Avi Bar-Zeev, RealityPrime® and the XR Guild®, Founder and President; Former Senior Manager of Experience Prototyping for Apple Vision Products

Avi Bar-Zeev, RealityPrime® and the XR Guild®, Founder and President; Former Senior Manager of Experience Prototyping for Apple Vision Products

Dylan Boucherle, Warner Bros. Discovery, SVP, Production and Technical Operations

Dylan Boucherle serves as senior vice president of production and technical operations at Warner Bros. Discovery, where he leads all live production and technical operations across the company. With over two decades of production experience and multiple Emmy awards to his credit, Boucherle oversees the company’s major broadcast operations from hubs in Atlanta, New York, and D.C., as well as all remote production, managing impressive sports production operations across NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA Basketball, US Soccer, and more.

A leader in production technology, Boucherle has been instrumental in transforming the production and operational landscape at WBD and plays a major role in setting the overall strategy for live production across the company. His expertise spans traditional broadcasting to cutting-edge technologies, including XR and virtual production. Under his leadership, WBD has successfully executed countless high-profile live sports events, breaking news coverage, and entertainment specials, consistently delivering compelling content to millions of viewers across multiple platforms and networks.

Before joining WBD in 2016, Boucherle lived in New York City, where he worked in sports production across all the major networks and events from the Super Bowl to the Olympics.

He currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and four kids.

Simran Butalia, Twelve Labs, Senior Solutions Architect

Simran Butalia is a passionate creative with more than 20 years of experience working on all things technology in media and entertainment.

Jason Cohen, CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network, SVP, Remote Technical Operations

Jason Cohen serves as the senior vice president of remote technical operations for CBS Sports and CBS Sports Network. Cohen departed HBO Sports where he served for more than 15 years to work intimately on the remote broadcasts for all of the CBS major sporting platforms such as: the NFL, college football, college basketball, and golf. Cohen’s primary day-to-day focus is on overseeing the remote technical equipment and facilities used for both broadcast and cable linear telecasts. He also researches, implements, and executes new technology and workflows.

Cohen’s immediate reaction when joining CBS and visiting Augusta for the first time was simply “this golf course may be bigger than a boxing ring and we may require more cameras.

Brandon Costa, SVG, Director of Digital

Brandon Costa covers the sports video production industry with a focus on live streaming, over-the-top (OTT), social media, and other digital distribution technologies and platforms. He also directs SVG’s internal digital strategies launching the company’s video outfit, ‘SVG On Demand,’ designing and overseeing its mobile application, ‘SVG Mobile,’ and serving as executive producer and host of The SVG Podcast. Costa serves as program director of networking events serving the SVG College and SVG Digital communities. Prior to his time at SVG, Costa spent five years producing digital content for MLB Advanced Media.

Jason Dachman, SVG, Editorial Director, U.S.​; SVG NEXT Program Director

Jason Dachman oversees all aspects of SVG’s North American editorial operations – including all news on sportsvideo.org and the daily SVG Insider newsletter – and is one of the primary contributors to SVG’s coverage of the sports-video-production industry. A member of the SVG team since 2009, Dachman also serves as Program Director for SVG’s Esports Production Forum, Regional Sports Production Summit, Sports Content Management Forum, Sports Graphics Forum, and TranSPORT conference, as well as spearheads the SVG NEXT innovation initiative and annual event.

Prior to joining SVG, he covered local sports for The Patriot Ledger in Quincy, MA, and served on the production staff of SiriusXM’s The Ron & Fez Show. Dachman began his career in the Sports Information department at Northeastern University in Boston, where he earned a BA in Media Communications and Cinema Studies. A native of Denver, CO, Dachman currently resides in Queens, NY, with his wife Alyson and children Hank and June.

Jean-Olivier Dalphond, PixMob, Partner, Chief Commercial Officer

Jean-Olivier Dalphond is the chief commercial officer (CCO) and a partner at PixMob, a global leader in wireless lighting wearables and installations. A graduate of HEC Montréal with an M.B.A., Dalphond’s strategic vision has been instrumental in driving PixMob’s commercial success and securing high-profile partnerships, leading to groundbreaking activations at major events like the Super Bowl and concerts for internationally renowned artists. Dalphond’s leadership is guided by his commitment to using technology to ignite collective joy and foster deeper connections.

Mike Davies, Fox Sports, EVP, Technical and Field Operations; SVG U.S. Chairman

Mike Davies manages all day-to-day aspects of live broadcast operations and oversees the integration of new and emerging technologies for Fox Sports and Fox Sports 1. With over two decades of experience in sports television, Davies specializes in technical production and innovation for large sporting events. As the head of field and technical operations, he manages a highly talented team of individuals responsible for the thousands of live sports broadcasts yearly at Fox, including the technical execution of Super Bowls XLII, XLV, XLVIII, LI, and LIV. In addition to technical design and oversight, Davies also works within the Fox Sports Lab, a designed approach to exploring technical partnerships to enhance the viewing experience.

Previously, Davies oversaw Fox Sports broadcasts of the Daytona 500, the US Open, the MLB All Star Game and World Series, and the productions of various live VR events.

Before joining Fox Sports in 2006 as director of field operations, Davies was with HBO Sports for 10 years. He has won multiple Sports Emmy Awards for his work with both Fox Sports and HBO including technical team remotes for NASCAR, MLB, and NFL coverage, as well as long form sports programming. He currently serves as chairman for the Sports Video Group.

Edward Dawson-Taylor, CG Pro, Co-Founder, Head of School

Edd Dawson-Taylor has deep hands-on and supervisory experience in the CG world. He has worked for the likes of ILM, Disney, MPC, and Digital Domain on blockbuster movies such as Jurassic World, The Lion King, and Jungle Book. As an artist and supervisor in movies, TV, and interactive, Dawson-Taylor has worked across multiple disciplines, from creatures to environments. Widely recognized as an artist and cutting-edge technologist, he has led teams of artists and developers in creating beautiful worlds, and enhancing CG software and pipelines. As a pioneer in the world of virtual production, Dawson-Taylor co-founded the school CG Pro, where he creates and teaches dynamic live courses focused on Unreal Engine, VFX tools, and the emerging world of virtual production. He also runs Edge Visual Studios, a cutting edge and highly creative real time facility, and is a co-founder of the non-profit CG Empowers, which helps underserved communities gain access to the skills needed to thrive.

Ken DeGennaro, NBA, SVP, Media Operations and Technology

Ken DeGennaro is the senior vice president of media operations and technology for NBA Entertainment. He oversees the league’s broadcast operations, engineering, player tracking and stats, and OTT technology departments. DeGennaro is also responsible for the global delivery of video and statistics via satellite, fiber, broadband, and mobile. He manages the development and implementation of NBA Cloud Services, including significant AI and ML executions supporting both business and basketball analytics alike.

DeGennaro joined the NBA in March 1998 and holds a bachelor of science degree from Rutgers University and a master of science in jurisprudence from Seton Hall Law.

Zac Fields, Fox Sports, SVP, Graphics Technology and Integration

Zac Fields oversees Fox Sports’ real-time graphic development and integration, software development, and new technology. This team provides design, implementation, and support for all of the Fox Sports Media Group. Along with the daily workflows across all FSMG networks, this group provides high-end graphic design with new ways to display information for large events such as the Super Bowl, Daytona 500, MLB World Series, the U.S. Open, and the FIFA World Cup.

Natascha French, MVP Interactive, CMO

Rick Hack, Intel Corporation, Former Head of Media & Entertainment Partnerships

Rick Hack operated as Intel’s liaison to the media & entertainment industry pursuing transformational tech-based partnerships and strategic relationships.

He engages with industry thought leaders, technical decision makers, and policy makers to solve industry challenges in broadcasting, film, television, gaming, and theme parks by leveraging Intel’s tools and evolving technology ecosystem. In this capacity, Hack has led groundbreaking projects including envisioning entertainment experiences inside autonomous vehicles, delivering location-based experiences and generating creatures, characters, and digital twins harnessing the power of AI & ML across a number of major studios, broadcasters, and theme parks.

Most recently, Hack has been recognized for multiple industry awards to deliver the first 8K live stream & immersive stream with the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing Olympics 2022 with NBCU. He also exec- produced several immersive experiences utilizing volumetric video reimagining a song from the iconic film Grease and won a Lumieres Award.

Earlier in his career, Hack was head of M&E for CBS Radio and produced the first livestream coverage for red carpet blockbuster films and TV series. Currently, he was just appointed as chair of EnTech for the industry body – Digital Entertainment Group (DEG) and started his own consultancy.

Greg Harvey, The Famous Group, Partner / CIO

Greg Harvey is a co-founder and partner at The Famous Group, where he proudly serves as the chief innovation officer. Over the past five years, his journey has been marked by a transformative shift at The Famous Group. They’ve evolved from a conventional creative services company into a cutting-edge creative technology firm.

Harvey’s current primary focus lies in leveraging generative AI to revolutionize live event engagement. In this role, he is dedicated to exploring and implementing the latest technologies and pushing the boundaries of innovation within their software platforms and solutions.

The Famous Group’s portfolio includes game-changing offerings like Vixi Suite, a fan engagement suite of web-based applications with the intent of delighting audiences at live sports, concerts, festivals, and corporate events. The platform has direct live streaming plus QR code-based activations that use generative AI. Over the last 12 months, the Vixi Suite averaged 215 events per month, and has been seen in over 250 venues in nearly 20 countries on five continents with four million scans.

Additionally, The Famous Group specializes in extended reality experiences, encompassing mixed reality, augmented reality, and virtual production. They are developing new AI-driven technologies and leveraging them to enhance their business offerings while delivering world-class immersive experiences to their clients’ global fanbases. A critical component is generative AI that creates content for intellectual property holders and keeps their IP and talent pristine; and second provides a controlled and safe consumer version from clean sources, that fans can play with featuring the talent and IP, with options to eventually monetize, capture data, and sponsor.

Harvey firmly believes that the future belongs to hyper-personalized fan engagement, and The Famous Group is at the forefront of this transformation.

Kristian Hernández, SVG, Senior Editor

Kristian Hernández is currently the senior editor of Sports Video Group. In his role, he is responsible for covering team-based and in-venue productions and various other sports technology topics within the industry. In addition, he is the program director for the annual SVG Venue Summit.

Before joining SVG, Hernández served as co-founder of CHC-TV, the first student-run television studio at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. While at CHC, Hernández produced a daily sports show named “On the Hill with Hernández” — covering all men’s and women’s athletics for the college. Also, Hernández spearheaded the college’s newspaper, “The Griffin”, as its Sports Editor. Hernández graduated with a BA in Communications. Born in Brooklyn, NY, he currently lives in Philadelphia, PA.

Jeff Hobbs, Disguise, Sales Manager - Virtual Production

With over 15 years of work experience in the broadcast and creative industries, Jeff Hobbs is a sales and tech expert with a passion for delivering innovative and engaging solutions to customers. His mission is to help brands and businesses bring their ideas to life through unique brand activations and experiences, leveraging cutting-edge technologies such as XR and AR. Hobbs is the virtual production sales manager for the U.S. and Canada at Disguise, a leading provider of end-to-end real-time mixed reality and virtual production solutions.

S. (Jay) Jayaram, Quintar, CEO and Co-Founder

Dr. Jayaram is the CEO of Quintar, a Silicon Valley XR/spatial computing company. Quintar’s platform allows the true integration of spatial computing devices, the user’s 3D space, arenas and stadiums, real-time data for multi-modal experiences, and hyper personalization. The result is an enablement of true live and archived spatial computing experiences in XR devices focusing initially on sports and entertainment with the capability to expand to various aspects of day-to-day life. Prior to founding Quintar, Dr. Jayaram was chief technology officer and chief product officer at Intel Sports, driving the digitization and personalization of sports for fans through immersive technologies. Through his influential work in virtual reality over the past 30 years, he has brought VR to a wide spectrum of domains – from live events in sports and concerts to VR for engineering applications and training.

Dr. Jayaram has co-founded several companies including Quintar (current), VOKE (acquired by Intel in 2016), Integrated Engineering Solutions, and Translation Technologies. He was also a professor at Washington State University for 20+ years and co-founded the WSU Virtual Reality Laboratory in 1994.

Gregg Katano, Cosmos Collab, CEO/Founder; SVG NEXT & SVG NEXT 'Conversations', Conference Chair

Gregg Katano is a 30+ year entertainment, media, and tech entrepreneur, international speaker, and educator.

He is CEO and founder of COSMOS COLLAB, a consultancy that represents tech thought leaders, helps to demystify the latest emerging tech, and connect storytellers, tech catalysts, and emerging tech to create innovative solutions to help companies across all industries navigate the future.

In addition to being Sports Video Group’s NEXT conference chair, Katano is also an executive committee member and chair of events for the Emerging Media Programming of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (‘TV Academy’); co-vice chair of the Producers Guild of America ‘New Media Council’; and advisory member / judge, SXSW ‘Startup Pitch’ and founding advisory board member of the Cal State University Entertainment Alliance (CSUEA).

Katano’s previous roles included SVP, U.S. operations at Hologate, which creates the world’s most successful immersive media platforms for location-based virtual reality (20,000,000+ players to-date across 42 countries worldwide), and head of business and marketing strategy/lead evangelist, Unofficial Cardboard (first official manufacturer of ‘Google Cardboard VR’).

Speaking engagements include: National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), IBC ShowAmsterdam, Consumer Electronic Show (CES), SXSW, Mobile World Congress, SIGGRAPH, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), Immerse Global Summit/VRARA (Portugal, Miami), Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Diego Comic-Con, and others.

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services

Ken Kerschbaumer is co-executive director of editorial services for the Sports Video Group and SVG Europe. He was a co-founder of SVG along with Paul Gallo and Marty Porter in 2005 and has been writing about how sports networks and leagues use video and audio technology to deliver a quality TV experience since 1991. Kerschbaumer began his career in 1991 at Television Broadcast magazine before joining Cahners where he was founding editor of Digital Broadcasting magazine. In 2000, he joined Broadcasting & Cable magazine as senior editor of technology where he covered all aspects of broadcasting, cable, and internet content creation and distribution.

Kenny Lauer, Y2AI, Co-Founder; XR and Experience Advisor; Golden State Warriors, Former VP, Marketing & Digital

Kenny Lauer has been at the forefront of using pioneering technologies to collapse distances between people for over 30 years. He has held senior leadership positions across various industries, including running a global digital agency, consulting for KPMG, and being one of Apple’s first “Evangelists.” As head of marketing for the Golden State Warriors, he helped the team and Association redefine fan engagement and brand experience.

Lauer is certified as an Experience Economy Expert and studied behavior modeling under BJ Fogg, who runs the Stanford’s Behavior Design Lab. He was added to the BT-150 recognized as one of the top global executives leading innovative business transformation efforts in their organizations. Lauer is also proud to be an active member of The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmys) and on the Advisory Board Member to the SXSW Conference.

Kevin Lopes, ESPN, VP, Sports Business Development & Innovation

Kevin Lopes is the vice president, sports business development & innovation at ESPN, where he leads the ESPN Edge Innovation Center, oversees sports data analytics, and identifies and evaluates potential third-party opportunities in advanced technology initiatives like innovative experiences such as the NHL Big City Greens Classic and digital immersive development.

Lopes has been with ESPN for more than 15 years, spending his first 10 years on the programming team where he had been responsible for scheduling and operational oversight of WatchESPN & ESPN3, including 15k+ live digital events, digital collegiate acquisitions, and esports programming acquisitions and strategy.

In 2015, Lopes won a Sports Emmy for his contributions to the ESPN 2015 College Football MegaCast.

Prior to ESPN, Lopes worked at the Big East Conference in Providence Rhode Island. He holds a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Rhode Island where he serves on the Executive Boards of the Alumni Association and Harrington School of Communications Advisory council.

Zack Malet, ESPN, Senior Director, Sports Business Development & Innovation

Zack Malet negotiates and manages ESPN’s existing and new third-party business agreements, with a specific focus on strategic innovation and technology partnerships. Within ESPN Innovation, the BDI team has pioneered ESPN’s animated telecasts (e.g. NHL-Big City Greens Classic) and ESPN XR launches across Meta VR headsets and COSM Immersive Domes. Since joining ESPN in 2012, Malet has worked in Disney Platform Distribution where he managed distribution of Disney properties (including ABC, ESPN, Disney+) with cable and streaming partners and in ESPN’s programming and acquisitions’ content strategy and college sports groups.

After graduating from Brown University as an economics and urban studies major and a member of the Track & Field team, Malet earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University’s SIM program where he is now an adjunct professor. He is a proud board member of the Village Families & Children on the strategic planning and marketing committee.

Andy Merkin, Cosm, Director, Creative Productions

Overseeing creative direction and production for arts and entertainment projects at Cosm, Andy Merkin leads the creation of stories and experiences for the comprehensive pipeline.

He serves as an adjunct professor/lecturer in transmedia strategy and production across the world including USC, UCLA, Art Center, Harvard Business School, and in Pakistan and Argentina. Merkin’s award-winning projects include Cannes Lions, SXSW Interactive Awards, D&AD Gold Pencils, and the 2006 Time Person of the Year. He’s an active member of the Television Academy’s Emerging Media Peer Group and the Producer’s Guild of America.

Merkin holds an MS from MIT, an MBA from HEC-Paris, and an AB with Honors from Rollins College. A true believer that interesting storytellers have led interesting lives, his previous work experience includes development and production for Sony Pictures Television, training entrepreneurs in the Peace Corps in Bangladesh, performing improv, and educating students in zoo keeping for Busch Gardens.

Amy Nelson, ESPN Creative Studio, Manager, Graphics Innovation

Amy Nelson manages a team focused on research and development for broadcast graphics in ESPN’s Graphics Innovation department. She has spent the last 10 years immersed in everything real-time, specifically centered around live broadcast for sports.

Nelson loves coordinating complex systems, solving unique problems, and the thrill of tens-of-millions of viewers simultaneously seeing a graphic that she’s only 90% sure will work. Leading a team of graphic developers, she focuses on R&D for augmented reality, virtual sets, artificial intelligence, and other specialty real-time graphics.

Bertrand 'Bert' Nepveu, VRvana, Founder & Former CEO; Former Apple, Apple Vision Pro-Tech. Dev. Group; Triptyq Capital, Co-Founding Partner

Bertrand ‘Bert’ Nepveu has spent his entire career working in the field of computer vision. Passionate about video games and gadgets, he founded Vrvana in 2005 to play his favorite games on Xbox in virtual reality and eventually created the Totem headset, an enterprise mixed reality headset. In 2017, after Apple acquired Vrvana for an undisclosed sum, Nepveu joined the team developing the Vision Pro, incorporating Vrvana’s technology. Nepveu left Apple around three years ago to become a general partner of a VC firm called Triptyq Capital that is supporting the new generation of entrepreneurs in the creative industries.

Nepveu holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Sherbrooke and an MBA from HEC Montreal. He his also the co-author du Manifeste québécois du Métavers.

Parth Patil, AI Specialist, Office of Reid Hoffman

Parth Patil is an AI researcher building at the intersection of technology and creative processes, designing conversational agents that amplify how we think and create. With over a decade in technology startups, including pivotal roles at ChowNow and Clubhouse, he loves sharing what he’s learned and what he thinks comes next! More recently, Patil worked on Reid AI, a digital twin of Reid Hoffman, using large language models to retrieve and synthesize information across over 20 years of a person’s career and body of work.

Devin Poolman, Cosm, Chief Product and Technology Officer

Devin Poolman is chief product and technology officer at Cosm, the leading global experiential media and immersive technology company. Recognized for his forward-thinking approach to sports media and technology, as well as experiential content, Poolman leads the technological development and strategy of Cosm’s immersive initiatives, platforms, and partnership ventures.

Poolman previously led technology for FOX’s Digital Consumer Group where he drove strategy and integration across FOX Sports, FOX, FX, and National Geographic, including the ground-up build of streaming platforms, consumer data initiatives, and direct-to-consumer capabilities. Before that, he led the company’s Sports Digital business unit, guiding FOX’s efforts to transform its sports’ digital presence, including the launch of new products and oversight of web, mobile, and streaming products, in addition to multi-platform content initiatives.

Prior to his tenure at FOX, Poolman worked in product and strategy roles at various startups, including Metricly, a business intelligence and dashboard company where he was a co-founder and CEO; and 8020, a digital media publisher where he joined as part of the founding team and served as COO. Respected for his leadership acumen across early-stage companies, Poolman also played key roles in product management and business development at BitTorrent, marketing analysis at Grand Central Communications, and product management at Zero G Software (acquired by Macrovision).

Today, Poolman’s expertise and enthusiasm in trailblazing technology, product development, and user experience guides Cosm’s mission to redefine the way the world experiences content.

Poolman earned his M.B.A. from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Stanford University. He is based in Los Angeles with his wife and two daughters.

Liz Randall, CAA, Head of Business Operations

Liz Randall is head of business operations, strategic development at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Randall is based in the Los Angeles office and is responsible for the execution of enterprise growth initiatives, including theCAAvault, an in-house, talent-focused service that scans, captures, and securely stores talent’s digital likeness.

Randall began her career at Time Warner, where she held various roles in strategy and innovation, and led the digital transformation of MotorTrend Group. Prior to joining CAA in 2023, she led enterprise-wide initiatives in new technology development, cybersecurity, and IPv6 migration at Apple.

Randall graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Business in marketing and operations and obtained an MBA from Emory University.

Mickaël Raulet, Ateme, CTO

Dr. Mickaël Raulet is CTO at Ateme, where he drives research and innovation with various collaborative R&D projects. He represents Ateme in several standardization bodies: ATSC, DVB, 3GPP, ISO/IEC, ITU, MPEG, DASH-IF, CMAF-IF, SVA, and Ultra HD Forum. Additionally, Raulet is the author of numerous patents and more than 100 conference and scientific journal papers. In 2006, he received his Ph.D. from INSA in electronic and signal processing, in collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric ITE (Rennes, France).

Jamie Reilly, Moment Factory Events & USA, General Manager

As general manager of Moment Factory’s Events & Brands division, Jamie Reilly leads the company’s most high-profile projects, driving client-focused innovation and contributing to global strategic oversight.

With over 20 years of international experience, Reilly has worked on all seven continents for world-class entertainment companies such as Cirque du Soleil and Tomorrowland, overseeing the strategic design of complex immersive environments. Her success is rooted in visionary thinking, strong analytical skills, and long-term planning. Reilly’s ability to pinpoint innovative solutions in partnerships and project delivery management has been crucial in expanding Moment Factory’s core business.

Currently focused on developing large-scale shows and ceremonies, Reilly leverages her extensive experience and deep industry knowledge to excel in the entertainment sector. Her financial acumen and client-centric approach consistently drive her to exceed objectives, transforming targets into unexpected opportunities. Under her direction, projects evolve from ephemeral shows into lasting memories for audiences.

Reilly’s oversight has been essential to the success of high-profile projects such as AT&T’s Discovery District, the FIFA World Cup 2026 brand launch, and the programmable space at Cipriani 25 Broadway. Her governance of Moment Factory’s successful joint venture with Cipriani at 25 Broadway highlights her ability to innovate in business model development and underscores the creative quality and agility for which Moment Factory is recognized.

Scott Rosekrans, Zoic Studios, CG Supervisor | Virtual Production Supervisor; CG Pro and Epic Games, Authorized Unreal Engine Instructor

Scott Rosekrans has been working in CG/VFX for over 20 years and his work has been showcased in an impressive array of television shows and commercials, many of which have earned nominations for Emmy and VES awards. Additionally, his contributions have been instrumental in securing Clio Awards for commercials.

As a Realtime Department Supervisor, Rosekrans spearheads the integration of Unreal Engine across all stages of the postproduction workflow, revolutionizing processes from pre-visualization to final pixel renders. His expertise extends across a multitude of roles, including CG supervision, on-set virtual production aka ICVFX supervision, VR/AR/XR, motion capture technical direction, character fx, crowd simulation, lighting, and animation.

Rosekrans has a passion for sharing his knowledge and has spent the better part of the last decade teaching at a variety of schools including the Gnomon School for Visual Effects. He currently is teaching Unreal courses for ICVFX and Animation as an Epic Games Authorized Instructor for CGPro, an Epic Games Premiere Training Center. He has also sat on panels and given educational lectures at conventions such as NAB, UnrealFest, AWE, InfinityFest, and VES.

Some of his recent work includes Netflix’s Family Switch and The Witcher; Amazon’s The Continental; Marvel’s Secret Invasion; HBO’s The Sympathizer; Apple’s For All Mankind; virtual sets for FOX’s NFL Sunday and “Nascar Cup Series” powered by Unreal; as well as a mixed reality experience for the NFL playoffs and the NBA All Star show for Carnival Cruises.

David Shapiro, Pixellot, President of North America

Jay Tucker, UCLA Anderson School of Management, Executive Director, Center for Mgmt. of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports

Jay Tucker is a marketer, educator, and technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the technology, academic, and entertainment sectors. At UCLA’s Center for Media, Entertainment and Sports, Tucker is responsible for the Center’s vision, thought leadership, educational offerings, and major events – including UCLA’s annual PULSE entertainment conference and Global Sports Business Forum. In this role, he has forged powerful partnerships with Hollywood studios, technology innovators, and executives from the sports and music industries in order to identify the trends and opportunities that will shape the industry. Tucker has also worked to connect underserved communities to career pathways in technology and entertainment and advises a number of non-profit organizations focused on skills and leadership development.

Tucker is passionate about helping executives and entrepreneurs embrace disruption, drive innovation, and build powerful solutions. He founded Silicon Beach @ USC, a two-day experience featuring a venture competition and a conference focused on innovation, investment, and new ventures related to technology and digital content. Tucker also advises The Hollywood Post and Hollywood in Pixels and actively supports the entertainment and startup communities in Southern California.

Mark Turner, MovieLabs, Project Director, Production Technology; Entertainment Technologists, President

Mark Turner is president of Entertainment Technologists, and coordinates the Production Technology program for Movielabs that created the 2030 Vision for the future of content creation. In Turner’s 28 years in the global media industry, he has always been at the intersection of technology and business models. He has held roles from product management, to sales, strategy, business development, and partnerships for start-ups to multi-billion corporates including Ryff, Technicolor, Levels Beyond, RSTOR, Dolby Laboratories, Microsoft, BT Media & Broadcast, and Eutelsat.

Rachel Joy Victor, FBRC.AI, Co-Founder

Rachel Joy Victor is the co-founder of FBRC.AI, a company focused on creating AI-supported tools for the future of content production. Her work as a designer, strategist, and worldbuilder for emerging technologies (XR/AI/web3) focuses on creating cohesive narrative, brand, and product experiences. Victor designs for a range of applications: from multiplatform narratives and immersive experiences, to tools and platforms, to spaces and cities. She draws from her education in computational neuroscience and spatial economics to facilitate the creation of data-informed emergent experience where world simulation, systems design, and cognitive architectures intersect. Victor’s clients have included Disney, HBO, Technicolor, Vans, Ford, Nike, Havas, Meow Wolf, Niantic, and many more.

Dana Ware, ARound, Chief Creative Officer, NFL Projects

Dana Ware develops cutting-edge, AR and VR experiences that blend both virtual and physical realities together in innovative ways. She is the chief creative officer of ARound, a social live event AR gaming platform. Her background includes leading the team at The VOID, and defining the rapidly expanding field of location-based virtual reality in partnership with studios such as Disney, ILMxLab, and Sony.

An internationally acclaimed Chicana director, Ware is also passionate about advancing the AR/VR industry through the inclusion of underrepresented voices, serving as chair for both the IGDA Women in Games International Special Interest Group and co-chair for the local IGDA chapter in Utah, as well as a Future Realities Summit Advisor for the Game Developers Conference.

Lucas Wilson, Advanced Systems Group (ASG), Business Development

Lucas Wilson has 30 years of experience at the intersection of technology and creativity, with leadership roles in media and entertainment. As VP of sales for Cameron|Pace Group, he helped drive the adoption of theatrical 3D. As CEO of Supersphere, he led over 250 live immersive media productions for major clients like Paul McCartney, Meta, and Samsung. Wilson is now part of the team at ASG helping to pioneer the widespread adoption of cloud production. A member of the Producers Guild of America, he was the first producer admitted for his work in virtual reality.