Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman is a distinguished expert in design and technology, focusing on human interaction, wearable products, and smart textiles. As a pioneering researcher in design methodologies and smart materials, she is a Professor of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute. With over 25 years of corporate design experience, Rebeccah served as Design Director for renowned brands like Fila, Champion, and Nike, leveraging her diverse background in performance apparel, product design, and textiles.

An accomplished author, she wrote "Smart Textiles for Designers Inventing the Future of Fabrics" along with many published articles and academic papers. Rebeccah is also an international speaker on design, innovation, and the future. She founded Interwoven Design Group, known for its innovative and thoughtful products, and is a founding partner in SEArch+, applying design expertise to extraterrestrial environments.

Her contributions have earned her recognition, including being named one of IDSA's 20/20 for promoting diversity in design. Notably, Interwoven’s design work on the APEX exosuit received prestigious accolades like the SPARK Platinum Design Award and IDEA Gold Award in 2020. Recently, Interwoven won first place in CORE 77's lifestyle category for Even Adaptive lingerie.