Dr. Bea Rodriguez-Fransen is the Director at ASU Next Lab, bringing together individuals, research, and communities to imagine and co-create humane technology and equitable futures. She activates bold imagination through ideation and design thinking sessions, conducts workshops that cultivate foresight mindsets and skills, nurtures a diverse partner network, and writes grants to fund student-led projects. A decolonial futurist, she was chosen as 1 of 10 educators across the nation to become a TED Speaker in February 2024.
She is a member of the College of Global Futures’ Senior Scientists and Scholars Network, which comprises ASU researchers from multiple disciplines who are accelerating the pace of discovery and making a meaningful contribution to ensuring a habitable planet and a future in which well-being is attainable for all humankind. A design futurist and foresight practitioner, Dr. Rodriguez-Fransen's research interests include decolonial futures, responsible innovation, imagination, and technology and education.
Prior to joining Next Lab, she was an inaugural fellow for ASU’s University Design Institute, which co-designs solutions with universities and diverse stakeholders to transform higher education on a global level. She has served in various leadership and fundraising roles in higher education, local government, nonprofit, and entrepreneurship and innovation sectors. In 2020, she was recognized as one of nine women leaders in City of Aurora, and as Innovator of the Week by Bloomberg Philanthropies for leading a cross-disciplinary team to learn and apply human-centered design across City Hall. A former kettlebell sport coach and competitor, she enjoys lifting kettlebells and spending time with her husband, toddler and two dogs.