Based in New York and Beijing, Aric Chen is an independent journalist, critic, and curator. He is currently a contributing editor for I.D., Surface, Interior Design, Fast Company, and Metropolitan Home magazines and writes frequently for the New York Times, Metropolis, Art + Auction, and others.

Sarah Herda is the Executive Director of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts. Herda was the Director/Curator of the Storefront for Art and Architecture, a nonprofit exhibition space in New York City, from 1998–2006.

Arjo Klamer is Professor of the Economics of Art and Culture at Erasmus University in Rotterdam and holds the world's only chair in the field of cultural economics. He taught for many years at universities in the U.S., including Wellesley College and George Washington University.

Ellen Lupton is Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. She is the author of numerous books on design, including Design Your Life: The Pleasures and Perils of Everyday Things (with Julia Lupton, St. Martin's Press, 2009).