Meet our Experts
Thomas A. Furness IIIGrandfather of Virtual Reality
Thomas A. Furness III is an American inventor, professor, and virtual reality pioneer based in Seattle, Washington. He is a Professor in the University of Washington Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, and the founder of the Human Interface Technology Lab at the University of Washington and its sister labs at the University of Canterbury (HIT Lab NZ) and University of Tasmania. Known for his contributions in developing human interface technology, he has earned the title, "Grandfather of Virtual Reality."
Furness recently received the first-ever lifetime achievement award for his 50 years service in the field of virtual reality and augmented reality from the Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara, California. In 2018, Furness was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
In addition to being a professor at the University of Washington, he is also the general manager and owner of the RATLab (Rocking and Thinking Laboratory), an engineering research and development company.
Damon Hernandez ModeratorCEO and Co-Founder, Mixx Reality
Damon works in many areas of interactive 3D, web, & XR industries as a designer, developer, advisor, speaker, entrepreneur, investor and executive that has been active in virtual environments, the 3D web, and other Metaverse related technologies for over 20 years. He is passionate about the web’s convergence with other technologies including 3D, IoT, GIS, CAD/BIM/CAM, AR/VR, mobile and advises a variety of entities that use these technologies for enterprise focused applications. Since 2007, he has been working closely with various built environment professions on the adoption and use of innovative technologies.
As a co-founder of Mixx Reality, he is taking his passion for immersive tech and the real world to new levels. Previously he was at SIMLAB, where he was working to make property ownership & management more user friendly for owners via digital twins. At Samsung Research America he focused on making the web browser experience awesome and enhanced with immersive web technologies and new types of interfaces. He is a co-founder of IDEAbuilder, a high tech building company that uses immersive technologies and robotic manufacturing to build timber structures more efficiently. He has worked with 3D web and virtual world companies and was acting director of a student initiated organization with the Web3D Consortium, where he worked with the Consortium’s global outreach and education initiatives. He has built numerous mixed reality applications and has led dozens of research projects in multiple domains.
As founding team member of the Augmented Reality Developer Camps, VR Hackathon, & founder of the AEC Hackathon, he is actively working to help grow the use of innovative technologies.
Joey Bayer / ModeratorHead of Community, Epicenter Helsinki
Joey Bayer has been responsible for creating conversations that matter for more than 16 years.
From creating the space, to connecting key players, to driving / setting the agenda, Joey brings together individuals for moments that both transform and inspire.
Over the course of his career, Joey has hosted the world's most fascinating and influential people - from world leaders, like Bill Clinton, to iconic legends like Liza Minelli, to the CEOs of today's Fortune 500 companies.
Joey's intuitive ability to connect with others, his passion for people and dialogue, and ability to get directly to the heart of the discussion have earned him a reputation of trust and respect with leaders around the world, and made him a central figure in today's most important conversations.
