Biographical Statement
Manuel Maqueda is Special Programs Instructor of Applied Circular Economics and Regenerative Economics at Harvard University’s Division of Continuing Education. Previously, he created the Circular Economy online course at the University of California, Berkeley. Manuel teaches and lectures internationally on circular and regenerative economics and innovation.
Manuel leads the Bionomia Institute, specializing in education, innovation and research in applied circular and regenerative economics.
Recognized as an expert and a pioneer in plastic pollution, Manuel is co-founder of several landmark organizations, such as the Plastic Pollution Coalition and SUPER (Single-Use Plastics Elimination or Reduction), a non-profit organization that enables companies to eliminate single-use plastics through a tiered certification program
As a futurist thinker, Manuel is a member of the Strategic Foresight Board of the Circular Economy Alliance, and has been an adviser to renowned futurist organizations, including the Jeff-Bezos-funded Long Now Foundation, dedicated to fostering long-term thinking in the context of the next 10,000 years.
Manuel investigates how artificial intelligence can partner with human ingenuity to enable a regenerative economy. He is co-founder of Viento.ai, an organization pioneering the use of artificial intelligence to design proactive responses to weather disasters.
