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Nonny de la Peña    

Founder & CEO of Emblematic Group; Known as "The Godmother of Virtual Reality"

Nonny de la Peña, CEO of Emblematic Group, a digital media company specializing in virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, has been a key figure in the creation of the immersive journalism genre. Notably, she has been recognized as a #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change by Wired Magazine and referred to as the "Godmother of Virtual Reality" by numerous publications, including Forbes, Engadget, and The Guardian. Among her groundbreaking work at Emblematic Group, she combines Unity graphics with real witness audio to recreate compelling events for a virtual reality experience.

As a 2018 New America National Fellow, Yale Poynter Media Fellow, and recipient of the Knight Innovation Award, de la Peña has an extensive and notable career in journalism spanning over 20 years. Her experience includes being a correspondent for Newsweek and a writer for The New York Times. She commenced her journey into virtual reality in 2006 and has since been a driving force in the field. Her work, widely recognized for its creativity and impact, has been showcased globally at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, The World Economic Forum in Davos, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and Games For Change to name a few. Furthermore, she is a member of the BAFTA VR Advisory Group.

She established Pyedog Productions in 1994, which later evolved into Emblematic Group in 2007, and collaborated with Peggy Weil to introduce a segment of the documentary "Unconstitutional: The War on Our Civil Liberties" into a virtual reality environment called "Gone Gitmo." Her VR documentary Hunger in Los Angeles was showcased at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012. Under her leadership, Emblematic Group continues to create high-impact virtual reality content with a focus on linear storytelling, with several productions earning prestigious accolades and festival selections.

De la Peña's educational background includes a BA in Sociology and Visual and Environmental Studies from Harvard University, followed by an MA in Online Communities and a PhD in Media Arts + Practice from the University of Southern California.

News


'Inspire People To Care': Using Virtual Reality To Create Immersive ...
Five years ago, Nonny de la Peña, a journalist and former Newsweek correspondent, wanted to cover hunger in Los Angeles. But she didn't want to just write ...
Virtual Reality, Empathy and the Next Journalism | WIRED
Her Twitter handle is ImmersiveJourno. She's been called “The Godmother of Virtual Reality.” Journalist Nonny de la Peña's mission is to tell tough, real-life ...

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