Quirky and conversational, Owen Foster's journey started as a farm boy in the cotton fields of Alabama, where he began dreaming of how to help the world around him become a better place. Those dreams and life lessons instilled in him on the farm still fuel that passion even today. Owen is a storyteller and shows others that the most powerful way of connecting to people is by relating to them. He believes that every experience is an opportunity to learn something new and that the measure of success is about applying yourself to everything you do.

Owen's background is diverse with experience in architecture, landscape, environmental, and industrial design. He has worked on an extensive array of projects ranging from small consumer products to complete green environments for several municipalities around the world to speaking at global summits.

Though successful in those endeavors, becoming an educator and mentor is his calling. His passion for teaching led him to professorships at Auburn University and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in the field of industrial design. Recently he held the positions of Industrial Design Group Department chair (industrial design, design management, service design, design for sustainability, the business of design, interaction design, and marine design) and professor at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Now, as the Director of Innovation in the Honors College at UT Chattanooga, Owen’s goal is to energize students by helping them see the endless possibilities of the creative mindset.

In his most recent venture, Owen is a co-founder, director, and overall ‘Troublemaker’ of Aether Global Learning and SHiFT Design Camp. With an amazing team, he looks to create freethinking empathetic practitioners who will passionately lead their local and global communities through logical discourse, impeccable craft, and sound strategic direction. Owen wants to provide a world-class educational experience through platforms for discovery, creation, and reflection for the global community of makers, thinkers, changers, givers, and leaders.

“Imagine a world in which an entire generation feels prepared and empowered to take on any challenge. Let's teach one another, learn from one another, and come together to create something amazing.”