2025 Speakers

At the Aspen Design Conference, we invite speakers across disciplines whose work embodies a design-thinking ethos — creative minds who shape culture, systems, and experiences in unexpected ways. We offer a platform both to emerging voices who deserve the stage and to established leaders eager to break out of familiar scripts. Our conversations center on the ideas, values, and provocations that drive creative change.

A musician with curly hair playing a keyboard on stage in a concert hall with stage lights and a large audience in the background, in black and white.

A producer, composer, and keyboardist for The Voidz and Cigarettes After Sex, with credits including Daft Punk and Mac DeMarco.

JEFF KITE

Black and white portrait of a woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing earrings and a dark sweater, sitting indoors with paintings or objects in the background.

LUAM MELAKE

An artist and designer whose furniture and sculpture explore psychology and social connection.

A black and white portrait of a young man with a shaved head and beard, looking over his shoulder, with stairs in the background.

ADAM SALEH

A designer and founder of Presq, based in Los Angeles. In 2023, he was named a Steve Jobs Archive Fellow for his work.

A black and white portrait of a man in a suit sitting against a plain background, looking directly at the camera with hands clasped.

AUSTIN KERR

A furniture and sculpture restorer with 25 years’ experience, serving Design Miami and leading Materials in Design, an online masterclass for artists and designers.

A young man wearing glasses and a Stanford cap, smiling in front of a colorful mural.

MATTY MO

An artist and entrepreneur known as “The Most Famous Artist,” recently founding Art City, a sculpture park and glamping site in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Black and white portrait of a woman with natural afro hair, full lips, and a septum piercing, looking directly at the camera.

IMANI JONES

An event producer and marketing consultant known for XChange Fashion Festival and X Sounds, with past clients including Redbull, Gucci, and Tiffany & Co.

Smiling man with a beard and dark hair in a casual jacket, standing indoors with shelves of jars in the background.

SAAD RIAZ

A designer and founder of DFSG rethinking the human experience, who teaches undergraduate courses on human values in design and human-computer interaction at Stanford. 

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A global strategist and innovator leading Planned Parenthood’s work to advance sexual and reproductive rights through advocacy, strategy, and cross-sector collaboration.

DAWN LAGUENS

A young man with curly hair, smiling, wearing a light-colored, striped, button-up shirt, standing outdoors next to a wall.

WILLIAM HOST

An entrepreneur and co-founder of Ascend Group, a national community empowering students through entrepreneurship.

A smiling middle-aged woman with shoulder-length gray hair, wearing a black turtleneck, standing in an indoor setting that appears to be an office or study area.

ANN MULLINS

A landscape architect and former Aspen City Council member whose career bridges design, preservation, and public policy.

Black and white photo of a man with a shaved head, beard, wearing a suit jacket over a collared shirt in an office setting.

MIKE JONES

An entrepreneur, internet executive, investor, and CEO of Science Inc., the studio behind companies like Liquid Death, Dollar Shave Club, Rover, and many others. 

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A national security and tech policy expert known for leading the AI Bill of Rights and Digital Assets EO, with roles at the White House, State Department, and Congress.

AYA IBRAHIM

Black and white portrait of a man wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a collared shirt, outdoors in front of a blurred natural background.

MATTHEW KOCHMANN

An entrepreneur and ecological visionary known for launching Uber in New York and pioneering Tree Burial.

A woman with long wavy hair wearing a black blazer, black crop top, and white high-waisted pants, standing against a plain wall, looking at the camera.

MAYA CROWNE

A wellness-focused entrepreneur and Co-Founder of Alkemis Paint, Maya is transforming the paint industry through innovation and a deep commitment to human and environmental health.

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A multidisciplinary artist and founder of Raise the Moral studio (RTM), creating sensory worlds where art, design, and technology meet to spark human connection.

MORAL TURGEMAN

Black and white photo of a young woman with dark, wavy hair, standing outdoors near a body of water with trees in the background, wearing a patterned blouse and light-colored pants, posing with her hand near her face.

LUANA SEU

A Romanian photographer blending fine art and cinematic storytelling to craft emotionally resonant, allegorical images that reflect diverse narratives and human experiences.

A woman with curly hair in a blazer and dark pants sitting on a rock formation against a plain background.

JILLIAN MAYER

A Cuban-American visual performance artist and filmmaker based in Miami, whose internationally exhibited work explores how technology shapes identity, fantasy, and survival in a rapidly evolving world.

A man with glasses and a beard is looking through printed materials on a table in a classroom with chalkboard art in the background.

A partner at the design studio Swayspace, lecturer in the design program at Stanford University, and a resident artist in Palo Alto’s Cubberley Artist Studio Program. 

PATRICK FENTON

A young man with curly hair, wearing a checkered shirt, shorts, and hiking boots, stands in front of abstract, colorful paintings displayed on a wall. The paintings feature intricate, swirling patterns and stylized figures in a contemporary art style.

ZIO ZIEGLER

A visual artist known for his paintings and murals which appear in the Mission District of San Francisco, as well as Tokyo, Los Angeles, London, and Italy.

Black and white photo of a smiling woman with long, flowing hair, wearing a sleeveless top and a necklace, standing in front of a plain wall.

BRITT BURTZ

An executive, author, and Co Founder of iByond Inc., Founder and CEO at Universal Tutor, and President of the Educate America Foundation.

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A visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, Josh weaves together finance, innovation, and enduring value to shape ventures that transcend markets and inspire lasting impact.

JOSH CRUMB

A grayscale portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length wavy hair, wearing a light-colored jacket and a dark scarf.

HAILEY BREWER

A social impact leader known for designing equitable health and care systems at IDEO.org, with past partners including the Robert Wood Johnson and Bezos Family Foundations.

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A multidisciplinary artist blending photography, design, and craft. Jamie’s work explores human environments and aesthetics, spanning Boulder, Colorado and Tokyo, Japan.

JAMIE KRIPKE

A smiling woman with curly hair wearing layered necklaces and a patterned sweater, posed against a plain background.

A partnerships leader at IDEO.org, Diane builds cross-sector collaborations to co-create inclusive solutions, drawing on her background in education, policy, and community organizing.

DIANE D’COSTA

A person wearing a helmet, glasses, and casual clothing is sitting on a large sculpture of a squirrel in an outdoor park with trees and a building in the background.

LARA WHITLEY

An installation artist, creative strategist, and lead for the City of Aspen's public art program.

A black and white photo of an elderly man with tousled gray hair, wearing a collared T-shirt, standing outdoors with leafy background.

TRAVIS FULTON

A sculptor and creator known for the world’s first computerized dancing fountain and co-founding Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

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A writer, cinematographer, and multidisciplinary creator working at the intersection of design, technology, and storytelling to craft immersive, human-centered experiences.

KOH TERAI

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CARMEN CHADWICK

An instructional coach passionate about student success, strong teaching strategies, and supporting educators and families.

A man with a beard, wearing a plaid shirt and a cap, standing in front of a wall with geometric art, looking at the camera.

An artist whose vibrant work blurs the line between sculpture and painting, Chris Erickson explores color as a form of expression and its connection to human behavior.

CHRIS ERICKSON

Black and white portrait of a smiling woman with shoulder-length hair, wearing a plaid jacket and a dark top, standing in front of a patterned background.

A housing-focused leader at the Child Poverty Action Lab, Ashley works to reduce child poverty in Dallas by ensuring all families have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing.

ASHLEY FLORES

A woman with short hair wearing a pinstripe blazer and earrings, smiling and holding papers, outdoors with trees in the background.

A longtime Aspen-based curator and champion of modernism’s local legacy, Lissa has cared for the Aspen Institute’s artworks since before its museum honoring Herbert Bayer was established.

LISSA BALLINGER

A black and white portrait of a smiling man with short, curly hair wearing a patterned shirt.

A pioneering designer and inventor with 25 patents, Mark began his career in Berkeley, creating the first curved-pole backpacking tent and has since developed innovations spanning outdoor gear to groundbreaking medical devices.

MARK JOSEPH

Black and white portrait of a woman wearing multiple necklaces, earrings, and a striped jacket, sitting with her arm resting on her knee, against a plain background.

A San Francisco-based designer known for creating artful, deeply personal interiors that foster joy and connection, Noz Nozawa blends fearless creativity with a human-centered approach.

Noz Nozawa

A longtime Silicon Valley venture capitalist, Gary Lauder has invested in over 170 technology companies and co-created the Aspen Institute’s Socrates Society.

GARY LAUDER

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