At the age of 20, I left my village in the mining basin of northern France. I lived and worked for long periods in Paris, Phnom Penh, Mexico City, and London. I unlearned and confronted other ways of living, collaborating, storytelling, and creating.
Since then, I have spent my time immersed in stories of all kinds. I am privileged to hear a wide variety of stories that reflect a broad spectrum of human values. I am driven by the need to learn, build, and amplify stories that inspire us to care more about ourselves, others, and the planet.
I treat digital media as pharmaka1, neither simple tools nor enemies, but materials to be manipulated, questioned, and reoriented in the service of storytelling. Technology that enriches our presence in the world, rather than eroding it.
Pharmaka — an ancient Greek term (φάρμακον) referring to a substance that can heal or poison depending on how it is used. Philosopher Bernard Stiegler applies this concept to digital technologies: neither good nor bad in themselves, but dependent on how they are used.
Stories—
in the details and the distance,
in ink and pixels,
in memory and possibility.
I capture them, build them, transmit them.
Frame, code, architecture.
Movement, narrative, resonance.
At the intersection of audiovisual storytelling and web technologies.
A few projects that embody this approach, where storytelling, technology, and impact come together.
Bibliothèque nationale de France
For the Bibliothèque nationale de France, I piloted the production of an application where children create their own stories through comics. Selected by UNESCO as part of the global coalition for education. #1 in the Education category on the App Store.
Learning Planet Institut & UNESCO
Lead Product Manager for the entire project. Event platform for the Learning Planet Institute and UNESCO bringing together educators, researchers, and global change-makers.
With Rithy Panh (Bophana)
Project developed after two years of work in Cambodia with filmmaker Rithy Panh (Oscar nominee). A participatory documentary giving a voice to people living below the poverty line. Presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
See the project →The diagnosis comes before the title. What matters: understanding what the project demands, then building the role around those needs.
I structure the digital vision, lead teams, align tools with strategy. The scope covers what a CDO, an innovation director, a Chief Innovation Officer, or a CCO does.
I build: platforms, interactive documentaries, prototypes, AI workflows. I also build the narrative backbone: the story the project tells, and how it tells it.
I teach. Students, organisations in transition, AI squads just getting started. I open the black boxes, give methods and tools built to last. Practice with perspective.
What matters: the nature of the project and the alignment of values.
LinkedIn recommendations
"In two years, he turned my vision into a concrete project: One Dollar, a documentary web series presented at the Cannes Film Festival. Design, produce, train, unite, and distribute. He is a long-term builder."
"With over 500,000 downloads and one million stories created, the BDnF application was a real success. Damien established important partnerships, such as the one with UNESCO."
"The result: a website 40% faster, better ranked, and an audience now balanced between France and international. He also negotiated free hosting for our association, eliminating a recurring expense."
"A professional as rigorous as he is creative, attentive to client needs and the evolution of practices and technologies. He masterfully led the BDnF project. A driving force and a unifier."
Let's talk about it over a coffee (virtual or real).