Dubbed the Willy Wonka of Design and Science, award-winning director and Designer of Experiences, Dr Nelly Ben Hayoun is a critical explorer and a fearless and passionate provocateur combining experience, ideas, technology, radicall pedagogy, music and art.

She has held an astonishing range of first-of-its kind roles. As Designer of Experiences at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute) she founded the worlds first International Space Orchestra, a group made up of NASA space scientists and astronauts.

She is founder of the pioneering University of the Underground, a free MA programme taught by an all-star line up that aims to teach students how to “design experiences and events that best support social dreaming, social actions and power shifts within institutions, companies and governments”.

She has been Chief of Experiences at WeTransfer, Advisor to the United Nations Virtual Reality Labs and Vice-Chair at the International Astronautical Federation. Nelly’s musical collaborations include Damon Albarn, Bjork, Sigur Ros, Beck, and most recently, with The Avalanches.

Awards include: Design Week Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and Hall of Fame inductee, Fast Company - voted one of the "50 Most Creative People in the World", The Drum - No.1 on the Top 50 Women on the Speaker Circuit, Creative Review - Creative Leaders 50 for 'driving change, not just within her field but in the world at large’, Dezeen - Top 50 Inspirational Women in Architecture and Design, ICON magazine - Top 50 Designers 'Shaping the Future', Shortlisted for ‘Woman of the Year’ Award, Wired Innovation Fellow