Nonny de la Peña
The Godmother of Virtual Reality
Nonny de la Peña was selected by Wired Magazine as a #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change and has been called "The Godmother of Virtual Reality" by Engadget and The Guardian. Additionally, Fast Company named her "One of the People Who Made the World More Creative." for her pioneering work in immersive storytelling.
As CEO of Emblematic Group, her digital reality media company, she uses cutting edge technologies to tell stories that create intense, empathic engagement on the part of viewers. Emblematic is also pushing the envelope with branded content, seen using an experiential volumetric search platform. Her company has led the way throughout, from positional goggles to hand controllers, to hydraulic cars, Emblematic has constantly innovated in the field.
A Yale Poynter Media Fellow and a former correspondent for Newsweek, de la Peña is widely credited with creating the genre of immersive journalism and her virtual reality work has been featured by the New York Times, BBC, Mashable, Vice, Wired and many others. Showcases around the globe include the Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals, The World Economic Forum in Davos, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and Games For Change.
She has more than 20 years of award-winning experience in print, film and TV and has used her broad knowledge to innovate in this burgeoning field, and her spatial narratives are regularly met with critical acclaim.
