Maya Georgieva

Maya Georgieva is recognized for her work at the intersection of immersive storytelling, frontier technology, and the future of learning. As the senior director of the Innovation Center and XR, AI, and Quantum Labs at The New School, Georgieva leads initiatives focused on innovation in spatial computing, generative AI, quantum computing, future interfaces, and narrative design. She plays a key role in integrating XR, AI, and quantum technologies into higher education and society, shaping advancements in human experience.

Earlier in her career, Georgieva led the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the Stern School of Business at New York University before joining The New School, where she developed a technology innovation program within academia.

Georgieva's project portfolio includes launching "Speculative Cultures: A Virtual Reality Exhibition" at Parsons' Sheila Johnson Design Center, one of the first gallery exhibitions to use virtual reality headsets. She partnered with Tribeca Film Festival to introduce cinematic and interactive experiences in virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, and participatory formats. Georgieva curated the inaugural quantum art exhibition, "Creative Expressions of the Infamously Counterintuitive," at Microscope Gallery in New York City, sponsored by IBM Quantum. She also designed and facilitated the first quantum computing design jam for creatives.

Outside her institutional roles, Georgieva is co-founder and chief innovation officer at Digital Bodies, a consulting firm specializing in immersive technology and AI in education and entertainment. She has collaborated with technology companies including IBM, Google, HP, Microsoft, and Meta. Georgieva is co-author of the EDUCAUSE series "VR and AR: Stepping into the New Frontier of Learning" and has published white papers on higher education and immersive learning. She teaches immersive storytelling and mixed realities courses at Parsons School of Design.

Georgieva has been recognized as one of the 30 higher education influencers to follow and is the designer of the first quantum computing design jam for creatives. She has served as a final judge at the MIT Reality Hackathon, mentor and judge in subsequent years, and press for the SXSW XR Experience Exhibition. Georgieva is the recipient of the Campus Tech Education Futurist Award. She is a frequent speaker on immersive storytelling, generative AI, ethics, and quantum art and design at events including UNESCO, SXSW, and The Milken Institute Global Agenda, as well as United Nations and European Commission forums on XR, AI, education, and policy. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Atlantic and The Economist.