Nila Rezaei

SOCIAL IMPACT JUROR

Nila Rezaei is an award-winning Iranian-Australian designer, educator, and advocate using design as a catalyst for social and environmental change. She is Co-Founder and Design Director of RK Collective, a Sydney-based studio working at the intersection of circular product design, material storytelling, and community co-creation, a practice rooted in cultural dialogue, collective care, and the belief that objects and materials are among the most powerful tools to help restore connection, dignity, and care, for people, communities, and the living world.

Nila’s career spans a decade of product design and innovation, leading projects across consumer products, mobility, public infrastructure, and material innovation for global brands and start-ups alike. Her multidisciplinary approach bridges commercial design with critical practice, creating outcomes that are both rigorously crafted and enduringly impactful.
Her work has earned recognition from prestigious awards and design festivals worldwide, and have been presented at leading cultural institutions across Australia, Asia, Europe, and Middle-East. She is a regular keynote speaker and panellist at design forums globally, and her work has been featured in many global publications.

Nila is deeply committed to sharing knowledge and mentoring emerging designers, creating platforms for dialogue, and advocating for equity in design leadership. She serves as Chair of the Design Institute of Australia’s NSW Council, is co-founder of IDX SYD (Industrial Design Xchange Sydney) community, and teaches at UNSW Art & Design, both in Bachelor and Master of Design courses.