Bio
I became fascinated with the relationship between the human brain & mind after suffering concussions playing college football and rugby. Upon completing my bachelor’s degree in engineering at Columbia University, I pursued an MFA in Design & Technology at Parsons School of Design, where I discovered brain-computer interfaces and spent two years studying electronics and coding while creating DIY brain-sensing headsets and neuro-interactive games, animations, and stories.
As the Founder and CEO of OpenBCI, a company dedicated to open-source innovation of human-computer interface technologies, I have spent the past decade overseeing the design and distribution of more than 40,000 tools for neuroscience to over 100 countries around the world. I’ve led the development of numerous products, including the Cyton and Ganglion biosensing boards, the Ultracortex 3D-printable EEG headset, and the award-winning Galea headset, which combines mixed reality with a multi-modal sensor fusion system for advanced neural recording, analysis, and modulation. My work has been featured in major media outlets such as Bloomberg, Scientific American, and Wired. In 2018 I was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 – Science.
In addition to my work at OpenBCI, I love learning and teaching. I have given many talks and presentations and have served as an adjunct professor and research affiliate at several institutions, including Parsons, NYU, and MIT. I strive to challenge my students and audiences to think critically about the role of technology in our lives. In my free time, I’m an avid collector and player of Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, and other games. I enjoy spending quality time with friends and family, as well as exploring new and distant parts of the world.
CV
Work Experience
OpenBCI | Founder & CEO
Brooklyn, NY (June 2013 — Present)
- Raised Pre Series A round in 2021
- Raised $168,829 via Kickstarter in late 2015 to expand the OpenBCI product line
- Raised $215,438 via Kickstarter in late 2013 to create OpenBCI
- Design, manufacture, and distribute low-cost, open-source human-computer interface tools for scientists, researchers, students, and hobbyists.
- Design, architect, and manage firmware and software for use with OpenBCI hardware.
- Foster community engagement & knowledge sharing around open-source innovation of human-computer interface technologies.
Meta | Director of Advanced Interfaces
San Mateo, CA (August 2017 — August 2018)
- Led the Advanced Interfaces team, focusing on new interaction paradigms and input modalities for augmented reality (AR).
- Oversaw the research and development surrounding the integration of new sensors and interaction paradigms for AR.
New York University ITP | Adjunct Faculty & “Something In Residence”
New York, NY (Jan 2016 — Present)
- Courses taught: The Body Electric, Neuromachina: Man & Machine
Parsons School of Design (MFADT) | Adjunct Faculty
New York, NY (Sep 2013 — Dec 2016)
- Courses taught: OpenBCI: Brain Hacking, Creativity & Computation (JS/Java/Arduino), The Digital Self: Interfacing the Body, Materials Spectrum Lab, Physical Computing, Designing Consciousness, Creative Coding (openFrameworks/C++)
NeuroTechNYC | Founder & Organizer
New York, NY (Jul 2015 — Present)
- Coordinate monthly hack nights centered around the use of human-computer interface technologies
Felix Intelligent Local Advertising | Front-End Engineer
New York, NY (Jul 2013 — Dec 2013)
- Designed and implemented internal browser-based dashboards and client-facing sites using Javascript, HTML, and CSS
Brain Interface Lab | Founder & Director
New York, NY (Oct 2012 — June 2013)
- This is where my BCI journey began and also where the OpenBCI logo originates from
Education
MIT Media Lab
Cambridge, MA (2019)
- Research Affiliate
Parsons School of Design | M.F.A. Design & Technology
New York, NY (Aug 2011 — May 2013)
- Concentrations: brain-computer interfaces, creative coding, physical computing, game design, & illustration
Columbia University | B.S. Civil Engineering & Engineering Mechanics
New York, NY (Aug 2007 — May 2011)
- Concentrations: project management, 3D-modeling, computer graphics
- Led the 3D content creation of a Unity-based virtual world (aka CyberGRID) under an $750M NSF grant
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
Alexandria, VA (Aug 2003 — May 2007)
- Ranked #1 Public High School in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report (2007)
