Matt Artz: anthropologist, designer, and strategist
Member Profile

Matt Artz

Founder, Azimuth Labs & Anthro to UX

Adjunct Faculty , Fordham University

Alumnus, University of North Texas

Contributor, Platypus, The CASTAC Blog

Research Interests

Biotech | Business Anthropology | Cyborg Anthropology | Design Anthropology | Digital Anthropology | Ethnography of science and technology | Genetics | Medical anthropology | posthumanism | Public health | Quantification | Science & Technology Studies | Science and technology | Software | Transhumanism |

About Matt

Matt Artz is an innovative anthropologist, designer, strategist, product manager, and entrepreneur, specializing in user experience, product development, and consumer insights. His groundbreaking design work has attracted attention from Apple's Planet of the Apps and the 2022 South by Southwest (SXSW) Pitch Competition and his visionary ideas have been showcased on TED, UNESCO, UserZoom, UX Planet, Towards Data Science, Product Coalition, and Zapier. As the Head of Product and User Experience at Cloudshadow, Matt drives the research and design of Artmatcher and Veritrove. Additionally, he is the founder of Anthro to UX and Azimuth Labs. Throughout his impressive career, Matt has directed new product development projects for Fortune 10 companies and venture-funded startups, and has filed two patents: US Patent App. 11/650,010 for a Rapid Gel Electrophoresis System and US Patent App. US17/401,166 for a Gamified Participatory Recommender System. Besides his significant industry accomplishments, Matt enriches the academic world as an adjunct marketing professor at Fordham University's Gabelli School of Business and as a guest lecturer at prestigious institutions like Columbia University, New York University, and Clemson University. Matt is a sought-after speaker and thought leader who engages international audiences through conferences and podcasts. He has delivered captivating presentations at SXSW, TEDx, and the Global Business Anthropology Summit, inspiring industry professionals across many disciplines. Through his internationally popular podcasts, Anthropology in Business and Anthro to UX, Matt demonstrates the transformative power of anthropology in deciphering consumer behavior, driving product innovation, and crafting sustainable business strategies. A champion of responsible design in emerging technologies, Matt is passionate about the ethical development of artificial intelligence and the use of knowledge graphs to improve automated decision-making. He is currently co-editing a volume on anthropology and emerging tech, scheduled for publication by Routledge in 2024. Matt holds an MS in Applied Anthropology from the University of North Texas (2018) and three degrees from Marywood University: an MBA in Finance and Management Information Systems (2008), a BS in Biotechnology (2008), and a BBA in Computer Information Systems (2006). Stay connected with Matt's latest work and insights by following him on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify, and Google Scholar, and discover how he can make a difference in your organization.

Contact

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Contributions to Platypus, The CASTAC Blog

View all of Matt's posts on Platypus, The CASTAC Blog.

Consumer Genetics and the Capitalization of Hope

In the twilight of the last millennium, an audacious scientific project was started by an international team of researchers. Their objective, like the countless scientists who came before them, was to advance humanity. But unlike all of the proceeding projects, this effort would map out what it meant to be human. The project, known as the human genome project (HGP), had the seemingly impossible goal of describing every gene within the Homo sapiens genome and mapping all 3 billion base pairs. If completed, the applications were said to be limitless. From social science research to medicine, the innovation gatekeepers of the world said that our lives would change for the better. But who has benefited from the HGP? Surely all of humanity, right? But at what point, and will it be equitable? These are questions I wrestle with, though I didn’t always. (more…) (read more...)