An architect and engineer by training, Professor Carlo Ratti teaches at MIT, where he directs the Senseable City Laboratory, and is a Founding Partner of the international design and innovation practice Carlo Ratti Associati. A leading voice in the debate on new technologies’ impact on urban life, his work has been exhibited in several venues worldwide, including the Venice Biennale, New York’s MoMA, London’s Science Museum, and Barcelona’s Design Museum. Two of his projects – the Digital Water Pavilion and the Copenhagen Wheel – were hailed by Time Magazine as ‘Best Inventions of the Year’. He has been included in Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List: 50 people who will change the world’. He is currently serving as Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cities and Urbanization, and as special advisor on Urban Innovation to the European Commission.
Rama Gheerawo is an international figure within design, business and innovation and a serial innovator in the fields of technology, products, services and transport with over 100 projects to his name. He works with government, industry and the public sector with a client list that included Samsung, Toyota, P&G, Panasonic, Sony, the NHS and the UK and Hong Kong governments – training around 400 civil servants for the latter on creativity and leadership. He is co-leading a redesign of the London taxi, one of the most significant projects on the globe and has delivered ground-breaking work across a variety of sectors from artificial intelligence to aging and healthcare. Rama has published widely and run highly acclaimed innovation workshops across the globe. He is a Visiting Professor at the Royal Danish Academy of the Arts and was awarded Fellowships at the Royal College of Art and Royal Society for the Arts.
Maxime Szyf has been a designer since his childhood. After product development studies in Antwerp, he worked at Samsonite Europe (Oudenaarde) and Verhaert (industrial design in Antwerp) before starting his own office in 1998. As a Creative Partner at Yellow Window design, he works on products and services in various categories with DESIGN THINKING as core expertise and where the user is central. He combines observation and co-creation, analysis and creativity to guarantee sustainable and measurable ROI (return-on-innovation) for the challenges of a changing world.
Gene Soo is the General Manager of Citymapper, the Ultimate Transport App. Having experienced what Citymapper is capable of in London and New York, Gene led the launch of Citymapper’s coverage of Hong Kong in August 2015. Since then, Citymapper has become the most complete transport app in Hong Kong covering MTR, buses, trams, ferries, minibuses (including red ones) helping people interconnect all these transportation modes and getting them to their destination. Gene has been pushing for better open data practice in Hong Kong and believes strongly in improving daily lives through better design and technology.
Prior to Citymapper, Gene co-founded StartupsHK, Hong Kong’s premiere Startup Community and has been heavily involved in building up the startup community in Hong Kong since 2009. He has also launched startups in the tech and fashion space.
Gene received his BS and MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University as well as MBA from Columbia University.
Pratap Bose is a British car designer, born in Bombay, India and was educated at the National Institute of Design, India and the Royal College of Art, London. Pratap worked in international companies such as Piaggio&C SpA, Italy, Mitsubishi Motors, Japan, Mercedes-Benz Japan, before joining TATA MOTORS in 2007. He has been the Head of Design of TATA MOTORS, since 2011. He leads a team of 180 creative staff in 3 Global Design studios in India, UK and Italy. He is also responsible for the design of passenger cars and commercial vehicles and leads the design of many multiple award-winning cars and commercial vehicles. Pratap loves cooking, aeroplanes, painting, learning languages and is a terrible amateur drummer. Pratap is also the Visiting Professor at the Vehicle Design department in Royal College of Art.
Dr Anne Kerr leads Mott MacDonald’s Global Cities Initiative providing expertise in master-planning and development for national development and cross boundary strategies as well as plans for integrated developments (both new and redevelopment) for communities, landuse and transportation, innovative technologies, and resource management. The initiative is charged with futures thinking, policy setting and development of implementation strategies and business plans.
She has been involved in the development of strategic business plans for developments for both brown and greenfield sites, and advises governments, developers and agencies on policy matters and strategies to deliver integrated solutions for the built environment – always putting people first. Of particular focus is the inclusion of UN SDG’s through project delivery. Anne also initiated the Smart City Forum in HK for the British Chamber of Commerce, and liaises with Governments on the inclusion of targets, and goals in achieving smarter solutions for cities.
Jill Garner took the helm of the Office of the Victorian Government Architect in 2015, stepping into the role as a public advocate for architecture and design after more than twenty years in practice. As an architect, her practice – Garner Davis – has received numerous industry awards for delivering sensitive, crafted public and private works. As a design advisor and advocate in government, she strongly promotes the value of contextual, integrated design thinking and a collaborative approach across design disciplines.
Jill has taught at both RMIT and Melbourne University. She is a graduate of the innovative practice-based Masters by Design at RMIT; a past board member and examiner for the Architects Registration Board Victoria; chair of the Venice Architecture Biennale Committee and Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.
