Monica Arés is the Executive Director of the Innovation, Digital Education & Analytics (IDEA Lab) at Imperial College Business School in London. She is a pioneering expert in immersive technology, using it to empower people to learn, connect and create in ways they never could before. She is deeply committed to using XR technology to increase access to education and fundamentally transform the way we learn.

Having served as the Head of Immersive Learning at Meta and spearheaded Interactive Learning Labs at Amazon, Arés brings a wealth of industry expertise in crafting groundbreaking products, initiatives, and educational content aimed at enhancing accessibility and effectiveness in learning. With roles spanning from advisory positions to Chief Innovation Officer for start-ups, and as the Founder of Th3 Third Door, she has consistently devised and implemented cutting-edge technological solutions, reshaping the landscape of work and education for the future.

Named among the Top 100 Global Women of the Future in Emerging Tech, Arés is a graduate of Bowdoin College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics. She earned a Master of Education degree at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

SXSW, Technology, Innovation, Education, Artificial Intelligence Futurism,