JULY 11, 2024
Psychedelics Design Online Conference
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exclusively with
Artwork by Agnes Jonas
Perspectives & Insights
12 SPEAKERS / 4 KEYNOTES / 1 CONVERSATION / 1 PANEL
Join us in exploring the intersection between psychedelics and design, where we explore their potential to catalyze regenerative futures.
Explore how design can serve as a powerful tool to support these visions, offering innovative solutions and frameworks.
Meet the Speakers
Natalie Lyla Ginsberg
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Natalie Lyla Ginsberg (MSW) is the Global Impact Officer at the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, (MAPS), and the co-founder of the Jewish Psychedelic Summit. Natalie joined MAPS in 2014, founding the Policy & Advocacy department, and serving as its director for 5 years. At MAPS, Natalie initiated and co-developed MAPS’ Health Equity program, including MAPS’ first MDMA Therapy Training for Communities of Color, and co-authored the first study interviewing Palestinians and Israelis who have shared ayahuasca ceremonies. Before joining MAPS, Natalie worked as a Policy Fellow at the Drug Policy Alliance, where she helped legalize medical cannabis in her home state of New York, and worked to end race-based marijuana arrests. Natalie was born and raised in New York City and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received her B.A. in history from Yale College, and her master’s of social work (M.S.W.) from Columbia University.
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Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley is a Neuroscientist with 10 years of experience researching psychedelics. Grace completed her PhD in Neuroscience at King's College London/ and currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech.She is the Research Director at Heroic Hearts Project, a charity that supports combat veterans with mental health challenges resulting from trauma and is also the founder of Hystelica, a community focused on understanding women's biology for safe and effective psychedelic use.
Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley
Dennis Walker
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Dennis Walker is a satirist multimedia producer primarily known for his satirizing of the psychedelic space.He is the founder of Mycopreneur, with which he has platformed over 150 mushroom entrepreneurs from 25 countries on six continents. The Mycopreneur platform is a globally recognized leader in the psychedelic media space, with recent press coverage in Rolling Stone, Forbes, High Times, and many other outlets.
Walker is also the Co-Founder of Mycoday functional mushroom chocolate.
Joe Moore
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Joe Moore co-founded Psychedelics Today in 2016 with Kyle Buller. As CEO, Joe has co-created one of the planet's best-known psychedelic podcasts and training platforms. He combines over 20 years of avid psychedelic study and training with over 20 years of experience in software and multinational project management.Joe is a leading expert in transpersonal breathwork, a board member of the Psychedelic and Pain Association and the Psychedelic Medicine Coalition, and a sought-after international speaker on the intersecting subjects of psychedelic medicine and healing, breathwork, drug policy, medical innovation, international justice, and environmentalism.
Alli Schaper
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Alli is the CEO & Co-Founder of SuperMush, an LA-based mental wellness lifestyle brand inspired by the 60s and 70s that creates superfood mushroom supplements, streetwear and media. Her mission is to bring the power of mushrooms to the masses alongside creating community and collaboration within the psychedelics industry.She is also the host of Into The Multiverse, a psychedelics and mental health podcast. Alli is the Co-Founder of Microdosing Collectivegcollective.org/ - an educational nonprofit focused on legal advocacy for microdosing psychedelics.
Her work has been featured in Forbes, National Geographic, Summit Series, Well+Good, Rollingstone, Goop, and more.
Peter Reitano
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Peter is an award-winning entrepreneur and founder of Gwella, a brand house on a mission to make psychedelics more accessible and help people use them safely and effectively.In 2022 they launched Mojo in North America; an innovative patent-pending product that mimics the benefits of microdosing, in a completely legal gummy. He's been building, advising and investing in consumer brands for most of his career, and is deeply passionate about all things that enable meaningful connections & better health.
Stemming from his early personal experiences with entheogens, he's become a passionate advocate for cognitive liberty and the right of every human to experiment with their own consciousness.
Devon Phillips
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Devon is the Community & Partnerships officer for the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). With his work, Devon develops strategies and partnerships to answer the question: “How do we responsibly mainstream psychedelics?” His background is in behavioral neuroscience and human-centered design, but he has a deep love for art, music, and fashion. Before joining MAPS, Devon founded a virtual reality software start-up that was later acquired in 2018.He is also the co-founder of the harm-reduction fashion company, More Life. Devon describes himself as a culture nerd who loves the complexity of humanity and wants to be the bridge between our cultures and consciousness exploration.
He says you can usually find him under a tree, reading Plato and bumping Biggie.
Panel Moderator
Mattha Busby
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Mattha Busby is a journalist reporting on drug policy, culture and life. His work has appeared in The Guardian, Time, Vice, Men's Health and The London Times.
He is working on a new book, on psychedelics, for Hoxton Mini Press.
Additional Panel Guests
Henry Winslow
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Henry Winslow is the founder of Tricycle Day, a free twice-a-week newsletter covering psychedelic research, policy, and business.With a professional background in healthcare marketing and yoga, he’s currently focused on making psychedelic education fun.
Julia Mande
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Julia is a facilitator of awareness-based systems change, and an organizational designer who works with foundering teams to develop and grow their organizations for meaningful social impact. She has advanced movements in soil health, plant medicine, and conscious leadership through stakeholder engagement and program design. Julia’s programs strengthening mindsets and behaviors toward regenerative systems. She holds a degree in Organizational Sciences from George Washington University and certifications in Regenerative Organizational Design, Systems Constellations, and Environmental Sustainability.Julia is in the process of co-founding Common Field, a nonprofit for a community of professionals who are dedicated to establishing Indigenous-informed frameworks for access and benefit sharing in the psychedelics industry, focusing on ethical leadership, cultural humility, and fostering interconnection between traditional and modern practices through bridge-building.
Julia is a first-generation American, born in New York and raised in Zimbabwe, a daughter of emigrants from Morocco and the Jewish Diaspora.
Hosts and Panel Guests
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Floris, founder of Blossom, holds an MSc in Psychology from Erasmus University. His passion for psychedelics, sparked by personal experiences and scientific exploration, drives his mission to expand their accessibility for medical and self-development purposes.He also offers psychedelic-assisted coaching sessions with his Fiance in the Netherlands through FLO Coaching. He hopes to play a vital part in making psychedelics more widely available and used.
Floris Wolswijk
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Alexandra bridges psychedelics, design, creativity and future-thinking, envisioning psychedelics as a catalyst for positive change and design as the tool to shape this transformation.She holds an MA in Applied Imagination from Central Saint Martins and an MSc in Applied Psychology from London Met.
With a decade of strategic design experience, Alexandra held key roles at agencies such as Normally Ltd, Method Inc., and Dazed Media, working globally and receiving recognition via publications and awards. Most recently she grew the educational platform Psilocybin San Francisco as its co-founder from idea to an established brand.
Through her editorial contributions and the Psychedelics Design newsletter, Alexandra shares her research insights, aiming to foster a community of creative minds in psychedelics.
Alexandra Plesner
Cover Artist
Agnes Jonas
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Agnes is an illustrator and artist fascinated by the future and the unknown, whose aesthetic is based on atmospheric abstraction and biomorphic shapes. A sensation of floating in slow motion is often present in her work like in outer space or deep underwater. Peaceful, ethereal, and a little gloomy.Her work appeared in The Washington Post, WIRED, and WePresent.
Agenda
Each presentation has a duration of 45 minutes. While we will not be addressing questions during the keynote presentations, we invite you to participate in the Q&A sessions during the concluding panel.
The time zone for the event is PST.
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With FLORIS WOLSWIJK, Founder Blosoom & Co-founder FLO Coaching and ALEXANDRA PLESNER, Founder Psychedelics Design
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Speaker:
PETER REITANO | Founder of Gwella
ALLI SCHAPER | Co-Founder & CEO SuperMush -
Speaker: DR GRACE BLEST-HOPLEY | Founder of Hystelica, Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech & Research Director at Heroic Hearts Project
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Speaker: DENNIS WALKER | Founder Mycopreneur & Co-founder Mycoday
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Speaker: JOE MOORE | Founder & CEO Psychedelics Today
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Speakers:
DEVON PHILLIPS | Community & Partnerships Officer at MAPS
NATALIE LYLA GINSBERG | Global Impact Officer at MAPS -
We started a new tradition with our last conference which means that also this time, most of our keynote speakers of the day (plus guests) will be on a closing panel that promises a holistic exploration of the cultural interplay between design and psychedelics.
This session aims to inspire, provoke thought, and foster a deeper understanding of the cultural nuances shaping our creative and psychedelic landscapes.
Moderator: MATTHA BUSBY | Journalist & Writer
Speakers:
DENNIS WALKER | Founder Mycopreneur & Co-founder Mycoday
DEVON PHILLIPS | Community & Partnerships Officer at MAPS
NATALIE LYLA GINSBERG | Global Impact Officer at MAPS
PETER REITANO | Founder of Gwella
JULIA MANDE | Faciliator & Consultant
HENRY WINSLOW | Founder Tricycle Day
FLORIS WOLSWIJK | Founder Blosoom & Co-founder FLO Coaching
ALEXANDRA PLESNER | Founder Psychedelics Design
The Media's Influence on Culture and Perception
Dennis Walker, Founder Mycopreneur and Co-founder Mycoday
Explore the transformative power of media in reshaping the narrative around psychedelics. Join Dennis Walker as he dives into the pivotal role of media in shifting perceptions and fostering a more nuanced understanding of psychedelics. Gain valuable insights into how media influences public discourse and perception, and discover strategies for harnessing its potential to drive positive change.
Key Take Aways:
• Media shaping public opinions
• Psychedelic coverage in mainstream media vs coverage in psychedelic media
• Challenges and opportunities
• Practical tips to work with media and influencers
In Conversation: Design and Psychedelics
Devon Phillips, Community & Partnerships Officer at MAPS
Natalie Lyla Ginsberg, Global Impact Officer at MAPS
A 30-minute dialogue between two pioneers in the psychedelic realm. Mind-expanding Conversations is a new session format that unites some of the leading figures in design and psychedelics.
Natalie and Devon will engage in a dialogue covering various trends and a glimpse into the most transformative ideas shaping our future.
The Great Reconnector: Designing Our Way Back Together with Psychedelics
Joe Moore, Co-Founder & CEO Psychedelics Today
This keynote presentation from Psychedelics Today Co-Founder & CEO Joe Moore will cover:
Exploring Modern Alienation: Addressing the deep-seated feelings of disconnection in contemporary society across social, cultural, environmental, and personal dimensions.
Psychedelics as Tools for Reconnection: Investigating how psychedelics can serve as catalysts for bridging these divides, offering fresh perspectives and enhanced empathy.
Case Studies and Theoretical Frameworks: Presenting real-world examples and conceptual models that illustrate the effective use of psychedelics in creative contexts.
Vision for the Future: Outlining a path forward where psychedelics inspire sustainable solutions for reconnecting with our planet, each other, and ourselves.
Design & Science: Strategies in Research
Dr Grace Blest-Hopley, Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech, Research Director at Heroic Hearts Project and founder of Hystelica
Explore the intricate relationship between scientific and design research in this keynote session. Discover the distinct purposes, methodologies, and outcomes of each discipline, including the nuances of "designing scientific studies" and strategies for maintaining methodological rigour.
Dr Grace Blest-Hopley will also share insights into the complexities of data collection, bias mitigation in research settings like psychedelics, and the unique challenges of observational research, particularly concerning diverse participant groups.
Growing a Consumer Good Brand fit for a Psychedelic Future
Alli Schaper, Founder Supermush, Host of Into The Multiverse & Co-Founder Microdosing Collective
Peter Reitano, Founder Gwella & Mojo
Peter Reitano and Alli Schaper will talk about the intersection of product design, brand growth, and consumer-focused psychedelic initiatives fit for the future. Dive into strategies for creating products that resonate with consumers and pave the way for future brand growth, while also broadening the discourse around psychedelics beyond medicalization to focus on accessibility and levity in brand messaging.
Key Take Aways:
• Creating products that resonate with consumers
• What are consumer-focused psychedelic initiatives
• How to build accessible brands – pre-possible psychedelic legalisation
• Sustainability and cultural responsibility