About

I first took my creativity to the TED stage in 2013, where I shared my journey as an explorer of technology — from being a child, sheep herder, physicist and tech founder. I finished the talk by DJing live on stage using paper turntables.

At TED in 2018 I shared how I changed the narrative of the British tabloid press after I was gored through the throat by a wild deer, which became headline news in the UK and broke industry rules by disclosing details of my transgender status.

I am a British physicist and tech founder living in Los Angeles, USA. I describe myself as a creative scientist — because we all fit in more than one box. I studied electronics and physics; these give my work structure and discipline. My true skill is creativity. Inspired by my grandmother who told me to "cut your coat from the cloth at hand," I creatively use whatever I find around me to solve any problem I encounter.

I was born in Cheshire, UK, and grew up in England, Wales, Oman and Brunei — my father was an engineer who worked in the oil industry. After failing high school I travelled to Australia with a few dollars in my pocket, and found work in factories and farms; moving boxes, picking grapes, melons and tomatoes. I eventually ended up herding sheep for two years, riding a motorbike in far western New South Wales — the landscape where the first Mad Max film was created.

From chasing sheep I wrangled my way into Salford University in the UK to study for an undergraduate degree in electronics, and then completed a PhD in physics at Cambridge University, in which I demonstrated the movement of individual electrons — much like sheep!

I am deeply curious about what helps humans thrive, how we find a happier way to live, and what our future might look like if this was our focus. I'm at my happiest on an adventure in nature, exploring mountains, forests and deserts.

I founded a company called Novalia; we create interactive posters and other everyday objects that embody the magic of interactivity and connectivity. Posters that talk, books that turn into pianos, and walls that play music.

I am a former member of the Editors' Code of Practice Committee that helps keep an eye on the UK press. I am the former Chair of the Executive Board of the MIDI Manufacturers Association. I am presently the Chair of the Trustees of Just Bee, a charity in Dundee, Scotland that helps the vulnerable.

I live in the USA with my daughter, and love to travel and discover adventure; every journey gives me insights into myself and what it means for all of us to be human.

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Get in touch

For speaking enquiries, press, or anything else, drop me a note or email drkatestone@gmail.com.