Rhodes Forum on Technology & Society 2025

Majed Al Mansoori has served as Executive Director of the Museum of the Future since October 2024, following six years in senior roles across the organization. He sees the museum as a portal that transports millions on a multi-sensory journey through space and time to experience Dubai’s inspirational vision for the future. Looking ahead, Majed is working with his team to establish the Museum of the Future as a global center from which the world’s most curious and creative minds convene to find fresh solutions to the challenges facing humanity.

Economist and network and data scientist, with a passion for political economy, anthropology and economic history. Alberto likes to combine qualitative and quantitative methods to address challenges in environmental, technology, and development policy.  Alberto currently works at the United Nations Development Programme, where he take part in designing and prototyping new types of development interventions – including economic policies – in a fast-changing world. In his spare time, he builds a cohousing project in Brussels; runs; and dabbles in open data/open knowledge activism.

Madeleine is professor of Copyright and Media Law at the University of Utrecht Faculty of Law, chaired professor of Digital Politics, Economy and Societies at the European University Institute in Florence and Chair of the Advisory Board at the European Digital Media Observatory. Madeleine is also Vice President for Global Affairs EMEA at Netflix. In this role, she works with her team to ensure Netflix continues to play an active role in supporting governments across the region in their efforts to promote and champion the creative industries as a catalyst for innovation, jobs and creativity.

Ella Duus is a policy advocate with a technical background dedicated to shaping safe, ethical, and trustworthy AI systems through governance. Ella is a Jefferson Scholar and a Master of Public Policy student at the University of Virginia, with a background in computer science. As a two-time NASA contractor and entrepreneur in the ML space, she leverages technical understanding to craft sound policy. This summer, Ella advised the UK government on risk assessment and information sharing practices as a Summer Fellow at GovAI. She works in the Policy Working Group at Encode, informing federal lawmakers and advocating for state-level AI legislation. She is a research assistant at the Sloane Lab and the Faruqe Lab at the University of Virginia's School of Data Science. Ella was an inaugural winner of the RISE scholarship.

Forest conservationist working to protect and restore the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, the last place on Earth where rhinos, tigers, elephants, and orangutans still roam together in the wild. As Co-founder and Chairperson of Yayasan HAkA (Forest, Nature and Environment Aceh Foundation), she brings together Indigenous communities, ecologists, policymakers, and private sector leaders to build inclusive, community-driven conservation models. Recognized internationally for her leadership, Farwiza continues to champion environmental justice and women’s voices in protecting our planet’s most vital ecosystems.

Anand Gandhi is widely regarded as the film auteur who ushered in a new wave of Indian cinema. His first film, Ship of Theseus, won the National Award for Best Picture, the Indian equivalent of an Academy Award. It was also on The Critics’ Circle, UK’s list of 15 “life-changing” films of the past century. His next film, Tumbbad, a genre film which used horror as an allegory, became the region’s most-watched genre film of the last two decades. His non-fiction production, An Insignificant Man, was India’s most commercially successful documentary film. Anand’s films have won the highest honors at the international film festivals of Toronto, Venice, Transylvania, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and have been globally distributed by Disney, Netflix, PrimeVideo, and Channel4.

Jeremy Heimans is co-founder and Chairman of Purpose, a Public Benefit Corporation that builds and supports movements for an open, just, and habitable world. He also co-founded GetUp!, an Australian political organization with more members than all of Australia’s parties combined, and Avaaz, the world’s largest online citizens’ movement with over 65 million members.Heimans is co-author of the international bestseller New Power, described by The New York Times’ David Brooks as “the best window I’ve seen into this new world” and shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year. His TED talk on the topic has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.Recognized by Fast Company as one of the Most Creative People in Business and recipient of the Ford Foundation’s Visionary Award, he has spoken at Davos, TED, the Aspen Ideas Festival, the UN, and Chatham House. The proud son of two first-generation immigrants to Australia, Jeremy was educated at Harvard University and the University of Sydney. He lives in New York.

Anthony House is the founder of The Promethean Collective, a nonprofit equipping Civil Society to thrive in the age of AI. After completing a DPhil in social history, he spent nearly twenty years at Google, leaving as Director of Foresight for Technology and Society. He founded The Promethean Collective on the belief that advances in AI will soon force a renegotiation of the social contract—one that can succeed only if every community can understand the impacts of technologies and advocate for its values and needs. The Collective helps charities, unions, faith groups, and grassroots networks gain the understanding, tools, and networks they need to shape AI for the common good. He lives in London and Provincetown with his partner Andrew and their dog Percy.

Dr. Patience Mususa is a Senior Researcher at the Nordic Africa Institute. An environmental anthropologist, her work concentrates on mining and human settlements, linking research with policy. She has led research teams across various countries on urban climate politics and has organised policy forums with African and Nordic policymakers on mining and urbanisation. She emphasises Africa's role in global urban development debates and its importance in the green transition. Her publications include both academic and policy papers on topics such as mining towns, social change, community welfare and the politics of critical minerals. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal for Southern African Studies and Urban Forum, and co-convenes AEGIS's African Urban Dynamics research group. Previously, she taught anthropology at the University of Cape Town and architecture at Copperbelt University in Zambia.

Canda Bruce Niyonkuru, known artistically as Canda, is an interdisciplinary artist, educator, and cultural advocate whose work bridges personal memory with collective transformation. Self-taught and shaped by a childhood without access to formal arts education, his practice is rooted in creating spaces for healing, reflection, and justice with a focus on BIPOC communities. He is the Founding Director of Milele Museum, a hybrid platform that preserves and reimagines African cultural heritage through gaming and expressive workshops. Canda’s work spans continents and disciplines, from leading art therapy programs for conflict-affected youth to teaching across Rwanda, Germany, and the U.S. His visual language draws from resilience and ancestral wisdom, blending bold textures with deep questions of identity, history, and belonging. Canda perceives his art as a way to listen, to remember, and to hold space for what is often left out.

Kati is a digital director specialising in digital transformation, audience engagement and brand experience. She currently oversees experience and digital at the Victoria and Albert Museum, for audiences encountering the V&A online and in person. She also leads teams working across content, technology and design and directs an award-winning portfolio of digital products and content. Since graduating from the V&A/Royal College of Art history of design Masters programme, Kati has specialised in content and communications and has worked within retail, charities and the cultural sector. Passionate about connecting people with culture and the possibilities of digital technology, Kati is regarded as a thought leader in the cultural sector, regularly speaking at international conferences, contributing to published works and mentoring emerging and established talent.

Lian is the Head of Trust & Safety Policy for the Middle East, Türkiye, and Africa at TikTok, where she leads regional efforts to design and implement policies that protect users and strengthen platform integrity. She guides a team dedicated to building inclusive, context-driven approaches that respond to emerging digital trends and foster safer online experiences worldwide. With over a decade of experience across multilateral organizations, governments, and NGOs, Lian brings expertise in public policy, advocacy, and cross-cultural leadership. She is the first Arab-Israeli Rhodes Scholar, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and holds master’s degrees in Public Policy and Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford. Recognised internationally as a speaker and thought leader on equity, disability inclusion, and minority representation, Lian is driven by a core belief: safety and inclusion are not features of technology, they are its foundation.

Robert Saldin is a Professor of Political Science and the Director of The Mansfield Center's Ethics and Public Affairs Program at the University of Montana. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center in Washington, DC. Saldin’s research lies at the nexus of American politics and history, political institutions, and public policy. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and three books, most recently Never Trump: The Revolt of the Conservative Elites (Oxford University Press, 2020) with Steven Teles. A frequent contributor to the popular press, Saldin’s work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Democracy Journal, and National Affairs among others.

Atindriyo (Atin) Sanyal is the co-founder and CTO of Galileo. Before this, he led engineering efforts behind some of the most impactful AI platforms at Apple and Uber—contributing to the early versions of Siri, and helping build Uber’s AI technology, part of their well known Michelangelo team. His work has powered hundreds of mission critical AI models into production, serving many millions everyday. At Galileo, he heads up their Engineering and AI Research, to help teams AI builders around the world use GenAI in a safe and secure manner.

A trained geobotanist and geoecologist, Michael received his PhD from the University of Mainz in Geoecology and Remote Sensing in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Brazil's INPE where he used SAR data to map biomass in the Amazon. He has worked in Mexico's National Commission for Biodiversity (CONABIO) for over 15 years building the national systems for monitoring land use change and biodiversity with satellite data and large-scale in situ sensors.

Brian Wyborn is a proud Torres Strait Islander Australian and Papua New Guinean whose career has centred on service, equity, and economic empowerment. He is the Chief Investment Officer at Aboriginal Investment NT, where he oversees a $650 million portfolio dedicated to nation-building initiatives that align financial performance with cultural and social impact. Brian also serves as Chair of one of the largest NFP regional and remote aged care providers in Australia, and sits on several national investment committees including the Noongar Boodja Trust and NAB Foundation Impact Investing Advisory Committee. With more than 15 years’ experience spanning investment governance, wealth management, and social impact, he brings expertise in aligning finance with community outcomes. A father of three and Army Reservist, Brian’s leadership is grounded in service to people and place, and in shaping sustainable futures through values-based decision-making.

Kathryn Brown is Reader in Art Histories, Markets and Digital Heritage at Loughborough University. Her books on modern and contemporary art include Women Readers in French Painting 1870–1890 (2012), Matisse’s Poets (2017), and Dialogues with Degas (2023). Her recent research focuses on intersections between art history, museums, and artificial intelligence. She is principal investigator on the AHRC-funded project ‘Modelling a Museum of AI Cultures’. She received a British Academy Talent Development Award for her project on computer vision analyses of Claude Monet’s Water Lily paintings, and her edited collection, Artificial Intelligence and Art History: Looking at Images in an Algorithmic Culture is forthcoming in the Proceedings of the British Academy (2026). She has held visiting fellowships at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts (Washington DC), the Humanities Research Centre of the Australian National University, Tulane University, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library (Yale University), and the Getty Foundation.

Paul Cadario is the Distinguished Fellow in Global Innovation at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy and Centre for Global Engineering, where he coaches, counsels and mentors students and faculty on international development, global governance and advanced technology issues, particularly as they relate to the world’s poor. He joined UofT in 2012 after a 37-year-career at the World Bank; he helped the Bank prepare for an era of transparency and accountability in the roll-out of its global information systems to improve results and development impact. A graduate of UofT, Oxford, and American University, he lives in Washington DC. In 2013, he was awarded a LLD for his distinguished career in global development and his service to the University

Tina is a restoration scientist, lecturer and professional triathlete. Her research seeks to understand how to best restore ecosystems using satellite data, ecological and social methods. Tina supervises students on topics related to forest ecology, remote sensing and restoration and rewilding.

John Dupree is currently a Partner at Opus Faveo Innovation Development, a boutique venture development studio in Austin and Dallas, Texas where he helps lead the firm’s activities supporting very early-stage entrepreneurs as well as angels, small venture investors, family offices and tech transfer offices. Opus Faveo focuses on first-time founders and has helped launch successful new companies across biotech, robotics, advanced materials, AI, digital wellness, hospitality, and other sectors. Previously, he held a variety of technology sales and marketing positions for US telco, Sprint (now T-Mobile), including leading the enterprise sales team of over 3,000 global sales professionals and generating annual revenues in excess of $13 billion. He lives in Dallas where he also serves on the board of Social Venture Partners Dallas and leads that organization’s activities in early-stage social impact investing.

Abhilash Mishra is a scientist, entrepreneur, and educator working on problems at the intersection of technology and global challenges. Abhilash is the Founder and Chief Science Officer of Equitech Futures, a talent network and applied research lab dedicated to technology for social impact.  Abhilash also holds an appointment at the University of Chicago, where he is the founding director of the Xu Initiative on Technology and Public Policy. His current research is focused on understanding the potential of emerging technologies in solving global challenges and associated risks. Abhilash is trained as a physicist and holds a PhD from Caltech and an MPhys from the University of Oxford. He received the Rhodes Scholarship in 2008, the Clinton Global Initiative University Distinguished Alumni Award, the KVPY Fellowship from the Government of India, and the Goldman Sachs Global Leader Award.