Matt Checkowski is a catalyst for innovative ideas that elevate and expand our collective story.

He currently leads global multisensory brand strategy and innovation for Mastercard.

Matt’s pioneering work at the intersection of design, narrative, and technology has propelled audiences into the future, including Glyph, an A.I. artwork in the Dallas Museum of Art’s permanent collection, the media content for a sci-fi opera with M.I.T., and the iconic dream sequences in Spielberg’s Minority Report.

As founder and principal of the brand innovation agency, The Department of the 4th Dimension, he led category-defining partnerships across industries, reimagining perfume retail for Sephora, launching Monday Night Football for ESPN, and uncovering the University of California’s surprising impact on everyday life. Dedicated to the power of design and storytelling for driving positive change, the studio has guided science, education, and cultural initiatives for the Walker Art Center, Participant Media, and City of Los Angeles.

An accomplished filmmaker, Matt directed the feature film Lies & Alibis, starring Steve Coogan and Rebecca Romijn, and has interviewed luminaries from all walks of life, including visionary scientists, financial titans, Michelin-starred chefs, and world-champion baristas.

His work has been featured on Vice News Tonite, the NY Times, LA Times, Wired, Popular Science, and Refinery29, and recognized by the Webbys, One Show, D&AD, Core77 Design Awards, and the FiFis, the “Oscars” of the fragrance industry.

Matt serves on the board of Young Storytellers, an arts non-profit that has empowered young people to be the driving force in their own narratives for over twenty-five years.

A Massachusetts native and longtime Angeleno, he is also a proud distinguished alumnus of NC State University.