Dr. Richard
Lachman

Academic Director, Zone Learning Network · Technology & Creative Consultant

A Professor in the RTA School of Media at Toronto Metropolitan University, Richard also serves as Director of the Experiential Media Institute and Academic Director of the Zone Learning network of incubators. An award-winning digital producer and frequent media-commentator on technology issues, Richard has led projects with UNICEF, TIFF, The Banff Centre, Penguin UK, The Discovery Channel, the CRTC, and others. His creative projects in transmedia has been honored with a Gemini Award, a CNMA, and a Webby Honouree.

Richard completed his doctorate at UNE in Australia researching spreading activation networks for documentary storytelling, and earned both a Master’s degree from the MIT Media Lab’s Interactive Cinema Group and a Computer Science degree from MIT. Early in his career, he was part of a startup acquired by Mattel, where he ended as Lead Designer and Engineer on the Petz software series, which shipped over three million units worldwide. With research spanning AI, transmedia storytelling, digital documentaries, immersive media, and collaborative design thinking, Richard continues to be unsuccessful in describing what he does to his kids.