The The Curious Curious 100 100

The Curious 100 is a celebration of one hundred leaders in the United States who harness the transformative power of curiosity to solve today’s most pressing problems.

Curiosity—the desire to know and understand—is the driving force behind human progress, connection, and fulfillment. Through extraordinary acts of curiosity, we are able to understand complex problems and arrive at more elegant solutions. Curiosity was the guiding light of the Eames Institute’s namesakes, Ray and Charles Eames.

In our increasingly polarized world, curiosity is the single-most important virtue for any problem-solving leader to have in our modern era. Now, more than ever, we need to shine a light on curiosity’s power to connect, identify solutions, and transform our society for the better.

This distinguished list is presented by the Eames Institute in partnership with Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, and Mitzi Okou, co-founder of Where Are the Black Designers?

The Curious 100 is designed to uplift and amplify curious leaders through a broad spectrum of representation across ten distinct categories. The list is diverse in a myriad of ways, from how the work is being done to where it’s taking place. The group of 100 was compiled by a panel of four curators over the course of three months. Through the selection process nominees were reviewed based on their impact, reputation, and contributions within their category as a direct or indirect result of curiosity.

The list was co-curated by Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, Mitzi Okou, co-founder of Where Are the Black Designers?, as well as the Eames Institute’s chief curator, Llisa Demetrios, and its president & CEO, John Cary.

John Cary, president & CEO of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, leads with a vision inspired by the timeless legacy of Ray and Charles Eames—advocating for design that uplifts communities and solves real-world problems. An entrepreneur, author, and TED speaker, John has spent his career championing design’s power to improve lives and foster equity. Previously, John was a strategist and senior advisor to TED, The Aspen Institute, the Obama Foundation, and The Audacious Project.

Llisa Demetrios is the chief curator of the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, an artist and archivist by training, and granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames. Llisa has dedicated her life and career to preserving and sharing the Eameses’ timeless philosophy of design, curiosity, and innovation with the world. An accomplished bronze sculptor with a deep appreciation for storytelling through objects, Llisa brings her artistic sensibility and profound understanding of the Eameses’ work to her role.

Mitzi Okou is a visionary designer, advocate, and co-founder of Where Are the Black Designers?, a design advocacy organization dedicated to amplifying Black voices and addressing systemic inequities in the design industry. As a multidisciplinary designer with expertise spanning digital products, brand strategy, and social impact, Mitzi blends creativity with activism to challenge the status quo and inspire meaningful change.

Scott Shigeoka is the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. Scott is dedicated to helping individuals and communities build deeper connections and navigate life’s complexities with openness and empathy. Scott also explores the transformative power of curiosity to bridge differences in our divided world.

We believe that anyone who solves problems is a designer. Therefore, The Curious 100 includes creative problem-solvers from a range of disciplines with a variety of skillsets.

This is just the beginning. As The Curious 100 evolves, we aim to expand globally, recognizing individuals worldwide who are driving change through the power of curiosity.

The inaugural list of Curious 100 was created by four experienced curators from diverse backgrounds, who tapped their networks for nominations. In future years, we will likely evolve the nomination process, drawing on the networks of previous honorees, etc.

The Eames Institute is a 501(c)(3) public charity, dedicated to preserving and promoting the legacy of Ray and Charles Eames, two of the most influential designers of the 20th century. We eagerly explore how their innovative approach to design, problem-solving, and creativity can inspire solutions to contemporary challenges, improve everyday life, and foster curiosity.

The Eames Institute offers exhibitions, archives, and digital content that showcase the Eameses’ work and impact across various disciplines, including architecture, furniture design, exhibitions, graphic design, film, photography, toys, sustainability, conservation, and more. In the words of Charles Eames, “Eventually everything connects.”

The Eames Institute honors the original Curious Two: designers Ray and Charles Eames. Built on their legacy of creative problem-solving, we are relentlessly dedicated to holding space for the curious. As purveyors of the Eames Archives, home of the Eameses’ collection of artifacts and ephemera from their office; the Eames Ranch, the legacy home of Lucia Eames and working farm for regenerative agriculture experimentation; and Kazam!, our online magazine that examines how curiosity and design can address real-world challenges, the Eames Institute is committed to building a network of resources to inspire our global community of curious problem-solvers.

For all press/media inquiries, please reach out to press@eamesinstitute.org.

For general inquiries about The Curious 100, please contact info@eamesinstitute.com.