Ben Gansky

Ben Gansky is a PhD student in the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology Program at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society. Ben is a formally trained theatre artist, holding a BFA in Acting from the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater and an MFA in Directing from Carnegie Mellon University, where he also trained as a game designer.

After over a decade running a series of community arts spaces/programs, and developing and presenting his own creative work in venues across the United States and internationally, Ben began working as a narrative designer for SPACES, a virtual reality startup, where he eventually became lead producer for location-based installations and head of guest experience, developing the design and operations of VR centers in collaboration with partners including National Geographic (Webby Award for Best Immersive Experience, 2018) and SEGA.

Ben is the co-founder and executive director of Free Machine, a nonprofit collective developing narrative experiences and policy frameworks that enliven the intersection of progressive politics, emerging technologies, and sociotechnical imaginaries. 

Ben has worked with the Institute for the Future since 2018, when he was a Future for Good fellow; he spent 2019-2020 there as a Research and Engagement Manager in their Equitable Futures Lab, working on, among other projects, the California Governor’s Future of Work Commission. Ben remains a Research Affiliate at Institute for the Future. 

At ASU, Ben researches issues pertaining to democratic technology governance; data theory, politics, and governance; and participatory civics.