SEGD CEO Cybelle Jones Named to the 2026 Eames Curious 100

March 25, 2026

Kristin Bennani

We are so thrilled to announce SEGD CEO Cybelle Jones has been named one of the 2026 Curious 100 Honorees by the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, recognized in the Explorers category for her leadership and commitment to curiosity-driven design.

Now in its second year, the Curious 100 celebrates a curated group of one hundred leaders whose work embodies the transformative power of curiosity and creative problem-solving. The initiative builds on the legacy of design pioneers Ray Eames and Charles Eames, whose interdisciplinary practice demonstrated how curiosity can lead to innovation across design, culture, and society.

The 2026 honorees represent a wide cross-section of disciplines—including arts, design, technology, community-building, and social impact—and are grouped into ten archetypes: Builders, Caretakers, Connectors, Creators, Curators, Explorers, Makers, Protectors, Reformers, and Storytellers. While their work spans many fields, each honoree shares a belief that curiosity is a powerful force for understanding and addressing complex societal challenges.

Several members of the broader SEGD community and design network also appear on this year’s list, including artist and past SEGD Conference speaker Lisa Congdon, designer and educator Norman Teague, who spoke at 2025 Xlab Offsite Chicago, and designer Maurice Woods, a panelist at the 2025 SEGD Conference Experience San Francisco.

Cybelle also joins fellow design leader Cheryl Durst, a fellow design CEO and member of the D7 Summit of Design CEOs, a collaborative group of leaders representing major design organizations.

In the inaugural 2025 Curious 100, SEGD Board Member Nu Goteh and Xlab Chicago Chair Monica Chadha were also honored.

The list was selected by a curatorial panel including author Scott Shigeoka, Mitzi Okou, and Eames Institute leaders Llisa Demetrios and John Cary.

“My grandparents had a way of looking at the world that turned every challenge into an opportunity for discovery,” said Demetrios.

The Curious 100 is part of the Eames Institute’s broader mission to advance the legacy of the Eameses and inspire creative problem-solving that positively shapes the world.