Background

In the 1980s as computers began to appear in everyday devices, I believed the merger of TV with the computer would bring a profound  transformation in technology. Interactive and personalized forms of Media could do more than entertain; they would  transform the way we think, learn and connect. That curiosity led me to Harvard, where I earned my doctorate studying how video-games reshape cognition, and then to the MIT Media Lab, where I helped launch the Audience Research Facility. There, I  explored the future of interactive news, shopping, and entertainment.

My final study at MIT asked a provocative question: What happens when every person has their own personalized version of the news, rather than receiving a shared narrative through linear mass media like newspapers and cable TV? That research allowed me to predict the rise of information silos—though I could never have foreseen the full impact that psychographic targeting and misinformation campaigns would later have on our culture and mental health. Today, I see those consequences more clearly than ever and remain committed to seeking solutions.

Entrepreneurship became my next classroom. My first startup was a dance-based arcade game using a custom dance-pad interface (nearly 20 years before Dance Dance Revolution hit arcades). That project taught me the value of patents and timing  and sparked a career co-founding companies that pushed the boundaries of personalized television, broadband datacasting, and peer-to-peer video—well before “streaming” became something your kids did instead of doing their homework. Alongside brilliant engineers, I learned how research becomes a product, how vision attracts capital, and how user empathy turns technology into everyday magic.

After settling in Atherton to raise my family, I discovered a new calling: public service. Wildfires, pandemics, and polarized discourse reminded me that technology alone can’t solve society’s toughest problems—we need collaborative, fact-driven leadership. Serving on the Environmental Programs Committee, then on City Council, and eventually as Mayor, I’ve worked to marry innovation with good governance, expanding emergency-preparedness programs, advancing climate-action goals, and inviting more voices into local decision-making.

Whether I’m prototyping a cognitive-style-driven interface, mentoring a startup founder, or drafting policy to keep my community safe, my purpose remains the same: bring people together to design a smarter, kinder, more resilient future

Research Roots
After earning an Ed.D. in Human Development & Interactive Technology at Harvard, Dr. Diana Hawkins Manuelian joined the MIT Media Lab as a post-doctoral researcher and lecturer. There she co-founded the Audience Research Facility and explored early HDTV, electronic publishing, and cognitively adaptive interfaces.

‍Industry Innovation
Diana then stepped into the vanguard of interactive television. She designed and produced ACTV’s first real-time NFL and MLB broadcasts and created an interactive Music video with Peter Gabrel that won an award in the New York film festival. She drafted Viacom’s interactive-division blueprint, and helped write the business plan for 3DO’s multimedia-game platform. Over the next decade she co-founded or advised startups such as Dotcast, TVU Networks, Sezmi, and Twirl TV—ventures that laid groundwork for personalized streaming and social-viewing services. Her user-centric design expertise also made her a sought-after expert witness in landmark IP cases.

‍Board & Civic Leadership
Today, Diana blends tech governance with public service. She serves on boards spanning AI, conservation, and emergency preparedness. As former Atherton City Council member and Mayor, she applies data-driven thinking to climate resilience, community safety, and responsible technology policy—ensuring innovation advances the common good.