Josh Baillon

Brainstormer, Business leader, Connector, Consultant, Engineer, Entrepreneur, Explorer, Global soul, Idea generator, Inventor, Technologist, World traveler

Josh is building Collective Imagination, a new venture focused on multisensory immersive experiences that transform how people connect with art, story, and space. With installations in development across Europe and the Americas, he and his co-founders are fundraising to scale their platform to bring transcendent experiences to audiences everywhere. Josh has spent his career at the intersection of creativity and technology, driven by a belief that we’re living through an unprecedented moment: the tools to create transcendent experiences are finally catching up to human imagination. As a Director at Capgemini’s Applied Innovation Exchange in San Francisco, he connects emerging technologies with Fortune 1000 clients across agentic AI, immersive experiences, robotics, and more. Previously, he co-founded Nestlé’s Silicon Valley Innovation Outpost, where he led the design and validation of new digitally enabled business models. He started his career in management consulting and founded his own animation and post-production startup along the way. A curious problem-solver who believes the best way to predict the future is to create it — when not dreaming up the future, you can find him flying above the skies of San Francisco.

Impact of AI and climate change on humanity, personalized nutrition/healthcare, photography, travel, languages, immersive entertainment

World Birthright. Program to allow anyone born on Earth to spend a month in an entirely different culture, allowing for greater perspective and understanding. Let’s create entire generations of citizens of the world on the path to a more harmonious existence.

I have always admired TED from afar, and finally attended my first full conference in 2024. Being surrounded by such curious minds amplifies the imagination within. I'm here this year as I shape an exciting venture of my own, bringing to life a completely new form of immersive entertainment.

Improv and flying planes, and connecting things - concepts, people, disparate building blocks. I enjoy facilitating serendipity.