Ana Mestre was born in Lisbon, in 1978. She graduated from Industrial Design in 2001, obtained a MSc degree in Renewable Technologies in 2005 and concluded a PhD on the subject of “Sustainable Product Innovation” in 2014. Ana started her career as one of the first eco-design researchers in Portugal. In 2004, Ana founded SUSDESIGN – Design for Sustainability Studio and Research dedicated to sustainable innovation. In 2006, she created and directed “Design Cork for Future, Innovation, and Sustainability” the first internationally applied design research initiative for cork innovation. In 2009, she created the CORQUE DESIGN studio brand. Ana has a portfolio of more than 50 exhibitions, in several World destinations, in Europe, America and Asia. She has been acclaimed and awarded by internationally recognised publications, such as the New York Times, Wired, Monocle Magazine amongst others, on her design work. In 2015, she was nominated as a Portuguese Design Award finalist.