Paolo Villanueva

Paolo Villanueva is a designer and software engineer with a background in engineering, passionate about creating accessible, innovative digital and physical experiences through spatial computing and artificial intelligence. He holds an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science.

With over a decade of experience, Paolo's career spans digital and media production, software development, game design, social impact advocacy, and non-profit leadership. He is also the founder of two creative organizations: SCT – The Samahan Creative Team, which fosters collaboration among Filipino creatives, and iCommp, a design consultancy group inside the Ateneo University focused on developing innovative design solutions.

Paolo has held various impactful roles throughout his career. He was previously a Program Manager at XRC Labs, a venture capital accelerator in New York City, where he supported over 55 startups in business development, strategy execution, and fundraising. Additionally, Paolo has served as an Adjunct Professor at Parsons School of Design and Ateneo University in the Philippines, where he nurtured the next generation of creative minds by sharing his expertise in design, technology, and storytelling.

Currently, Paolo is the Creative Director at Heizenrader, where he leads the creative direction and execution of projects on EducationXR, a platform enabling the creation of immersive learning experiences that are accessible across all devices. His work empowers leading medical institutions and manufacturers, including General Electric, Siemens, Philips, Mayo Clinic, Mass General Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, ThermoFisher, and numerous US Career Technical Education community colleges, to innovate and enhance their training and education programs through cross-platform, immersive solutions.