Our mission
We’re finding ways to radically improve virtual conferences so that organizations will hold them more often, reducing their carbon emissions and broadening access to professional development for more people. To get there, we focus on the social part of conferencing—networking with other people—and we encourage associations to alternate each year between in-person and virtual conferencing.
Meet our leaders
-
Josh Gutwill, PhD
Co-Director
I'm a cognitive scientist interested in how people interact and learn. For 25 years, I led the Visitor Research group at the world-renowned Exploratorium in San Francisco. We conducted UX experiments to study and optimize social interactions and engagement at exhibits. In 2018, I began applying my knowledge and skills of social experience design to improving networking and collaboration in virtual meeting environments, and now I've made this my full-time pursuit. To enhance access, inclusion and interactivity at conferences while reducing carbon emissions from travel, I develop, test and improve social norms and activity structures in the virtual space. I live in California with my wife and family. For fun, I enjoy hiking, snowboarding, woodworking, and playing my guitar.
-
Sue Allen, PhD
Co-Director
I received my Ph.D. from UC Berkeley in Mathematics and Science Education and have spent decades promoting and studying learning in out-of-school settings such as museums, libraries, afterschool and summer programs. My focus has been on how to create “safe and brave” virtual spaces where professionals who don't know each other can learn together and get to know each other socially at the same time. On the personal side, I live in Maine with my husband and enjoy snorkeling, swimming, and growing tulips.