Renowned for using cutting-edge technologies to tell immersive stories that create intense, empathic engagement, de la Peña was named Wired Magazine’s #MakeTechHuman Agent of Change and has been called the “Godmother of VR” by Forbes, Engadget and the Guardian.

With TED Talk views toppling over 1 Million, she is one of the most influential pioneers in the industry and the face of innovation with weekly requests to speak globally, most recently delivering the Convergence Keynote at SXSW to a standing room only auditorium.

Widely credited with having invented the field of immersive journalism when she premiered the first-ever VR experience at the Sundance Film Festival, she continues to earn numerous awards and accolades for her groundbreaking work including the Knight Innovation Award and named New America Fellow and Yale Poynter Media Fellow.