EDEN ELAM
She is the founder of Theory and Stone, a creative consultancy that helps founders, visionaries, and artists translate abstract ideas into clear, actionable strategies.
Eden holds an MFA from Parsons School of Design, where she authored an award-winning thesis (Spark Award, 2025) on redesigning the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to promote clarity and ease for high school students. She earned her undergraduate degree from Bucknell University as a Posse Scholar and was named Student of the Year in 2020.
An ethnographer at heart, Eden has embraced every opportunity to witness firsthand how people across cultures design their lives. Informed by experiences in Washington, D.C., New York, Havana, London, and Cape Town, she weaves expansive perspectives into strategies spanning film, design, social impact, technology, and the arts. Her work has supported organizations including IFC Films, Atlantic Media, the NAACP, Human Ventures, the UNHCR, and the Museum of the Moving Image.
Grounded in systems-thinking, Eden uses design to reveal what’s invisible, challenge what’s dysfunctional, and build what’s impactful.
She currently serves on the Board of Directors of AIGA DC and on the Alumni Council of The New School University.