Dr. Rael Futerman

Educator and Founder of Cartedo, Rael blends design and education.

As a design researcher, one of his key focuses is finding and using stories to inform design decisions and make sense of complexity.

He believe's 'stories are at the heart of much of design work - however we can often bias certain voices'. Much of his work aims to uncover the voices not often included in design decisions.

Ecosystems are complexity in motion, so taking an eco-centric approach to design and complexity mapping can shift our lens from isolated problems to living, interdependent systems — revealing the feedback loops, power dynamics, and emergent pressures that shape how people, places, and practices actually function.

Ariel Blumenberg

Ariel serves as Senior Electrical Engineer at PolyGone, where she develops systems for the automation of microplastics collection and removal.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and a Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Princeton University. There, she gained experience in bio-inspired robotics, with additional work in control systems, machine learning, and swarm robotics.

Her interdisciplinary background, coupled with her interest in marine and freshwater environments, contributes to her passion for creating robust and energy-efficient filter deployment systems to address microplastic pollution.

Dr. El Tayeb Bentria

El Tayeb Bentria is a researcher and innovator at the intersection of biomimicry, AI, and digital fabrication.

He explores how natural systems and mathematical patterns in nature can be translated into functional, printable prototypes, leveraging AI tools like ThinQa to accelerate design and innovation.

Karlijn Besse

Karlijn trained as a architect and industrial ecologist, working for the past years with her own research and design office Other Spheres on sustainability and speculative design projects and since 1.5 years as the Co-Founder of SeaSpark materials.

SeaSpark is a start-up that reimagines glitter in a way that is safe for both people and the planet. They develop 100% biodegradable, non-toxic glitter and shimmering materials using seaweed and other renewable ingredients... aka the shiny stuff we need in life.

Alex Bowen

Led by Alexandra Bowen, founder of the Biophilic Design Community on LinkedIn, explores the essential design concept of Biophilic Design.

At its core, this approach acknowledges the deep human requirement to live within and alongside natural systems. It moves architecture beyond mere "machine thinking" and into living systems thinking, creating built environments that satisfy our evolutionary hardwiring for nature while improving both human and environmental wellbeing.

Gina LaMotte

Gina LaMotte is a social entrepreneur and systems strategist whose work bridges nature’s intelligence and social change.

Today, Gina serves as Managing Director of Biomimicry for Social Innovation, where she works at the intersection of strategy, growth, and program development.

Her work supports leaders and organizations applying ecological intelligence to build resilient and regenerative communities capable of navigating complexity and change.

Rooted in a deep reverence for nature’s genius, Gina is designing initiatives and forging partnerships that inspire us to collectively reimagine what’s possible with nature as our mentor.

Jess Berliner

Jess is the Co-founder and Director of Product of Learn Biomimicry. 

Since 2019, she has led the development of all of their learning products & experiences, including short courses (1600+ learners), mentored programmes (170+ Practitioners and Educators), handbooks, and more. Working closely with her team, Jess has facilitated hundreds of life-defining and career-building biomimicry learning journeys.

 Jess’ diverse career spans working with corporates, non-profits, startups and everything in between, giving her the opportunity to understand that it is truly individuals – not businesses – who change the world.

Denise Hearn

Denise is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Long Now Foundation, an organization dedicated to inspiring long-term thinking to preserve possibilities for the future.

She is also an author, applied researcher, and advisor on economic policy and planetary-aligned governance.

She is a Fellow at the Berggruen Institute and co-author of The Big Fix: How Companies Capture Markets and Harm Canadians (2024), commissioned by McGill University, and of The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition – named one of the Financial Times’ Best Books of 2018.

Denise’s writing has been translated into 12 languages and featured in publications globally.

Erin Miller

Erin is a microbiome scientist who's passionate about the development of microbial biotechnologies. Leading the SeedLabs environmental research division at Seed Health, her work advances microbial technologies for climate resilience, the bioeconomy, and planetary health. 

Eliot Graeff

CEO and co-founder of Asteria, Eliot is a life science engineer and holds a PhD in biomimetics. Passionate about understanding, teaching, and applying bio-inspiration, he coordinated the biomimetic methodology department at Ceebios until 2024 and served as a scientific advisory member of the European Nature4Nature program.

Camilo Garzón

Camilo Garzón, philosopher and biomimic, directs AskNature at the Biomimicry Institute and leads Cuentero Productions. He uses emotionally resonant storytelling to make complex science accessible, with work featured in Scientific American, National Geographic, and more — inspiring innovative, life-friendly solutions through narrative.

Ines Garcia 

Ines is an author, and Agile & Climate Coach who helps individuals, teams and organisations deliver better value & reduce waste.  With over a decade of dual work in Agile & Salesforce, boosted by Circular Economy & Biomimicry practices, she is also an active contributor to: scrumalliance.org; Agile Alliance, Pledge1%, Business Declares, Doughnut Economics Action Lab, and more.

Jacques Chirazi

Through his work with the Biomimicry Institute, Jacques designed the Biomimicry Launchpad, and was instrumental in the creation of the Ray of Hope Accelerator. As a business adviser with a passion for understanding how nature can transform the corporate environment, Jacques brings biomimicry the next generation of sustainable entrepreneurs. He currently teaches at the University of California.

Alexandra Bowen

Alexandra is a Technical Program Manager at Google with 10+ years of experience, and founder of the Biophilic Design Community, a forum dedicated to bringing together professionals and enthusiasts passionate about integrating nature into the built environment. She specializes in consulting on nature-inspired design strategies, as well as green-blue infrastructure.

Joanne Rodriguez

Joanne is the founder & CEO of Mycocycle, which uses mushrooms to remove toxins from waste. Recognized for her innovation by Forbes Magazine, FastCompany, and the EPA she is shifting the paradigm on how we view waste: as a reusable resource, not a burden. She has advised on various projects, including lending her technical expertise to the US Green Building Council and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Saskia van den Muijsenberg

Saskia is the co-founder and director of biomimicryNL and one of the first 20 people worldwide to earn an MSc in Biomimicry. With more than 30 years of experience in strategic innovation, change management, and community engagement, she helps organizations apply nature’s design strategies to create meaningful and sustainable solutions.