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Conor Russomanno
Founder & CEO @ OpenBCI
Conor Russomanno is an American entrepreneur, inventor, and educator, best known as the co-founder and CEO of OpenBCI, a company focused on open-source brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies. His work aims to democratize access to neuroscience tools and foster innovation in human-computer interaction.
Early Life and Education
Born in Livingston, New Jersey, and raised in Falls Church, Virginia, Russomanno attended Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He later enrolled at Columbia University, where he studied civil engineering and engineering mechanics. After a year of playing NCAA college football, he switched to rugby and became the club president. He also pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Design and Technology at Parsons School of Design, where he developed a keen interest in brain-computer interfacing.12
Career Highlights
Russomanno's career has been marked by several notable achievements:
- OpenBCI: Founded in 2013, OpenBCI has developed various open-source hardware products for neuroscience research, including the Ultracortex EEG headset and the Galea headset, which integrates mixed reality with neural recording capabilities. The company has raised significant funding through Kickstarter campaigns and has distributed tools to over 100 countries.14
- Teaching: He has served as an adjunct professor at both Parsons School of Design and NYU Tisch School of the Arts, teaching courses related to creative coding, physical computing, and human-computer interaction.13
- Recognition: In 2018, Russomanno was recognized on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in the Science category for his contributions to technology and innovation.12
Recent Work
In April 2023, Russomanno delivered a TED Talk showcasing assistive technology that enables individuals with severe motor disabilities to interact with their environment using drones. This demonstration highlighted the potential of BCI technologies to improve quality of life for people with disabilities.1
Russomanno continues to be actively involved in the neurotechnology community, advocating for open-source solutions that empower researchers and innovators alike.4
Highlights
Today Joseph Artuso and I delivered 3 major OpenBCI announcements on the Slush Founder Stage:
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We revealed Galea Beta — a design very close to what we will be shipping our Galea Beta partners next Spring. We are absolutely psyched to share the power of Galea with the world!
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We unveiled Galea Unlimited™️, our product roadmap to build a consumer version of Galea that is a complete on-body computer, powered by artificial intelligence, #AR #VR, and #neurotechnology. This will be the first Personal Computer (#PC) of the #Mind, that leverages all of the vast and ever-expanding powers of #AI with a contained and controlled objective, to prioritize your mental health, safety and freedom to flourish. The Galea Unlimited computer will be a neuro-powered network of wearable devices and peripherals that are all managed by your Mental Vault™️, to preserve your Cognitive Liberty (an idea championed by my friend and fellow TED Conferences speaker, Nita Farahany). In all ways, it will behave like it is a part of your body, brain, and mind. It is designed so that you are the primary stakeholder of your own mental experiences!
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At OpenBCI, we are now raising our Series A! If you are interested in investing or helping us in any way on this mission to build the first true Personal Computer of the Mind, please reach out:
Interested in investing? [email protected]
General inquiries about Galea or OpenBCI? [email protected]
Thank you to the Slush team for an amazing event and venue to unveil our latest innovations. And thank you to our amazing technology partners: Lenovo, Varjo, & Formlabs
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In Spring of 2013, while wrapping up my MFA Thesis at Parsons, I took a photograph on a fake TED stage at Eyebeam in Manhattan. In that moment, I dreamed of one day sharing a story on the real TED stage...
Almost 10 years later to the day, that dream came true!
It would not have been possible without my amazing OpenBCI teammates and my co-speaker Christian Bayerlein. We accomplished something tremendous together. I will never forget it. Thank you.
My one regret from the talk is not acknowledging and introducing Eva Esteban onstage. Luckily, Eva, you’ll get the chance to make it right when you give your own TED talk someday 💪 ⚡
Thank you TED Conferences and Simone Ross for believing in us and for putting up with all of our shenanigans!
And a huge thank you to our partner organizations who helped made this demonstration possible: Lenovo Workstations Varjo Formlabs
#assistivetechnology #openbci #neurotech #tedtalk #bci #vr #whatcanwebuildtogether
