Greetings! I am Billy Almon; Astrobiofuturist and nature-based inventor.
Growing up, my heroes were comic book characters who lived in the future and were inventors.
This is me at 7 years old. As a kid, I had an imagination as big as my ears.
All I wanted to be when I grew up was an inventor. Why? Because that’s who my superheroes were. Growing up as an Army brat, it wasn’t hard making friends, but it was hard keeping them when you have to move every two years. So my constant friends and companions became the comic book and movie heroes I discovered moving from place to place.
They were characters like Meteor Man, the M.A.N.T.I.S., Blank Man, and Black Panther. All of which were black geniuses who harnessed technology to make their communities and the world a better place.
In them, I had the blueprint for my future, but I had one problem - I didn’t know how to get there.
I eventually became an Imagineer and learned how to use storytelling and creativity to invent cool things, design immersive experiences, and dream up new worlds.
After a few years, I found myself at Howard University studying architecture, learning how to be a designer.
While I was there, I entered a design competition at Walt Disney Imagineering, where my design led to me being offered an internship and then a job. This picture (on the left) is from my first few days there. (It’s actually featured in an LA Times article on my experience getting in the door.) That year I received a patent for one of the innovative designs I worked on.
In the years I spent at Imagineering, I learned to design and create products, spaces, and experiences that transform people’s everyday lives.
But, I knew I was missing something.
Next, I hosted a wildlife TV Show, was featured on Forbes.com, and began talking about the future of design.
After some soul searching and a few years in graduate school, I began to uncover the innovative genius that resides in nature. I became certified in biomimicry and started speaking about how the biological ingenuity of plants, animals, and insects can inform how we design everything we need on earth and for life amongst the stars.
The more I started talking about it, the more people wanted to hear about it.
I’ve co-hosted a television show on Animal Planet and speak on a Forbes.com podcast.
Now, I’m happy to speak to your company, event, or school about what I’ve learned.
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Billy’s Speaking Topics
As a speaker, Billy delivers presentations on a wide variety of topics related to:
Biomimicry
The Human Experience of Space Travel
STEM Education Powered by Storytelling, Creativity, and Imagination
Designing Futures of Equity, Sustainability, and Infinite Possibility
For STEM-related Events:
If you’re looking for inspiration on what Billy can talk to your organization or event about, take a look at these two premier workshops:
Worldbuilding & Storytelling for STEM
STEM is everywhere and in everything, including your students favorite games, movies, and stories. In this keynote & workshop, Billy shares how to utilize your student’s collective imagination and the power of storytelling to create the spaces and environments that leverage the creativity your students are already engaged in as a canvas to reveal STEM learnings.
Biomimicry : Nature & the Future of Everything
What do the bullet trains, wind turbines, and Olympic swimwear all have in common? They are all designs based on animals, insects, and plants. In this workshop, participants will discover why the future of STEM will be based on the outdoors as they learn how to tap into nature’s ingenuity to solve diverse challenges.
For educators, Billy speaks about the following topics:
Billy helps educators connect with their students and create a learning environment where students gain confidence in STEM and themselves.
1. How Storytelling and Worldbuilding Can Increase STEM Engagement
This workshop guides educators in turning their classrooms into immersive experiences that captivate the curiosity of their students and make students the heroes of their own learning experiences.
2. Biomimicry as a Tool for STEM Educators and Designers
In this presentation, I showcase amazing biology-inspired technologies and demonstrate how educators can utilize nature as a tool to teach STEM principles.
3. All Kids are Born Inventors & How to Keep Them That Way
With all the buzz around makers and tinkerers, how can educators scale students’ mini inventions into big scale ideas? In this talk, I show educators how they can increase their students’ design confidence and make anything they can dream of.
Testimonials
“You have given our high school hope, positivity, and creativity during a very challenging time, and again, I cannot truly express how grateful we are for your presentation.”
— Aidan F., Hammond High School
“Billy knows how to be conversational and professional when engaging with an audience. It shows that he understands what he’s talking about and knows how to make it accessible. [His talk on] restorative futures is a process and an approach that all students, scientists, artists, sociologists, engineers, designers, and more need to be exposed to.”
— Dora M., Rhode Island School of Design
“With enthusiasm, Billy was able to encourage any high school student to pursue a STEM career opening the door to science, invention, and creativity. Students left the webinar inspired by the endless discoveries that can be found in nature and hopeful for a better future because of Billy's energizing attitude..”
— Giselle S., SEI: Building Leaders for a World
“We were so impressed with him and his vision that we have consulted with him on a few other upcoming projects and look forward to continuing to work with him in the future.”
— Amanda S., TBI Organization
Request Billy!
If you are interested in securing Billy as a speaker, please submit a request below and we will respond within 48 hours.