
Into the Metaverse
By Yonatan Raz-Fridman
Intro music provided by Jeremy Marsan jeremymarsan.com/

Into the MetaverseDec 22, 2022

EP.66: Into the Metaverse with Dan Sturman - CTO, Roblox
This week Yon welcomes Dan Sturman into the metaverse. Dan is a world class technologist, having spent time leading software and engineering teams and departments at IBM, Google, and Cloudera, before taking on his current role as CTO of Roblox nearly four years ago.
Coming off of all of the news and announcements made at last weekend’s Roblox Developers Conference 2023 (RDC23) it’s an incredible time to get to chat with Dan about all things Roblox and metaverse.
During their conversation Yon and Dan discuss the importance of Roblox remaining a turnkey platform, how to enable efficiency in the creator marketplace, the new Roblox Connect feature and what that experience will be like, evolving a platform to match a maturing audience, getting to one billion daily active users, and much more.
Chapters:
Defining the Metaverse (01:15)
What Attracted Dan to the Challenge of Building Roblox (04:32)
Differentiating Roblox as a Turnkey Platform (08:15)
Creation and the Building of Business On Top of Roblox (13:12)
Enabling Efficiency in the Creator Marketplace (19:10)
The Importance of Communication and Roblox Connect (22:28)
Expansion onto MetaQuest and Playstation (30:10)
Evolving the Games and Experiences for a Maturing Audience (33:28)
What Needs to be True for Roblox to Get to a Billion DAU (37:35)
Supporting Different Needs for Different Creator Types to Monetize (42:08)
Blockchain and the Future of Interoperability (45:54)
What is Dan Most Excited About for Next Twelve Months (48:22)
To learn more about the Roblox platform, visit their website.
Follow Roblox: YouTube | Instagram | Twitter
Follow Dan: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.65: Into the Metaverse with Sam Peurifoy - Partner & Head of Interactive, Hivemind
This week Yon welcomes Sam Peurifoy into the metaverse. Sam brings a wealth of knowledge and an investment lens to the podcast, as he is a partner and the head of interactive at Hivemind Capital, a Web3 and blockchain technology focused investment firm.
During their conversation Yon and Sam discuss if the fictionalized nightmare of corporate overlords running the metaverse is realistic, talk about what actually took place during the first wave of Web3, break down how open source software can work inside of a corporate model, and much more.
Chapters:
Defining the Metaverse (01:00)
Avoiding the Corporate Overlord Scenarios of Fiction (03:10)
Relationship Between Simplified Use and Platform Control (07:55)
What Really Happened in the First Wave of Web3 (10:50)
How Open Source Software Inside of a Corporate Model Can Work (16:25)
How Does Hivemind Approach the Web3 Investment Landscape (19:15)
Sector Sam is Most Excited About in the Next Year (23:00)
Learn more about Hivemind by visiting their website.
Get in touch with Sam via his website.
Follow Sam: LinkedIn | Twitter | Medium
Watch Sam’s podcast, Web3 Wednesdays, on YouTube.
You can also check out Yon’s interview on Web3 Wednesday’s with Sam by visiting here.
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.64: Into the Metaverse with Tian Lim - VP Product, Roblox
This week Yon welcomes Tian Lim into the metaverse. Tian currently serves as the VP of Product at Roblox, with a specific focus on creators. Prior to Roblox, Tian’s career path featured high level roles at companies like Google, Hulu, Sony, Microsoft, and more, giving him a deep knowledge of where the world of gaming and virtual communities has been, where it stands today, and where it may be headed in the future.
During their conversation Yon and Tian discuss the democratization of creation tools, why creators will drive the future of Roblox, how to remain an egalitarian platform at scale, opportunities for brands within the Roblox ecosystem, and much more.
Chapters:
Defining the Metaverse (01:10)
The Potential in Roblox that Attracted Tian to Work There (02:50)
Democratizing the Tools of Creation (07:30)
Evolution of Creator Enablement (11:55)
Power of Creation and the Ability to Earn on Roblox (15:20)
Remaining an Egalitarian Platform at Scale (20:50)
Visibility and Transparency Into Roblox’s Tech Roadmap (23:26)
Opportunities for Brands and Their Place in the Roblox Ecosystem (25:47)
Role of AI, Interoperability, and Blockchain (31:25)
Ecosystem vs Platform and Building for the Future (37:53)
To learn more about the Roblox platform, visit their website.
Follow Roblox: YouTube | Instagram | Twitter
Follow Tian: LinkedIn
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.63: Into the Metaverse with John Linden - CEO, Mythical Games
This week Yon welcomes John Linden into the metaverse. Currently the CEO of Mythical Games, John has formerly been President at Seismic Games overseeing such games as Marvel’s Strike Force, and Studio Head at Activision overseeing multiple iterations of the Call of Duty franchise. With this extensive background in the gaming world, John is one of the best people to speak with about what has and has not worked in this industry and where things may be headed.
During their conversation Yon and John discuss the role of blockchain in enabling a true user owned internet, how to bring interoperability into gaming and the metaverse, empowering players to create their own content, the financial aspects of the industry past and present, the futures of Mythical Games’ different gaming properties, and much more.
Chapters:
How Does John Define the Metaverse (01:15)
Role of Blockchain Enabling a True User Owned Internet (04:25)
How Interoperability Can Work (06:45)
Building the Next Generation of Gaming (12:50)
Empowering the Player to Create Content (19:25)
Monetization and Building a Digital Supply Chain (22:45)
Mythos Foundation and Building a Marketplace Currency (29:50)
The Financialization of Web3 (35:40)
What’s Next for Blankos, NFL Rivals, and Nitro Nation (42:45)
Potential Order of Magnitude Progress in the Next Year (47:54)
To view all Mythical Games has to offer, visit their website.
Learn more about the Mythos Foundation and token by visiting their website.
Follow John: LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.62: Into the Metaverse with Aiden Slavin - Metaverse Governance Lead, World Economic Forum
In this episode Yon welcomes Aiden Slavin into the metaverse. Aiden leads the Metaverse Governance team at the World Economic Forum, where he and all of the metaverse related teams at WEF have been hard at work researching and writing a five part series of reports on building a responsible metaverse that have just begun to be released.
During their conversation Yon and Aiden delve into data privacy in the metaverse, the need for metaverse literacy, how different generations will adopt and interact with the metaverse, the role AI will play in the expansion of the metaverse, and much more.
Chapters:
- What is the Metaverse to Aiden (01:10)
- Data Privacy in the Metaverse (03:05)
- Privacy and Safety by Design (07:25)
- The Need for Metaverse Literacy (08:50)
- Adoption and Use by Different Generations of Users (13:08)
- Role AI Will Play in Expansion and Popularization of the Metaverse (16:50)
- Relationship Between Thought Leaders, Regulators, Business Leaders (21:30)
- Translating “Don’t Be Evil” Into Software Development Principle (23:25)
- One Thing Aiden is Most Excited for in Next 12 Months (25:40)
To learn more about the World Economic Forum’s Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative, visit here.
To read the Social Implications of the Metaverse report from the Value Creation track, visit here.
To read the Metaverse Privacy and Safety report from the Governance track, visit here.
Follow Aiden: LinkedIn
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.61: Into the Metaverse with Connie Kuang - Metaverse & Generative AI Value Creation Lead, World Economic Forum
In this episode Yon welcomes Connie Kuang into the metaverse. Connie leads the Metaverse & Generative AI Value Creation team at the World Economic Forum, where she and her team have been hard at work researching and writing a five part series of reports on building a responsible metaverse that have just begun to be released.
During their conversation Yon and Connie discuss what value creation in the metaverse looks like, key challenges in bridging technological gaps, why access to new technologies is paramount, aspects of the World Economic Forum’s upcoming metaverse reports, and much more.
Chapters:
- Introducing Connie (00:20)
- What is the Metaverse (01:15)
- Value Creation in the Metaverse (04:00)
- Key Challenges in Bridging the Technological Gap (06:30)
- Moderating Involvement in the Evolution of the Metaverse (11:40)
- Need for Access and Its Relation to Adoption (17:15)
- Five Dimensions Outlined in Upcoming WEF Metaverse Report (21:20)
- One Key Insight from the Report that has Connie Excited (24:40)
- Being an Extension of the Human Experience Not a Replacement (28:15)
To learn more about the World Economic Forum’s Defining and Building the Metaverse Initiative, visit here.
To read the Social Implications of the Metaverse report from the Value Creation track, visit here.
To read the Metaverse Privacy and Safety report from the Governance track, visit here.
Follow Connie: LinkedIn
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.60: Into the Metaverse with Darran Garnham - Founder & CEO, Toikido
The last few weeks have been incredibly exciting as Yon and the Supersocial team saw the launch of Piñata Smashlings, their collaboration effort with toy company Toikido to build a new brand that combines a gaming experience and community with the physical world of toys, trading cards, and more.
With this launch happening, it felt like the perfect time for Yon to welcome Darran Garnham, Founder and CEO of Toikido, into the metaverse.
During their conversation Yon and Darran first discuss the overall power of the metaverse in helping you find your people, how industries that serve kids need to adapt to new technologies, and the fundamentals that make Roblox so unique and relevant, before diving into what Piñata Smashlings and the Piñataverse are, how it came about, the depth of story they hope to provide, and much more about this exciting new world.
Chapters:
- The Power of the Metaverse to Help You Find Your People (01:10)
- Bringing Toys and Characters to the Intersection of Digital and Physical (04:40)
- How Industries that Serve Kids Need to Adapt (08:00)
- Fundamentals that Make Roblox so Relevant and Unique (12:55)
- The Piñata Smashlings Universe and the Depth of Story It Provides (21:30)
- The Launch of Piñata Smashlings and Attempting to Build Generational Relevance (29:15)
Learn more about Piñata Smashlings by visiting here.
Learn more about Toikido by visiting their website.
Follow Toikido: LinkedIn | Instagram
Follow Darran: LinkedIn
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.59: Into the Metaverse with Itamar Benedy - CoFounder and CEO, Anzu
This week Yon welcomes Itamar Benedy into the metaverse. Itamar is the co-founder and CEO of Anzu, the world’s most advanced intrinsic in-game ad solution for mobile, PC, console, and the metaverse.
Anzu’s goal is to put players first and help advertisers reach audiences in a non-disruptive and highly engaging way. As Itamar states, “the metaverse is the digital twin of the physical world,” and he and his company are on the forefront of bringing an ad and marketing experience to the metaverse that matches its physical world counterparts.
During their conversation, Yon and Itamar discuss how to build a positive ad experience within the metaverse, the opportunities the new scale of gaming brings, how advertising can operate and scale differently in an open platform vs a closed platform, and much more.
Chapters:
Defining the Metaverse and How New Technologies Will Shape It (01:32)
Building a Positive Ad Experience Within the Metaverse (04:05)
New Scale Post-Pandemic Brings New Opportunities in Gaming (10:15)
What Marketers and Brands Think About the Metaverse and Gaming (14:45)
The Line Between an Ad and a Branded Video Game (19:15)
How Advertising Can Scale in Open vs Closed Platform Virtual Environments (23:00)
Why the Next Twelve Months May Be the Tipping Point (28:20)
Learn more about Anzu by visiting their website.
Follow Anzu: LinkedIn | YouTube | Discord | Twitter
Follow Itamar: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.58: Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse #5
Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.
In this episode, Yon & Priya react to the latest hyperbolic article claiming the metaverse is dead, discuss the opportunity Roblox affords its young developers, reflect on the Niantic layoffs, and much more.
Chapters:
Reacting to The Nation article, Lessons from the Catastrophic Failure of the Metaverse (01:20)
The First Generation Leaving a 3D Record of Themselves (05:35)
Opportunity Roblox Affords to Young Developers (08:00)
Niantic Layoffs and Why They Can’t Repeat the Pokemon Go Success (11:25)
Apple Scales Back Units and Ship Date for Vision Pro (14:45)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.
Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.
Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

EP.57: Into the Metaverse with Jonathan Pan - Head of Product, Store No. 8
This week Yon welcomes Jonathan Pan into the metaverse. Jonathan is the Head of Product at Store No. 8, the incubation arm of Walmart. Between his current role and his prior stops at companies such as Riot Games, Amazon, and Meta, Jonathan has built a long track record of working in and on emerging technologies where he can let his passion for building content and teams thrive.
During their conversation Yon and Jonathan discuss how emerging technologies will both contribute to and complement the metaverse, break down key insights from Jonathan’s article on the practical metaverse, lay out the advantages Roblox’s dedicated developer community affords them, and much more.
Chapters:
Introducing Jonathan Pan (00:25)
How Jon Defines the Metaverse (01:25)
How Do Emerging Technologies (AI, Blockchain, Etc) Contribute to and Complement the Metaverse (04:30)
Key Insights from Jonathan’s Article on the Practical Metaverse (08:30)
First Time Realizing the Potential of Roblox and Minecraft as Platforms (12:30)
What Will Still Be True About Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft Three to Five Years From Now (17:45)
The Advantage of Roblox’s Dedicated Developer Community (22:40)
One Thing Jonathan is Most Excited For in Next Five Years (29:30)
Learn more about Jonathan and Store No. 8 by visiting their website.
To read Jonathan’s article The Practical Metaverse visit here.
Follow Jonathan: LinkedIn | Medium
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.56: Into the Metaverse with Matthew Kanterman - Director of Research, Roundhill Investments
This week Yon welcomes back to the show former co-host Matthew Kanterman to catch up on everything that is going on within the metaverse today and what has transpired over the past couple of years since they originally launched the podcast.
Long-time listeners will quickly recognize Matthew as he was here at the inception of the Into the Metaverse Podcast back in 2021 as co-host for the first iteration of the show. Matthew currently serves as the Director of Research for Roundhill Investments where he has continued to expand his knowledge and thoughts around the metaverse, AI, and all emerging technologies.
During their conversation Yon and Matthew compare and contrast Apple and Meta’s approaches to the metaverse, discuss how blockchain technology can be more relevant to common consumers, highlight key events in the industry between when they first started the podcast to now, dissect the role Nvidia and generative AI will play in the metaverse, and much more.
Chapters:
Re-Introducing Matthew and Roundhill Investments (00:25)
Defining the Metaverse Today and In the Future (01:25)
Differing Approaches in Device, Terminology, and Developer Relations Between Apple and Meta (05:45)
How Blockchain Can Be Relevant to Common Consumers (17:00)
Key Events and Indicators That Show Where Metaverse is Headed (22:40)
Nvidia and the Role of Generative AI (27:05)
One Key Takeaway from the Episode (34:00)
Learn more about Matthew and Roundhill Investments by visiting their website.
Follow Matthew: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.55: Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse #4
Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this week’s edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.
In this episode, Yon & Priya go in depth on Mark Zuckerberg’s response to the Apple Vision Pro launch, open source vs closed source approaches to building ecosystems, LVMH and Epic Games partnership announcement, and much more.
Chapters:
Zuckerberg’s Response to the Apple Vision Pro Launch (00:35)
Meta’s Open Source Approach vs Apple’s Closed Source Approach (03:05)
New Partnership Between LVMH and Epic Games (06:15)
Improbable Raises $150m to Establish M² Metaverse Network (09:15)
The Metaverse is in its Infancy (14:50)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.
Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.
Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

EP.54: Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse #3
Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.
In this episode, Yon & Priya go in depth on the release of Apple’s Vision Pro device, discussing its potential use cases, why Apple is smart to focus on entertainment elements first, the reasons behind calling it a spatial computer instead of a virtual reality device, and much more.
Chapters:
Apple Launch Takes Over The News (00:30)
Use Cases for the Apple Vision Pro (02:25)
Entertainment and Work Elements Smart Strategy for Apple (06:00)
Gaming Partnerships and What They Mean (09:40)
Apple’s Specific Use of Spatial Computer, Not Virtual Reality Product (11:55)
The Future of Spatial Computing (14:40)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.
Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.
Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

EP.53: Into the Metaverse with Cathie Wood - Founder & CEO, ARK Invest
I had the absolute pleasure of being joined today by Cathie Wood, the founder, CEO, and CIO of ARK Invest.
Cathie built a decades-long track record of success in the investment world by using thematic strategies focused on innovation before rising to national prominence when she founded her own firm in 2014, ARK Invest, where she and her team focus solely on investing in disruptive innovation while adding new dimensions to research. Through an open research approach, Cathie believes ARK can identify large-scale investment opportunities resulting from technological innovations.
During our conversation Cathie and I cover in detail the convergence of new technologies and the power and opportunity that convergence provides, how and why kids are the “R&D department” of humanity, digital leisure, the blurring of our physical and digital worlds, where the virtual economy is poised to go, and much more.
Chapters:
Introducing Cathie Wood (00:00)
Apple Launches Mixed Reality Headset (02:50)
What is the Metaverse and What Could it Become (07:20)
What it Means When These Technologies Converge (10:34)
New Educational Paths / Kids are the New R&D Department (18:14)
Technology Creates Brand Synergies Across Generations (25:20)
Digital Leisure and Blurring the Lines of Physical and Digital (33:39)
Size and Evolution of the Virtual Economy (42:31)
Learn more about ARK Invest by visiting their website.
To read ARK’s 2023 Big Ideas report visit here.
Follow ARK: Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube
Follow Cathie: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.52: Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse #2
Yon is once again joined by Priya David Clemens to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse in this edition of Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse.
In this episode, Yon & Priya cover the decimation of Metaverse real estate values, the emerging job market in virtual design, why we all need to calm down about AI replacing humans, and much more.
Chapters:
Episode Intro (00:00)
Metaverse Real Estate Values Plummet (00:45)
Different Motivations Bring Different Consumers (04:00)
Emerging Job Market in Virtual Design (07:00)
The Technological Revolution and Why We Should All Calm Down (10:52)
NVIDIA’s Big Bet on AI Paying Dividends (17:05)
Looking Towards the Week Ahead (20:50)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.
Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.
Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

EP.51: Yon & Priya Talk All Things Metaverse #1
It’s a very exciting day for Into the Metaverse as Yon is joined by Priya David Clemens to launch a brand new segment of the show called This Week in the Metaverse.
Priya is the host of the Emmy-award winning news discussion program, KQED Newsroom, and a longtime network news anchor and reporter who has most recently begun to focus her journalistic eye on emerging technology.
Every week she will be joining Yon to discuss the most important and interesting news stories related to the Metaverse, with the goal as always of helping you better understand what the Metaverse is, how it will impact your life, and what opportunities it may unlock.
In this inaugural episode of This Week in the Metaverse, Yon & Priya cover the imminent release of Apple’s new VR goggles, whether we should be calling the Metaverse by a different name, confront the narrative that the Metaverse is dead, and much more.
Chapters:
Introducing New Weekly Show with Priya (00:00)
Apple’s New VR Goggles Set for Release (05:00)
Is Apple Bringing Any New Experiences to the Space (10:40)
Why VR and the Metaverse are Different Things (15:40)
Should We Be Calling the Metaverse Something Else (19:45)
Confronting the Narrative that the Metaverse is Dead (23:11)
Technology Developments in China (26:25)
Final Thoughts for the Week (31:05)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.
Learn more about Priya David Clemens by visiting her website.

EP.50: Into the Metaverse with Justin Hochberg - CEO, Virtual Brand Group
Joining me today as we celebrate our 50th episode of Into the Metaverse is Justin Hochberg, founder and CEO of Virtual Brand Group.
Justin is a metaverse brand builder focused on IP and fashion. He has had a multi-national career as a senior executive in technology and entertainment companies, with a proven track record in creating and leveraging content, IP, brands, and industry insights into new revenue streams through emerging technologies and partnerships.
We cover in detail what are the right objectives that brands should pursue when entering next generation social platforms, connecting virtual identity to real life identity, the value of building a persistent presence, the future of decentralized platforms, the need for consumer friendliness to gain mass adoption, and much more.
Learn more about Virtual Brand Group by visiting their website.
Follow Justin on LinkedIn.
Topics Covered:
Introducing Justin (00:00)
Defining the metaverse (01:45)
Role of 3D avatars in virtual worlds (03:30)
Connecting virtual identity to real life identity (06:05)
Brand objectives within next gen platforms (10:43)
Best path to a persistent presence for a brand (17:20)
Value of and potential adoption of decentralized platforms (22:55)
The need for consumer friendliness and platform interoperability (36:57)
The metaverse is the future (39:15)
Learn more about Into the Metaverse and Yon by visiting the website.
Follow Yon: LinkedIn | Twitter
Learn more about Supersocial by visiting the website.

EP.49: Into The Metaverse with Timoni West - VP & GM, Digital Twins at Unity
Joining me on this episode is Timoni West, VP & GM of Digital Twins at Unity, in what is likely one of the most fascinating conversations I had on the podcast.
Timoni is responsible for Unity’s cloud apps and services in industrial, automotive, commercial, and business markets, delivering value for customers moving into real time, simulation, reconstruction, and rendering. She runs a P&L with a team of 230+ people. Prior to this role, she was vice president of emerging tools and augmented and virtual reality, among other roles.
Timoni and I had a wide ranging conversation about virtual worlds, digital twins, ambient computing, artificial intelligence, predictive manufacturing, the future of industry, and why we’re only at the very beginning of a computing era that is smarter and more capable than we imagine.
On the metaverse:
"what we're really seeing here is that we're able to ingest massive amounts of data, often real time data, and then be able to record it, visualize it, or use it to power another device. And I think this has all kind of gotten swept up into what we're calling the metaverse today, but the old school, 1970s term was contextual computing where computers are able to take in contextual information from the world around them and able to do something cool.
On digital twins:
“with the Tyndall Air Force base, the large part of what they used our technology to do was to figure out how to make sure it did not get, Knocked down by a hurricane again because it was knocked down by a hurricane once. And hurricanes are also dangerous. So being able to not only take in the real-time information on the building site as they were building it out, but also be able to use historical data to figure out how to build the right thing in the future is I think a pretty great example of a digital twin.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.48: Into The Metaverse with Michael Kennedy - Microsoft. On metaverse, modern work and immersive workplaces.
Joining me today is Michael Kennedy, an advisor and public speaker on rapidly evolving metaverse and modern / hybrid work technologies and best practices. His focus is transforming the workplace to deliver increased productivity and business outcomes while improving organizational culture to attract and retain the best employees.
"the way I define the metaverse is really around the enterprise metaverse - an evolving set of enabling capabilities. To create more immersive employee, customer, and industry experiences to foster engagement, inclusivity, collaboration, and digital integration helping people and organizations achieve more."
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.47: Into The Metaverse with Frédéric Chesnais - founder & CEO, Crypto Blockchain Industries (ex CEO, Atari)
Joining me today is Frédéric Chesnais - founder & CEO, Crypto Blockchain Industries, and the former CEO of Atari. Crypto Blockchain Industries is a company listed on Euronext and focusing on investments in blockchain and technology.
Fred has decades of experience in executive production, budgeting, financing and management of intellectual property rights. From 2001 to 2007, and then again from 2013 to 2021, he was part of the management team of the Atari Group, the iconic technology and entertainment company. In 2007, he left Atari to create his own executive production company, I2G, which he sold in 2012.
“Most of the last 20 years of my professional life has been spent with video games. So first and foremost, for me and for this company that I've created, the Metaverse is a video game. It's an open world. Some may say, you know what, you can have a metaverse in 2D, but as far as we are concerned and given my background, I do focus on the consumer experience, and for me, it's definitely a 3D open world, and then you add on top of that, we add the blockchain layer for transactions.”
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.46: Into The Metaverse with Gilad Talmon - CEO, YOOM. Bringing real humans into the digital world with cutting-edge volumetric technology
Joining me today is Gilad Talmon, CEO of YOOM - a leading volumetric video technology company making the next wave of content creation accessible to creators and brands, providing them a direct path into the virtual worlds and beyond through a proprietary technology.
With over 16 years of senior management experience across various technology sectors in both the startup and corporate space, Gilad previously served as the Programs & Business Development Director at Elbit Systems Aerospace Ltd. in Israel, where he was intimately involved with AR.
We cover in detail the role of advanced technologies like the one YOOM is building on enabling an ever-expanded and accessible content creation to populate virtual worlds by both professional developers and individual creators. We also discuss why digital avatars are already playing an instrumental role in the way young people socialize and express themselves and why this trend will only accelerate as virtual and gaming continue to emerge as a next-generation mass media.
"when I refer to the metaverse, it's a range between augmented reality, superimposed on the real world through mixed reality and flat screen immersive environments, gaming environments on the flat screen, and then all the way to virtual reality… The human beings and human interactions will play a very big role, but it's only attainable if you can create these at scale, and creating them at scale means that they need to be compatible with all of these engines that can update them automatically. So artificial intelligence of text demotion and conversational AI. Their motion looks good and you can create them relatively easy. That's where we wanna be. We want to be an enabler to create these digital humans for you to use however you want, whether it's leaving messages or virtual helpers in the street, or virtual tourism, or in game or in training for enterprise.”https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.45: Into The Metaverse with Matias Rodriguez - SVP of Technology - Games & Metaverse Studios at Globant
Joining me today is Matias Rodriguez, SVP of Technology - Games & Metaverse Studios at Globant - a global IT software development company operating.
As SVP of Technology at Globant’s Metaverse and Gaming Studios, Matías leads a worldwide multidisciplinary team of more than 1,500 people to build products for clients. For the Metaverse Studio, he is leading the journey of helping companies create and operate new virtual spaces where they can extend their brand presence.
We cover in detail the practice that Matias leads at Globant and the work they do with clients on metaverse-related initiatives, the opportunities and challenges for engaging with consumers and customers through next generation digital experiences, both in the consumer and industrial sectors, and especially why there’s so much potential for industrial and healthcare companies as a new category of platforms emerge.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.44: Into The Metaverse with Sandy Carter - Senior Vice President at Unstoppable Domains
Sandy Carter is Senior Vice President and Channel Chief at Unstoppable Domains. The company, which recently raised $65M Series A led by Pantera Capital at a $1B valuation, creates NFT domains that give people control of their data. Each Unstoppable domain is a cryptocurrency address which serves as the user’s login to the decentralized web, and in a sense can act as a user’s universal username. Sandy and her team are responsible for driving new partnerships and integrations.
Previously Sandy was Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Channel Chief at Amazon Web Services, and prior to that was the General Manager of Ecosystems and Startups at IBM.
We cover in detail digital identity and its importance according to Sandy, how Unstoppable Domains educates and informs people on how they can establish a next generation online identity, Sandy’s journey from IBM to Amazon Web Services to Unstoppable Domains and why it is so important that we have en ever growing diversity in the teams that are building the future of the Internet.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.43: Into The Metaverse with Maxim Perumal - founder and CEO of Unai
Maxim Perumal is the founder of Unai, a stealth startup company that makes a VR headset and Virtual World dedicated to making human interactions look, feel, and sound like they do in real life. Unai is funded by NFX, Stride, Y Combinator and David Helgason (founder of Unity Engine), among others. Previously Maxim built Relativty, a popular open-source VR headset when he was 15 years old. He open-sourced it after Meta (then Facebook) invited him to meet with Oculus' Chief Architect.
We cover in detail the story of building an open-source VR headset which led Maxim to drop out of high school and begin his journey to build next generation VR platform with Unai, which while is still in stealth mode, spark interest from leading investors who are backing Maxim in his quest to build a truly user-focused VR headset and experience. We also discuss the key pillars that are crucial to providing an enjoyable user experience and what the wider competitive landscape looks like, including Maxim’s point of view on Meta and Apple’s efforts in the space.
“An Instantaneous sense of presence” is how Maxim described the essence of how the metaverse will make people feel.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.42: Into The Metaverse with Moritz Baier-Lentz - Partner at Lightspeed
Moritz is a Partner and the Head of Gaming at Lightspeed Venture Partners, a venture capital firm with over $18 billion in capital under management and more than 500 investments across the U.S., Europe, and Asia—including Epic Games, Stability AI, and Snap. Previously, Moritz was a partner and management team member at BITKRAFT Ventures where he led investments into Inworld AI, Theorycraft Games, Raid Base, Lightforge Games, and Horizon Blockchain Games among others.
We cover in detail Moritz and Lightspeed’s approach to investing in gaming, how Moritz think about the metaverse and adjacent technologies and trends, what’s his wider hypothesis on the category, and what are some of the key areas he’s focusing on. Really enjoyed hearing Moritz’s thoughtful perspectives, bringing his experience in gaming and an understanding on how emerging technology is unlocking new ways of building next-generation games and experiences.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.41: Into The Metaverse with Charles Hambro - CEO, GEEIQ
In episode 41 I host Charles Hambro, co-founder and CEO of GEEIQ (pronounced "Geek") - a data company that helps brands figure out their approach to entering metaverse platforms.
The first time I came across GEEIQ is when I read an article that covered NARS Color Quest, the experience that my company Supersocial created on Roblox with NARS Cosmetics, and I was curious about Charles’ work and hence the connection made.
We cover in detail what brands are looking for as we kickoff 2023 and why data and measurement are going to play a key role in shaping the way in which brands engage in the metaverse.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.40: Into The Metaverse with Steve May (CTO, Pixar Animation Studios)
Steve May is the Chief Technology Officer of Pixar, the iconic animation studio behind movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, among so many others. We cover in detail Steve’s perspectives on the metaverse and why the metaverse is important as well as what next generation storytelling might look like.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.39: Into The Metaverse with Richard Ward, former Head of Metaverse at McKinsey
Richard Ward is the former Head of Metaverse at McKinsey, the leading management consulting firm, where he focuses on advising clients on metaverse and web3 strategy, as well as providing expertise on the role of augmented reality and virtual reality.
In a fascinating conversation, Richard and I we discuss in detail the stage we’re at with the evolution of the metaverse; what is full-body computing and why it matters to truly grasp how the metaverse should “feel”; what should decision makers consider when making investment decisions on metaverse-related experiments; and how web3 fits in (if at all).
Notes and links can be found here: https://www.intometamedia.com/

EP.38: 2022 Year in Review with Yonatan Raz-Fridman and Jane Bernhard
This is our finale episode for 2022. We recap where we were at the beginning of 2022 and where we are at the conclusion of the year.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E37: Into The Metaverse with Jay Lee - CEO, US at Naver Z (Zepeto)
Jay Lee is the CEO of Naver Z US. Naver is the South Korean Internet giant which among other things owns and operate Zepeto. We cover in detail why Zepeto is unique in the metaverse landscape and how its avatar platform is shaping youth culture and what are the opportunities for creators and brands to build experiences and connect with young female audiences.
https://www.intometamedia.com

S2E36: Into The Metaverse with Matt Edelman - Chief Commercial Officer, Super League Gaming
Matt Edelman is Chief Commercial Officer at Super League Gaming. We cover in detail the early learnings from partnering with brands as they look to establish presence and advertise in metaverse-type platforms, and what are some of the challenges and opportunities ahead.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E35: Into The Metaverse with Shahar Sorek (Overwolf) & Mishi McDuff (House of Blueberry)
Joining me today are Shahar Sorek, CMO of Overwolf and Mishi McDuff, founder and CEO of Blueberry. We cover in detail the role of user-generated content in fueling the metaverse with content and experiences that help shape the future of the Internet, and how digital fashion fits in.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E34: Into The Metaverse with Neil Trevett - VP Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA & Chair of Metaverse Standards Forum
Neil Trevett is the Vice President of Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA, President of Khronos Group and Chair of the Metaverse Standards Forum. He joined me in a conversation in which we cover in detail why standards how vital for the metaverse to emerge and what could happen in its absence
https://www.intometamedia.com/
At Nvidia, Neil is responsible for enabling and encouraging advanced applications to use GPU acceleration. At the Khronos Group Neil created and chaired the working group that defined the industry standard for 3D graphics on mobile devices. At Khronos he also chairs a working group for portable, parallel heterogeneous computing, and helped initiate the WebGL standard that is bringing interactive 3D graphics to the Web. He’s now working to help formulate standards for vision and neural network inferencing. Previously, as Vice President of 3Dlabs, Neil was at the forefront of the silicon revolution bringing interactive 3D to the PC, and he established the embedded graphics division of 3Dlabs to bring advanced visual processing to a wide-range of non-PC platforms. Neil was elected President for eight consecutive years of the Web3D Consortium dedicated to creating open standards for communicating real-time 3D on the Internet.

S2E33: Into The Metaverse with Esther Wojcicki - Raising a Generation of Super Children
Special episode for thanksgiving with the wonderful Esther Wojcicki!
Esther is a journalist, educator, and vice chair of the Creative Commons advisory council. She is the founder of the Palo Alto High School Media Arts Program in Palo Alto, CA. and the Co-Founder of Tract Learning, which publishes the web app Tract, a peer to peer, project-based, gamified learning platform for kids 8 years and over. Esther’s book, How To Raise Successful People, is a best seller!
We cover in detail how technology is rapidly changing every aspect of our lives and what the future of workplace looks like, but at the same time the education system lags behind and continues to struggle with these rapid changes and preparing children for the future.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E32: Marketing in the Metaverse with Candice Beck - Director of Social, Influencer and Web3 at Chipotle
As Director of Social and Influencer at Chipotle, Candice Beck drives the brand's strategic, rapidly growing social media marketing program. Candice strategizes first-to-market social and digital programs that drive brand buzz and amplify awareness for Chipotle's global campaigns. Candice is responsible for leading award-winning activations, partnering with cross-functional leaders to maintain Chipotle's relevance with fans of all ages. In addition to her focus on social media content, Candice oversees the brand's metaverse strategy, collaborations, and influencer program. Driven by cultural insights, obsessed with the customer journey, and immersed in digital media, Candice is constantly tracking what's new and trending while remaining rooted in Chipotle's values and purpose to Cultivate a Better World. Candice's focus on authenticity, innovation, transparency, and analytics has proven to be a winning combo for Chipotle. Prior to Chipotle, Candice worked in marketing and events at Abercrombie & Fitch. Candice attended The Ohio State University, where she received her Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree. Candice was named one of QSR's '35 young leaders to watch'.
We cover in detail how Chipotle seeks to create authentic experiences that give consumers tangible value, the way Chipotle experiences within Roblox merge the physical and digital worlds, and the massive opportunities for brands in this new frontier.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E31: Joost van Dreunen (Author & Entrepreneur) - Gaming’s Role in the Emerging Metaverse
Joost van Dreunen is an entrepreneur and author. He teaches the business of video games at NYU Stern School of Business and wrote a book called ONE UP: Creativity, Competition, and the Global Business of Video Games. He spent the last two decades as an industry analyst working with all of the major firms on strategy. After selling SuperData Research, a games research firm he co-founded, to Nielsen in 2018, he’s now investing and advising data companies and game makers. We cover in detail the growing role of gaming in helping to realize the metaverse and why “video games” are a key pillar in the paradigm shift of human experience on the Internet.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E30: Louis Rosenberg (Unanimous AI) - Building a Non-Exploitative Metaverse
Louis Rosenberg is a pioneer in fields of augmented reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence. He earned his PhD from Stanford, has been awarded over 300 patents for VR, AR, and AI technologies, and founded a number of successful companies including Unanimous AI, Immersion Corporation, Microscribe, and Outland Research. We cover in detail the important aspects for how we build a metaverse that we can trust and believe in.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E29: Yonatan Raz Fridman (Supersocial) - Why the Metaverse Should Matter to Brands
Yon is Founder and CEO of Supersocial, a metaverse company that develops, publishes and operates cutting-edge virtual worlds on Roblox and other emerging platforms. Its business platform – which includes a development studio and publishing services, enables world-class brands and IP owners, as well as its owned IP, to enter the metaverse through bold creativity and unmatched product quality. Yon is also the creator, publisher and host of Into The Metaverse, a leading podcast and newsletter where anyone can learn about the metaverse.
We cover in detail why brands are entering the metaverse, how Supersocial and Nars Color Quest are at the cutting edge of innovation in the space, and how marketers can add value to their communities through next generation experiences.

S2E28: MiniToon (Piggy on Roblox) - Building Metaverse-Native Game Franchises
MiniToon is the creator of Piggy, one of the most successful games ever created on the Roblox platform, with 11 billion+ play sessions, and a cult of followers that propelled Piggy to a sensation status already in the first year of the game. We cover in detail the power of the Roblox platform and the opportunity for creators to build next generation game franchises starting on emerging platforms. MiniToon has nearly 700,000 followers on Twitter, more than 900,000 subscribers on YouTube, and Piggy has more than 240,000 members on Discord.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E27: Timmu Toke (Ready Player Me) - Why Avatars Will be a Big Deal in the Metaverse
Timmu Toke is the co-founder and CEO of Ready Player Me. We cover in detail the role that 3D avatars play in enabling new forms of expression, exploration and socialization in the next era of the Internet, and what are some of the use cases that are already showing promise today.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E26: Samuel Huber (LandVault) - Why Virtual Land in the Metaverse Matters
Samuel Huber is the CEO of LandVault, a company that helps brands establish presence in Blockchain-based, metaverse-type platforms such as Sandbox and Decentraland. We cover in detail why virtual land matters in the metaverse and what are the challenges ahead for mass adoption.
https://www.intometamedia.com/

S2E25: Royal O’Brien (Linux Foundation) - Using Open Source to Power a Prosperous Metaverse
Royal O'Brien is the General Manager of Digital Media and Games at the Linux Foundation. We cover in detail the role of open source technologies in enabling the emergence of a metaverse we can all believe in and get excited about.

S2E24: Piers Ridyard (RDX Works) - Building a Scaled Blockchain for a User-Owned Metaverse
Piers Ridyard is the CEO of RDX Works - a core developer of the Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocol, Radix. We cover in detail the challenges in building a scaled blockchain for a user-owned metaverse and what are key use cases to emerge in the near future.

S2E23: Jake Brukhman (CoinFund) - Investing in the Builders of a New Internet
Jake Brukhman is the founder and CEO of CoinFund, a web3 and crypto-focused investment firm. We cover in detail web3 investing, how does it intertwines with the metaverse, and what are some of his lessons learned from investing in the space, especially web3, for the past 8 years.

S2E22: Rev Lebaredian (NVIDIA) - Powering a Different Kind of Metaverse
Rev Lebaredian is Vice President of Omniverse & Simulation Technology at NVIDIA. We cover in detail the next-generation technology platform that NVIDIA is building, its Omniverse that promises to power an industrial metaverse and what it all means for creators, brands and businesses.
We also cover special announcements coming out of NVIDIA’S GTC conference - Omniverse Cloud, an infrastructure service powered by a planetary-scaled system, and a partnership with Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railroads operator and the largest rail network in Western Europe. The partnership focused on building an AI-enabled digital twin to develop Deutsche Bahn’s future railway system.
For those who are less familiar, since its founding in 1993, NVIDIA has been a pioneer in accelerated computing. The company’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined computer graphics and ignited the era of modern AI. NVIDIA is now a full-stack computing company with data-center-scale offerings that are reshaping multiple industries. As we speak, NVIDIA’s market value is over $300 billion.
In his role the Vice President of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, Rev leads the Omniverse product, engineering, and research teams. From the dawn of the computer graphics revolution to the present day, Rev has always been at its cutting edge. For the last five years at NVIDIA, Rev and his teams have been combining the rendering, physics simulation, and AI technologies pioneered by NVIDIA into a single platform for creating and simulating physically accurate virtual worlds: NVIDIA Omniverse. Prior to NVIDIA, Rev spent his career in Warner Brothers Digital, Disney Dream Quest Images and his own venture, Steamboat Software.

S2E21: Tami Bhaumik (Roblox) - Building a Safe & Resilient Metaverse
Tami Bhaumik is the Vice President of Civility and Partnerships at Roblox. We cover in detail why safety and civility is critical not only to ensure that young people can safely play, explore and socialize on Roblox, but how can we nurture a resilient community as the metaverse emerges.
Tami spearheads the platform's digital civility initiative. To establish healthy and safe communities, Tami is focused on providing kids, teens, parents, and caregivers with skills needed to create positive online experiences, in partnership with leading global safety and industry organizations. With over 25 years of experience, she has successfully fostered supportive communities in a variety of industries through leading the growth of multiple Silicon Valley startups and is an active board member at leading safety institutions. Tami graduated with a BA from the University of California, Berkeley.

S2E20: Michael Auerbach (Subversive Capital) - Using ETFs to Help Enable an Ethical Metaverse
Michael Auerbach is founder & General Partner at Subversive Capital, an investment firm, and SVP at Albright Stonebridge Group. We cover in detail what the metaverse means to him and his firm, the opportunities ahead, and the notorious PUNK ETF which shorts Meta Platforms.

This Week in the Metaverse: EP.16 - Nvidia’s CEO is bullish on the metaverse more than ever; Snap restructures and doubles down on augmented reality; and Meta’s VP of Horizon is departing
Welcome to episode 16 of This Week in the Metaverse, our weekly show in which Yon and a guest co-host provide commentary on three metaverse-related news items.
Joining Yon today as guest co-host is Mario Stefanidis, Vice President of Research at Roundhill Investments, a thematic ETF sponsor who’s behind the Metaverse ETF alongside Ball Metaverse Research Partners. Mario is responsible for Roundhill’s research activities within the digital media and entertainment sector and serving on the firm's investment committee, helping oversee Roundhill's investment activities across all sponsored ETFs and other vehicles.
Our three topics for the past week:
First, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, was interviewed by Dean Takahashi from VentureBeat (who was a guest on our podcast a few months ago). What really captured our attention is Huang’s bullishness on the industrial metaverse and the prospect of Nvidia’s Omniverse to play a key role in realizing that vision.
Then, we talk about the changes at Snap who’s shutting down Snap Originals, an in-house production studio of scripted and documentary-style programming and double down on its core priorities, including augmented reality.
And we finish with more news from Meta Platforms, as Meta’s VP of Horizon is leaving the company, adding more uncertainty on where its metaverse project is heading.

S2E19 - Unmasking Web3 With MetaMask’s Taylor Monahan
The concepts of digital identity and empowering individuals are core tenets of the social movement driving the development of the metaverse. Taylor Monahan from MetaMask joins us to break down philosophically how they view building in web3, the wallet as the potential gateway to your digital identity, bridging the needs and desires of a broad range of potential consumers in web3 and the outlook for regulation of the crypto sector.

This Week in the Metaverse: EP.15 - Venture investments in avatar technology companies; Xbox and game consoles interoperability; and a new season of experiences in The Sandbox.
Welcome to episode 15 of This Week in the Metaverse, a weekly show in which I provide commentary on three news items with fantastic guest co-hosts.
Joining me today as guest co-host is Jonathan Stringfield, whom we recently hosted on our podcast! Jonathan is currently the VP of global business research and marketing at Activision Blizzard and recently published a new book - Get In The Game.
Our three topics for the past week:
First, we talk about investments into avatar-focused ventures and this week we’ve seen announcements on two deals that are noteworthy: the first one is Inworld AI which raised $50M to populate games and the metaverse with smart characters. the second one is Ready Player Me, a cross-game metaverse avatar platform that allows users to explore virtual worlds with one consistent identity, has closed a $56 million funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Then, we talk about Bloomberg’s conversation with Xbox’s chief Phil Spencer as hopes for fewer exclusive titles by Xbox and would like to see more interoperability among consoles in the future.
We finish with news from The Sandbox, the blockchain-based platform of virtual worlds that aspires to become an open metaverse launched this week its alpha season 3 with 90 metaverse experiences and 100 hours of gameplay that’s available for users.