Payal Arora is a digital anthropologist, a Professor in Technology, Values, and Global Media Cultures, and Director in UX and Inclusive Design at Erasmus University. She is the co-founder of FemLab, a global future of work initiative. Her expertise draws from two decades of user experiences among low-income communities worldwide to shape inclusive designs and policies. She is the author of award-winning books including the “The Next Billion Users” with Harvard Press. Engadget stated that her Harvard book is one of “the most interesting, thought-provoking books on science and technology we can find.” Forbes named her the “next billion champion” and “the right kind of person to reform tech.” About 150 international media outlets have covered her work including the BBC, Financial Times, 99% Invisible, The Economist, Quartz, Tech Crunch, The Boston Globe, F.A.Z, The Nation and CBC. She has consulted on tech innovation for diverse organizations such as IDEO, Adobe, Spotify, Google, KPMG, GE, UNHCR, and HP. She has given more than 300+ talks including TEDx talks on the future of the internet and innovation. She sits on several boards for organizations such as UNESCO, and World Women Global Council in New York. Her upcoming book, “Next Billion Ready: Designing systems to include the world” is in contract with MIT Press and Harper Collins.
Professor and Author, Erasmus University