Jiani Zeng, S/IDSA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2020 Graduate Student Merit Award Winner
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Jiani Zeng (zh: 曾佳旎) is a Chinese designer, researcher, and founder currently based in San Francisco. Her design philosophy centers on the exploration of ‘virtual intimacy in physical reality,’ where the digital and physical realms intersect to unveil new dimensions of perceived realism in our tech-driven lives. At the heart of her work are computational modeling and simulation, which she employs to achieve a precise balance between beauty and function, grounded in scientific rigor.
Jiani holds a Master of Science from MIT and a B.Eng in Product Design with First-Class Honors from the University of Nottingham. She previously worked as a researcher at MIT CSAIL and co-invented “Illusory Material,” honored as “The Best Experimental Project of 2020″ by Fast Company and “Best Inventions 2021” by TIME. She was recognized as a “Next Generation 2021” designer by Wallpaper Magazine and currently serves as an advisory board member for Iowa State University’s College of Design.
Jiani is the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Butlr Technologies Inc., an MIT Media Lab spin-off pioneering people-sensing platforms powered by Physical AI. She and her co-founder, Honghao Deng, were featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 (North America) List for 2022. Butlr was recognized as one of the “Technology Pioneers” by the World Economic Forum in 2022 and named one of the “Most Innovative Companies” by Fast Company in 2023. As of August 2024, Butlr has raised 68 million USD in funding.
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