Naomi Garner Hashimoto

My expertise and passion is in creating experiences that engage and bring people together. I am especially interested in how people find connection with science through experience, and how to spark creativity and innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration. My work requires not only the ability to manage logistically complex projects, but also an understanding of people as social beings and how they engage with their experiences.

I am fortunate to have crossed paths with a long list of incredible mentors and organizations. Prior to my current work, I worked in philanthropic travel at Elevate Destinations. We collaborated with our nonprofit partners to design experiences for their supporters that would provide them with much needed context on their work, as well as a deep sense of connection with each other and to the people working on the frontlines. Through this work I learned how to weave experiences together into a narrative, and I also fine-tuned my sensors towards understanding people’s fundamental needs in order to stay engaged in an experience. This work also showed me the importance of excellent logistics and project management to create a foundation for thoughtful experience design to take root.

In my current chapter I am exploring how people experience and find connection with science. I co-founded The WAVE Collaborative to create opportunities for artists and storytellers to collaborate with scientists in engaging the public on deep ocean research. I also am the Program & Events Associate at MIT Open Space Programming, where we develop programs that strengthen connection between the Cambridge, MIT and Kendall communities.

The way that people connect with scientific research has tremendous implications in terms of funding, policy, and the health of our societies. This provides for a space that is ripe for cross-sector collaboration. I have taken inspiration from a wide-range of professionals and invite you to get in touch about potential collaborations, inspirations, or even just a good conversation over coffee.