PhD, PGCert, BA (Hons), CSci, FIScT, FDRS

Notice of Rights, Attribution and Unauthorised Use

“We highly recommend Melissa as an advisory board member. We’ve found her to be consistently insightful, considerate and competent, especially with the tricky issues of complexity. For the more than a decade that we’ve known Melissa, her grasp of forecasting the implications of potential actions have been accurate and far sighted. Our project and our lives are improved by her presence.” — Gavin and Alice Munro, Founders of Full Grown, UK

“We highly recommend Melissa as an advisory board member. We’ve found her to be consistently insightful, considerate and competent, especially with the tricky issues of complexity. For the more than a decade that we’ve known Melissa, her grasp of forecasting the implications of potential actions have been accurate and far sighted. Our project and our lives are improved by her presence.” — Gavin and Alice Munro, Founders of Full Grown, UK

Taking you to futures possible

“full of innovative thoughts with a sharp vision for a sustainable future.”

— Olivier de Matos, General Secretary, ECETOC

chartered independent scientist

chartered independent scientist

contemporary natural philosopher

contemporary natural philosopher

working at the interface of biotic, abiotic, and human systems

working at the interface of biotic, abiotic, and human systems

Transdisciplinary

researcher & practitioner

Meet Melissa

A hybrid scientist and designer, Melissa Sterry operates at the volatile intersection of earth and human systems — where wildfire meets urbanism, biodiversity collides with infrastructure, and sustainability stops being corporate theatre and starts becoming a matter of survival. With more than 25 years at the sharp edge of innovation, she has built a reputation for seeing around corners long before institutions realise they’re standing in the blast radius.

Read more

founder

• planetary, ecological, biological, and geological futures

• bioscience, biodesign, biofacturing, and biourbansim

• ecological, biocentric, circular, and regenerative design

• planetary, ecological, biological, and geological futures • bioscience, biodesign, biofacturing, and biourbansim • ecological, biocentric, circular, and regenerative design

• urban resilience to natural hazards and other complex risks

• post collapse societies, cultures, and economies

• sustainable innovation, development, and enterprise

• urban resilience to natural hazards and other complex risks • post collapse societies, cultures, and economies • sustainable innovation, development, and enterprise

• emerging technologies and their applications

• ideation to market entry and beyond

• emerging technologies and their applications • ideation to market entry and beyond

Expertise & Credentials

Expertise & Credentials

Ranked a Top 100 most influential futurist worldwide.

Voted one of the Top 20 speakers shaping the future of sustainability at board level globally 2024/25/26.

Woman Icon of the Year Award (overseas) winner, International Inspirational Women Awards 2024

as seen in…

Forbes magazine logo in black text on a white background
BBC Radio 4 logo with white text in black squares next to a blue circle containing the number 4.
"The Guardian" logo in black text on a white background.
White "STARTALK" text on a black background.
Época Negócios logo with globe, tagline 'Inspiração para inovar'
Business Insider logo in black text on a white background.

Awards

Awards

• Special Recognition Award for Exceptional Creativity / British Female Inventors & Innovators Network 2009

• Special Recognition Award for Capacity Building in the Innovation Sector / BFIIN 2009

• Global Organisation Award Finalist / Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network 2009

• Special Recognition Award for Exceptional Creativity / British Female Inventors & Innovators Network 2009 • Special Recognition Award for Capacity Building in the Innovation Sector / BFIIN 2009 • Global Organisation Award Finalist / Global Women Inventors & Innovators Network 2009

• Enterprising Business Awards Winner / WestFocus Awards 2009

• Everywoman Network Awards Finalist / Everywoman 2009

• Enterprising Business Awards Winner / WestFocus Awards 2009 • Everywoman Network Awards Finalist / Everywoman 2009

• Listed in the Libertine 100, celebrating women with complex, beautiful & potentially world-changing ideas 2015

• Listed in the 40 Women to Watch Over 40, 2014

• Inductee of the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Hall of Fame / GWIIN 2009

• Listed in the Libertine 100, celebrating women with complex, beautiful & potentially world-changing ideas 2015 • Listed in the 40 Women to Watch Over 40, 2014 • Inductee of the Global Women Inventors and Innovators Hall of Fame / GWIIN 2009

• Ranked a Top 20 global futurist / Springwise 2022

• Ranked a Top 30 woman futurist / Futurist Rankings list

• Ranked a Top 20 global futurist / Springwise 2022 • Ranked a Top 30 woman futurist / Futurist Rankings list

• Cited by Neil deGrasse Tyson in his bestselling book, StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond

• Cited by Neil deGrasse Tyson in his bestselling book, StarTalk: Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond

walking

walking

the talking

the talking

• International Award for Benefit to Society / Mensa Education and Research Foundation 2010

• Best Innovation-led British Start-up / Great Exhibition 2012 Awards

• International Award for Benefit to Society / Mensa Education and Research Foundation 2010 • Best Innovation-led British Start-up / Great Exhibition 2012 Awards

Scientist

Scientist
Biofuturist

Biofuturist
Designer

Designer
Founder

Founder
Speaker

Speaker
Writer

Writer

wildfire resilience research exploring what we can learn from fire-adapted species and ecosystems & translating insights from nature into new approaches to architecture, materials, infrastructure and place.

design science

design science

wildfire resilience

wildfire resilience

seminal research

seminal research

  • Design for Living with Wildfire by Dr. Melissa Sterry (pub

    Panarchic Codex® Publications

    Design for living with wildfire

    View
  • Selection of Dr. Melissa Sterry's bio-inspired design for resilience to wildfire concepts including her BIObark flame resistant building cladding system, her Pyri-cone bio-inspired wildfire sensing device modelled on a pinecone, published in (2018)

    Pyrophytic Design concepts

    Pyrophytic design concepts [2018»]

    View

  • Design for Wildfire Substack

    Publications and podcasts [2026»]

    View

  • Design for Wildfire Films

    Short films series (2025)

    View
  • Panarchistic Architecture - design for wildfire [2018]

    Panarchistic Architecture

    Dr. Sterry’s PhD thesis [2018]

    View

  • Panarchistic Pamphlets

    Paradigm in brief [2020]

    View
  • Panarchistic Architecture: a paradigm in wildfire resilience by Melissa Sterry

    Routledge chapter Smart Design

    Panarchistic Architecture [2022]

    View
  • Bio-Inspired Design for Building Resilience to Wildfire by Dr. Melisa Sterry

    Routledge chapter Ecological Design

    Design for Wildfire [2024]

    View

exploring how advances in biology, biotechnology , BIOMATERIALS, BIOENGINEERING, and BIODESIGN can shape more regenerative, resilient and adaptive futures.

architecture

urbanism

planning

policy

design

materials

sensing

networks

systems

architecture urbanism planning policy design materials sensing networks systems

bio-inspired

biomimetic

biodesign

biomaterial

biocomputing

biosensing

bio-inspired biomimetic biodesign biomaterial biocomputing biosensing

  • Bioratorium®

    Biofutures consultancy [2019»]

    View
  • oni

    Bionic City®

    Bio-inspired design research [2010»]

    View
  • Biodesign talks

    Biodesign talks

    Guest lectures and workshops [2009»]

    View
  • Seen Unseen project

    Seen Unseen

    Ecological city futures [2014]

    View
  • BIofutures

    BIOfutures

    Publications and podcasts [2022»]

    View

briefings

briefings

keynotes

keynotes

advisories

white papers

ideation

engagement

strategy

show + tell

advisories white papers ideation engagement strategy show + tell

select clients

select clients

Melissa helps select innovation-driven organisations stay at the edge and shape an inspiring, sustainable, and resilient future. Discounted rates are offered to startups, SMEs, and not for profits.

Research & Development

Drawing on expertise across design, science, technology, and enterprise, leads and advises on complex R&D projects that require cross-sector insight and highly innovative problem-solving and strategic development.

Enterprise & Commercial

Seasoned advisor and mentor to first-to-market start-ups across multiple b2b/b2c sectors, industries, and territories, with expertise across technical, creative, and commercial development.

Resilience Innovation

Serial pioneer of nature-inspired, science-led first-in-kind solutions that support sustainable and regenerative development, while also enhancing ecological, social, and economic resilience.

Futures & Foresight

Helped numerous organisations to anticipate and adapt to emerging trends, risks, and opportunities and to develop robust, future-focused sustainable strategies informed by state-of-the-knowledge insights and ideas.

Systems & Complexity

Copious experience in appying systems theory and thinking in the analysis of interconnected challenges and the design of novel adaptive solutions tailored to the evolving needs of society and environment.

Thought Leadership

An engaging in-demand speaker and media commentator, that’s delivered numerous keynotes workshops, interviews and other press commentary to diverse audiences worldwide.

Find out more

GLOBAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER

GLOBAL KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Represented by leading speaker agencies across key international markets, making her available for keynote speaking, executive briefings, conferences, panels, workshops and other professional engagements worldwide.

Represented by leading speaker agencies across key international markets, making her available for keynote speaking, executive briefings, conferences, panels, workshops and other professional engagements worldwide.

Melissa Sterry has spoken at more than 100 events across 35 cities in 15 nations and 4 continents.

Melissa Sterry has spoken at more than 100 events across 35 cities in 15 nations and 4 continents.

London

New York

Mumbai

Brussels

Boston

Ottawa

Manchester

Barcelona

Luxembourg

Chicago

Edinburgh

Liverpool

Ahmedabad

Izmir

Bristol

Cluj-Napoca

Oxford

Belgrade

Moscow

Cambridge

Manila

Greater Dandenong

Hanoi

Santa Cruz

Galway

London New York Mumbai Brussels Boston Ottawa Manchester Barcelona Luxembourg Chicago Edinburgh Liverpool Ahmedabad Izmir Bristol Cluj-Napoca Oxford Belgrade Moscow Cambridge Manila Greater Dandenong Hanoi Santa Cruz Galway

London

New York

Mumbai

Brussels

Boston

Ottawa

Manchester

Barcelona

Luxembourg

Chicago

Edinburgh

Liverpool

Ahmedabad

Izmir

Bristol

Cluj-Napoca

Oxford

Belgrade

Moscow

Cambridge

Manila

Greater Dandenong

Hanoi

Santa Cruz

Galway

London New York Mumbai Brussels Boston Ottawa Manchester Barcelona Luxembourg Chicago Edinburgh Liverpool Ahmedabad Izmir Bristol Cluj-Napoca Oxford Belgrade Moscow Cambridge Manila Greater Dandenong Hanoi Santa Cruz Galway

  • Neiil deGrasse Tyson in conversation with Melissa Sterry and Jason Silva on future cities
  • Melissa Sterry keynote on sustainable innovation and design at Innovation conference, Cornwall
  • Melissa Sterry keynote on designing wildfire resilient architecture and urban design, at the Candadian Institute of Planners Centenary conference, 2019
  • Melissa Sterrykeynote on the future of sustainable design and innovation at the BMA conference, UK
  • Melissa Sterry keynote speech on building bio-inspired resilience to natural hazards including wildfire, World Bank and Understanding Risk conference, Belgrade
  • Melissa Sterry keynote speech on designing natural hazard resilient architecture and cities, Bristol Festival of Future Cities, Festival of Ideas, 2015
  • Melissa Sterry chairing a panel discussion on Water and design and the Arts at the V&A museum, London
  • Melissa Sterry giving a keynote on designing ecologically smart cities and bio-inspired architecture and urban design at the Festival of Future Cities, 2015
  • Melissa Sterry giving a keynote on different kinds of intelligence and cognition, Space 10, London
  • Melissa Sterry giving a keynote on Panarchistic Architecture and designing bio-inspired design for resilience to wildfire, Future Architecture and Building conclave, Mumbai, India, 2024
  • Melissa Sterry giving a keynote lecture on bionic cities, lessons from science fictions films, and the future of cities at the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, Barcelona, 2012

latest

latest

news

news

Featured
RIBA interview
RIBA interview

Earlier this month I was interviewed by the Royal Institute of British Architects about how we need to rethink architecture in an era of increasingly severe wildfire.

Read more →

Interview on France 24 lunchtime news, July 27th 2026.

‘The Future Designed Around You’, The Guardian’.
The Future Designed Around You, The Guardian special edition featuring design scientist and biomimetics expert Dr. Melissa Sterry on the cover.

select

select

press

press

Melissa Sterry has been interviewed by and / or had her work featured in more than 450 international media titles, including The Times, Financial Times, Forbes, and Business Insider, and has worked across television, radio, film, podcasts and digital media as an expert commentator, presenter and documentary contributor, with appearances and productions involving BBC, NBC, France 24, CBC and Sky, alongside podcast interviews including StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Melissa Sterry has been interviewed by and / or had her work featured in more than 450 international media titles, including The Times, Financial Times, Forbes, and Business Insider, and has worked across television, radio, film, podcasts and digital media as an expert commentator, presenter and documentary contributor, with appearances and productions involving BBC, NBC, France 24, CBC and Sky, alongside podcast interviews including StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson.

“Reputation, professionalism and experience are just three factors to consider when selecting speakers for events and Melissa excels in all three. She is inspiring and thought provoking and I would highly recommend trying to get her on your agenda.”

— Head of Conferences, The Drum, London

“She has talked at 5x15 before, and was absolutely wonderful” — Rosie Boycott, Baroness Boycott

“She has talked at 5x15 before, and was absolutely wonderful” — Rosie Boycott, Baroness Boycott

“Nothing but good things to say! Melissa arrived promptly, delivered a great talk, stuck around after and mingled with the clients and was generally a lovely person!” — Events Manager, Akin Gump LLP

“Nothing but good things to say! Melissa arrived promptly, delivered a great talk, stuck around after and mingled with the clients and was generally a lovely person!” — Events Manager, Akin Gump LLP

select

select

writing

writing

Melissa Sterry has been published 60+ international academic, industry and consumer titles, authoring books, essays, research papers, reports, chapters, interviews and speculative fiction spanning science, technology, sustainability, design, futures and culture, including contributions to Routledge, McGraw Hill and BBC Radio 4 productions.

Melissa Sterry has been published 60+ international academic, industry and consumer titles, authoring books, essays, research papers, reports, chapters, interviews and speculative fiction spanning science, technology, sustainability, design, futures and culture, including contributions to Routledge, McGraw Hill and BBC Radio 4 productions.

  • Biomimetic architecture and ecological urban design, Sustain magazine, 2012

  • Biomimetic hazard resilience, Sustain magazine (cover story), 2011

  • Leonardo da Vinci’s nature-inspired architecture and urban design, BBC Radio 4, 2019

  • Building bionic cities synced with environmental cycles, cover stories, 2011

  • Syncing and synthesising architecture with the seasons, This Big City, 2011

  • Building ecologically smart and biologically-inspired cities, 2011 /2014

  • Building bionic natural hazard resilient cities, Sustainable Business magazine, 2011

  • Designing architecture and cities in sync with the Elements, SGI Quarterly, 2015

sample campaign

sample campaign

Beautiful Thinking

Beautiful Thinking

select

select

livestreams

livestreams

Melissa Sterry has hosted and presented a wide-ranging portfolio of livestreams, podcasts and broadcast conversations exploring biofutures, biodesign, biomimicry, biotechnology, cities, sustainability and emerging technologies, including the BIOfutures series and other specialist conversations with leading researchers, designers and innovators. She has also presented broadcast programming, including BBC Radio 4’s Leonardo’s City, alongside hosting and contributing to live and recorded discussions that connect science, design, technology and future-focused thinking for international audiences.

Melissa Sterry has hosted and presented a wide-ranging portfolio of livestreams, podcasts and broadcast conversations exploring biofutures, biodesign, biomimicry, biotechnology, cities, sustainability and emerging technologies, including the BIOfutures series and other specialist conversations with leading researchers, designers and innovators. She has also presented broadcast programming, including BBC Radio 4’s Leonardo’s City, alongside hosting and contributing to live and recorded discussions that connect science, design, technology and future-focused thinking for international audiences.

from earlier

analogue

digital

biological

hybrid

analogue digital biological hybrid

architecture

urban

systems

spatial

product

textiles

fashion

graphics

illustration

photography

events

architecture urban systems spatial product textiles fashion graphics illustration photography events

Melissa Sterry has founded a portfolio of pioneering creative ventures including multi award-winning sustainability innovation think tank, collaborative laboratory and strategic consultancy Societás and award-winning interdisciplinary collaborative innovation programme New Frontiers, which provided opportunities and stimulus for new sustainable design. She also co-founded the world-first online awards for the visual and the fashion arts.

Melissa Sterry has founded a portfolio of pioneering creative ventures including multi award-winning sustainability innovation think tank, collaborative laboratory and strategic consultancy Societás and award-winning interdisciplinary collaborative innovation programme New Frontiers, which provided opportunities and stimulus for new sustainable design. She also co-founded the world-first online awards for the visual and the fashion arts.

  • New Frontiers sustainable design in the built environment by Melissa Sterry

    New Frontiers

    Cofounder [2008 >< 2010] sustainable design programme

  • Iconique Societás Awards - world's first digital fashion awards - coverage

    Iconique Societás Awards

    Cofounder [2007 >< 2010] first online fashion awards

  • Creative Graduate Prize - world's first online visual arts awards by Melissa Sterr

    Creative Graduate Prize

    Cofounder [2004 >< 2010] first online visual arts awards

  • Future in Flash

    Future in Flash

    Cofounder [2014] mixed media climate fictions (cli-fi) flash fiction

“Melissa has been a beacon for me in the past few years. She is one person who puts her money where her mouth is which is refreshing, invigorating, and all too rare. She is a one-woman fountain of knowledge; Well-researched, superbly distilled information is literally a constant - and she gives generously of herself to others with her copious wisdom and clear, informed, and astute vision of the future. More words and phrases that come to mind - smart, incisive, clear-headed and representative of best practices in approaching global business, design, innovation, sustainability, and social policy. Most of all, she's One to Watch and should be on everybody's go-to list.”

Co-Founder Show Love LLC, New York

“Melissa has been a beacon for me in the past few years. She is one person who puts her money where her mouth is which is refreshing, invigorating, and all too rare. She is a one-woman fountain of knowledge; Well-researched, superbly distilled information is literally a constant - and she gives generously of herself to others with her copious wisdom and clear, informed, and astute vision of the future. More words and phrases that come to mind - smart, incisive, clear-headed and representative of best practices in approaching global business, design, innovation, sustainability, and social policy. Most of all, she's One to Watch and should be on everybody's go-to list.” Co-Founder Show Love LLC, New York

A person in a semi-transparent artistic overlay of blue and violet hues with abstract textures in the background.

“Melissa was very knowledgeable and the architects and designers present thought it [her keynote] was very insightful.” Managing Director, Methven

“Melissa was very knowledgeable and the architects and designers present thought it [her keynote] was very insightful.” Managing Director, Methven

“We also heard insights into the most innovative science taking place right now, thanks to systems theorist Melissa Sterry. Among other mind-blowing sustainable ideas, she highlighted a pioneering project growing organic pieces of furniture...” CEO, Bathroom Manufacturers Association

“We also heard insights into the most innovative science taking place right now, thanks to systems theorist Melissa Sterry. Among other mind-blowing sustainable ideas, she highlighted a pioneering project growing organic pieces of furniture...” CEO, Bathroom Manufacturers Association

“Melissa is a smart, thorough and devoted scholar and professional with a great work ethic and enthusiastic, proactive spirit. She is a conceptual thinker to be admired for her approach and creativity.” Editorial Director, New York

“Melissa is a smart, thorough and devoted scholar and professional with a great work ethic and enthusiastic, proactive spirit. She is a conceptual thinker to be admired for her approach and creativity.” Editorial Director, New York

“Nothing but good things to say! Melissa arrived promptly, delivered a great talk, stuck around after and mingled with the clients and was generally a lovely person!” Events Manager, Akin Gump LLP

“Nothing but good things to say! Melissa arrived promptly, delivered a great talk, stuck around after and mingled with the clients and was generally a lovely person!” Events Manager, Akin Gump LLP

“…the conference kicked off with renowned keynote speaker Melissa Sterry, who opened the proceedings with an inspirational talk on bio-futurism, the connection and reconnection of nature in the design of everyday human life. From growing furniture to bioluminescent chandeliers to reducing waste through compostable clothing Melissa captured the audience’s imagination and opened their eyes and minds to futures possible both in Cornwall and beyond.” Acceleration Through Innovation [ATI], University of Plymouth

“…the conference kicked off with renowned keynote speaker Melissa Sterry, who opened the proceedings with an inspirational talk on bio-futurism, the connection and reconnection of nature in the design of everyday human life. From growing furniture to bioluminescent chandeliers to reducing waste through compostable clothing Melissa captured the audience’s imagination and opened their eyes and minds to futures possible both in Cornwall and beyond.” Acceleration Through Innovation [ATI], University of Plymouth

“Once again thank you a lot for your fantastic speech! Lots of positive feedback from our clients... the best speech of the evening, fascinating, perfectly presented - how do you manage to creative this positive atmosphere around you, it's just wonderful.” Executive, Aegis Media

“Once again thank you a lot for your fantastic speech! Lots of positive feedback from our clients... the best speech of the evening, fascinating, perfectly presented - how do you manage to creative this positive atmosphere around you, it's just wonderful.” Executive, Aegis Media

SubStack

Notebook of an Irrationally Curious Individual

Notebook of an Irrationally Curious Individual

BIOfutures by Bioratorium®

BIOfutures by Bioratorium®