María Laura Ruggiero is an argentine Filmmaker, and narrative designer specialized in experiential and transmedia storytelling. Her work has been featured in several international programs regarding emerging media such as Power to the Pixel, TransmediaNext, Forward Storytelling, FIPA. She’s an international speaker regarding topics of narrative innovation and virtual reality  (MUTEK, SXSW, MIT,  ONA, Berlinale, TEDx, VR Fest, Congreso Quirino de Animación, America’s Cultural Summit and more ) . She’s a Berlinale Alumni, Member of Werner Herzog’s Rogue Film School, NATPE Diversity Fellow, Jihlava Emerging Producer and Winner of the National Endowment of the Arts, H20 British Council and recently awarded the Alice down the Rabbit Hole award from Digital Jove Spain. Since 2020 she’s a Creative Consultant for the WB VR division. Since 2023, she is a Storytelling Mentor and Jury of MIT Reality Hack, Virtual Reality Hackathon of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her project Wave 201: The Unwanted Atlantis is part of the MIT’s Cocreation Studio project: Worlding.

She’s currently working on a PhD on Immersive Design, (UBA-FADU) and has completed the MITx´s Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality course with Fox Harrell Ph.D, and is part of the XR Design Virtual Reality Fellowship

María Laura guides the StoryHackers Lab, a Pop Up Lab supported by OEI and the Board of Culture of Argentina, where she guides audiences into the exploration of new narrative languages and the impact of positive worldbuilding techniques. She runs SeirenFilms, a company devoted to the exploration of new narrative frontiers in emerging media. She’s part of Amplify Digital Initiative, an international initiative that supports women and non binaries in digital media sponsored by Mutek and British Council.