Cyrus ClarkeM.S. Candidate
Cyrus Clarke is a researcher at the Tangible Media Group, MIT Media Lab, focused on making interactions with digital data more tangible.
He is driven by a vision to create regenerative systems that transform how humans interact with both digital data and the natural world. His work bridges the gap between digital and physical realms, working with technologies like molecular data storage and synthetic biology to inspire deeper connections between technology and living systems.
As the founder and creator of Grow Your Own Cloud, Cyrus has demonstrated his unique vision for poetic and regenerative technology, developing prototypes that embody the potential for data systems that work in harmony with living systems. He is also the creator of What The Block, an award-winning game that makes blockchain technology tangible, helping to introduce hundreds of people worldwide to its workings while envisioning unconventional use cases.
In 2022, Cyrus was honored with a Science Breakthrough of the Year award for the creation of Data Garden. His contributions have also been recognized by the EU S+T+ARTS Prize (2021), UN Summer of Solutions (2019), and Core77 Awards (2019, 2020).
Cyrus’s work has been featured in prominent media outlets such as Netflix, RTL, and Wired, and his creative works have been exhibited at leading cultural institutions, including ZKM Karlsruhe, Bozar Brussels, Ars Electronica Linz, and SXSW Austin.
His teaching and public engagement record includes lectures, workshops, and classes at institutions such as MIT, Design Academy Eindhoven, CIID, and Hyper Island. He has collaborated with industry partners like LVMH, IKEA, and Mercedes-Benz, alongside governmental initiatives like EU Horizon 2020, UN, and World Expo 2020. As a regular keynote speaker, Cyrus has delivered talks at prominent events and institutions, including Falling Walls, Brave New World, The Conference and COP25.
Before transitioning into design and research, he served as Global Digital Innovation Lead for luxury brands at L’Oréal, where he spearheaded initiatives at the intersection of technology, retail, and consumer engagement. He holds a BA in Economics from The University of Nottingham and is a graduate of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID). In 2020, he was a creative resident at Ginkgo Bioworks