Eleni Oikonomaki holds a Ph.D. in Urban Planning and Innovation Geography, specializing in smart cities, innovation ecosystems, big data analytics, and artificial intelligence within urban environments. She graduated with distinction from UC Berkeley, California, holding a master’s degree in Urban Design, and from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, with a master’s in Architectural Engineering. As a visiting Ph.D. student at Northeastern University in Boston, Eleni conducted research on innovation ecosystems, machine learning, and data mining using urban informatics. She worked at the IT Center of AUTH for more than a year, contributing to the development of “myauth mobile”. Her professional background includes serving as a Teaching Assistant in the Design and Innovation for Sustainable Cities (DISC) 2019 program. Throughout her academic journey, she garnered recognition through awards and scholarships in both Greece and the United States, notably being named a World Changing Ideas Finalist by Fast Company magazine, and receiving grants from UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation. Additionally, the projects she participated in have earned acclaim from esteemed platforms and organizations such as the World Architecture Festival, Dezeen Awards, Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, ISOCARP World Planning Congress and World Architects Congress UIA.