Nicole McDonald is an award-winning writer and director who dreams-up extraordinary ways to experience stories. Her focus is on ‘cracking the code’ – discovering unique, revolutionary ways to emotionally and viscerally connect audience – to story. Leveraging new and emerging technologies as her primary creative tools, she marries interactivity and audience participation into each of her creative narratives. Nicole has written and directed her own independent works (linear and interactive) that have had the honor to premiere at the 59th La Biennale di Venezia, Sundance Film Festival, Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes, Future of Storytelling and in 2019 was awarded an Artist in Residence at Disney’s StudioLAB. She has had the pleasure to speak about her passion at Google Sandbox, SXSW, Off Festival, Digital Design Days, and Engadget Alternate Realities.