Arjun Kalyanpur is a designer by way of engineering. He graduated with a B.S. in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College in 2009, followed by an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 2012. Over the years to follow, he applied his knowledge and skills at a retail packaging company, quickly developing and launching several products for luxury cosmetics brand La Prairie Switzerland. Learning firsthand what it meant to take products from the whiteboard to store shelves, Arjun was inspired to pursue a design career. He completed his product design graduate degree in 2017, as part of SVA's MFA program, Products of Design. Arjun now works at design consultancy 10XBeta which is located in the New Lab, a ground-breaking product realization facility. His diverse skills and previous experience allow him to work on products ranging from consumer goods to medical devices, helping bring them from concept to commercialization.

Website: arjun-kalyanpur.com
Instagram: @akalyanpur
 

Raised in Boston, MA and Basel, Switzerland, Julia Lindpaintner returned to the States to study History of Science and Dramatic Arts at Harvard College. Upon graduation, Julia moved to New York City to study and perform modern dance, and began her (formal) journey in design when she joined Michael Bierut’s team at Pentagram in 2012. During her three years there, Julia acted as project manager, strategist, researcher, and writer on projects ranging from brand strategy and corporate identity to books, digital marketing tools, and environmental installations across a variety of industries. During the summer of 2016, Julia worked for Common Cents Lab, where she studied behavioral economics, conducted original research, and worked with a team to develop products aimed at improving the financial well-being of low and middle income Americans. Julia is fascinated by behavioral science, organizational development, and win-win strategies, and believes in working across design disciplines to facilitate collaboration, envision alternative systems, and encourage prosocial behavior.

Website: julialindpaintner.com
Instagram: @julia.lindpaintner

A New Zealander and an alumnus of Victoria University of Wellington, Oscar Pipson completed undergraduate degrees in both Industrial Design and Management. Adventurous in spirit and curious of mind, he has spent time travelling, living, working or studying in the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia and the US prior to moving to NYC. A designer, researcher and teacher, Oscar worked for both Victoria University School of Design and Callaghan Innovation on various research projects focusing on multi-material 3d printing. Most recently, Oscar has been contracting for Formway Design Studio, world leaders in high performance furniture. An award winner at the Core77 Design Awards and Best Design Awards, Oscar’s work has also been featured on numerous international design blogs.

Website: oscarpipson.com
Instagram: @oscarpipson

Ailun Sai is a highly-motivated multi-disciplinary designer who merges creativity with positive social impact. An industrial Designer by training, Ailun draws reference from diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds. She also has a particular interest in exploring new possibilities in future scenarios and proposing open social questions with possible alternatives. Born in Dalian, China, Ailun is currently based in New York. She holds a BFA in Industrial design from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. In addition to being a designer, Ailun is also an illustrator, artist, teacher, sports enthusiast, and animal lover.

Website: ailunsai.com
Instagram: @ailunsai
 

Originally from Syosset, NY, Souvik graduated from Harvard College in 2011, majoring in Social Studies—an interdisciplinary major that drew on the intellectual traditions of several different social sciences including government, economics, and sociology—as a way to understand and solve complex societal problems. His undergraduate thesis sought to use the India-Pakistan relationship as a lens through which to reconcile the neo-realist and constructivist schools of thought within international relations theory. A spring class at the Harvard Graduate School of Design opened Souvik’s eyes to the world of design. He hopes to explore the areas of medicine, technology, and a combination of the two through his design work. In the three years that intervened between college and SVA PoD, Souvik worked as a trader at JPMorgan. He loves to travel, to (break)dance, to eat, and to read comic books.
Website: souvikpaul.com
Instagram: @souvikpaul89