Onye Ahanotu’s work is transdisciplinary in nature - leveraging engineering, science, art and design to explore new design strategies and methods of creating. One through line is developing practical innovation that can lead to strategic outcomes.

His experience at the intersection of technology development, design and strategy started to come together as a Scientist at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering. There he supported the development of a materials technology inspired by a carnivorous plant to solve problems like marine fouling and sepsis. He also collaborated with the Harvard GSD to explore adaptive material architecture like using ferrofluids as a fugitive mold in generating complex patterns.

Often spanning multiple disciplines, Onye is now working at the interface of food, culture and biology with his company Ikenga Wines. Here, he is bringing representation of cultures across the global while also leapfrogging traditional resource intensive approaches, through biodesign.