Jaron Lanier is a scientist, musician and writer best known for his work in virtual reality and his advocacy of humanism and sustainable economics in a digital context.

Nitish Padmanaban designs systems that combine optics and computation to help improve visual perception.

Nonny de la Peña uses new, immersive media to tell stories that create empathy in readers and viewers.

Working at the frontiers of interactive technology, Chris Milk stretches virtual reality into a new canvas for storytelling.

Anna Piperal is a branding expert and digital enthusiast who strives to spread the idea of a "zero-bureaucracy" government ecosystem.

TED Fellow Kayla Briët explores themes of identity and self-discovery in multiple mediums of storytelling: film, multi-media arts and music.

Marc Goodman works to prevent future crimes and acts of terrorism, even those security threats not yet invented.

Particle Ink tells epic stories in magical places.

Eric Haseltine applies discoveries about the brain to innovation and forecasting game-changing advances in science and technology.

Beyond Facebook, beyond consoles and even computer screens, games are becoming the medium for everyday life, says game designer Jesse Schell.

At University College in London, Neil Burgess researches how patterns of electrical activity in brain cells guide us through space.

Tom Zimmerman is a master inventor at IBM Research – Almaden exploring the frontiers of human-machine interaction and environmental sensing.

Mandë Holford investigates the power of venom to transform organisms (and lives) when it is adapted to create new therapeutics that treat human diseases and disorders.

A neuroscientist and engineer, Daniel Wolpert studies how the brain controls the body.

Philip Rosedale (avatar "Philip Linden") is founder of Second Life, an online 3D virtual world inhabited by millions. He's chair of Linden Labs, the company behind the digital society.

Brenda Laurel has been part of several major revolutions in the way humans use computers: virtual reality, interactive narratives and some fresh approaches to gaming.

The creator of emotional, immersive games like "Heavy Rain," "BEYOND: Two Souls" and "Detroit: Become Human," David Cage uses games to push the boundaries of storytelling.

TED Fellow Miho Janvier studies the the Sun -- in particular the origin of phenomena called "solar storms" which can impact planets in the solar system.

Amy Green creates narrative video games that focus on innovative stories.

Matt Mills comes from Aurasma, a startup that makes augmented-reality technology for mobile phones.

Poppy Crum builds technologies that best leverage human physiology to enhance our experiences and how we interact with the world.

Jessica Ochoa Hendrix builds award-winning educational games and experiences for K-12 learners.

Rébecca Kleinberger is a voice expert pursuing research as a PhD candidate in the MIT Media Lab’s Opera of the Future group.

Renzo Vitale explores the narrative between music, science and human perception -- envisioning sonic spaces for music to evolve, for cities to sing, for people to transcend.

The co-founder of Proximie, Nadine Hachach-Haram is a curious surgeon with a passion for technology and innovation -- and a desire to make a difference in the world.

Tyler DeWitt recognizes that textbooks are not the way to get young people interested in science. Instead, he teaches science by making it fun and fantastical.

For his new book, "Tubes," Andrew Blum visited the places where the internet exists in physical form: the cables and switches and servers that virtually connect us.

Josephine Eyre’s mission is to help people, organizations, and societies connect deeply with each other when they aren’t physically together, using technology as an enabler. She has a passion for human communication, digital anthropology and frontier technologies, and is curious about how emerging technology impacts the nature of human communication. Jo’s research is focused on workplace communication in extended reality environments and her power of X - the power of virtual reality - will explore how the metaverse could reignite workplace creativity and inspire us to achieve what is seemingly impossible.

Broadway and TV veteran Sara Ramirez challenges stereotypes even as she beguiles audiences.

Counter-culture entrepreneur