Joanna Montgomery focuses on how technology behaves when humans don’t.
She is an interaction designer and entrepreneur, best known as the creator of Pillow Talk - an award-winning connected product designed to support human connection during emotionally difficult moments.
With a background in human–computer interaction and more than a decade building connected products, Joanna focuses on how technology performs under real conditions: when people are tired, emotional, distracted, or under pressure. Her work pushes back against the idea that the best systems are always the fastest or most frictionless, and instead asks what it means to design for love, care, and real human coping.
Today, Joanna works as a speaker and advisor to founders and leadership teams, bringing practical experience across product direction, engineering and manufacturing decisions, product launch, and the commercial realities of physical and IoT products. She also teaches on an MBA program and mentors early-stage founders.
Recognition
Joanna has won many awards for entrepreneurship and innovation, including being named as Influential Female Founder in 2020 by Startups Magazine for her work’s impact during the pandemic.
Her work is published in multiple academic books and is exhibited in museums around the world, including The Museum of Communication and the Dublin Science Museum.
OUTSIDE OF WORK
Outside of technology, Joanna spends as much time as possible outdoors. She is a former competitive weightlifter, a keen endurance sport enthusiast, and is happiest hiking, cycling, wild swimming, or horse riding.
