Funding the Commons San Francisco 2025

Aleksandra Smilek

Aleksandra Smilek is a foresight strategist and creative director with a decade of experience designing and implementing innovative solutions at the intersection of science, technology, and culture. Her career includes roles across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, reflecting her global perspective and ability to navigate diverse contexts.

Aleksandra previously worked as a strategist at the Auditoire agency and now consults for various tech and science organizations through her organization Nodes. She consult for the Foresight Institute, Protocol Labs, Molecule.xyz, Accenture, Dassault Systèmes, Cartier, Mauboussin, and Intel.

Passionate about enhancing the accessibility and interactivity of scientific dialogue, Aleksandra applies her expertise to build tools and frameworks that empower researchers to share data and insights more effectively.


Sessions

03-16
14:40
10min
Stewarding the Future with Wise Ancestors
Aleksandra Smilek

Less than 1% of eukaryotic species have been mapped—meaning we risk losing not only species but also centuries of evolutionary intelligence before we even understand their full significance.

Wise Ancestors is pioneering a new model of conservation that bridges genomic sequencing, Indigenous knowledge, and decentralized collaboration.

Main Stage
03-16
14:50
30min
Biodiversity Data as a Commons: Sequencing Life on Earth
Ann Pace, Aleksandra Smilek, Brad Shaffer
Main Stage