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Biochemistry, Documentary Film

2009

United States

Filmmaker + scientist // Benji Zusman is an artist and scientist who studied biochemistry at Harvard and then worked to create novel antiviral medications and bio-fuel cell designs for eight years at MIT. A Rockefeller Fellowship brought Benji to Panama to study insect biochemical defenses and systematics at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute -- but his focus soon shifted to the debate over extending the Pan-American Highway into a pristine, indigenous rainforest region. This resulted in his first documentary, The Road to Darien, produced with the support of the Harvard Film Study Center. Hoping to facilitate the creation of unique work from a new, global breed of artist-scientist, Benji recently co-founded the multidisciplinary production collective CURIOUS. // Benji is an artist and scientist who studied biochemistry at Harvard, and then worked to create novel antiviral medications and bio-fuel cell designs for 8 years at MIT. A Rockefeller Fellowship brought Benji to Panama to study insect biochemical defenses and systematics at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute- but his focus soon shifted to the debate over extending the Pan-American Highway into a pristine, indigenous rain forest region. This resulted in his first documentary "The Road to Darien", produced with the support of the Harvard Film Study Center. Hoping to facilitate the creation of unique work from a new, global breed of artist-scientist, Benji recently co-founded the multidisciplinary production collective CURIOUS. Ongoing projects range from film in South Africa and oral histories in Mexico to collaborations with doctors at San Francisco General Hospital and electronic musicians at MIT. // Benji is an artist and scientist who studied biochemistry at Harvard, and then worked to create novel antiviral medications and bio-fuel cell designs for 8 years at MIT. A Rockefeller Fellowship brought Benji to Panama to study insect biochemical defenses and systematics at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute- but his focus soon shifted to the debate over extending the Pan-American Highway into a pristine, indigenous rain forest region. This resulted in his first documentary "The Road to Darien", produced with the support of the Harvard Film Study Center. Hoping to facilitate the creation of unique work from a new, global breed of artist-scientist, Benji recently co-founded the multidisciplinary production collective CURIOUS. Ongoing projects range from film in South Africa and oral histories in Mexico to collaborations with doctors at San Francisco General Hospital and electronic musicians at MIT. // Filmmaker + scientist // research, insects, precipitation, forest, rain forest, rainforest, indigenous, documentary, documentary film, biochemistry // Florida|United States|Hollywood|USA

Florida|United States|Hollywood|USA

Activism & Advocacy, Criminal Justice, Data Analysis & Research, Education, Financial Services, Law, Prison Abolition, Racial Justice

2020

United States

Worth Rises; Columbia Law School; Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA); ACLU; Harvard Law School; Brennan Center for Justice; Columbia University; Corrections Accountability Project at the Urban Justice Center; Columbia University in the City of New York; Goldman Sachs Asset Management; Teach For America; Citi; Morgan Stanley Investment Management; NYC Department of Correction; Harvard University

Worth Rises is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to dismantling the prison industry and ending the exploitation of those it touches. They work to expose the commercialization of the criminal legal system, advocate for fair treatment of incarcerated individuals, and organize campaigns to protect and return economic resources extracted from affected communities. Through research, data analysis, and mobilizing knowledge, they aim to raise awareness and shift discourse around the prison industrial complex. Their efforts include organizing campaigns, leading initiatives to challenge those who profit from mass incarceration, and envisioning a society free of reliance on human caging for wealth or operation. // Combining unique expertise in both criminal justice and financial services to combat the commercial exploitation of the criminal legal system and protect and return the resources of directly-impacted communities // Presented on use of force data to state correctional directors at ASCA's summer conference // Sponsored by Ropes & Gray LLP // Education Pioneers Fellowship Placement // Ford Foundation Law School Public Interest Fellowship Placement // Worth Rises; Columbia Law School; Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA); ACLU; Harvard Law School; Brennan Center for Justice; Columbia University; Corrections Accountability Project at the Urban Justice Center; Columbia University in the City of New York; Goldman Sachs Asset Management; Teach For America; Citi; Morgan Stanley Investment Management; NYC Department of Correction; Harvard University // Bianca Tylek leverages a distinctive blend of knowledge in criminal justice and financial services to address the exploitation of the criminal legal system and advocate for the restoration of resources to affected communities. With a focus on combatting commercial exploitation, Bianca's work intersects with various sectors to drive impactful change. She has shared insights on use of force data with state correctional directors at a prestigious conference and has gained valuable experience through placements with organizations like Ropes & Gray LLP, Education Pioneers Fellowship, and Ford Foundation Law School Public Interest Fellowship. Bianca's efforts reflect a commitment to promoting equity and justice within the legal landscape. // I'm working to remove the financial incentives to incarcerate people. // Bianca Tylek is a dedicated advocate and expert at the intersection of criminal justice and financial services. Through her work with organizations like Worth Rises, she focuses on dismantling the prison industry's commercialization and advocating for fair treatment of incarcerated individuals. Bianca's efforts involve research, data analysis, and mobilizing knowledge to raise awareness about the exploitation within the criminal legal system. Her commitment to promoting equity and justice is evident in her initiatives to challenge those who profit from mass incarceration and envision a society free from reliance on human caging for profit. Bianca's unique blend of expertise drives impactful change in combatting commercial exploitation and restoring resources to affected communities. // Criminal justice advocate // Bianca is an activist artist and the Founder & Executive Director of Worth Rises, where she combines her direct experience with the criminal legal system and expertise in financial and legal services to challenge the prison industry. Before founding Worth Rises in 2017, Bianca was a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, where she investigated the perverse financial incentives created by correctional funding. Previously, Bianca worked with various state and local corrections agencies, including New York City, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. She has also consulted to the Association of State Correctional Administrators and worked for the Campaign to End Mass Incarceration at the American Civil Liberties Union. Bianca co-founded College Pathways at Rikers Island, a preparation program for incarcerated students interested in pursuing higher education. Before committing her career to criminal and racial justice, Bianca worked as a financial analyst at Citigroup and Morgan Stanley. Bianca has been honored as an Art For Justice Fellow, American Achievement Summit Delegate, Equal Justice Works Fellow, a Harvard University Presidential Public Service Fellow, Ford Foundation Public Interest Fellow, Paul & Daisy Soros New American Fellow, and an Education Pioneers Analyst Fellow. // A phone call to a US prison or jail can cost up to a dollar per minute -- a rate that forces one in three families with incarcerated loved ones into debt. In this searing talk about mass incarceration, criminal justice advocate and TED Fellow Bianca Tylek exposes the predatory nature of the billion-dollar prison telecom industry and presents straightforward strategies to dismantle the network of corporations that has a financial interest in seeing more people behind bars for longer periods of time. // Bianca Tylek is a dedicated advocate and expert at the intersection of criminal justice and financial services. Through her work with organizations like Worth Rises, she focuses on dismantling the prison industry's commercialization and advocating for fair treatment of incarcerated individuals. Bianca's efforts involve research, data analysis, and mobilizing knowledge to raise awareness about the exploitation within the criminal legal system. Her commitment to promoting equity and justice is evident in her initiatives to challenge those who profit from mass incarceration and envision a society free from reliance on human caging for profit. Bianca's unique blend of expertise drives impactful change in combatting commercial exploitation and restoring resources to affected communities. // Criminal justice advocate // prison abolition, education, financial services, data, finance, research, activism, race, policy, advocacy campaigns, prisoner rights , public policy, data analysis, criminal justice, advocacy, island, campaigns, nature, expose, law, industrial, communication, justice, racial justice // New York|United States|USA

New York|United States|USA

AI, Education, Job skills training, Machine learning, Nuclear, Physics, Radiation protection, Research, Science outreach, Space applications, Space radiation

2011

Turkey

CERN; University of Cambridge; University of Oxford; METU; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi / Middle East Technical University; Robert College

Melahat Bilge Demirköz is a Turkish scientist and physics professor born in 1980 in Istanbul. She gained recognition for winning an award in a mathematics competition in Turkey while studying at the Istanbul American Robert College. Despite her initial focus on mathematics and music, her interest in physics grew after participating in the European Mathematics Olympiad in Geneva at the age of 14 and visiting CERN. She applied to top universities in the United States and was accepted with a full scholarship to MIT, where she completed her undergraduate and master's degrees. She conducted research at Mainz Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany and started her Ph.D. at MIT before transferring to Oxford University due to the Columbia space shuttle disaster. She completed her Ph.D. with a scholarship from the UK Department of Energy at Oxford University, working on the ATLAS experiment. // Astro-particle physicist WEF Young Global Leader // PI of the Experimental Astro-Particle Physics and Space Radiation GroupMember of the Global Young AcademyAssociate Member of the Turkish Academy of SciencesFirst radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research at the TAEK SANAEM (Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center) in Turkey. Analysis of the variability of the proton cosmic-ray flux as collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. // Member of the AMS-02 collaboration Member of the TUBITAK Science Board since May 2013-2016 Working towards the construction of the first radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research at the TAEK SANAEM (Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center) in Turkey. Ongoing SANTEZ project with ASELSAN on the TID (Total Ionizing Dose) tests of newly developed power amplifiers for space use. Analysis of the proton and positron cosmic-ray flux as collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for a search of dark matter annihilation signal in the galactic halo. First paper very high profile in PRL in April 2013. Continuing work on the photon flux measurement from the galactic halo as well as understanding the effect of the Solar wind on the low energy proton spectrum. Analysis of inclusive jet cross-section with the ATLAS detector // ATLAS Trigger GroupWas appointed as "ATLAS Trigger Expert" in charge of a consistent reliable trigger menu with reasonable rate for physics studies and searches. To achieve this, performed rate calculations for physics channels towards fitting them into the allocated bandwidth. Worked with all trigger slices to integrate them into trigger menus for startup up to high luminosity runs. While working on Level-1 trigger simulation (BCM, LUCID, ZDC) and high-level trigger optimization, also ran shift leader and trigger shifts. Worked on leptonjet exotic physics searches with a goal to trigger on them efficiently. // Member of the ATLAS and AMS-02 collaborations at CERN // Member of the AMS-02 collaborationMember of the TUBITAK Science Board since May 2013Working towards the construction of the first radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research at the TAEK SANAEM (Saraykoy Nuclear Research and Training Center) in Turkey. Ongoing SANTEZ project with ASELSAN on the TID (Total Ionizing Dose) tests of newly developed power amplifiers for space use.Analysis of the proton and positron cosmic-ray flux as collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for a search of dark matter annihilation signal in the galactic halo. First paper very high profile in PRL in April 2013. Continuing work on the photon flux measurement from the galactic halo as well as understanding the effect of the Solar wind on the low energy proton spectrum.Analysis of inclusive jet cross-section with the ATLAS detector // Worked with the ATLAS Semi-Conductor Tracker offline group on developing analysis framework for the SCT offline calibration and optimizing of the analysis for running on the CERN Analysis Facility for the 24-hour calibration loop. // CERN; University of Cambridge; University of Oxford; METU; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi / Middle East Technical University; Robert College // Bilge Demirkoz is an astro-particle physicist with a focus on experimental astro-particle physics and space radiation. As a Principal Investigator of the Experimental Astro-Particle Physics and Space Radiation Group, Bilge has been involved in groundbreaking projects such as the construction of the first radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research in Turkey. Their work includes analyzing cosmic-ray flux data collected by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for various research purposes, including dark matter annihilation signal searches. Bilge's expertise extends to inclusive jet cross-section analysis with the ATLAS detector and serving as an ATLAS Trigger Expert at CERN, ensuring a reliable trigger menu for physics studies and searches. Additionally, Bilge is a member of prestigious scientific organizations like the Global Young Academy and the Turkish Academy of Sciences. // Bilge Demirkoz, a Turkish physicist, is an expert in experimental astro-particle physics and space radiation. As a Principal Investigator, Bilge has led groundbreaking projects, including establishing Turkey's first radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research. Their research involves analyzing cosmic-ray flux data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for various purposes, such as dark matter annihilation signal searches. Bilge's work also encompasses inclusive jet cross-section analysis with the ATLAS detector at CERN, where they serve as an ATLAS Trigger Expert, ensuring a robust trigger menu for physics studies. Moreover, Bilge is a member of esteemed scientific organizations like the Global Young Academy and the Turkish Academy of Sciences. // Particle physicist + educator // Particle physicist + educator currently working at METU and at CERN on the AMS-02 experiment. // Bilge Demirkoz is a Turkish particle physicist who spent 14 years abroad and has returned home to Turkey and has a faculty position at METU, Middle East Technical University in Ankara. After graduating from MIT with a major in physics and minors in mathematics and music, Bilge Demirkoz continued her graduate studies at MIT, working on the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer experiment, which is now searching for anti-matter and a dark matter signature in space. (AMS was installed on the International Space Station on May 19th, 2011). For she finished her D.Phil., working on the ATLAS experiment at Oxford University and spent many years working at CERN, also during her post-doctoral studies with Cambridge University and IFAE Barcelona. Bilge Demirkoz is passionate about science outreach, as well as doing research and teaching. She wants to inspire the next generation of scientists as well as make public more aware of the amazing universe we all live in. // Bilge Demirkoz, a Turkish physicist, is an expert in experimental astro-particle physics and space radiation. As a Principal Investigator, Bilge has led groundbreaking projects, including establishing Turkey's first radiation environment test facility for space and particle physics research. Their research involves analyzing cosmic-ray flux data from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer for various purposes, such as dark matter annihilation signal searches. Bilge's work also encompasses inclusive jet cross-section analysis with the ATLAS detector at CERN, where they serve as an ATLAS Trigger Expert, ensuring a robust trigger menu for physics studies. Moreover, Bilge is a member of esteemed scientific organizations like the Global Young Academy and the Turkish Academy of Sciences. // Particle physicist + educator // space applications, education, space radiation , paper, physics, machine learning, job skills training, radiation protection, research, inclusion, nuclear, wind, construction, low energy, science outreach, solar, ai, science, artificial intelligence, energy // Switzerland|Türkiye|Turkey|Geneva|Istanbul|Ankara

Switzerland|Türkiye|Turkey|Geneva|Istanbul|Ankara

Africa, Bands, Design, Film, Music, Nature, Youth

2014

Kenya

Blinky Bill Music; Just A Band (Kenya); Kenyatta University

Blinky Bill is a musician, producer, and DJ from Nairobi, Kenya. The artist is known for tracks such as "We Cut Keys 2 Cc God" featuring Owuor Arunga and Sage, "We Cut Keys While You Wait," and "So Strong" featuring Shykd. // Blinky Bill is a Nairobi-based producer, DJ, and artist known for tracks like "Bon Voyage," "Compare," "Constant K," and others. His music features collaborations with artists like KASHA, Rvdical the Kid, GoldLink, Fuse ODG, and more. // Kenyan Artist, Producer and DJ. TED Fellow/ Red Bull Music Academy alum. // Blinky Bill Music; Just A Band (Kenya); Kenyatta University // Bill Sellanga is a Kenyan artist, producer, and DJ with a background as a TED Fellow and Red Bull Music Academy alum. With a focus on music production and performance, Bill has honed his skills in creating innovative and engaging audio experiences. His work showcases a blend of creativity and technical expertise, allowing him to push boundaries in the music industry. Bill's diverse background and experiences have equipped him with a unique perspective that shines through in his artistic endeavors. // I want to start a series of Music Camps around Africa for budding producers and songwriters starting from 2025. Been writing a film that I want to develop in the next few years. My work is driven by an exploration of African soun linking the future, present and past. // Bill Sellanga, also known as Blinky Bill, is a Nairobi-based musician, producer, and DJ recognized for his innovative tracks like "We Cut Keys 2 Cc God," "Bon Voyage," and "So Strong." With a background as a TED Fellow and Red Bull Music Academy alum, Bill's work reflects a fusion of creativity and technical prowess in music production and performance. Collaborating with artists such as Owuor Arunga, Sage, and GoldLink, he has established a unique sound that bridges African influences with contemporary music trends. Bill's commitment to exploring African sounds and nurturing talent is evident in his plans to launch Music Camps for aspiring producers and songwriters across the continent. // Musician // A producer and DJ, Sellanga is also the frontman of the musical collective Just A Band, which mixes genres like hip-hop, electronica and funk to make music for popular radio and to give voice to Kenyan youth. // Student of music for life. Singer/Songwriter,producer and DJ. // With dynamic energy and infectious beats, TED Fellow "Blinky" Bill Sellanga delivers an uplifting performance of four songs. // Bill Sellanga, also known as Blinky Bill, is a Nairobi-based musician, producer, and DJ recognized for his innovative tracks like "We Cut Keys 2 Cc God," "Bon Voyage," and "So Strong." With a background as a TED Fellow and Red Bull Music Academy alum, Bill's work reflects a fusion of creativity and technical prowess in music production and performance. Collaborating with artists such as Owuor Arunga, Sage, and GoldLink, he has established a unique sound that bridges African influences with contemporary music trends. Bill's commitment to exploring African sounds and nurturing talent is evident in his plans to launch Music Camps for aspiring producers and songwriters across the continent. // Musician // music, film, nature, bands, design, youth, africa // Nairobi County|Kenya|Nairobi

Nairobi County|Kenya|Nairobi

2019, 2016

United States

Musician + filmmaker // Hip-hop artist and filmmaker telling stories of the polyphonic African diaspora. // Blitz Bazawule is a Filmmaker and Musician born in Ghana and based in New York. Blitz's short films Native Sun (2012) and Diasporadical Trilogìa (2016) premiered at New Voices in Black Cinema and Blackstar Film Festival respectively. Blitz is the founder of Africa Film Society, an organization focused on the preservation of classic African cinema. As a composer and musician, Blitz has released 4 studio albums, Stereotype (2009), Native Sun (2011), Afropolitan Dreams (2014) and Diasporadical (2016). Blitz's feature directorial debut 'The Burial Of Kojo' premiered at Urbanworld Film Festival where it won Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema). Blitz is a Senior TED Fellow and recipient of the Vilcek Prize. // Backed by his band the Mighty Embassy Ensemble, hip-hop artist, filmmaker and TED Fellow Samuel "Blitz" Bazawule delivers an electrifying, polyphonic performance of three songs: "Wahala," "Make You No Forget" and "Best I Can." // Blitz Bazawule is a Filmmaker and Musician born in Ghana and based in New York. Blitz's short films Native Sun (2012) and Diasporadical Trilogìa (2016) premiered at New Voices in Black Cinema and Blackstar Film Festival respectively. Blitz is the founder of Africa Film Society, an organization focused on the preservation of classic African cinema. As a composer and musician, Blitz has released 4 studio albums, Stereotype (2009), Native Sun (2011), Afropolitan Dreams (2014) and Diasporadical (2016). Blitz's feature directorial debut 'The Burial Of Kojo' premiered at Urbanworld Film Festival where it won Best Narrative Feature (World Cinema). Blitz is a Senior TED Fellow and recipient of the Vilcek Prize. // Musician + filmmaker // New York|United States|Brooklyn|USA

New York|United States|Brooklyn|USA

Entertainment Education Consultant, Film Production, Motion Picture Directing, Nollywood, Script Writing

2007

Nigeria

Filmmaker // Leading Nigerian filmmaker; Director, Nollywood Workshops, an alliance seeking to use the power of film as a driver for positive social change in Africa; Chairman, Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations BOND EMERUWA (Bsc Economics) started his career in television and film after a 3 months intensive writers workshop organized by the Nigeria Television Authority and with facilitators fromthe BBC in 1985. A veteran of Nollywood, He went on to write and co-direct many award winning movies amongst which are, “MORTAL INHERITANCE”- A movie on the incidence of sickle cell anemia, which won 10 awards at the Nigeria Movies Awards (THEMA’97). “HEART OF GOLD”, Another multiple award winning film (THEMA’98), “ANGELS”- A movie that dealt with child labour, etc. As an award winning director, he has worked on various developmental movies, for instance, “AMINA”- A cross-cultural film shot partly in Jos and Ogwashukwu, Delta State which, though in English language is listed by the BBC as an Hausa film. Others include “21 DAYS WITH CHRIST”, “GLORIFIED”, “WITH GOD” , “GIRLS HOSTEL”, “CHECKPOINT”- Another award winning movie for which he was voted best Nollywood Director at the 2007 Afro Nollywood awards in London. He was also one of the 6 nominees for best director at the 2008 African movie academy awards (AMAA) for the same movie. Others include “SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY” and “MOUNTAIN BLUES” which won the top prize for a feature film at the Abuja International Film Festival(2007). Another of his films, “ FREEDOM IN CHAINS”(2008) is an expose on Gender based violence and was shot in conjunction with the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA). This movie, which was screened at FESPACO 2009, is now the arrowhead for an Africa wide campaign on (Gender Based Violence) GBV. It most recently got three nominations at the 2010 edition of AMAA. The Nominations include HEART OF AFRICA BEST AFRICAN MOVIE. His Latest film, “HIDDEN HUNGER” is in final post-production. It is a highly entertaining story that subtly exposes the dangers of Under-Nutrition and its direct relationship to poverty and Micro-Finance. It is due to be released later in the year. He was President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria DGN (2007-2011) as well as the Chairman of the Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations Associations CONGA(2010 - 2013) He is married with children. // Leading Nigerian filmmaker; Director, Nollywood Workshops, an alliance seeking to use the power of film as a driver for positive social change in Africa; Chairman, Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations BOND EMERUWA (Bsc Economics) started his career in television and film after a 3 months intensive writers workshop organized by the Nigeria Television Authority and with facilitators fromthe BBC in 1985. A veteran of Nollywood, He went on to write and co-direct many award winning movies amongst which are, “MORTAL INHERITANCE”- A movie on the incidence of sickle cell anemia, which won 10 awards at the Nigeria Movies Awards (THEMA’97). “HEART OF GOLD”, Another multiple award winning film (THEMA’98), “ANGELS”- A movie that dealt with child labour, etc. As an award winning director, he has worked on various developmental movies, for instance, “AMINA”- A cross-cultural film shot partly in Jos and Ogwashukwu, Delta State which, though in English language is listed by the BBC as an Hausa film. Others include “21 DAYS WITH CHRIST”, “GLORIFIED”, “WITH GOD” , “GIRLS HOSTEL”, “CHECKPOINT”- Another award winning movie for which he was voted best Nollywood Director at the 2007 Afro Nollywood awards in London. He was also one of the 6 nominees for best director at the 2008 African movie academy awards (AMAA) for the same movie. Others include “SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY” and “MOUNTAIN BLUES” which won the top prize for a feature film at the Abuja International Film Festival(2007). Another of his films, “ FREEDOM IN CHAINS”(2008) is an expose on Gender based violence and was shot in conjunction with the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA). This movie, which was screened at FESPACO 2009, is now the arrowhead for an Africa wide campaign on (Gender Based Violence) GBV. It most recently got three nominations at the 2010 edition of AMAA. The Nominations include HEART OF AFRICA BEST AFRICAN MOVIE. His Latest film, “HIDDEN HUNGER” is in final post-production. It is a highly entertaining story that subtly exposes the dangers of Under-Nutrition and its direct relationship to poverty and Micro-Finance. It is due to be released later in the year. He was President of the Directors Guild of Nigeria DGN (2007-2011) as well as the Chairman of the Coalition of Nollywood Guilds and Associations Associations CONGA(2010 - 2013) He is married with children. // Filmmaker // children, violence, gender based violence, gender, expose, education, film production, poverty, nollywood, motion picture directing, entertainment education consultant, script writing, campaigns // Lagos|Nigeria

Lagos|Nigeria

Interdisciplinary Arts, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Exchange, Education and Innovat, Interface design, Music, Music composer / performer, technology

2014

Musician + sound architect // Bora Yoon is an award-winning Korean-American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer who addresses the dimensionality of space and sound in her work. She creates immersive architectural soundscapes using digital devices, voice, and found objects and instruments from different cultures and centuries to create immersive musical experiences for the stage, visual art, film, and dance. Non-discriminate of the boundaries which separate Music, Sound, and Noise, Yoon explores where sound connects with the subliminal using the human voice, viola, ancient Tibetan singing bowls, cell phones, radios, metronomes, bike bells, walkie-talkies, Bible pages, water, gramophones, the human voice, field recordings, and electronics, utilizing the sonic palette as a timbre language to evoke memory and association, to create nonverbal storytelling through music, and experiential sound design. Featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and in WIRE magazine for her musical innovations. Yoon has presented her unique experimental soundwork internationally at Lincoln Center, Nam June Paik Museum (Seoul), Patravadi Theatre (Bangkok), Brooklyn Academy of Music, Walker Art Center, Festival of World Cultures (Poland), the Singapore Arts Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival performing the live score for the multimedia staged adaptation of Haruki Murkami's "Wind Up Bird Chronicle". She has been commissioned by Samsung, SAYAKA Chorale of Tokyo; published by Journal of Popular Noise, Boosey & Hawkes, and MIT Press; and awarded by the American Music Center, the Asian American Arts Alliance, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. www.borayoon.com // Bora Yoon is an award-winning Korean-American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer who addresses the dimensionality of space and sound in her work. She creates immersive architectural soundscapes using digital devices, voice, and found objects and instruments from different cultures and centuries to create immersive musical experiences for the stage, visual art, film, and dance. Non-discriminate of the boundaries which separate Music, Sound, and Noise, Yoon explores where sound connects with the subliminal using the human voice, viola, ancient Tibetan singing bowls, cell phones, radios, metronomes, bike bells, walkie-talkies, Bible pages, water, gramophones, the human voice, field recordings, and electronics, utilizing the sonic palette as a timbre language to evoke memory and association, to create nonverbal storytelling through music, and experiential sound design. Featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and in WIRE magazine for her musical innovations. Yoon has presented her unique experimental soundwork internationally at Lincoln Center, Nam June Paik Museum (Seoul), Patravadi Theatre (Bangkok), Brooklyn Academy of Music, Walker Art Center, Festival of World Cultures (Poland), the Singapore Arts Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival performing the live score for the multimedia staged adaptation of Haruki Murkami's "Wind Up Bird Chronicle". She has been commissioned by Samsung, SAYAKA Chorale of Tokyo; published by Journal of Popular Noise, Boosey & Hawkes, and MIT Press; and awarded by the American Music Center, the Asian American Arts Alliance, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. www.borayoon.com // Bora Yoon is an award-winning Korean-American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer who addresses the dimensionality of space and sound in her work. She creates immersive architectural soundscapes using digital devices, voice, and found objects and instruments from different cultures and centuries to create immersive musical experiences for the stage, visual art, film, and dance. Non-discriminate of the boundaries which separate Music, Sound, and Noise, Yoon explores where sound connects with the subliminal using the human voice, viola, ancient Tibetan singing bowls, cell phones, radios, metronomes, bike bells, walkie-talkies, Bible pages, water, gramophones, the human voice, field recordings, and electronics, utilizing the sonic palette as a timbre language to evoke memory and association, to create nonverbal storytelling through music, and experiential sound design. Featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and in WIRE magazine for her musical innovations. Yoon has presented her unique experimental soundwork internationally at Lincoln Center, Nam June Paik Museum (Seoul), Patravadi Theatre (Bangkok), Brooklyn Academy of Music, Walker Art Center, Festival of World Cultures (Poland), the Singapore Arts Festival, and the Edinburgh International Festival performing the live score for the multimedia staged adaptation of Haruki Murkami's "Wind Up Bird Chronicle". She has been commissioned by Samsung, SAYAKA Chorale of Tokyo; published by Journal of Popular Noise, Boosey & Hawkes, and MIT Press; and awarded by the American Music Center, the Asian American Arts Alliance, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. www.borayoon.com // Musician + sound architect // bicycle, technology, mobile phones, music, water, mobility, interdisciplinary collaboration, design, education, exchange, education and innovat, interface design, wind, adaptation, interdisciplinary arts, music composer / performer

Digital media, Interactive Landscapes, Responsive Technologies

2014

United States

Computational landscape architect // A landscape architect whose work focuses on the role of computation and media in environmental and ecological design. He is currently working on the Mississippi Delta, creating technological interfaces which imagine new forms of settlement, infrastructure and habitat. // Bradley Cantrell is a landscape architect and scholar whose work focuses on the role of computation and media in environmental and ecological design. He has held academic appointments at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, The Rhode Island School of Design, and the Louisiana State University Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture where he led the school as graduate coordinator and director. His work in Louisiana over the past decade points to a series of methodologies that develop modes of modeling, simulation, and embedded computation that express and engage the complexity of overlapping physical, cultural, and economic systems. Cantrell’s work has been presented and published in a range of peer reviewed venues internationally including ACADIA, CELA, EDRA, ASAH, and ARCC. Cantrell’s research and teaching focuses on digital film, simulation, and modeling techniques to represent landscape form, process, and phenomenology. His work in digital representation ranges from improving the workflow of digital media in the design process, to providing a methodology for deconstructing landscape through compositing and film editing techniques. His work in media has been recognized through a range of venues and has engaged both public and private clients. Cantrell is the co-author of two books that focus on digital representation techniques specific to the profession of landscape architecture. The first book, Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture, connects traditional analog techniques and methods of representation to similar digital methodologies. Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture won a 2012 ASLA Award of Excellence and has become a standard text for many landscape architecture programs as well as professional reference that is currently being published in its second edition. The second book, Modeling the Environment, explores an approach to digital modeling that is specific to environmental design and landscape architecture. The methodologies highlighted in the book foreground environment, topography, and temporal processes through the lens of the digital composite. Addressing the synthesis of computation and ecology, Cantrell develops and designs devices and infrastructures that create complex interrelationships between maintenance, evolved processes, and environmental response. This approach specifically addresses the interface between old modes of representation and direct connections to ecological processes. In collaboration with co-author Justine Holzman, Cantrell is currently developing a manuscript to be published by Routledge in the Fall of 2015 entitled, Responsive Landscapes. Responsive Landscapes highlights a range of case studies in architecture, landscape architecture, computer science, and art that employ responsive technologies as mediators of landscape processes. // Bradley Cantrell is a landscape architect and scholar whose work focuses on the role of computation and media in environmental and ecological design. He has held academic appointments at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, The Rhode Island School of Design, and the Louisiana State University Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture where he led the school as graduate coordinator and director. His work in Louisiana over the past decade points to a series of methodologies that develop modes of modeling, simulation, and embedded computation that express and engage the complexity of overlapping physical, cultural, and economic systems. Cantrell’s work has been presented and published in a range of peer reviewed venues internationally including ACADIA, CELA, EDRA, ASAH, and ARCC. Cantrell’s research and teaching focuses on digital film, simulation, and modeling techniques to represent landscape form, process, and phenomenology. His work in digital representation ranges from improving the workflow of digital media in the design process, to providing a methodology for deconstructing landscape through compositing and film editing techniques. His work in media has been recognized through a range of venues and has engaged both public and private clients. Cantrell is the co-author of two books that focus on digital representation techniques specific to the profession of landscape architecture. The first book, Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture, connects traditional analog techniques and methods of representation to similar digital methodologies. Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture won a 2012 ASLA Award of Excellence and has become a standard text for many landscape architecture programs as well as professional reference that is currently being published in its second edition. The second book, Modeling the Environment, explores an approach to digital modeling that is specific to environmental design and landscape architecture. The methodologies highlighted in the book foreground environment, topography, and temporal processes through the lens of the digital composite. Addressing the synthesis of computation and ecology, Cantrell develops and designs devices and infrastructures that create complex interrelationships between maintenance, evolved processes, and environmental response. This approach specifically addresses the interface between old modes of representation and direct connections to ecological processes. In collaboration with co-author Justine Holzman, Cantrell is currently developing a manuscript to be published by Routledge in the Fall of 2015 entitled, Responsive Landscapes. Responsive Landscapes highlights a range of case studies in architecture, landscape architecture, computer science, and art that employ responsive technologies as mediators of landscape processes. // Computational landscape architect // technology, landscaping, infrastructure, research, responsive technologies, design, digital media, science, architecture, interactive landscapes, led, landscape architecture, island, ecology, habitat // Charlottesville|Virginia|United States|USA

Charlottesville|Virginia|United States|USA

2019

Data entrepreneur // Human rights activist and founder of Raheem AI, a tech nonprofit working to end police violence through data collection, storytelling and community organizing. // Brandon D. Anderson is a human rights activist and founder of Raheem, an independent service for reporting police conduct in the United States. Anderson is a U.S. military veteran, serving two tours in Iraq after 9/11 as a satellite engineer. He is a 2019 TED Fellow, and 2018 Echoing Green Fellow, the organization of 800 global change-makers that includes First Lady Michelle Obama and CNN Contributor Van Jones. Anderson’s work was nominated a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in 2015 and has been featured by The Atlantic, The Economist, Fast Company, CNBC, and more. Brandon is the adopted son of John, a retired plant manager, and Shirley, who was a Sunday school teacher, a rental car sales clerk for 25 years, and, before passing, taught the world how to love black people out loud. // Brandon D. Anderson is a human rights activist and founder of Raheem, an independent service for reporting police conduct in the United States. Anderson is a U.S. military veteran, serving two tours in Iraq after 9/11 as a satellite engineer. He is a 2019 TED Fellow, and 2018 Echoing Green Fellow, the organization of 800 global change-makers that includes First Lady Michelle Obama and CNN Contributor Van Jones. Anderson’s work was nominated a Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award in 2015 and has been featured by The Atlantic, The Economist, Fast Company, CNBC, and more. Brandon is the adopted son of John, a retired plant manager, and Shirley, who was a Sunday school teacher, a rental car sales clerk for 25 years, and, before passing, taught the world how to love black people out loud. // Data entrepreneur // technology, violence, activism, human rights, rights, education, data collection, community organizing, satellite, data, artificial intelligence, teachers, rental, cars

2019

United States

Ancient technology architect // Architectural designer and co-founder of Matter Design, an interdisciplinary design studio that uses the technology of ancient civilizations to solve contemporary problems. // Brandon Clifford is a time-traveler who develops creative approaches to the world’s most pressing problems. He identifies contemporary blind-spots by mining ancient knowledge that holds resonance with topics of today. He is best known for bringing megalithic sculptures to life to perform tasks. Brandon is the director and co-founder of Matter Design. He is also an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brandon received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech. He has also served as the LeFevre Fellow at The Ohio State University and the John G. Williams Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Arkansas. Brandon is a designer and researcher who has received recognition with prizes such as the American Academy in Rome Prize, a TED Fellowship, the SOM Prize, the Design Biennial Boston Award, and the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers. His most recent authored work ‘The Cannibal’s Cookbook’ demonstrates his dedication to bringing ancient knowledge into contemporary practice with theatrical captivation. His work at Matter Design is focused on re-directing architectural research through spectacle and mysticism by re-posing a series of ancient, but hauntingly relevant questions. For instance, could walking massive statues help us design for transportation and assembly? Is the key to recycling our building materials locked inside the cryptic walls suspected of being built by primordial giants? These ancient ways of thinking compound cultural significance, ceremony, and mythology with technical and methodological procedures that have the potential to resolve our contemporary problems. His speculative built works continue to disrupt common practices and challenge default solutions. // How did ancient civilizations move massive stones to build Stonehenge, the Pyramids and the Easter Island statues? In this quick, delightful talk, TED Fellow Brandon Clifford reveals some architectural secrets of the past and shows how we can use these ingenious techniques to build today. "In an era where we design buildings to last 30, maybe 60 years, I would love to learn how to create something that could entertain for an eternity," he says. // Brandon Clifford is a time-traveler who develops creative approaches to the world’s most pressing problems. He identifies contemporary blind-spots by mining ancient knowledge that holds resonance with topics of today. He is best known for bringing megalithic sculptures to life to perform tasks. Brandon is the director and co-founder of Matter Design. He is also an associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Brandon received his Master of Architecture from Princeton University and his Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Georgia Tech. He has also served as the LeFevre Fellow at The Ohio State University and the John G. Williams Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of Arkansas. Brandon is a designer and researcher who has received recognition with prizes such as the American Academy in Rome Prize, a TED Fellowship, the SOM Prize, the Design Biennial Boston Award, and the Architectural League Prize for Young Architects & Designers. His most recent authored work ‘The Cannibal’s Cookbook’ demonstrates his dedication to bringing ancient knowledge into contemporary practice with theatrical captivation. His work at Matter Design is focused on re-directing architectural research through spectacle and mysticism by re-posing a series of ancient, but hauntingly relevant questions. For instance, could walking massive statues help us design for transportation and assembly? Is the key to recycling our building materials locked inside the cryptic walls suspected of being built by primordial giants? These ancient ways of thinking compound cultural significance, ceremony, and mythology with technical and methodological procedures that have the potential to resolve our contemporary problems. His speculative built works continue to disrupt common practices and challenge default solutions. // Ancient technology architect // technology, research, mobility, design, building material, science, architecture, buildings, transportation, island, recycling, mining // Boston|Massachusetts|United States|USA

Boston|Massachusetts|United States|USA

2012

Maker // Inventor, maker, open source guru and founder of MakerBot Industries, a company producing the Thing-O-Matic, the first affordable 3D printer. // I make things that make things. At MakerBot Industries, my company, we make machines that give creative people the superpower to make anything. I also started Thingiverse so that people could share digital designs in such a way that others can build on them. I started NYCResistor, a hackerspace in NYC, with the smartest people in the city and we share a clubhouse filled with tools like lasercutters. I was a teacher for a long time teaching small and medium sized students. I failed at being a working artist. // I make things that make things. At MakerBot Industries, my company, we make machines that give creative people the superpower to make anything. I also started Thingiverse so that people could share digital designs in such a way that others can build on them. I started NYCResistor, a hackerspace in NYC, with the smartest people in the city and we share a clubhouse filled with tools like lasercutters. I was a teacher for a long time teaching small and medium sized students. I failed at being a working artist. // Maker // open source, affordable, education, 3d printing, teachers

2022

Equitable Housing Developer // The housing market can be vexing: while some neighborhoods get ridiculously expensive and price out longtime residents, others have historic homes sitting vacant without demand. Equitable housing developer and TED Fellow Bree Jones shares how she found a way to revitalize neighborhoods experiencing hyper-vacancy while preventing gentrification -- supporting home buyers and transforming communities along the way. // Equitable Housing Developer // equity, housing

African Development, Consumer Safety & Security, New Media, Sino-African Trends, social marketing

2009

Ghana

Mobile health entrepreneur // Bright B. Simons is a technology innovator, development activist and social entrepreneur. As an Executive at Accra-based think tank IMANI, he contributes to activities that challenge received wisdom about Africa's development challenges. As President of the mPedigree Network, he invented a system that empowers consumers to instantly verify with a free text message whether their medicines are safe and not counterfeit, while providing pharmaceutical companies previously inaccessible market intelligence. Counterfeit medicines are reckoned by experts to kill at least 2000 people daily in the developing world and can constitute more than 40% of all medicines on sale in some countries. Bright is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Councils and Technology Pioneers Community. He is also a Tech Museum Laureate and a Brain Trust member of the Evian Group at IMD, widely considered Europe's foremost business school. In the course of Bright's various activities he has addressed many of the Fortune 100 CEOs, and been cited in many of the world's most prominent publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, the New York Times, the Asian Times, Fast Company, and Time magazine. In 2010, he was conferred with an Archbishop Tutu Award. // Bright is a Director at the West African think tank - IMANI Center for Policy & Education, and President of the mPedigree Network, an mHealth initiative aimed at ending the counterfeit medicines crisis that kills thousands daily in Africa, India and elsewhere. As a Social Innovator he has been recognized with membership in the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Community and Global Agenda Councils. Bright, an Ashoka Fellow, is commited to the relentless championing of free-thinking, new perspectives and the overthrow of all unexamined dogma. As a devotee of social entrepreneurship, Bright is proud to have been elected a Tech Award Laureate in 2009 by the Tech Museum. // To address the problem of counterfeit goods, African entrepreneurs like Bright Simons have come up with innovative and effective ways to confirm products are genuine. Now he asks: Why aren't these solutions everywhere? From password-protected medicines to digitally certified crops, Simons demonstrates the power of local ideas -- and calls on the rest of the world to listen up. // Bright is a Director at the West African think tank - IMANI Center for Policy & Education, and President of the mPedigree Network, an mHealth initiative aimed at ending the counterfeit medicines crisis that kills thousands daily in Africa, India and elsewhere. As a Social Innovator he has been recognized with membership in the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneer Community and Global Agenda Councils. Bright, an Ashoka Fellow, is commited to the relentless championing of free-thinking, new perspectives and the overthrow of all unexamined dogma. As a devotee of social entrepreneurship, Bright is proud to have been elected a Tech Award Laureate in 2009 by the Tech Museum. // Mobile health entrepreneur // technology, activism, sino-african trends, education, entrepreneurship, policy, crops, african development, social marketing, new media, consumer safety & security // Accra|Ghana|Greater Accra Region

Accra|Ghana|Greater Accra Region

Documentary Film, Film Production and Distribution, Healing & Harnessing Heartbreak, Innovative Advertising, Life Transition, Professional Coaching, Startups, Including Social Ventures, Surfing (The Ocean), Women and "Sensitivities" in the work place, leadership, leadership development, online video, self-awareness, spiritual psychology, vulnerability

2009

United States

Filmmaker // Bristol Baughan is an Emmy-winning and Oscar-Nominated filmmaker, author, speaker, and private coach. She is a TED Fellow and served as a delegate for the State Department Documentary Showcase in China. Bristol is launching a custom spiritual, adventure company called Inner Astronauts and writing a book with her mother about freedom from inter-generational patterning called "Permission". She facilitates vulnerability workshops at TED and like-minded conferences and retreats. She Executive Produced THE OTHER SHORE: The Diana Nyad Story at SXSW in 2013. As Co-Founder of Reason Pictures/GOOD.is, she built a slate of Oscar nominated and Emmy winning documentaries including BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA (HBO), WHICH WAY HOME (HBO), SON OF RAMBOW (Paramount) and RACING DREAMS (POV). Dreamworks has optioned the remake rights to RACING DREAMS. Bristol spearheaded GOOD’s online video department in 2006 directing their first web videos and bringing millions of eyeballs to GOOD. Bristol holds a B.A. in International Studies from the American University School of International Service and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. // Bristol Baughan is an Executive Producer of Emmy-winning and Oscar-Nominated films, Author, and Leadership Coach. She founded Inner Astronauts to support people in harnessing their unique gifts in service to the world. Bristol coaches executives and social impact leaders to truly embody the values they believe in and model modern leadership. She designs and facilitates training programs to bring cognitive, social, and behavioral science to campaigns, candidates, and causes. After a decade of starting companies and making award-winning films she has spent the last decade studying behavior and consciousness around the world including a Master's Degree in Spiritual Psychology and hundreds of hours of one-on-one and group coaching. She has gone on pilgrimage with Tibetan monks in India, studied Tantric & Hatha Yoga in Thailand, and traveled around the world learning from education reformer Sir Ken Robinson. Bristol spent over ten years in the film and media business making relevant stories entertaining through film at GOOD for HBO, Paramount, and Showtime (WHICH WAY HOME, BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, RACING DREAMS, SON OF RAMBOW, THE OTHER SHORE: THE DIANA NYAD STORY). She is a TED Fellow and served as a delegate for the State Department Documentary Showcase in China. Bristol holds a B.A. in International Studies from the American University School of International Service and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. // Bristol Baughan is an Executive Producer of Emmy-winning and Oscar-Nominated films, Author, and Leadership Coach. She founded Inner Astronauts to support people in harnessing their unique gifts in service to the world. Bristol coaches executives and social impact leaders to truly embody the values they believe in and model modern leadership. She designs and facilitates training programs to bring cognitive, social, and behavioral science to campaigns, candidates, and causes. After a decade of starting companies and making award-winning films she has spent the last decade studying behavior and consciousness around the world including a Master's Degree in Spiritual Psychology and hundreds of hours of one-on-one and group coaching. She has gone on pilgrimage with Tibetan monks in India, studied Tantric & Hatha Yoga in Thailand, and traveled around the world learning from education reformer Sir Ken Robinson. Bristol spent over ten years in the film and media business making relevant stories entertaining through film at GOOD for HBO, Paramount, and Showtime (WHICH WAY HOME, BY THE PEOPLE: THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, RACING DREAMS, SON OF RAMBOW, THE OTHER SHORE: THE DIANA NYAD STORY). She is a TED Fellow and served as a delegate for the State Department Documentary Showcase in China. Bristol holds a B.A. in International Studies from the American University School of International Service and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. // Filmmaker // innovative advertising, online video, self-awareness, education, women and "sensitivities" in the work place, documentary film, job skills training, including social ventures, healing & harnessing heartbreak, leadership, women, oceans, leadership development, documentary, campaigns, film production and distribution, science, life transition, startups, vulnerability, professional coaching, surfing (the ocean), spiritual psychology, shore // California|United States|USA|Mill Valley

California|United States|USA|Mill Valley

2020

STEM educator // Dirt biking is more than just a pastime -- it's an opportunity to disrupt the cycle of poverty and provide enriching STEM education, says TED Fellow Brittany Young. In this perspective-shifting talk, she shares how her team is working with students and street riders to create safe spaces, transferable skills and community. // STEM educator // bicycle, mobility, education, poverty, stem