Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian

Topics: Art – Big Tech – Culture – Democracy – Social Justice

Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian, Ph.D (she/they) is a powerhouse speaker, cultural activist, and multidisciplinary artist known for championing radical imagination, inclusivity, and socio-political change. Through bold storytelling and large-scale public interventions, she challenges institutions, disrupts norms, and inspires collective action.

A sought-after voice on global stages, Nelly speaks on decolonisation, youth empowerment, queer ecologies, and the politics of imagination. Her work spans collaborations with NASA, the UN, and underground movements, and has been showcased at MoMA, the V&A, MET, and the International Space Station—where she advances decolonial and demilitarisation efforts in space.

She is the founder of the tuition-free University of the Underground, NASA’s International Space Orchestra, and the SETI Institute’s Experiences Department. Her five acclaimed feature films (BAFTA-nominated, SXSW, LFF) center diasporic and queer ecofeminist futures. In 2025, she was named one of Berlinale’s 79 Talents worldwide.

As a senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center and a director at Union of Justice (a POC-led climate and racial justice org), Nelly uses her platform to confront authoritarianism and amplify marginalised voices. She also advises Pedro Youth Club, one of the UK’s oldest youth hubs.

Known for her fearless, genre-defying collaborations, Nelly has worked with activists, thinkers, and artists including Pussy Riot, Massive Attack, Noam Chomsky, and Nobel-winning scientists—bringing urgency, joy, and disruption to every platform she touches.

Website: http://nellyben.com
Instagram @nellybenhayounstudios
Twitter : @nellybenhayoun
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NellyBenHayounStudios
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/nelly-ben-hayoun-stépanian

Nelly’s best bits:

‘Radical Imagination’ – Nelly at GDF23:

‘Defying the Impossible’ – Nelly at Brainstorm Design 2019:

‘Designing the Impossible’ – Nelly at Google: