Stephanie Riggs stands as a distinguished figure in the tech-narrative field, expertly merging immersive technologies like VR, AR, MR, AI, and more with storytelling for almost 30 years. A former Disney Imagineer and Experiential Creative Director at Refinery29/Vice Media, Stephanie has collaborated with media giants like Instagram, Netflix, Disney, and Amazon, consulted for tech giants like Intel and Google, advised tech and entertainment startups, and lectured at distinguished academic institutions including Yale, Harvard, USC and Carnegie Mellon. Her early VR projects premiered at SIGGRAPH in 1998 and she went on to develop a VR conversion engine, produce the first feature film on the Oculus, record President Obama in 360VR, publish multiple research papers on interacting in virtual environments, and premiere immersive experiences around the world at festivals including Tribeca, Stereopsia and Future of Storytelling.

Stephanie is an award-winning director, acclaimed author (The End of Storytelling), and international keynote speaker who earned simultaneous degrees from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama (Directing) and School of Computer Science (HCI). The founder of Ink & Paint (AWE Finalist Startup to Watch 2023) and co-founder of Odeon Theatrical, World Experience Organization, Women in Experience, and 5th Wall Forum, Stephanie has made a lasting impact across her domains, leading the ARVR Association to recognize her as “the renaissance woman of the immersive era.