Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
Please Join Susan Paley and Virginia Galloway for a transformative talk on the power of sensory design--a combination of digital art, technology and sound and their ability to create immersive spaces that can calm our nervous systems, ignite our creativity and promote our wellbeing. We will explore cutting-edge research on how these elements are being employed in unique ways and how artists, technologists and designers are crafting environments that engage the senses to promote wellness. The session wraps with a short demo to provide a window into the potential of multi-sensory design to enhance our mental state. Whether you’re an artist, technologist, mental health advocate, or simply seeking new ways to engage in the world around you, this talk will inspire fresh ideas for using technology in a way that connects us to ourselves.
Susan Paley is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience leading teams and driving innovation to bring disruptive technologies to market. Her startup journey began by spearheading a UCLA spinout that introduced the first in-vehicle digital media platform, later integrated into systems for VW, Audi, and GM. This venture was acquired by Harman International, where Susan then led business development for the consumer group, launching a co-branded audio product line with Quiksilver that generated $40M in its first year.
After Harman, Susan became the first employee and CEO of Beats by Dr. Dre, overseeing the company’s meteoric rise. She developed “Beats Audio,” a proprietary technology now featured in millions of mobile phones, automobiles, and PCs through partnerships with HTC, Chrysler/Fiat, and HP.
Today, Susan is a partner at Conduit Venture Labs, a company creation fund dedicated to building transformative businesses at the intersection of physical and digital technologies to advance health and human performance. At Conduit, she designed and helms the Beacon platform, a suite of tools to support commercialization of hard tech innovations backed by a network of experts in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
Susan sits on several boards including Exos, a global leader in human performance. She is deeply engaged in the startup ecosystem as a mentor at Techstars and advisor to multiple early-stage companies.
Award-winning producer. Virginia Galloway’s work encompasses ground-breaking spatial audio experiences, sensory-focused immersive installations, experimental VR, traditional film and television, and some radical collaborations in some of the most remote locations in the world. Repeatedly on the cutting-edge of tech developments in entertainment, her projects include Virginia is a co-founder of WildVentureXR and Hyphae Studio. Credits include: Emmy-Nominated The 100% VR (HP/Intel), Ocean of Air (Marshmallow Laser Feast / Saatchi Gallery, London), Gamefulness-ChinaJoy/Shanghai (HP/Intel), Be Hear Now (Bose / Land Rover), Reeps One: Does Not Exist (Aurelia/The Mill) and Hiraeth (SXSW Official Selection).
This lecture is part of the IHMC Evening Lecture series.
ihmc.us/life/evening_lectures
Please Join Susan Paley and Virginia Galloway for a transformative talk on the power of sensory design--a combination of digital art, technology and sound and their ability to create immersive spaces that can calm our nervous systems, ignite our creativity and promote our wellbeing. We will explore cutting-edge research on how these elements are being employed in unique ways and how artists, technologists and designers are crafting environments that engage the senses to promote wellness. The session wraps with a short demo to provide a window into the potential of multi-sensory design to enhance our mental state. Whether you’re an artist, technologist, mental health advocate, or simply seeking new ways to engage in the world around you, this talk will inspire fresh ideas for using technology in a way that connects us to ourselves.
Susan Paley is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience leading teams and driving innovation to bring disruptive technologies to market. Her startup journey began by spearheading a UCLA spinout that introduced the first in-vehicle digital media platform, later integrated into systems for VW, Audi, and GM. This venture was acquired by Harman International, where Susan then led business development for the consumer group, launching a co-branded audio product line with Quiksilver that generated $40M in its first year.
After Harman, Susan became the first employee and CEO of Beats by Dr. Dre, overseeing the company’s meteoric rise. She developed “Beats Audio,” a proprietary technology now featured in millions of mobile phones, automobiles, and PCs through partnerships with HTC, Chrysler/Fiat, and HP.
Today, Susan is a partner at Conduit Venture Labs, a company creation fund dedicated to building transformative businesses at the intersection of physical and digital technologies to advance health and human performance. At Conduit, she designed and helms the Beacon platform, a suite of tools to support commercialization of hard tech innovations backed by a network of experts in engineering, manufacturing, and supply chain management.
Susan sits on several boards including Exos, a global leader in human performance. She is deeply engaged in the startup ecosystem as a mentor at Techstars and advisor to multiple early-stage companies.
Award-winning producer. Virginia Galloway’s work encompasses ground-breaking spatial audio experiences, sensory-focused immersive installations, experimental VR, traditional film and television, and some radical collaborations in some of the most remote locations in the world. Repeatedly on the cutting-edge of tech developments in entertainment, her projects include Virginia is a co-founder of WildVentureXR and Hyphae Studio. Credits include: Emmy-Nominated The 100% VR (HP/Intel), Ocean of Air (Marshmallow Laser Feast / Saatchi Gallery, London), Gamefulness-ChinaJoy/Shanghai (HP/Intel), Be Hear Now (Bose / Land Rover), Reeps One: Does Not Exist (Aurelia/The Mill) and Hiraeth (SXSW Official Selection).
This lecture is part of the IHMC Evening Lecture series.
ihmc.us/life/evening_lectures
