Mara Balestrini was born in Argentina in 1983. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Audiovisual Communications, and MSc in Cognitive Systems and Interactive Media from Pompeu Fabra University (UPF). She also holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Intel Collaborative Research Institute on Sustainable Connected Cities (ICRI-Cities). Mara has also lectured at the Royal College of Art (RCA), in London, and at the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), where she currently co-directs the Master in Design for Emerging Futures (MDEF). Currently, Mara is a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) researcher and a technology strategist. She is the CEO of Ideas for Change, an innovation agency advising cities, businesses and institutions. Mara’s work sits at the intersection of civic technology, data, co-creation and Action Research