Founder & CEO
littleBits
Ayah Bdeir is an engineer and interactive artist who does not believe in boundaries set by disciplines or cultures. With an upbringing between Lebanon, Canada and the US, Bdeir's work uses experimental tools to look at deliberate and subconscious representations of identity.
Bdeir received her masters degree from the MIT Media Lab and undergraduate degrees in Computer Engineering and Sociology from the American University of Beirut. Her work has been exhibited at MoMA and is part of the museum's permanent collection. Other exhibits include her first solo show "Identities in Motion" at the Peacock Visual Arts gallery (Aberdeen), the New Museum (New York), Ars Electronica (Linz), Badcuyp and the Royal College of Art (London). Bdeir has been featured in the New York Times Magazine (2011), Inc Magazine (2011), BBC (2011), Elle Oriental (2010), Art Asia Pacific (2009), among others.
In 2008, Bdeir was awarded a fellowship at Eyebeam Art + Technology Center and taught graduate classes at NYU and Parsons. She has lectured extensively and taught numerous workshops to get non-engineers, and particularly young girls, interested in science and technology. Bdeir was a mentor in the regional reality tv-show Stars of Science (initiated by Qatar Foundation) promoting science and technology innovation in the Middle East. She has an ongoing affiliation with Eyebeam as an honorary fellow.
In 2010, Bdeir was granted a fellowship with Creative Commons in recognition of her work, including spearheading the first Open Hardware definition and co-chairing the Open Hardware Summit at the New York Hall of Science in September of 2010 and 2011. Just recently, Bdeir was awarded the highly prestigious TED fellowship, as one of 25 innovators in 2012 from around the world.
Bdeir is the creator of littleBits, an award winning kit of pre-assembled circuits that snap together with tiny magnets. She is also the founder of Karaj, Beirut's lab for experimental art, architecture.
Ayah lives and works in New York.