Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian PhD is an award-winning designer of experiences, the director and producer of three feature-length movies (The International Space Orchestra, 2013; Disaster Playground, 2015; I am (not) a monster, 2019); who creates multidimedsional experiential projects at the intersection of film, science, tech, theatre, politics, and Design.
Wired awarded her their inaugural Innovation Fellowship in 2014, and Icon magazine recognized Dr Ben Hayoun as one of the top 50 designers “shaping the future”. In 2018, Nelly was distinguished as the first on the list of the top 50 women on the speaker circuit by The Drum Magazine; while in 2017, Creative Review named her one of the Creative Leaders 50, selecting 50 creatives they felt were “driving change, not just within their organisation but in the world at large”, Dezeen selected her as one of the ’50 inspirational women in architecture and design’.
She is the founder and director of the International Space Orchestra, the world’s first orchestra of NASA space scientists and astronauts; and the founder of the tuition-free university, University of the Underground, which includes board members and activists like Prof Noam Chomsky and Prof Arjun Appadurai, this tuition-free educational and cultural programme is supporting plurality of thinking, free and transnational teaching, and unconventional practices in the basement of nightclubs. Her roles include Director of Nelly Ben Hayoun Studios Ltd., Designer of Experiences at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, Senior Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for politics and humanities, Chief of Experiences at file transfer service WeTransfer, Vice Chair of the IAF (International Astronautical Federation) Technical Committee on the Cultural Utilization of Space (ITACCUS), a member of the IAF Space Education and Outreach Committee (SEOC), and a member of the IAA (International Academy of Astronautics) Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) permanent committee amongst others.
When she is not making films, Nelly is a keynote speaker and has spoken worldwide about the value of experiential design practices in the context of nightlife, outreach, community, and education. Her design work has been exhibited at the National Museum of China, MOMA, V&A, the MET and other leading design institutions. Ben Hayoun-Stépanian is also an amateur boxer who trains at the legendary Gleason’s Gym in NYC in the fighting crew of trainer Hector Roca. She has two doppelgangers who work with her to appear at multiple places at the same time, a Barbie doll and a Lego made of herself. Nelly received her MA with distinction from the Royal College of Arts in Design Interactions, she holds a PhD in Geography (Human Geography and Political Philosophy) from Royal Holloway, University of London.
Achievements and awards:
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Senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Humanities and Politics at Bard College since 2019
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Karman Fellow 2022, The Karman Fellowship is a one-year programme designed to support 15 carefully selected global leaders to strengthen personal relations, meet with thought-leaders in technology, science, business, politics and the arts, and take personal commitments to further advance space-related agendas for the betterment of humanity.
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United Nations Goalkeeper for education since 2017
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SETI Institute Designer of Experiences since 2013
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Ben Hayoun was appointed as “Ambassador for the Underground” by the independent self-declared artist republic Užupis in 2019.
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Vice-Chair of The Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS) at the International Astronautical Federation since 2013
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Faculty at the International Space University, Strasbourg, France since 2013
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Member of the Space Outreach and Education Committee and Vice-Chair of The Committee for the Cultural Utilisation of Space (ITACCUS) at the International Astronautical Federation since 2013
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Advisory board member of the METI (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) International since 2018
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Committee member at the IAA (International Academy of Astronautics) SETI permanent Committee since 2017
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Chair and creator of the Space Culture session at the International Astronautical Congress since 2017
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Senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities, Bard College
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Director and founder of the International Space Orchestra in NASA Ames Research Center since 2012
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WIRED Innovation Fellow 2014, WIRED Magazine
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The best female speaker in the “Top 50 of the best female speakers list”, The Drum, January 2018
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One of the “Top 50 inspirational women in architecture and design”, Dezeen, March 2017
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Nominated 3 times as one of the “150 Female Creative Leaders 2017, redefining the creative industries“, The Dots, March 2017
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Dr Ben Hayoun has a Barbie doll and a Lego made of herself
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Director and founder of the postgraduate University of the Underground- world’s first tuition-free university and charity based under the urban space teaching unconventional research practices; Design of Experiences and connecting ‘dreamers of the day’. With board members like Noam Chomsky and Pussy Riot amongst many others.
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Author and director of three feature-length movies awarded at SXSW, London Film Festival and more.
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Dr Ben Hayoun has two doppelgängers who work with her to appear at multiple places at the same time
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Nominated for a VISION Award at SXSW 2015, SXSW
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Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London Teaching Award, 2016
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Woman of the Year Achievement Award, finalist 2015
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Best of The Year 2016 and 2017 by the Metropolitan Museum (MET), 2016 and 2017
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Advisory board member at AIGA (American Institute for Graphic Arts) in Los Angeles since 2015-2018
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One of the 50 international designers ‘shaping the future’, ICON 2013
