Our Visiting Fellows

Judah Armani, is an adjunct professor at The Royal College of Art and the Head of the Social Impact Challenge lab, he is the founder and principal of UK’s  Public Service Design Studio  and  InHouse Records. Judah has a background in product and service design, human rights and corporate social responsibility. InHouse Records is the world’s first record label to be launched in a prison and run by incarcerated individuals and graduates of the program. This award winning approach focuses on prisoners’ strengths, building on existing skills and developing new ones, through dialogue and a unique curriculum that is written by the prisoners themselves.

As a CfC Visiting Fellow, Judah is supporting a range of CfC projects.

Prateek Shankar is a writer, designer, and educator. He is currently based at the Rhode Island School of Design — as an adjunct lecturer in the Theory + History of Art & Design department, where he teaches art history and critical theory; and Strategic Design Fellow at the RISD Center for Complexity, where he develops knowledge frameworks for planetary systems transformation and decolonial futures. He is also an early career scholar with an interest in design, cultural anthropology, sociolinguistics, and postcolonial studies.

Prior to this, Prateek worked for over five years as a graphic designer and visual artist, on projects with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BFA Global, Mastercard Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, PayPal, Goethe-Institut, UNCDF, and the Center for Policy Research. He has a masters in cultural studies and critical theory from RISD, and a bachelors in architectural design from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. He is also a recipient of the Young India Fellowship and has been a participating artist in Futura Trōpica Netroots.

As a multidisciplinary designer, Dara Benno dedicates her practice to advancing sustainable systems in evolutionary lifestyle dynamics as a response to environmental and social challenges. Dara’s design practice is rooted in her dedication to approaching challenges with a critical mind and holistic perspective to develop impactful strategies. She applies her drive for systems change and passion for hands-on making, consulting with brands on the creation of regenerative models that benefit the environment, the business and society through a shift toward the circular economy.

Dara has a Master of Industrial Design from RISD and a background in sculpture and linguistics. She has partnered with The Level Up Project in NYC to work with high school students on a series of collaborative “Reuse” workshops and has exhibited her work investigating climate adaptation, everyday living and community resilience at international design events including Dutch Design Week and FASHIONCLASH Festival.

As a CfC Strategic Design Research Fellow Dara is collaborating on the development of a design manual for the Anthropocene. She pulls from and expands on her extensive research in climate risk and collaborative response, joining an effort utilizing art and design to envision the roles, norms and values necessary for humanity to flourish.