Nonny de la Peña, founder of Emblematic Group, was named WSJ Technology Innovator of the Year and one of CNET’s 20 most influential Latinos for her pioneering work using cutting edge technologies to tell important stories. A Yale Poynter Media Fellow and a former correspondent for Newsweek, de la Peña is widely credited with pioneering the genre of immersive journalism. She was selected by Wired Magazine as a #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change and has been called “The Godmother of Virtual Reality” by Engadget and The Guardian. Additionally, Fast Company named her “One of the People Who Made the World More Creative.” for her work in immersive storytelling. At Emblematic Group, she uses cutting edge technologies to tell important stories—both news-based and fictional—that create intense, empathic engagement on the part of viewers. Her latest endeavor, REACH.Love, is a no-code WebXR platform that intends to empower anyone to create and distribute AR/VR stories straight in the browser.
De la Peña was selected by Wired Magazine as #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change and has been called the "Godmother of Virtual Reality" by Forbes, Engadget and The Guardian. Additionally, Fast Company recently listed de la Peña as one of the "13 People Who Made the World More Creative."
She is also a 2018 New America National Fellow, member of the BAFTA VR Advisory Group, a TED speaker and the 2016 recipient of the Knight Innovation Award.
A former correspondent for Newsweek magazine, writer for The New York Times and other major news organizations, de la Peña's start in virtual reality began in 2006.