Eames Institute Announces Girls Write Now Founder & Executive Director Maya Nussbaum a 2026 Honoree of the Curious 100.
The Eames Institute’s Curious 100 is a celebration of one hundred courageous leaders and creative minds across the US who are harnessing the transformative power of curiosity to address today’s most pressing problems and shape the cultural conversations that define our moment.
March 17, 2026 – San Francisco Bay Area, CA
Girls Write Now is proud to count Founder & Executive Director Maya Nussbaum among the 2026 Curious 100 Honorees presented by The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, which is dedicated to advancing the legacy of Ray and Charles Eames and inspiring creative problem-solving that positively shapes our world.
The Curious 100 is a celebration of one hundred brilliant minds embodying the transformative power of curiosity, building on the foundation laid by design icons Ray and Charles Eames whose insatiable curiosity and interdisciplinary approach to design and problems in the world continue to inspire innovation and creative problem-solving.
Curiosity is not merely an intellectual pursuit—as co-curator and author Scott Shigeoka writes in his book Seek—it’s a powerful tool for human connection and social change. The Curious 100 is a testament to the boundless potential of curiosity to shape a brighter, more creative, and more hopeful future—at a time when we need that vision more than ever.
The 2026 honorees represent a vibrant cross-section of the nation’s ingenuity, categorized through ten distinct archetypes: Builders, Caretakers, Connectors, Creators, Curators, Explorers, Makers, Protectors, Reformers, and Storytellers. While their individual fields of expertise vary greatly—spanning arts, design, technology, community-building, social impact, food and more—all honorees are united by a belief in curiosity to understand and address societal challenges.
The 2026 list was selected by a curatorial panel of four leaders, including: Scott Shigeoka, author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World; Mitzi Okou, co-founder of Where Are the Black Designers?; as well as Eames Institute co-founders Llisa Demetrios, The Lucia Eames Chief Curator, and John Cary, President & CEO.
“My grandparents had a way of looking at the world that turned every challenge into an opportunity for discovery,” said Demetrios. “The 2026 Curious 100 honorees are the embodiment of this philosophy, proving that relentless curiosity can have tangible, world-changing impact.”
“The Curious 100 serves as a bridge between the Eames’ timeless principles and the urgent challenges of today,” said Cary. “The list does more than celebrate achievement; it highlights the kind of brave, boundless leadership required to build a more equitable, just, and beautiful world.”