Zero to Start Podcast: VR development for beginners

AWE USA 2025 delivered on its promise of feeling spatial.  Not only was the mantra XR is Going Mainstream, AWE founder Ori Inbar [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oriinbar/] optimistically declared 2025 as the year of the Master Builder - passionate domain subject experts creating XR solutions for their community filling in diverse content gaps that are shifting the balance between big brands and dedicated niche audiences.   Today's show features clips from our favorite moments during AWE’s day-one morning keynotes: * Ori Inbar's Welcome Keynote - XR Is Going Mainstream! | AWE USA 2025 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxcPKN3Qs6M] * Bringing AI and AR Into the Real World Through Spectacles | AWE USA 2025 [https://youtu.be/4WgY-Sttv5Q?si=65qT90L4O57JwlYS] * Project Aura & More: XREAL’s Vision for the Present and Future of XR by Chi Xu | AWE USA 2025 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq5y2LxSfyI] Excited about our 41st podcast episode! We’re officially on the road to our 50th with a very special mystery guest scheduled for that occasion.  Thanks for listening! Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform.  * Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97467070/admin/dashboard/]! FEATURED LINKS: * XREAL One Pro - early bird pricing until June 30th [https://us.shop.xreal.com/products/xreal-one-pro?]  * Zero to Start is now on YouTube!  [https://www.youtube.com/@zerotostartvrpodcast] * Our AWE playlist [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBv0LzH63o&list=PLeZvFCLhcrJ0H7gWJtXPqo_I3g2FoOs8s] ! * The Shoes of AWE 2025 [https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/shoes-awe-2025-siciliana-trevino-tgyqc/] CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/siciliana/] * sicilianatrevino.com [https://sicilianatrevino.com/]

XR pioneer Avi Bar-Zeev has been at the forefront of Spatial Computing for over 30 years: from launching Disney’s groundbreaking Aladdin VR ride in the early 90s and crafting Second Life’s 3D worlds to co-founding Keyhole (Google Earth) mirror-earth spatial browser, co-inventing the Hololens AR headset in 2010 and leading the Experience Prototyping team for Apple's Vision Pro and more from 2016-19.  Bar-Zeev's so ubiquitous he's been affectionately called the Forrest Gump of XR.  On today's show, Bar-Zeev returns to the podcast and illuminates his journey through immersive tech from those early days to his latest role as Founder and President of the XR Guild, a 501c3 nonprofit, his response to the urgent need to bring more thoughtful and ethical practices into emerging platforms and AI.  The XR Guild's Ethical Professionals Mixer [https://lasiggraph.org/event/2nd-annual-ethical-professionals-mixer] is sold out. Zero to Start is proud to have joined primary event sponsor LA SIGGRAPH [https://lasiggraph.org/], and XRA [https://xra.org/] as a "bronze" co-sponsor. * Heading to AWE USA 2025 ? Road to VR readers can still get an exclusive 20% discount on tickets: https://geni.us/7ijTS [https://geni.us/7ijTS] - Ben Lang [https://www.linkedin.com/in/langbenjamin/] Thanks for listening! Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform.  * Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97467070/admin/dashboard/]! AWE JUNE 9th: * 10:30 AM - 04:30 PM | Room 204 | XR Guild and Virtual World Society - UNCONFERENCE [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1353] Catch Avi and other guild members at these AWE panels: JUNE 10: * 04:30 PM - 04:55 PM  | Room 102A |  For XR/AI Makers, the Secret Sauce is Ethics [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1136] - Aysu Unal [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1329-aysu-unal]- AiSU, Avi Bar-Zeev [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1328-avi-bar-zeev]- XR Guild JUNE 11: * 11:45 AM - 12:15 PM  | Builders Nexus Stage - Expo Hall | AI x Metaverse: Advancing Spatial Intelligence, Spatial Computing, and Beyond in Synergy [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1396-ai-x-metaverse-advancing-spatial-intelligence-spat]  FEATURED LINKS * Our AWE playlist [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBv0LzH63o&list=PLeZvFCLhcrJ0H7gWJtXPqo_I3g2FoOs8s] ! * AWE Day One podcast guide [https://www.buzzsprout.com/860002/episodes/17298523]! * XR Guild [https://xrguild.org/] * XR Guild Library 2.0 [https://library.xrguild.org/] * Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making [https://www.marshall.usc.edu/institutes-and-centers/neely-center-for-ethical-leadership-and-decision-making] * Neely Purpose Driven XR Library [https://www.neelyxr.org/] CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/siciliana/] sicilianatrevino.com [https://sicilianatrevino.com/]

On today's show we're spotlighting our AWE day one itinerary. Elevate your conference vibe with our AWE playlist [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaBv0LzH63o&list=PLeZvFCLhcrJ0H7gWJtXPqo_I3g2FoOs8s] ! Heading to AWE USA 2025 next week? Road to VR readers can still get an exclusive 20% discount on tickets: https://geni.us/7ijTS [https://geni.us/7ijTS] - BEN LANG [https://www.linkedin.com/in/langbenjamin/] JUNE 10 ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS * 09:00 AM - 09:25 AM AWE USA 2025 Welcome Keynote - XR Is Going Mainstream! [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1079]- Ori Inbar [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1228-ori-inbar]- AWE & Super Ventures * 09:30 AM - 09:55 AM Accelerating the Spatial Computing Revolution for Developers and Enterprise [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1184] - Ziad Asghar [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1513-ziad-asghar] - Qualcomm * 10:00 AM - 10:25 AM Bringing AI and AR Into the Real World Through Spectacles [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1185] Evan Spiegel [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1559-evan-spiegel] - Snap * 10:30 AM - 10:55 AM Project Aura & More: XREAL’s Vision for the Present and Future of XR [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1186] - Chi Xu [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1530-chi-xu] - XREAL * 11:00 AM - 05:30 PM Expo, Playground, Gaming Hub [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1081] * 01:30 PM - 01:55 PM From Storytelling to StoryLIVING: Our New Reality [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1196] | Vicki Dobbs Beck [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1199-vicki-dobbs-beck] - Lucasfilm & ILM * 02:00 PM - 02:25 PM  Evolving Bystander Signaling Norms and Industry Standards in the Era of AI [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1255] - Dena Feldman [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1553-dena-feldman] - Meta * 02:00 PM - 02:55 PM  PANEL: The Next Revolution in Graphics: How 3DGS Changes Everything (Gaussian Splatting) [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1302] * 02:30 PM - 02:55 PM Beyond the Banner Ad: How AR is Reshaping Brand Engagement [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1379] - Tom Emrich [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1331-tom-emrich] - The Next Dimension * 03:30 PM - 04:15 PM AWE Wellness Walk with Caitlin Krause: A Somatic & Spatial Journey into Digital Wellbeing [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1344] - Caitlin Krause [MindWisehttps://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1649-caitlin-krause] * 04:30 PM - 04:55 PM  For XR/AI Makers, the Secret Sauce is Ethics [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1136] - Aysu Unal [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1329-aysu-unal]- AiSU, Avi Bar-Zeev [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/speakers/1328-avi-bar-zeev]- XR Guild * 05:00 PM - 05:55 PM PANEL: Igniting Cultural Institutions: AfroFuturism & Lincoln Center [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1194] * 5:00-5:25 pm From Code to Conduct: Building Healthy Communities in VR Games [https://awexr.com/usa-2025/agenda/1208-from-code-to-conduct-building-healthy-communities-] - David Neubelt  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/coderdave/]| Another Axiom [https://www.linkedin.com/company/another-axiom/] (Gorilla Tag)

How can we create XR experiences with purpose and why does it matter?  Last week's MeaningfulXR conference at UC Davis and in VRChat brought together a dynamic XR community from across the globe to explore the answers and featured some of the latest academic research using XR across disciplines including education, psychology, design, AI, health and wellness, tracking data and more.  On this special episode, I’m sharing the audio recording of our MeaningfulXR panel, Creating platforms and apps to better people's lives  Led by Carsten Becker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsten-becker-7252101/], Faculty, Media Design and Extended Reality USC Iovine & Young Academy and featuring Avi Bar-Zeev, [https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-bar-zeev/] XR Pioneer, founder and president of the XR Guild.  I highlight some of the exciting projects I saw on Day One of the conference and Carsten shares his industry insights, the importance of ethics and purpose driven XR, as well as how to overcome building and investment challenges for new XR students and builders.  We also hear from Carsten’s Neely Center student mentees who are designing purpose driven XR for social impact.   Special thanks to Robby Ratan [https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbyratan/] and the MeaningfulXR team! Thanks for listening!  Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform...  Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97467070/admin/dashboard/]! FEATURED CONFERENCE PROJECTS/CREATORS: * Reimagining Land Acknowledgment: Co-Designing Location-Based AR with Indigenous Communities - Kai Lukoff [https://www.linkedin.com/in/klukoff/], Sean Hauze, Madison Nguyen, Isabella 'Amne Gomez * CN Vision: A Novel AR Tool for Enhanced SLP Neuroanatomy Learning - Maura Philippone [https://www.linkedin.com/in/maura-philippone/], Jesse Sanderson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesseeasanderson/] * Immersive Religion: Enhancing Religious Literacy through Extended Reality -John Soboslai [https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-soboslai-049112b/] * Navigating Ethics in Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) Design for Dyslexia Interventions - Aurelia O'Neil [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aureliaoneil/] FEATURED LINKS: * MeaningfulXR Conference [https://www.meaningfulxr.org/] * Neely Purpose Driven XR Library [https://www.neelyxr.org/] * Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making [https://www.marshall.usc.edu/institutes-and-centers/neely-center-for-ethical-leadership-and-decision-making] * XR Guild [https://xrguild.org/] * XR Guild Library [https://library.xrguild.org/] * VIDEO Lightning talk: A Deep Dive into Eye-tracking in XR with Avi Bar-Zeev [https://youtu.be/ABrnq_p20dk?si=7Jop8VzT2VkPWByd] - Stanford Cyber Policy Center CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/siciliana/] * sicilianatrevino.com [https://sicilianatrevino.com/]

Today’s bite-sized episode is a quick shout out to the Meaningful XR conference  happening Thursday May 22nd and Friday May 23rd at the UC Davis International Center and virtually in VRChat. On Friday at 12:30pm  I’ll be joining the panel, Creating platforms and apps to better people's lives  Led by Carsten Becker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsten-becker-7252101/] Faculty, Media Design and Extended Reality at USC Iovine & Young Academy  Featuring Guljaha Shaik [https://www.linkedin.com/in/guljaha/] Neely Fellow 2024-25 and recent MBA graduate from the USC Marshall School of Business And friend of the podcast Avi Bar-Zeev [https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-bar-zeev/] XR pioneer, founder and President of The XR Guild, a non-profit that seeks to support and educate professionals in XR on ethics and most positive outcomes for humanity. Thanks for listening! Happy installing... Subscribe to Zero to Start on your favorite podcast platform Follow our podcast page on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/97467070/admin/dashboard/]! FEATURED LINKS: MeaningfulXR Conference [https://www.meaningfulxr.org/] Neely Purpose Driven XR Library [https://www.neelyxr.org/] Neely Center for Ethical Leadership and Decision Making [https://www.marshall.usc.edu/institutes-and-centers/neely-center-for-ethical-leadership-and-decision-making] XR Guild [https://xrguild.org/] Digital Wellbeing [https://caitlinkrause.com/books/] -Caitlin Krause Thinking Fast and Slow [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374533557/thinkingfastandslow/] - Daniel Kahneman CONNECT WITH SICILIANA: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/siciliana/] sicilianatrevino.com [https://sicilianatrevino.com/]