Mr. Layes is the global director of entrepreneur impact at Autodesk, with worldwide responsibility for its Entrepreneur Impact Program. With the program, he helps entrepreneurs to solve social, climate, and sustainability challenges in Asia, Europe, North and South America. He is a frequent speaker at a wide range of global conferences, such as the UNEP Sustainable Innovation Forum at COP21, the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

Mr. Layes has been in Asia since 1997, living and working in Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. He has an MBA from Northwestern University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), as well as a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the Art Center College of Design, Los Angeles.