Meet The GIANT Team
Phd in Cognitive Science in Education, BAS in Systems Engineering
Teachers College, Columbia University
Azadeh Jamalian is founder and CEO of The GIANT Room co-design lab for families and schools. She is a TED speaker, former head of education strategy at littleBits, and co-founder of Tiggly early learning startup. Jamalian has designed learning products and programs that millions of families have engaged with, and thousands of schools have implemented in their programs. Through her work at The GIANT Room, she has partnered with more than 15,000 schools, museums, libraries, and organizations such as Joan Ganz Cooney Center, Fred Rogers Productions, LEGO Education, Scratch Foundation, Sesame Workshop, Verizon, Google.org, Meta, and Lysol to provide to deliver community engagement initiatives, co-design research, and learning programs that sit at the intersection of literacy, creative STEM, and the responsible use of technology, including AI.. She has a PhD in cognitive studies in education from Teachers College, and has published on topics such as designing learning platforms for family engagement and emerging educational tech.
PhD in Science Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
Jessica Mezei, PhD is the Chief Partnership Officer and Co-Founder of The GIANT Room, where she builds joyful, community-powered collaborations with libraries, schools, museums, and corporate partners. She holds a PhD in Science Education from Columbia University and brings over two decades of experience working across classrooms, informal learning environments, research, and education-focused startups—shaping learning experiences that connect teaching, design, and innovation.
At GIANT, Jess designs partnerships that amplify kids’ voices and help young people build confidence through creative experiences, inviting them to see their ideas valued, shared, and celebrated in their communities
MS in Neuroscience and Education
Teachers College, Columbia University
Maria Eugenia (“Maru”) is a passionate educator and curriculum writer from Monterrey, México. She earned a master’s degree in Neuroscience and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and has been with The GIANT Room since graduating. Maru began as a Creative Tech Resident and now serves as the company’s Executive Director of Instructional Design. In this role, she leads the design and delivery of in-person engagements, including afterschool programs, co-design workshops, and special events.
BM in Flute Performance, MA in Arts Entrepreneurship
Mannes School of Music & The New School
Rebecca is the Director of Product at The GIANT Room, where she leads GIANT Remix publication programs and the development of The GIANT Remix App. Throughout her six and a half years at TGR, she has written hundreds of creative STEM workshop curriculums, created over 550 educational videos about a range of STEAM (STEM+Arts) topics and experts in the field, and co-designed thousands of books, trading cards, games, and comics with kids. Rebecca is a trained classical flutist and, prior to working at The GIANT Room, founded two music education organizations, Art Beyond the Ink and MUSES: Music for Extraordinary Students, which taught instrumental music, music theory, and musical storytelling to children across NYC, including children in foster care and prevention services. Both organizations were recipients of the Alsop Entrepreneurship Award at The New School.
MA in Instructional Technology and Media
Teachers College, Columbia University
Hongjin is the Director of Research at The GIANT Room, where she leads the design and facilitation of the research and co-design projects in close collaboration with industry partners. She conducts research analysis and translates findings into clear, actionable reports that support educational product designers as they iterate on future versions of their work. Hongjin holds an MA in Instructional Technology and Media from Columbia University and brings experience from instructional design in higher education as well as leading STEAM programming in maker-spaces for diverse audiences. Her research interests center on human learning, with a particular focus on designing collaborative learning experiences for and with children.
Rama Deshpande is a designer and researcher with an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design - The New School, New York. She has professional experience as a UX/UI and game designer, conducting user research and testing, and designing and developing playful interfaces. She channels her enthusiasm into co-designing meaningful educational experiences with kids through fun, playful, curiosity-driven research. She also has experience teaching creative STEM + Storytelling to children ages 3 to 12 years old during afterschool, and enrichment programs at schools and museums.
Iris is the Product Designer at The GIANT Room, where she creates intuitive, joyful experiences that empower children, educators, and families to explore creativity through AI-powered tools. She holds a BFA in Product Design from Parsons School of Design and an MS in Human-Computer Interaction from Georgia Tech, bringing a foundation in both design craft and human-centered research to her work.
Iris approaches design by diving deep into diverse user needs—from young creators to teachers to parents—iterating quickly to build systems that grow with the product, and measuring what truly matters across different use cases. Her work centers on designing flexible experiences that meet users where they are, whether that’s reducing friction in creative workflows, supporting educators in the classroom, or helping families engage with their children’s creativity.
Aaron is an educator and artist from New York City. He has previously taught at NYU Tisch, Stella Adler, and Actionplay, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing actors of all abilities with equal access to the theatre-making process. He is also passionate about science and software, holding a Certificate in Software Development from the Flatiron School, and a Certification in Cybersecurity from ISC2. He loves developing STEAM (STEM + Arts) curriculum, as well as facilitating GIANT product design sessions with young people.
Mariana Hartwell is a creative educator and designer from Monterrey, Mexico, now based in New York City. She specializes in UI/UX and graphic design, creating engaging experiences at the intersection of art and technology.
Paulina is a Graphic Designer who graduated from Universidad del Desarrollo with a Diploma in Innovation and Interdisciplinary Studies. She focuses on creating clear, consistent visual solutions based on strong design fundamentals and visual communication. She has experience in professional creative environments, including work connected to The GIANT Room. At GIANT, she contributes to design-related projects and the development of different visual materials.
Based in Santiago, Chile, she is interested in continuing to grow professionally and collaborating on projects where design adds strategic and creative value to always achieve the best possible outcome.
Swara is a multimedia illustrator and educator working across analogue and digital illustration, animation and sculpture. She takes a special interest in narrative and game design, working with illustration, 3D modelling and fabrication to craft characters, creatures and worlds. With a BFA in Illustration from the Parsons School of Design, her professional work as an illustrator has spanned working in sets, jewellery design, logo design and editorial illustration. Her clients here have ranged from film production studios and creative agencies in India to accessories brands based out of Korea and NYC. Her career as an afterschool educator finds her working at The GIANT Room and Splat Lab where she teaches Anthro-Arts and STEAM programs. As an educator, she introduces children to world cultures, scientific concepts and creative solutions through art, craft and experimenting. With her passion for guiding kids with projects as diverse as her interests, she seeks to be a resource in bringing their wildest imaginations and ideas to life.
Vanessa is a designer with a passion for painting, art, and visual creativity. She has worked as a freelance graphic designer, creating thoughtful and engaging designs that bring ideas to life. She combines creativity with professionalism to deliver work that reflects both artistic vision and purpose.
Camila Soto is a Chilean architect who began her studies in design and later specialized in architecture. Her work focuses on visual storytelling and how design impacts those who experience it, combining architecture and design through the development of objects, creative systems, and spaces. She is currently the CEO and co-founder of Thoca Estudio, a multidisciplinary brand that explores different areas of design and architecture, with a strong emphasis on color and creative exploration.
Eden Goonesekera is an AI researcher and developer working at the intersection of data, culture and human understanding. He holds degrees in Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence from the London School of Economics and King's College London. At GIANT, Eden is responsible for the backend development and AI components of the TGR Remix application. As co-founder of Satori AI, Eden has led projects spanning education, culture, FMCG, technology and wellbeing, helping organizations better understand audiences, industries and emerging shifts in how people think and feel through large-scale datasets and best-in-class social analytics. He enjoys the creative side of technology, building systems and tools that are not only intelligent, but genuinely enjoyable and fun to use. Eden is particularly interested in the future of AI and humanity, including questions around consciousness in relation to advanced AI systems.
Chris Daly is a full stack developer and data scientist specializing in platform building. He holds a Masters in Data Science and a degree in Civil Engineering from University College Cork. At GIANT, Chris develops the platform infrastructure for the TGR Remix application. As co-founder of Satori AI, Chris focuses on building the platforms and interfaces that bring data to life, creating tools that help organizations better understand audiences, industries and emerging trends in intuitive, accessible ways. He is passionate about building tools that increase productivity and unlock deeper insights.
Camila is a Graphic Designer interested in building visual worlds that feel both intentional and alive. She approaches design as a balance between concept and intuition, where clarity, coherence, and detail play a key role. She enjoys translating ideas into visual systems that communicate with purpose, while still leaving space for exploration. At The GIANT Room, she works across different creative projects, contributing to the development of concepts and visual pieces.
Based in Santiago, Chile, she is driven by curiosity and a constant desire to push her practice forward through meaningful and thoughtful design.
Jessi is a Graphic Designer based in Concepción, Chile, interested in communicating ideas and emotions through images, using design as a powerful visual language. She approaches her work with a focus on enjoying the process of transforming concepts into meaningful and engaging visual pieces. She is particularly drawn to editorial design, where she can combine storytelling, layout, and structure to create compelling publications.
At GIANT, she works designing publications for GIANT Remix programs, contributing to the development of clear and visually cohesive materials.
She is always exploring new tools and inspirations to strengthen her practice.