Eleanor Watson

Eleanor Watson’s background

Nell Watson FBCS, FIAP, FRSA, FLS, FRSS, CITP has a longstanding interest in the philosophy of Technology and how extensions of human capacity drive emerging social trends.

A sought-after public speaker, workshop facilitator and lecturer on emerging technologies, Nell has presented to diverse audiences internationally as well as for organisations such as Ericsson, Credit Suisse and MIT. She has taught and presented in India, Morocco, Chile, Brazil, the Nordics, the United Kingdom and across America.

As a result, Nell has built a track record as an insightful, imaginative, and broadly-aware presenter, an effective communicator and mentor and a speaker who makes complex subjects able to be understood by all. Her work is regularly covered by Wired, BBC, The Guardian, Forbes, Vice, and others.

Her unusual career includes teaching post-grad Computer Science at the age of 24 and co-founding a successful Graffiti Arts company. Her ability to bridge the world of technology and the Humanities makes it easy for her to translate complex subjects so that they can be clearly understood.

In 2010 Nell founded Poikos (now QuantaCorp), a machine learning-driven ‘AI for body measurement’. Nell’s patented technology ‘dematerialises’ the 3D body scanner, by providing accurate 3D scans of the body with only 2D camera hardware, such as that found within smartphones, or laptops. This may then be applied to a range of markets, such as mass customisation, and health.

Nell also serves as Senior Advisor to the Future Society at Harvard and as an advisory technologist to several startups, accelerators, and venture capital funds.

Additionally, she is Co-Founder of OpenEth, an ‘ethical explication engine’ that aims to crowdsource ethical heuristics for autonomous systems.

In her spare time, Nell enjoys coding games, such as her startup life simulator, Founder Life. Founder Life attempts to teach the mindfulness and psychological habits necessary for entrepreneurs to consistently execute under pressure. She has also written two easily digestible books on philosophy – one for business leaders, and one aimed at children.

Positions and Honours

• Fellow of the Royal Society of arts (FRSA)
• Fellow of the Institute of Analysts and Programmers (FIAP)
• Fellow of the BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (FBCS)
• Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society. (FRSS)
• Fellow of the MIT Global Startup Workshop
• Founder & Council Member of the International Society of
• Digital Medicine (Headquartered in Nanjing, China)
• Senior Scientific Advisor to the Harvard Kennedy School’s Future Society AI Initiative
• Advisor to The Future of Sentience Society at Cambridge
• Member of the IEEE Global Initiative for Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems
• Scientific Advisor to Diversity.AI, and anti-algorithmic bias think tank
• Venture Partner at Onevest 1000 Angels
• Editorial Board Member of The Journal of Digital Medicine