonard, Anette (Peko) HosoiMajor: Robotics and Controls; Minor: Machine Learning and Computer VisionSelected Classwork: Advanced System Dynamics & Control (2.151), Advances in Computer Vision (6.869), Analysis & Design of Feedback Control Systems (2.140), Dynamics (2.032), Elements of Mechanical Design (2.72), Fluid Mechanics (2.25), Identification, Estimation, & Learning (2.160), Machine Learning (6.867), Probabilistic Mobile Robotics (Duckietown - 2.166), Underactuated Robotics (6.832) // Master Thesis on “Online Trajectory Generation considering Manipulator Dynamics”Advisors: Dr. Torsten Kröger and Prof. Oussama Khatib Lab: Artificial Intelligence Lab @ Computer Science Department // Research project: Thermal study and optimization of robotic drive trainsLocation: ABB (China) Ltd. - Corporate Robotics Research // Chairman of the voluntary association, representation of the association, coordination of all sections // Research and development in the field of medical robotics // Research and Teaching in the field of Soft Robotics // Postdoctoral Associate, Research in Soft Robotics, Advisor: Prof. Daniela Rus // Owner, IT consulting and trade, network administration, web design // Online trajectory generation taking into account the robot dynamics, enhancement of the existing Reflexxes Motion Libraries (http://www.reflexxes.com/). // Amazon Robotics; ABB; Auris Health, Inc; ETH Zürich; Liselotte-Gymnasium, Mannheim, Germany; Soft Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich; studentec; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT); Massachusetts Institute of Technology; ETH AI Center; Stanford University; PCK Systemhaus; Dexai Robotics // Robert Katzschmann is a dedicated professional with a strong background in Soft Robotics Research. With a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focusing on fluidically actuated soft robots, Robert has a solid foundation in Robotics and Controls, complemented by expertise in Machine Learning and Computer Vision. His research projects have spanned from thermal optimization of robotic drive trains to medical robotics development. As a Postdoctoral Associate, Robert continues to contribute to the field of Soft Robotics under the guidance of Prof. Daniela Rus. Additionally, his experience in IT consulting and web design showcases his versatility and proficiency in various domains. // I am rethinking how we are building machines and robots, going away from an ancient mechanistic approach towards pure bioinspiration, and creating robots made of muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, joints, etc. I am creating robots grown from millions of cells and investigating with my research how these systems can change how these robots can adapt and integrate into our world. While everyone is thinking about artificial intelligence in the form of natural language generators, I am looking into physical intelligence that requires smooth and versatile behaviors and motions of a physical embodiment. // Robert Katzschmann is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at ETH Zurich, known for his pioneering work in the field of soft robotics. His research at the Soft Robotics Lab focuses on developing innovative soft robots and biohybrid robots using compliant materials. Katzschmann's expertise lies in designing fluidic and electric drive concepts, control algorithms, and machine learning techniques for interactions with objects and living beings. His notable projects include the creation of SoFi, a soft robotic fish for marine exploration, and advanced soft robotic manipulators for object grasping. Through his contributions to academic publications and media outlets, Katzschmann showcases a unique approach to robotics, emphasizing bioinspiration and physical intelligence in the development of adaptable and versatile robotic systems. // Soft-bodied roboticist // Robert Katzschmann is Assistant Professor of Robotics and head of ETH's Soft Robotics Lab. His research group advances robots' abilities for real-life applications by being more compliant and adapt better to their environment when solving challenging tasks in locomotion and object manipulation. His group takes inspiration from living creatures and develops soft robots with deformable properties that achieve functions not possible with traditional robots. The Soft Robotics Lab advances the design, fabrication, modeling, control, and learning techniques tailored to the needs of soft robotic systems. Demonstrations of his robot's capabilities are real-world applications such as a robotic fish for underwater locomotion, soft robotic hands for pick-and-place tasks, and multi-segment arms for dynamic object manipulation. Robert's work has appeared in leading academic journals, including Science Robotics, and has been featured in major news outlets, including the New York Times. Robert is a member of the ETH AI Center, the Max Planck ETH Center for Learning Systems (CLS), and the ETH Competence Center for Materials and Processes (MaP). Robert is an Area Chair for Robotics Science and Systems (RSS), an associate editor for IROS, and a guest editor for the International Journal on Robotics Research (IJRR), and a reviewer for leading peer-reviewed journals, including Science and Nature // Imagine a boat that propels by moving its "tail" from side to side, just like a fish. That's the kind of machine that TED Fellow Robert Katzschmann's lab builds: soft-bodied robots that imitate natural movements with artificial, silent muscles. He lays out his vision for machines that take on mesmerizing new forms, made of softer and more lifelike materials -- and capable of discovering unknown parts of the world. // Robert Katzschmann is an Assistant Professor of Robotics at ETH Zurich, known for his pioneering work in the field of soft robotics. His research at the Soft Robotics Lab focuses on developing innovative soft robots and biohybrid robots using compliant materials. Katzschmann's expertise lies in designing fluidic and electric drive concepts, control algorithms, and machine learning techniques for interactions with objects and living beings. His notable projects include the creation of SoFi, a soft robotic fish for marine exploration, and advanced soft robotic manipulators for object grasping. Through his contributions to academic publications and media outlets, Katzschmann showcases a unique approach to robotics, emphasizing bioinspiration and physical intelligence in the development of adaptable and versatile robotic systems. // Soft-bodied roboticist // technology, fish, automation, soft robotics, machine learning, marine life, research, biohybrid robotics, electric, design, engineering, mechanical engineering, aerial drones, digital signal processing, electric drive, oceans, robotic manipulation, robotics, bio-inspiration, musculoskeletal robots, computer vision, nature, artificial muscles, science, software, artificial intelligence, controls // Switzerland|Singapore|China|Zurich|Zürich

Switzerland|Singapore|China|Zurich|Zürich

Astrophysics, Javascript Development, Rails, Web - Applications

2014

Iran

Astronomer + web developer // British astronomer who creates online platforms to cultivate a community of citizen science volunteers worldwide – crowdsourcing science. Projects cover a wide range of disciplines, from hunting for exoplanets to decoding whale language to mapping the Milky Way. // British astronomer who creates online platforms to cultivate a community of citizen science volunteers worldwide – crowdsourcing science. Projects cover a wide range of disciplines, from hunting for exoplanets to decoding whale language to mapping the Milky Way. // Astronomer + web developer // javascript development, citizen scientist, science, rails, volunteerism, astrophysics, web - applications // United Kingdom|Oxford|England

United Kingdom|Oxford|England

Access to Justice, Civil Rights, Technology

2020

China

Legal aid entrepreneur // Rohan Pavuluri is the CEO and co-founder of Upsolve, a nonprofit that empowers low-income families to overcome financial hardship and access their legal rights, using technology, education, and community. To date, Upsolve has relieved nearly $500M in debt for low-income families. Upsolve funders include Jack Dorsey, Jim Breyer, Chris Sacca, Y Combinator, Eric Schmidt, the Robin Hood Foundation, Vinod Khosla, Gaurav Kapadia, and the U.S. Government. Pavuluri was named to the TIME100 Next list in 2021. He is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Council of the Legal Services Corporation, which gives out $400 million each year, and a Board Director of the National Center for Access to Justice. Pavuluri graduated from Harvard College, concentrating in Statistics. // If you can't afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you, right? Not in US civil court. From high legal fees to confusing paperwork and expensive lawyers, it can be difficult to settle civil matters. Entrepreneur and TED Fellow Rohan Pavuluri is working to streamline cumbersome legal processes with an app that empowers people to solve their own legal problems. // Rohan Pavuluri is the CEO and co-founder of Upsolve, a nonprofit that empowers low-income families to overcome financial hardship and access their legal rights, using technology, education, and community. To date, Upsolve has relieved nearly $500M in debt for low-income families. Upsolve funders include Jack Dorsey, Jim Breyer, Chris Sacca, Y Combinator, Eric Schmidt, the Robin Hood Foundation, Vinod Khosla, Gaurav Kapadia, and the U.S. Government. Pavuluri was named to the TIME100 Next list in 2021. He is also a member of the Emerging Leaders Council of the Legal Services Corporation, which gives out $400 million each year, and a Board Director of the National Center for Access to Justice. Pavuluri graduated from Harvard College, concentrating in Statistics. // Legal aid entrepreneur // technology, access to justice, income, education, rights, low income, law, government, civil rights, justice, finance // United States|New York

United States|New York

Acting, Affordable healthcare, Athlete, Dance, Functional medicine, Holistic health, Medical clowning, Medicine, Natural birth, Rural communities, Sailing, Surgery, Theatre

2009

India

Global Shapers Community; Yachting Association of India; The University of Edinburgh; Chettinad Vidyashram; National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project; Institute of Functional Medicine; Kauvery Hospital Chennai; Villgro Innovations Foundation; UNLEASH - Innovation lab for SDGs; Chengalpet Govt Medical College; The Little Theatre Chennai

Rohini Rau is India’s top woman sailor. Her best World ISAF Ranking is 94 and 5th in Asia. She created history by winning India’s first international gold medal by a women’s youth team at the Asian Sailing Championship in 2004. She has participated in eight World Championships and numerous international events, winning six international medals and 32 National Medals, including eight Consecutive National titles in the Laser Radial. She campaigned for the 2012 Olympic Games. Rohini completed her degree (MBBS) at Chengalpet Govt. Medical College and is now working as a Doctor at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai. She is currently pursuing her MSc Internal Medicine -II year (University of Edinburgh). She works as a Mentor with Villgro (a Nonprofit organisation that focuses on spotting, mentoring and incubating innovations that have maximum potential to change lives in rural India.) Rohini is the Outgoing Curator of the Chennai Hub Global Shapers Community (an initiative of the World Economic Forum ) and a 2009 TEDIndia Fellow. She had participated in an International Design Development Summit (IDDS) in Chennai in July 2015 She serves on the international Global Shapers Alumni Advisory Council 2017 - 2018 She is Indias first doctor trained medical Clown with the ‘Medical Clowning’ programme started by The Little Theatre, Chennai. Rohini is currently working as a health researcher with the National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project. She was in Angola for three weeks for a basic health care needs assessment. She was one of the delegates of the Australia India Youth Dialogue - Melbourne, Sydney 2017. She worked as a Facilitator for a WaSH themed Design Summit by PSI and MIT DLabs in Ethiopia - January 2018 and as a mentor/facilitator for Engineers without Borders, Australia for the Design Summit in India February 2018. She was a Global Talent at UNLEASH 2018 in Singapore. Her team received the GENDER EQUALITY award for their solution to combatting Non Communicable Diseases. // She was a global talent at UNLEASH 2018 in Singapore - June 2018 (UNLEASH is a global innovation lab that brings together people from all over the world to transform insights into ideas, and build lasting global networks around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.)Our group received the Gender Equality award for its solution to the problem of limited opportunities for physical activity for young Indian women. The ceremony was attended by the President of Singapore, Mr Forest Whittaker (UN Peace Envoy) and Sophia (AI Robot)The Winning idea - ADYA (‘power’), a social franchise run by women, for women, providing affordable, convenient fitness classes using a train-the-trainer model and leveraging unused infrastructure in Chennai. The project would improve the health of young, urban Indian women and decrease their risk of developing NCDs while simultaneously creating employment opportunities for women. // Part of the board of trustees - The Little Theatre Trust It is a non government organisation that runs theatre workshops for children and young adults. We produce theatre shows - The International Theatre festival in July and the christmas pantomime in December.We also started the first Hospital Clowning troupe in India in 2015. // Represented India as an Athlete - Sailing Optimist, Zoom8, J24, Hobie16, 420, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, K-30 // Part of the board of trustees - The Little Theatre Trust It is a non government organisation that runs theatre workshops for children and young adults. We produce theatre shows - The International Theatre festival in July and the christmas pantomime in December.We also started the first Hospital Clowning troupe in India in 2015. // She was a global talent at UNLEASH 2018 in Singapore - June 2018 (UNLEASH is a global innovation lab that brings together people from all over the world to transform insights into ideas, and build lasting global networks around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.)Our group received the Gender Equality award for its solution to the problem of limited opportunities for physical activity for young Indian women. The ceremony was attended by the President of Singapore, Mr Forest Whittaker (UN Peace Envoy) and Sophia (AI Robot)The Winning idea - ADYA (‘power’), a social franchise run by women, for women, providing affordable, convenient fitness classes using a train-the-trainer model and leveraging unused infrastructure in Chennai. The project would improve the health of young, urban Indian women and decrease their risk of developing NCDs while simultaneously creating employment opportunities for women. // Global Shapers Community; Yachting Association of India; The University of Edinburgh; Chettinad Vidyashram; National Geographic Okavango Wilderness Project; Institute of Functional Medicine; Kauvery Hospital Chennai; Villgro Innovations Foundation; UNLEASH - Innovation lab for SDGs; Chengalpet Govt Medical College; The Little Theatre Chennai // Rohini Rau is a multifaceted professional with a diverse background spanning sailing, medicine, mentorship, and global initiatives. As India's top woman sailor, she has achieved significant milestones in international competitions and holds an impressive track record of medals and national titles. Alongside her sailing accomplishments, Rohini is a dedicated doctor at Kauvery Hospital in Chennai, holding an MBBS degree and pursuing further studies in Internal Medicine. She actively engages in mentorship activities with organizations like Villgro and has served in leadership roles with the Global Shapers Community and as a TEDIndia Fellow. Additionally, Rohini's involvement in health research, innovative projects like medical clowning, and participation in global forums like UNLEASH showcase her commitment to driving positive change and addressing societal challenges. // I have now become a functional medicine doctor - so after becoming a natural birthing mother. I have started exploring the world of health through a very different lens - combining my love and knowledge of sport with nutrition and holistic health. I also have a diploma in Ayurveda. So my clients have been getting better from lifestyle illnesses by addressing the root cause. I also completed a works record in sailing in July 2023. So that drives me to prove that women can achieve anything they set their minds to. // Dr. Rohini Rau is a versatile professional excelling in sailing, medicine, mentorship, and global initiatives. She is a top female sailor in India, boasting a remarkable record of achievements in international competitions and national titles. Alongside her sailing prowess, Dr. Rau is a dedicated doctor at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, with an MBBS degree and a focus on Internal Medicine. Engaging in mentorship through organizations like Villgro, she has also held leadership positions in the Global Shapers Community and as a TEDIndia Fellow. Dr. Rau's commitment to driving positive change is evident through her involvement in health research, innovative projects like medical clowning, and participation in global forums such as UNLEASH. Additionally, her transition to functional medicine and exploration of holistic health approaches, including Ayurveda, demonstrate her dedication to addressing lifestyle illnesses at their root cause. Her recent sailing accomplishment in setting a world record underscores her drive to inspire and empower women to reach their full potential. // Doctor + Sailor // Rohini started sailing at the age of 10 and is now campaigning towards the 2012 Olympic games. She is the national champion in the Laser Radial and 420 class. In 2004, she won India's first international gold medal in the women's category. Her current ISAF World Ranking is 97. In May 2009 she became the first Indian woman to win a medal at a Grade 3 event in an Olympic class. She is currently doing her third year MBBS at the Government Medical College, Chennai, India. She studied bharatnatyam dancing and the piano for 10 years. She also did tap dancing, jazz ballet and violin for three years. She has taken part in numerous theatre shows and choreographed the dances for a few as well. She sang playback for a Tamil film titled "3 Roses." She aims to be the first woman sailor to take part in the Olympics while pursuing a career in medicine." She is now Vice Curator of The Chennai Hub of the Global Shapers Community (an initiative of The World Economic Forum). She is a Trustee of The Little Theatre - a children's theatre organization that conducts workshops and shows for children. It also funds a scholarship for underprivileged children to study at English medium schools and universites for a period of 7 years. Currently 81 children are on the scholarship. // Internal Medicine / Functional Medicine Doctor Asian Sailing Gold Medallist TED Fellow Dr Rohini Rau is India’s former top woman sailor. Her best World ISAF Ranking was 94 and 5th in Asia. She created history by winning India's first international gold medal by a women's youth team at the Asian Sailing Championship in 2004. She has participated in 9 World Championships, winning 6 international medals and 32 National Medals including 8 Consecutive National titles in the Laser Radial. She campaigned for the 2012 Olympic Games. She completed her medical degree (MBBS) at Chengalpet Govt Medical College and her MSc Internal Medicine (University of Edinburgh). She worked as a Senior Resident Doctor at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, India since 2015-2020. She is now a certified Functional Medicine Practitioner (AFMCP) by Institute of Functional Medicine, USA 2021 and also pursuing a diploma in Ayurveda. She is the Outgoing Curator of the Chennai Hub Global Shapers Community ( an initiative of the World Economic Forum ) and a 2009 TED Fellow. She has worked as a health researcher with the National Geographic Okavango Wilder- ness Project 2016. She was in Angola for 3 weeks for a Health survey assessment. She serves as part of the Global Shapers Alumni Advisory Council since 2018. Rohini is India’s first Medical Clown and trainer. She has worked with The Little Theatre’s Hospital Clowns Troupe since 2015. In 2018 she was a Facilitator for 4 International Design Thinking projects in Ethiopia, Nepal, Singapore and Kenya. She is an International motivational speaker (TED, TEDx, WEF, TiECON, Yi conferences). She has acted on stage since the age of 5 and been part of numerous musical theatre productions since then. She is a trustee of The Little Theatre - a 28 year old not-for-profit Children’s theatre organisation and has been involved in most of their productions. She is a lyricist and has been part of International productions operating the light and sound. She has learnt Bharatnatyam, Jazz Ballet, Tap and Salsa dancing. She plays the piano and the violin. Has acted in numerous stage shows and an Italian feature film ‘Gills’ age 12. She has sung playback for a Tamil film ‘Three Roses’. After 7 years, Rohini made a comeback into competitive sailing - forming an All Women’s sailing team to represent India at the J/80 World Championship in Bilbao, Spain 12 - 20 July 2019. Team YATRA placed 4th in the Women’s Category. In March 2020 she was selected as one of the international delegates at the Global Victoria Business Summit 2020 and as an AIYD 2022 Emerging Leader in Melbourne, Australia. She is the COO of a fitness start up MONDAY MONK. That brings holistic fitness to the common man by focussing on Functional Medicine, mental health along with spiritual health, emotional, physical health and well-being // Dr. Rohini Rau is a versatile professional excelling in sailing, medicine, mentorship, and global initiatives. She is a top female sailor in India, boasting a remarkable record of achievements in international competitions and national titles. Alongside her sailing prowess, Dr. Rau is a dedicated doctor at Kauvery Hospital, Chennai, with an MBBS degree and a focus on Internal Medicine. Engaging in mentorship through organizations like Villgro, she has also held leadership positions in the Global Shapers Community and as a TEDIndia Fellow. Dr. Rau's commitment to driving positive change is evident through her involvement in health research, innovative projects like medical clowning, and participation in global forums such as UNLEASH. Additionally, her transition to functional medicine and exploration of holistic health approaches, including Ayurveda, demonstrate her dedication to addressing lifestyle illnesses at their root cause. Her recent sailing accomplishment in setting a world record underscores her drive to inspire and empower women to reach their full potential. // Doctor + Sailor // infrastructure, forest, nutrition, holistic health, jobs, equity, wilderness, gender equity, urban, health, medicine, theatre - acting, sustainable development goals, sailing, design, athlete, medical clowning, sustainable development , natural birth, women, dance, medicine and surgery, doctor, robotics, gender, youth, affordable, children, rural, functional medicine, equality, natural birth , sport, government, artificial intelligence, disease // Chennai|India|Tamil Nadu

Chennai|India|Tamil Nadu

anesthesia, child health, frontline medicine, healthcare, locally led aid, medicine, protection of healthcare, storytelling

2018

United States

Humanitarian aid entrepreneur // Dr Rola Hallam bio Name: Rola Hallam Title(s) & affiliation(s): Dr, CEO & Founder, CanDo Short bio: Rola is a consultant anaesthetist, humanitarian, human rights advocate and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of CanDo, a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering resources directly to local humanitarians who provide essential healthcare to their war-devastated communities. She played an integral part in building 7 hospitals in the north of the Syria, including the world's first crowdfunded hospital. She is an international speaker and advocate for the cessation of targeting of civilians and children in war zones, and the protection of medical neutrality. Rola is also the first Syrian TED Fellow. // Local humanitarians are beacons of light in the darkness of war, says humanitarian aid entrepreneur and TED Fellow Rola Hallam. She's working to help responders on the ground in devastated communities like Syria, where the destruction of health care is being used as a weapon of war. One of her campaigns achieved a global first: a crowdfunded hospital. Since it opened in 2017, the aptly named Hope Hospital has treated thousands of children. "Local humanitarians have the courage to persist, to dust themselves off from the wreckage and to start again, risking their lives to save others," Hallam says. "We can match their courage by not looking away or turning our backs." // Dr Rola Hallam bio Name: Rola Hallam Title(s) & affiliation(s): Dr, CEO & Founder, CanDo Short bio: Rola is a consultant anaesthetist, humanitarian, human rights advocate and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of CanDo, a not-for-profit social enterprise delivering resources directly to local humanitarians who provide essential healthcare to their war-devastated communities. She played an integral part in building 7 hospitals in the north of the Syria, including the world's first crowdfunded hospital. She is an international speaker and advocate for the cessation of targeting of civilians and children in war zones, and the protection of medical neutrality. Rola is also the first Syrian TED Fellow. // Humanitarian aid entrepreneur // children, frontline medicine, child health, human rights, anesthesia, rights, protection of healthcare, medicine, led, healthcare, storytelling, advocacy, locally led aid, war, campaigns, humanitarian // United Kingdom|England|London

United Kingdom|England|London

Advocacy, air quality monitoring & solutions, cleantech, community engagement & social impact, data science, energy economy, entrepreneurship, environmental health, extreme weather, machine learning, public policy, renewable energy, research, systems engineering

2018

United States

Etalab (French task force for Open Data); École Polytechnique; Sciences Po; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ecole Polytechnique; Plume Labs; McKinsey & Company; TED Conferences

The organization, led by Romain Lacombe, focuses on advancing various fields through innovative applications of machine learning and deep reinforcement learning. Their work includes accelerating the generation of molecular conformations, designing catalysts for clean energy technologies, assessing human expert confidence in climate statements, extracting molecular properties from natural language, and improving the detection of extreme weather events using neural networks. Their research demonstrates potential for high-throughput molecular screening, inverse catalyst design, climate science evaluation, multimodal learning, and automated extreme weather event detection. // Working to make air quality information accessible for everyone. Acquired by AccuWeather in December 2021. // Helped build the French Prime Minister’s task force for open government data. // Co-founded the French Prime Minister’s task force for Open Data and helped lead it from 2011 to 2014. // Lecturer ("Maître de Conférence") in technology innovation at Sciences Po, teaching an elective course on the Strategy & Management of Digital Innovation ("Stratégie et Pratique de l'Innovation Numérique") in the 2nd year Economics & Business track. Syllabus and class notes: http://spinnonum.tumblr.com // Research Assistant to Dr. John Parsons and Dr. Denny Ellerman at the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research (joint lab of Sloan School/MIT Energy Initiative). // Intern analyst at McKinsey & Company in the EMEA Industry practice (renewable energy, chemicals, and basic materials sectors). // Flow is the first truly mobile, truly personal air quality sensor that measures what you breathe. // France's Open Data platform. // Etalab (French task force for Open Data); École Polytechnique; Sciences Po; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Ecole Polytechnique; Plume Labs; McKinsey & Company; TED Conferences // Romain Lacombe is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in technology innovation, open government data, and environmental policy. He has played key roles in initiatives such as building the French Prime Minister’s task force for open government data and co-founding the task force for Open Data. Romain's expertise extends to academia, where he serves as a lecturer in technology innovation at Sciences Po, teaching courses on digital innovation strategy and management. His experience also includes research assistance in energy and environmental policy and analysis in industries like renewable energy and chemicals. Romain's recent work in making air quality information accessible to the public culminated in an acquisition by AccuWeather in 2021. // Romain Lacombe is a versatile professional with a strong focus on leveraging machine learning and deep reinforcement learning to drive advancements in various fields. His work spans from accelerating molecular conformation generation to designing catalysts for clean energy technologies, assessing expert confidence in climate statements, extracting molecular properties from natural language, and enhancing extreme weather event detection using neural networks. With a background in technology innovation, open government data, and environmental policy, Romain has made significant contributions to initiatives like open data task forces and academia, where he teaches courses on digital innovation strategy. His expertise extends to research in energy and environmental policy, renewable energy, and chemicals, with notable success in making air quality information accessible to the public, leading to an acquisition by AccuWeather in 2021. // Environmental entrepreneur // Romain Lacombe is the CEO and founder of Plume Labs, an environmental tech company building a mesh network of personal sensors for environmental health. Flow, it’s first hardware product, is a CES Innovation Awards 2017 honoree. Plume Labs has raised $4M in seed funding and has a team of 20+ in Paris, France and New York, NY. From 2011 to 2014, Romain was the co-founder and head of innovation of data.gouv.fr, the French Prime Minister’s task force for open government and open data. Romain graduated from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris (Applied Maths, Physics and Economics, 2006) and from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.S. in Technology Policy, 2008) as a Fulbright Scholar. Romain is an MIT Technology Review ‘Innovator Under 35’ (2015) and a TED Fellow (2018) and his work was covered in Time, CNN, The New York Times and The Economist. // How often do you think about the air you're breathing? Probably not enough, says entrepreneur and TED Fellow Romain Lacombe. He introduces Flow: a personal air-quality tracker that fits in your hand and monitors pollution levels in real time. See how this device could help you track and understand pollution street by street, hour by hour -- and empower you to take action to improve your health. // Romain Lacombe is a versatile professional with a strong focus on leveraging machine learning and deep reinforcement learning to drive advancements in various fields. His work spans from accelerating molecular conformation generation to designing catalysts for clean energy technologies, assessing expert confidence in climate statements, extracting molecular properties from natural language, and enhancing extreme weather event detection using neural networks. With a background in technology innovation, open government data, and environmental policy, Romain has made significant contributions to initiatives like open data task forces and academia, where he teaches courses on digital innovation strategy. His expertise extends to research in energy and environmental policy, renewable energy, and chemicals, with notable success in making air quality information accessible to the public, leading to an acquisition by AccuWeather in 2021. // Environmental entrepreneur // technology, renewable, sensors, entrepreneurship, led, data, machine learning, cleantech, research, climate, design, energy economy, weather, environmental policy and advocacy, policy, community engagement, clean energy, public policy, pollution, mobile phones, environmental health, systems engineering, data-driven, advocacy, sensor, open data, renewable energy, hardware, extreme weather, policy research, air quality, extreme events, science, government, artificial intelligence, energy // SF Bay Area|USA|Paris|France|California|Île-de-France

SF Bay Area|USA|Paris|France|California|Île-de-France

Computer science, data ethics, data science, digital learning, education, ethical computing, geospatial analysis, health informatics, information technology, software development, web science

2009

Philippines

The Web Science Lab (WSL) is an interdisciplinary research group that focuses on understanding and explaining the internet by combining expertise from various fields such as mathematics, sociology, economics, psychology, law, and computer science. Their research covers topics like ethical computing, usability, user experience, semantic web, geospatial technologies, big data, and open data. They apply these research areas in education, healthcare, urban environments, and across different platforms including mobile and Internet of Things (IoT). The lab has published various papers on topics ranging from learning analytics in digital game-based learning to software engineering practices in the Philippines. // Rommel Feria is a key figure at the Web Science Lab (WSL), an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the internet through a fusion of expertise from mathematics, sociology, economics, psychology, law, and computer science. His work spans a wide array of topics such as ethical computing, usability, user experience, semantic web, geospatial technologies, big data, and open data. Through the lab's research efforts, Rommel explores the application of these areas in diverse fields including education, healthcare, and urban environments, leveraging platforms like mobile and Internet of Things (IoT). His contributions are evident in the lab's publications, which range from insights on learning analytics in digital game-based learning to advancements in software engineering practices in the Philippines. // Tech educator // Rommel Feria is an educator who has taught at the Ateneo de Manila High School and also in the Computer Science department at the University of the Philippines. He served as the director of the University Computer Center and now leads the Java Research & Development Center, where the Java Education & Development Initiative (JEDI) project was born. He holds a Bachelor of Computer science degree from the University of the Philippines, and did his MSc in Information Systems at the University of Leeds, UK. Rom was also a Medical Informatics Fellow of the NIH-NLM Medical Informatics Program in Woodshole, MA, USA. <br /><br /> Rom is one of first Apple Distinguished Educators (ADE) in the Philippines and the only Sun Java Champion in the country. He co-founded the Philippine Linux Users Group (PLUG) and is a certified proctor for the Linux Professional Institute's Linux certification exam. <br /><br /> Rom is currently one of the technical leads in the University of the Philippines' massive computerization projects, <a href="http://e.up.edu.ph">eUP</a>, whilst continuously serving as a supervisor for both undergraduate and graduate Computer Science students of the same university. As part of his service to his country, he serves as a member of the country's Commission on Election Advisory Council (CAC) for the 2013 National Elections. In addition, Rom sits as Vice-President for External Affairs of the UP System IT Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit foundation. <br /><br /> Rom Feria is one of the first TED Fellows (class of 2009) and has organized several TEDx events: TEDxUP and TEDxManila. // Born and raised in the Philippines. Educated in the Philippines and the UK. Member of various international professional organizations. Faculty member of the University of the Philippines. Educator. Computer Scientist. Son. Brother. Husband. Father. Friend. Mentor. Life-long learner. // Rommel Feria is a key figure at the Web Science Lab (WSL), an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to unraveling the complexities of the internet through a fusion of expertise from mathematics, sociology, economics, psychology, law, and computer science. His work spans a wide array of topics such as ethical computing, usability, user experience, semantic web, geospatial technologies, big data, and open data. Through the lab's research efforts, Rommel explores the application of these areas in diverse fields including education, healthcare, and urban environments, leveraging platforms like mobile and Internet of Things (IoT). His contributions are evident in the lab's publications, which range from insights on learning analytics in digital game-based learning to advancements in software engineering practices in the Philippines. // Tech educator // technology, web science, education, data, certification, urban, geospatial analysis, research, ethical computing, privacy, open data, computer science, iot, information technology, big data, ethics, science, health informatics, law, software // Metro Manila|Quezon City|Philippines

Metro Manila|Quezon City|Philippines