Jury Alumni

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  Shel Kimen

  Co-Director of Design Thinking, Ford Motor Company

  2022 Transportation Jury Captain

  Shel is Co-Director of Design Thinking for Ford. Her role is to grow the capability, its tools and mindsets, across the company. Her work has also touched the Maverick, New F150, Mach-E and more. She has practiced human centered design and creative leadership for 25 years, with side hustles in performative art and music, community development, and a social benefit company. She often takes on transformation roles where the playbook has yet to be written. Shel is committed to inclusion and anti-racism in all its forms. She advocates a post-scarcity mindset, collaboration, curiosity, reflection, rest, and joy.

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  Matheus Demetrescu

  Design Strategy Director, D-Ford São Paolo, Ford Motor Company

  2021 Transportation Jury Member

  Matheus Demetrescu is graduated in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering, post graduated in Vehicles and Its Subsystems, with two MBAs, in Business Management and in UX Design Strategy Management. Career initiated on window-shops creation (Sylvia Demetresco) and since 2007 working at Ford representing the voice of the customer inside Product Development, ensuring company strategy and customer satisfaction balance. In 2014 created the User Experience area in South America to have the user-centered focus on the development. Has lived in US, France and Germany as part of professional and academical life, and has worked in large corporations such as Pilkington, Volkswagen and Unilever.

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  Eric Stoddard

  Design Manager, Ford Motor Company

  2015 Transportation Jury Member

  Eric Stoddard is an accomplished automotive, transportation and product designer, with 17 years experience at major automotive OEMs including Ford, Hyundai and Chrysler.At Ford, Eric is responsible for mid-size passenger car exterior design, including Taurus and Fusion. He played a key role in establishing an all-new advanced design team in Detroit. Advanced programs include the next generation Fiesta, Focus, Mustang, Expedition and Navigator.At Hyundai, production automotive designs included the 2013 Santa Fe, 2011 Elantra, Genesis Coupe, Tucson, Equus, HCD9 Talus concept (2006), and 2007 Elantra. At Chrysler he conceived and led the exterior design of the Crossfire (concept and production), Pacifica and the Dodge SRT-4. In addition to his automotive work, Eric consults in product design as founder of SpeedStudio Design. He has a passion for bicycle design and alternative transportation, having won awards for bicycle design concepts at Red Dot and the Taipei International Bicycle Show. He actively participates in design education, having taught courses and held demos at Cleveland Institute of Art, College for Creative Studies, Lawrence Technological University and Art Center College of Design. Eric holds Bachelor Fine Art from Cleveland Institute of Art, Class of 1998.

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  Sabine Pannetrat

  Founder, Furiously Sustainable

  2024 Transportation Jury Member

  Sabine Pannetrat, founder of "Furiously Sustainable", is a creative expert in Color, Materials and Finishes (CMF) Design and Sustainability. She possesses a dual educational background in both materials engineering and industrial design, having received training in France and Canada.
  
  In over 20 years of international automotive design experience, she has worked for Renault, Citroen, Toyota, Lexus, Aston Martin and for over a decade at DS Automobiles - a young French luxury automotive brand part of Stellantis.
  
  She managed the creative CMF design aspects for a wide range of concept and production cars. Additionally, she served as the Creative Director for the DS Automobiles Brand identity during its initial years, overseeing flagship stores, showrooms, artwork, lifestyle products, co-branding, and more. Later, she took on the position of CMF Design Director at DS Automobiles.
  
  Also assigned the task of focusing on sustainable design for DS Automobiles, she spearheaded the development of the DS "SustainObility" design strategy alongside her team. Her passion lies notably in Sustainability in Materials & Design, as well as in broader areas such as collective intelligence and organizational transformation. She was one of the inaugural Collective Intelligence Leaders for Stellantis, contributing to efforts aimed at breaking silos and enhancing the company's performance.
  
  Whether within a company or as a consultant, her (furiously) passionate commitment lies in assisting companies with their Sustainable Design transformation. She eagerly lends support in researching innovative and sustainable CMF, crafting comprehensive global sustainable design strategies, and fostering organizational evolution to streamline the implementation of sustainable design projects. Very knowledgeable about traditional & avant-garde manufacturing processes of materials, she also campaigns for greater recognition of craft as a sustainable value.
  
  On a personal note, she loves learning new languages and indulging in bikepacking.

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  Sharon Gauci

  Executive Director of Design – Global Buick & GMC, General Motors

  2024 Transportation Jury Member

  Sharon Gauci a native Australian, was appointed to Executive Director of Design – Global Buick and GMC on October 1, 2021. An experienced design leader, Gauci has held a variety of different global roles. Prior to her current appointment, Gauci was the Executive Director of Industrial Design at General Motors, a role held since January 2018. In June 2020, Sharon joined GM’s Sustainability Office, where she was one of seven executive leaders working across the organization to implement strategies supporting GM’s Zero Emissions vision.
  
  In her current role, Gauci is responsible for leading studios to create the visual expression and design strategies for Buick, GMC and GMC Hummer trucks, cars, crossovers and SUVs across all of GM’s markets.
  In her previous role, Gauci oversaw the redesign of the GM logo, introduced globally in January 2021—only the fifth change in the history of the brandmark.
  
  Gauci is the first recipient of Good Design Australia’s inaugural Women in Design Award in 2019, the first female keynote speaker at Wards Auto Interior Conference in 2018 and the first female to be included as a core judge for the Australian Design Awards in 2005, at the time a 50 year award program. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design in 1993 from Swinburne University in Melbourne.
  
  Gauci worked at both Ford Motor Company and BMW Australia before joining GM Holden in 2004.
  In 2021, she commenced service as a Board of Trustees member for PRATT Institute, a global leader in higher education situated in New York City.
  
  Throughout her extensive design career including regional roles and advanced design, Gauci has worked on many global vehicles including trucks, performance cars and mobility solutions such as the award winning ARIV e-bike, Brightdrop and Cruise Origin. Most recent vehicles include the Cadillac Lyriq, GMC Hummer EV, Cadillac Escala, Buick Avista and Avenir – which won the Eyes on Design C&T award.

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  Robert Walker

  Director of Design, Advanced Mobility and Experience Studio (AMES), General Motors

  2022 Transportation Jury Member

  Robert Walker is a global automotive design and team leader. He has worked in the automotive design industry for 24 years as a designer, design manager, chief designer, and design director within multiple global automakers.
  
  Walker is currently the Director of Design of the Advanced Mobility and Experience Design Studio at General Motors Design Center, based in Warren, Michigan. As a global advanced design leader, he guides his team in developing what’s next - future automotive and new mobility projects positioned far outside the scope of existing vehicle programs. Prior to joining GM, Walker held the position of Director of Product Design at D-Ford, Ford’s Global Human-centered Design & Innovation LAB, leading the team in both physical and digital product/vehicle design. They challenged assumptions and questioned the status quo, translating human insights into near and far product concepts for the Ford and Lincoln brands.
  
  He also loves mentoring the next generation of automotive designers. As an adjunct professor at the College for Creative Studies (CCS), he teaches multiple automotive/new mobility and design theory courses.

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  Bernice Dapaah

  Founder & CEO, Ghana Bamboo Bikes

  2021 Transportation Jury Member

  Bernice Dapaah is a serial award-winning entrepreneur and a passionate advocate of smart mobility systems. Recognized internationally as a climate trailblazer, she has spent several years in Ghana and across the globe advocating for a regional shift toward eco-mobility and integrated transport in keeping with the ethos of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  
  Her early interest in bamboo led to rigorous experimentation and innovation of a green, functionally robust alternative to conventional bicycles. For her contribution to bamboo industrialization, she was appointed as Bamboo Ambassador by the World Bamboo Organization in 2015 and has since been an active advocate for regional integration of bamboo. She has recently been crowned as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) and is now an alumnus Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum.
  
  Bernice is also a Fellow of the Harvard University’s Executive Education and Oxford Transformative Leadership Program. She has been honored with the World Entrepreneurship Forum’s “Entrepreneur for the World Award” for her impact on society and the capacity to change the world. She currently holds a Master’s Degree in Development Management and a BA in Business Administration (Marketing) from the Kwame Nkrumah and Christian Service Universities respectively.

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  Ben McGinley

  Director of Design, LiveWire, Harley Davidson

  2023 Transportation Jury Captain

  As a designer and design leader at Harley-Davidson, Ben has been at the forefront of electric motorcycle design while also having the opportunity to make an impact on new and existing internal combustion spaces through a mixture of evolution and reinvention.
  
  Now, as director of design for LiveWire, Ben and his team focus entirely on the challenge of reinventing motorcycling for the electric future – transforming everyday experiences into urban adventure and beyond by creating soulful products and product experiences that build the new brand and enrich the lives of riders.
  
  In his free time, Ben spends his time reading about sustainable architecture, out in nature, or with his collection of (mostly not running) vintage motorcycles.

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  James Thomas

  Industrial Designer, JCT.design and BicycleDesign.net

  2015 Transportation Jury Captain

  Industrial designer, cyclist, photographer, husband, & father...not necessarily in that order. Find me online at JCT.design and BicycleDesign.net

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  Michael Steiner

  Senior Designer, Infrastructure & Charging, JUMP Hardware

  2019 Transportation Jury Member

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  Lisa McNally

  Engagement Lead, Lacuna Technologies

  2020 Transportation Jury Member

  Lisa McNally works at the nexus of transportation, technology, and social impact. Lisa has dedicated her career to designing programs that promote sustainable and equitable access to critical commodities such as clean energy and shared mobility—everyday services that significantly improve quality of life—especially for those who need it most.
  
  As Engagement Lead at Lacuna Technologies, Lisa helps cities make better use of streets and curbs through open technology while optimizing the benefits of emerging mobility for the public good.
  
  Bringing expertise in smart cities, livable communities, and climate change policy, Lisa has designed and delivered programs that provide meaningful solutions for everyday users of our built environment. Lisa holds a MS from the University of Oxford, as well as a BA in Anthropology and BS in Environmental Policy from UC Berkeley.

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  Jens Martin Skibsted

  VP, Mobility & Foresight, Manyone

  2021 Transportation Jury Captain

  Jens Martin Skibsted is VP of Mobility at Manyone. He is a multiple award-winning designer, entrepreneur, & design philosopher and part of the “Davos” think tanks. Known for his urban mobility designs for Biomega, & collab with Bjarke Ingels. His designs live in the collections at the MoMA, SFMOMA and many more. A published author, and expert blogger.

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  Alex Alexiev

  Automotive Designer, McLaren

  2016 Transportation Jury Member

  Alex is a designer at McLaren Automotive in the UK since 2013. His work at McLaren includes, production, advanced and bespoke customer projects through McLaren Special Operations.
  
  Prior to joining McLaren he worked with a So-cal EV start-up to develop an electric platform for limited production in Newport Beach. He has worked in a variety of studios such as Polaris Industries, Volvo (VMCC), Toyota ADV Design (Tokyo), and Misha Design (LA) during his studies.
  Alex is a Graduate with Honors (12’) of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where most of the world’s top car designers are trained. Some of his work can be seen in the Petersen Automotive Museum, within the design process showcase. In addition to his professional activities, Alex is a outdoor fanatic, tennis player, and dedicated car enthusiast.

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  Melissa Bruntlett

  Co-Founder, Modacity

  2015 Transportation Jury Member

  Melissa Bruntlett is co-founder of Modacity, a multi-service consultancy, focused on inspiring healthier, happier, simpler forms of urban mobility through words, photography and film. She is a regular contributor for Momentum Magazine, The Vancouver Courier, Vanity Buzz and most recently Grist. Melissa is very active in her community, advocating for walking, cycling and public transportation improvements, and works as producer and project manager for Modacity's film campaigns. Her most recent work includes developing a marketing campaign for a Transit Referendum in the Metro Vancouver area. She lives in Vancouver, BC with her husband and two children, and makes riding a bicycle or walking throughout her beautiful city a daily activity.Follow her on Twitter at@mbruntlett.

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  Jackie Chang

  Project Lead Designer, Nissan

  2017 Transportation Jury Captain

  Jackie Chang is a Project Lead Designer at the Silicon Valley office of Nissan Design America (NDA), part of the global design organization of Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (NML). He is responsible for leading cross-functional research and design activities to connect consumer experiences with future HMI/GUI design for Nissan and Infiniti products with a user-centered approach to lead and shape new mobility experience in the era of autonomous drive. The activities are already yielding positive results in the upstream design development process.
  
  Since joining Nissan Design America, San Diego, California, in 2001 as an automotive interior designer, Jackie participated and contributed in the design development of many key Nissan products, including the 2012 Nissan NV2500 commercial van, 2014 NV200 NYC Taxi and 2016 Nissan Maxima 4-door sports car. He also led the GUI design development of the 2015 Nissan IDS concept (debuted Tokyo Motor Show) and supported the GUI design of 2017 Nissan Vmotion 2.0 concept (North American International Auto Show).
  
  All Nissan and Infiniti products and concept cars are designed and developed in global collaboration under the leadership of Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of NML.
  
  Born in Taiwan and growing up in Argentina and Spain, Jackie moved to the United Stated in 1998 after being accepted by the Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, California. He graduated in 2001 with BS in Transportation Design.

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  Rob Cotter

  CEO/Founder, Organic Transit

  2015 Transportation Jury Member

  Rob started out in California working on Porsche and BMW race cars. Not far away, Dr. Paul MacCready built the Gossamer Condor, a pedal powered aircraft. Rob become fascinated with the technology and built a 60 mph pedal powered trike. Highway speeds at fractional horsepower became an obsession. Rob became VP of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association and directed the first solar car race in the US. With support from GE and DuPont to develop composite and thermoforming technologies, Rob built or contributed to numerous innovative vehicles. He also served as an advisor to Gov. Jerry Brown, a Creative Director and a documentary producer. He worked with Anita Roddick, CEO of The Body Shop launching environmental and human rights campaigns. After consulting on Bike Sharing technology for NYC, it became apparent there was now a viable market for an ultra-efficient vehicle that was between a bicycle and a car.