Jeffrey Schnapp holds the prestigious Pescosolido Chair at Harvard University where he is the director of metaLAB (at) Harvard, a global knowledge-design lab whose research unfolds at the crossroads between code and narrative, data and ethics, networks and archives, with centers also in Berlin and Basel.

After three years of service as co-founder and CEO of the Boston-based robotics firm Piaggio Fast Forward, Schnapp assumed the position of Chief Visionary Officer effective June 2018; a subsidiary of the Piaggio Group, known throughout the world for iconic vehicles like the Vespa and iconic brands like Aprilia and Moto Guzzi, Piaggio Fast Forward is recognized worldwide for its innovative cobotic transporters gita™ and kilo™.

Among Schnapp’s recent books are Modernitalia, The Library Beyond the Book, FuturPiaggio. Six Italian Lessons on Mobility and Modern Life, and, most recently, the prize-winning Storia rapida della velocità (Il Saggiatore, 2025) and Storia d’amore di alluminio e caffeine (Luiss University Press, 2026).

Fully fluent in four languages, Jeffrey Schnapp has spoken on some of the world’s most prestigious stages: the TED main stage in Vancouver, DLD, the United Nations, the World Frontiers Forum, the Global Leaders Forum, Volkswagenstiftung, SXSW, Festivalfilosofia, Lezioni di storia (Laterza), Festival Economia (Trento), TaoBuk, and Fondazione Corriere della Sera.

Native English speaker, he speaks Italian fluently