WELCOME TO THE SEATTLE CHAPTER OF THE GLOBAL ASSOCIATION FOR VR AND AR

WHY JOIN VRARA SEATTLE?

The Seattle Chapter of the VR/AR Association, serves as one of the major beacons for innovative development in the re-emergence and paradigm-shifting world of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality technologies. We already have a thriving base of hardware and software companies in our local VR/AR/MR community; but that is only a fraction of the potential that the second, third and even fourth wave of developers will have to offer when the masses adopt. Along with an ever-growing network of VRARA chapters, we look to educate and connect the global community to the learnings and unique possibilities we have now, and in the not too distant future.

Our goals are to share knowledge and wisdom, perform experiments that push the boundaries of XR, and to provide opportunities to be an active part of the XR community through projects, learning opportunities, and connecting Seattle XR with the global XR community.

Combined with the other chapters around the globe, we have access to incredible resources including networking, presentation and collaborative opportunities, equipment rentals, and discounts. 

Join us to get so much more than a meetup. Join us to be part of the future.

"Event description: Do you want to experience scenic and cultural heritage locations worldwide but just can't find the time? Join us as we continue discovering how Virtual Reality (VR) gives us an amazing way to experience the world like never before. Join Eric Hanson, Founder and CEO of Blueplanet VR who will share his captured environments, amazing case studies, and techniques anyone can use. The VRARA Seattle Chapter team, Roberto Haza, Julia Beabout, and Arian Kulp invite everyone to network, learn and connect as we go behind the scenes to explore this rich collection of volumetric experiences of powerful scenic and cultural heritage locations worldwide.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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PAST EVENTS

NEWS

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THE TEAM

Chapter President: Roberto Haza - roberto@thevrara.com

Roberto, a marketing executive with a background in electrical and telecom engineering, brings a wealth of experience to the technology landscape. With 20+ years of diverse roles in engineering and marketing, he has played pivotal roles at industry giants like Sony Electronics, T-Mobile, Mattel, and Spin Master. Throughout his career, Roberto led teams that successfully launched numerous product lines and marketing programs, often incorporating VR or AR elements.

Today, Roberto is the Founder CEO of Xtended Reality Advisory, a consulting group specializing in immersive VR and AR technologies, 360 Degree Tour Design, and technology training. He holds an MBA, with majors in Entrepreneurship and Marketing, from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, alongside a BS in Electrical and Telecommunications Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana.

Roberto's mission to reactivate and foster the Seattle Chapter of VRARA, aligning with the region's dynamic technology ecosystem, is well underway. He is enthusiastic about supporting and growing the local VRARA community, and is thrilled to lead the VRARA Seattle Chapter, flourishing and establishing it as a vibrant hub for collaboration, learning, and groundbreaking advancements in immersive technology.

Programs Chair: Julia Beabout- Julia.beabout@novaby.com

Julia has 25+ years experience leading clients and organizations through highly technical, creative projects up to $200 million, in the virtual and real worlds. As an expert and thought leader in AR Placemaking and Collective Memory practice, she has spoken on the subject for ARIA at the MIT Media Lab, U.S. State Department, Augmented World Expo (AWE), Architects Institute of America, the University of Washington, the VRAR Association, and the National Consortium for Creative Placemaking. 

She has a BS in Architectural Engineering from Penn State University and an MA in Asian Studies from the Florida International University where her research focused on Collective Memory Theory and practice. She is registered Professional Engineer (PE), Leed Accredited Professional, and U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholar. She speaks, reads and writes Chinese.

Julia is also co-founder of Tech in the Tenderloin (TNT), a non-profit that connects low-opportunity youth with high-opportunity tech through fun events and educational activities in the Tenderloi neighborhood of San Francisco and beyond.

Communications Chair: Arian Kulp - arian@vrvoyaging.com

Arian is a lifelong software developer with many years of experience writing desktop, web, mobile, and even embedded apps. He has worked with companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and MCI (now Verizon), along with many smaller startups. With over 20 years of experience, he has worked in telecom, developer evangelism, analytics and visualizations, and healthcare software development.

Arian is the founder of VR Voyaging, a web site focused on experiential virtual reality technologies including VR, AR, and MR. His site reviews apps from the smallest to the largest developers, spanning travel, cultural heritage, and a wealth of educational topics. He has a passion for fostering new experiences and sharing them with the world and reporting on how VR has the potential to enrich, not just entertain.

Arian joined the Seattle Chapter of the VRARA to assist with content development including written and multimedia content. He has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over ten years and is excited about being part of the vibrant community of virtual reality developers, promoters, and researchers that are part of the Seattle Chapter. He looks forward to forging connections across the spectrum of talent and interests represented by this diverse group.

Chapter Advisors

Dan Collin

Dan Collin is Founder at Kickstart Digital. Kickstart Digital is a digital innovation collective that helps innovation and investment leaders in corporate, startup and lab environments to spark, incubate, and accelerate breakthrough new products and ventures.The collective is comprised of core business, investment and design consulting, combined with a complimentary network of digital design, development, data science and demand-generation providers. Kickstart Digital conceives and executes programs around a thesis that defines a rapidly-emerging new class of Immersive Experience Technologies, based on AI, XR and IoT. And envisions their transformational impact on categories where experience, knowledge and brand relationships are core to value, growth and advantage. 

Boaz Ashkenazy

Boaz Ashkenazy is the founder and CEO of Simply Augmented, a software company that helps businesses scale by making them more efficient and their employees more productive. Simply Augmented specializes in building automation tools and integrating AI and AR seamlessly into an organization’s existing workflows and tech stacks, while prioritizing privacy and security.

Prior to his current role, Boaz held a position at Meta, where he worked within the enterprise engineering team building productivity solutions for employees and providing strategic leadership for Meta’s efforts to realize enterprise XR goals.

Boaz also has an entrepreneurial track record, as the co-founder of Linkroom, a 3D meeting platform that was later acquired by Expo Pass. He was also the founding partner of Studio216, a 3D visualization firm, and practiced as an architect in Seattle, Washington.

In academia, Boaz has served as adjunct faculty at the University of Washington and held a board position at design publication ARCADE. His industry influence extends to co-chairing the Khronos 3DCommerce Working Group, where he played a key role in setting standards for streamlined 3D content creation, management, and display in the e-commerce sector.