Alex McDowell
Alex McDowell RDI is a storyteller and award-winning designer working at the intersection of emergent technologies and narrative media. In 2000 he originated the influential narrative design practice called world building. He has designed productions for David Fincher, Steven Spielberg, Terry Gilliam, Timur Bekmambetov, Zack Snyder, and many other directors; and for theater, animation and interactive media. He has worked with MIT Media Lab, Volvo, the Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Nike, Ubisoft, Intel, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Spike Lee, Neom, Intel, the Bridge Institute, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Iggy Pop, the American Society of Civil Engineers, Amazing Seasun, the Sex Pistols, I-D Magazine, Bob Dylan and in the design of Cities. Alex is the founder and creative director at Experimental Design, a studio focused on creating immersive future worlds threaded to the present for corporate, media and social change. He is a Professor of Practice at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts where he teaches world building as cross-disciplinary practice. He is William Cameron Menzies Endowed Chair of Production Design, and Director of the USC World Building Institute and Media Lab, currently engaged in artscience research to create a new visual language for molecular biology. He is on the boards of the UNL Carson School for Emerging Media, the Academy of Motion Pictures Science and Technology Council, the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council, the CoSTAR Foresight Board, the National Academy of Science, Science and Entertainment Exchange and the Pancreatic Beta Cell Consortium. In 2006 he was appointed a UK Royal Designer for Industry.

Saloni Shukla
Saloni Shukla is an accomplished artist, researcher, and creative technologist with over 18 years of experience in the media and entertainment industry. She has a proven track record of pushing the boundaries of creativity and innovation, having worked as a producer, cinematographer, and creative director on a diverse range of projects in films, fashion, advertising, and theatre. What sets Saloni apart is her passion for technology-based startups and business development. She has founded Sasmas Ventures - an incubator that identifies and mentors small tech startups, disrupting the industry and successfully nurturing and developing young companies into thriving businesses. Saloni is currently a creative technologist at Whistling Woods International in Mumbai, where she is exploring the intersection of art, technology, and culture. Her work as an emerging media researcher, digital asset creator and AI prompt engineer is informed by her deep understanding of the craft of filmmaking, and she is committed to leveraging cutting-edge technologies to push the boundaries of storytelling and immersive experiences. Her leadership, innovation, and passion have made her an asset to the filmmaking community and the technology startup ecosystem, and her influence is shaping the future of both industries.