Catherine Holloway

Speaker Bio

Professor Catherine Holloway is Professor of Interaction Design & Innovation at University College London (UCL) and Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), a Community Interest Company advancing disability innovation and inclusive technology worldwide.

At UCL, Cathy co-directs the WHO Collaborating Centre on Assistive Technology and leads the Centre for Digital Language Inclusion (CDLI), which is developing speech recognition technology across 13 African languages while supporting local entrepreneurs through hackathons and innovation programs. Her research spans assistive technology, inclusive AI, and community-driven innovation, with active projects across Kenya, Ghana, India, and Brazil. This work is now expanding globally.

Cathy's work bridges academic research with real-world impact, building evidence on innovation ecosystems and developing frameworks for responsible technology adoption. She is currently completing her book "Belonging by Design: A Synthesis for Human-Computer Interaction" (Nature Springer, 2026), which explores how technology can be designed and developed to foster genuine belonging and connection for all users.

Her research partnerships include the FCDO AT2030 Programme, Google.org, and the Asian Development Bank, focusing on making technology work for everyone, particularly marginalized communities often excluded from mainstream innovation.