Conor Russomanno

Connor Russomanno became fascinated with the relationship between the human brain and mind after suffering concussions playing college football and rugby. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree in engineering at Columbia University, he pursued an MFA in Design & Technology at Parsons School of Design, where he discovered brain-computer interfaces and spent two years studying electronics and coding while creating DIY brain-sensing headsets and neuro-interactive games, animations, and stories.

As the Founder and CEO of OpenBCI, Russomanno spent the past decade overseeing the design and distribution of more than 40,000 tools for neuroscience to over 100 countries around the world. He led the development of numerous products, including the Cyton and Ganglion biosensing boards, the Ultracortex 3D-printable EEG headset, and the award-winning Galea headset, which combines mixed reality with a multi-modal sensor fusion system for advanced neural recording, analysis, and modulation. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as Bloomberg, Scientific American, and Wired. In 2018 he was recognized in Forbes 30 Under 30 – Science.

In addition to his work at OpenBCI, Russomanno loves learning and teaching. He has given many talks and presentations and has served as an adjunct professor and research affiliate at several institutions, including Parsons, NYU, and MIT. He strives to challenge his students and audiences to think critically about the role of technology in our lives. In his free time, he’s an avid collector and player of Pokémon, Magic the Gathering, and other games. He enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, as well as exploring new and distant parts of the world.