What We Do
Ben Gansky
Research Affiliate
Ben Gansky is an artist, producer, game designer, and community organizer. His research focuses on the design and governance of technology in the public sphere with a focus on data politics. From 2019 to 2020 he was IFTF's Equitable Futures Lab’s Research and Engagement Manager, with a focus on process design and public engagement strategy. Ben brings to his work over a decade of experience creating narrative projects as platforms for community organizing, culture shift, and policy change. He is a co-founder and the executive director of Free Machine, a nonprofit collective developing creative programs that awaken civic participation at the intersection of emerging technology and public policy. Prior to his full-time role at IFTF, he was a 2018 IFTF Fellow for Good. His original creative work has been presented internationally and honored by the Frank-Ratyche Award for Art at the Frontier and the Webby Awards (Best Immersive Experience). While head of site production and guest experience at SPACES VR, Ben designed and produced leading-edge location-based VR installations with partners including National Geographic (Washington DC), Sega Joypolis (Tokyo), and Cinemark (San Jose, CA). Ben holds an MFA from Carnegie Mellon University. He is currently a PhD student at Arizona State University's Human and Social Dimensions in Science and Technology program, where he is an NSF NRT fellow focusing on Citizen-Centered Smart Cities.