Building the Open Metaverse is a podcast that invites a broad range of technical experts to share their insights on how the community is building the metaverse together.
Hosted by
Patrick Cozzi
Marc Petit
Guests:
Dana Chermesh-Reshef, co-founder of inCitu, discusses her transformative journey as an entrepreneur in residence at Schmidt Futures. She explains how inCitu uses AR to revolutionize urban planning, making community engagement more inclusive. Dana highlights the impact of visualizing future developments to foster better collaboration and address urban challenges.
Guests:
Vlado Koylazov, co-founder of Chaos and creator of V-Ray, discusses his journey in computer graphics, the development of V-Ray and Chaos Vantage, challenges in real-time rendering, and the impact of AI on the industry. He shares insights on virtual production, USD adoption, and the future of rendering technology.
Guests:
Inga Petryaevskaya, CEO of ShapesXR, shares her journey from machine learning at Siemens to pioneering VR collaboration tools. ShapesXR enhances design and collaboration in immersive environments, integrating real-time prototyping and storytelling. Inga discusses the impact of VR on industries, AI integration, and future advancements in XR technology.
Guests:
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Neha Singh, CEO of Obsess.vr, discusses revolutionizing e-commerce with immersive 3D virtual stores. Combining her background in computer science and fashion, Singh leverages real-time 3D tech to transform online shopping into engaging experiences. Obsess partners with major brands to create innovative virtual shopping environments, enhancing customer engagement and brand storytelling.
Guests:
In this episode, Will Eastcott, co-founder and CEO of PlayCanvas, shares his journey from working on AAA games like Call of Duty to pioneering web-based game development with PlayCanvas. He discusses the impact of open standards, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the future potential of WebGL and WebGPU.
Guests:
Joseph Kim, CEO of Lila Games, shares his journey from working at major companies to founding his own game studio in India. He discusses the challenges, values, and work ethic required for a successful startup, as well as insights into the gaming industry’s current state and future trends.
Guests:
Virginie Maillard, Head of Siemens’ Simulation & Digital Twin research, discusses the industrial metaverse, digital twins, open standards like OpenUSD, and Siemens’ strategy for driving industry digitalization. She shares insights on sustainability, interoperability challenges, and advice for women in STEM fields.
Guests:
Ashley Crowder, co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, discusses her journey in pioneering the company’s innovative platform that empowers enterprises to leverage 3D and augmented reality. She shares insights on the importance of open standards, challenges in 3D asset management, and the future impact of immersive technologies across industries.
Guests:
Alex Mahon, a pioneering media CEO, shares her insights on driving digital transformation, embracing immersive experiences, and championing diversity and sustainability in the television industry. Her bold vision and principled leadership are reshaping the future of media, blending traditional broadcasting with cutting-edge technologies and social responsibility.
Guests:
Tim Bates reflects on 2023 – the hype and reality of AI, lessons from his time at GM and Lenovo, the future of cars with software, standards needed for the open metaverse, and why computing accessibility matters for creating opportunity.
Guests:
In this episode, Marc Petit speaks with Anne Asensio, VP of Design Experience at Dassault Systemes. Anne discusses her career, emphasizing human-centered design and her journey in the metaverse. She highlights the evolution of 3D design tools and the potential of the metaverse in addressing global challenges like sustainability.
Guests:
Aras Pranckevičius, Unity’s fourth employee, discusses game engine evolution, AI in programming, the staying power of simple 3D file formats, and the promise of Gaussian splatting. He praises Blender’s community and ponders the maturity of 3D on the web.
Guests:
Yonatan Raz-Fridman, entrepreneur and host of the “Into the Metaverse” podcast discusses his journey to the metaverse, building social experiences on Roblox and Fortnite, the future of virtual worlds, advice for entrepreneurs, and the importance of spreading joy.
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Guests:
CEO Tino Millar discusses his background and how it led him to found Move AI, a company using AI to turn 2D video into 3D animation. He explains their goal of democratizing complex animation creation.
Ken Russell and Corentin Wallez discuss using WebGPU, WebGL, and other web technologies to build an open, accessible metaverse. They examine performance, security, multi-user experiences, and more.
Guests:
Lawyer Liz Rothman discusses AI ethics, IP, and web3. She covers responsible AI development, transparency needs, generative content IP, removing training bias, and global coordination. Rothman sees promises in EU’s AI Act but worries about overall regulatory pace when the pace of technological development is relentless.
Guests:
CG legend Jim Blinn joins the Building the Open Metaverse podcast. He recounts his pioneering work in computer graphics, from bump mapping to the Voyager flybys and reflects on the past and future of CG, VR, AI and research.
Guests:
Bilawal Sidhu discusses his journey in AR/VR and AI. He provides insights on creator tools, platform strategies, and ethical AI. Sidhu recommends embracing AI as a tool and focusing on utility for mainstream AR/VR adoption.
Guests:
VP and GM of XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
VP and GM of XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Hugo Swart from Qualcomm discusses their role as a technology provider enabling XR devices. He shares Qualcomm’s vision for XR as the next compute platform and their progress towards an open, interoperable metaverse.
Guests:
Pixar CTO Steve May discussed his 25-year career in animation and visual effects. He pioneered tools for classics like Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, and Cars. Now he spearheads next generation pipelines with Universal Scene Description (USD). Steve aims to make USD an international standard as chair of the new Alliance for OpenUSD.
Guests:
Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss her leadership journey, building an ecosystem, and augmented reality in the metaverse.
Guests:
President, IEEE Standards Association
President, IEEE Standards Association
Marc Petit (Epic Games) is joined by Yu Yuan, President of the IEEE Standards Association, to talk about the wide-ranging history of the organization, its standards, and how the IEEE is helping to standardize the metaverse.
Guests:
Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) are joined by Stefano Corazza, Head of Roblox Studio, to discuss 3D technology, the metaverse, machine learning, and the creative power of Roblox Studio. Discover the potential of these technologies and gain exclusive insights into the future of virtual experiences.
Guests:
Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) are joined by Brian Karis, an Engineering Fellow at Epic Games, to talk about Nanite. This virtualized geometry system was developed in Unreal Engine 5 and has completely transformed the level of quality and detail expected in real-time experiences and games.
Guests:
John Gaeta, inventor and Academy Award-winning designer, joins the Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss AI driven storytelling and interactive content.
Guests:
Andre Gauthier joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the evolution of real-time technology.
Guests:
Dirk Lueth, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Upland, one of the largest blockchain-based metaverses, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss digital economics in the Metaverse.
Guests:
Anton Kaplanyan, VP of Graphics Research at Intel, joins the Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the future of visual graphics in the metaverse.
Guests:
Ben Grossmann, Oscar-winning visual effects specialist and co-founder of Magnopus, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss AR/VR, mixed reality, and immersive storytelling in the Metaverse.
Guests:
Amit Jain, Co-Founder of Luma AI, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the future of 3D and neural rendering.
Guests:
Founder and President, Boathouse Group, Inc.
Founder and President, Boathouse Group, Inc.
Karen Baker, thought leader on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Founder and President, Boathouse Group, Inc, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss design justice principles in the Metaverse.
Guests:
Kurt Akeley, a computer graphics pioneer who led the definition of Open GL, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the history of computer graphics and what is in store for the future.
Guests:
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Animoca Brands; Founder and CEO, Outblaze
Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, Animoca Brands; Founder and CEO, Outblaze
Yat Siu, Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Animoca Brands, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss why Web3 is pivotal to the metaverse and what the future holds for this industry.
Guests:
Matthew Ball, CEO of Epyllion, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to wrap up Season 3 with a discussion about key developments in metaverse technology, the state of the market, and his latest book, The Metaverse: And How it Will Revolutionize Everything.
Guests:
Jon Radoff, CEO of Beamable, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the current landscape and emerging trends in the Metaverse.
Guests:
Philip Rosedale, creator of Second Life, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the evolution of metaverse technology and philosophy over the last several decades.
Guests:
Keith Bentley, Executive VP, CTO & Co-Founder of Bentley Systems joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to talk about digital twins, interoperability and open source, and his unique career as a technologist and business leader.
Guests:
Christine Marzano, CEO and Co-Founder of BODS, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to talk about her career journey in fashion and technology and the future of virtual fit solutions in the metaverse.
Guests:
innovator, entrepreneur, and artist
innovator, entrepreneur, and artist
Ping Fu, innovator, entrepreneur, and artist, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to describe her journey from China to Co-founding a leading 3D software company, the boards of LiveNation, Burning Man and others, and discuss how the metaverse will bridge the real and virtual worlds.
Guests:
Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, CTO of Meta and Head of Reality Labs, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to talk about Meta’s vision for the metaverse, VR, platforms, and much more.
Guests:
Timmu Tõke, CEO and Co-Founder of Ready Player Me, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss avatars and identity in the metaverse.
Guests:
Carl Bass, former President and CEO of Autodesk, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the role of CAD in the metaverse. Mr. Bass shares his thoughts on generative design tools, 3D printing, and digital twins for the metaverse.
Guests:
Vice President, Omniverse & Simulation Technology, NVIDIA
Vice President, Omniverse & Simulation Technology, NVIDIA
Rev Lebaredian, Vice President, Omniverse & Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss his journey in tech, current work, and computer graphics and AI for the metaverse.
Guests:
Neal Stephenson, author and Co-founder of LAMINA1, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to share what inspired him to write books like Snow Crash and Cryptonomicon, and his thoughts on the technology necessary to empower and pay creators in the open metaverse.
Guests:
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group and VP of Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA, rejoins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to kick off season 3. The group shares a recap of the Building the Open Metaverse full day course at SIGGRAPH, updates on the Metaverse Standards Forum, and a preview of upcoming podcast guests and topics.
Guests:
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA, returns to join Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) for a discussion about the newly created Metaverse Standards Forum and the upcoming Building the Open Metaverse full-day course at SIGGRAPH 2022.
Guests:
Michaël Trabbia, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the Orange Group, joins Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss telecommunications in the metaverse. Topics include 5G, the evolution of infrastructure, open standards, and more.
Guests:
Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Autodesk
Executive Vice President, Chief Technology Officer, Autodesk
Raji Arasu, Executive Vice President and CTO, and Diana Colella, SVP for Media & Entertainment at Autodesk join Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the company’s role in the metaverse. The discussion covers the creation of models and content, business models, digital twins, virtual and cloud based production, XR, and more.
Guests:
Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Spectrum Labs; Co-Founder, Oasis Consortium
Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Spectrum Labs; Co-Founder, Oasis Consortium
Tiffany Xingyu Wang, a leader at the intersection of AI and Trust and Safety, and Mark DeLoura, game industry veteran, join Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss Trust and Safety in the Metaverse. This episode covers technical and human challenges, policy and business considerations, and the opportunities ahead in building an ethical future for the metaverse.
Guests:
Former President, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios
Former President, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios
Dr. Ed Catmull, Former President of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) for a wide-ranging discussion that includes Dr. Catmull’s insights on the creation of the first computer-animated feature films, personal experiences working with George Lucas and Steve Jobs, nurturing creativity in organizations, how openness advanced technology in the Computer Graphics community, and the storytelling potential of the metaverse.
Guests:
Glenn Entis, Academy Award-winning animation pioneer, game industry veteran, and former CEO of Dreamworks Interactive joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss “Creativity in the Metaverse.” This episode covers his journey from computer graphics to feature films, his advice for entrepreneurs, and thoughts on art, animation, and AI in the metaverse.
Guests:
Sébastien Borget, Co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss Web3, crypto-gaming and NFTs in the metaverse.
Guests:
Michael Abrash, Chief Scientist, Reality Labs at Meta, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to cover human interaction in the metaverse, achieving a sense of co-presence in VR and AR, the future of haptics and electromyography, and Meta’s commitment to the metaverse.
Guests:
Ray tracing pioneer Eric Haines, Distinguished Engineer at NVIDIA, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) to talk computer graphics – its evolution over decades, its contribution to the foundations of the metaverse, the idea-sharing that characterizes the community, and advice for young people breaking into the field.
Guests:
Sébastien Deguy, VP of 3D & Immersive at Adobe, joins the podcast to discuss his journey to the metaverse including the founding of Allegorithmic, the company behind Substance tools used for creating textures that are widely used by AAA game creators, animators, designers, and visual effects artists in the game and movie industries, and what’s next for 3D technology at Adobe.
Guests:
Chief Technology Officer and GM, Improbable Multiplayer Services
Chief Technology Officer and GM, Improbable Multiplayer Services
Lincoln Wallen, CTO of Improbable, joins the podcast to discuss scaling in the metaverse and share insights from his career, including leading Electronic Arts through the mobile revolution and modernizing the production pipeline at Dreamworks Animation, among other achievements.
Guests:
Metaverse expert and author Matthew Ball returns to kick off Season 2 of the podcast with a discussion about the state of the metaverse.
Senior Software Engineers at Google, Brandon Jones and Kai Ninomiya, join Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) to discuss the origin of WebGPU and the state of its ecosystem.
Dr. Mark Sagar, CEO of Soul Machines, and Vladimir Mastilović, VP of Digital Human Technology at Epic Games, join hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss their approaches to creating digital humans and the role they will play in the metaverse.
Guests:
Kim Davidson, President and CEO of SideFX joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss his 35 year career in computer graphics, the origin of Houdini, and how creators will use procedural content generation in the metaverse.
Guests:
SVP, Chief Creative Officer, Industrial Light & Magic; SVP, Creative Innovation, Lucasfilm
SVP, Chief Creative Officer, Industrial Light & Magic; SVP, Creative Innovation, Lucasfilm
Rob Bredow, Academy Award nominated VFX Supervisor with roles at Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm, and the Academy Software Foundation, joins Marc Petit (Epic Games) for a discussion about the evolution of visual effects and immersive storytelling.
Guests:
Distinguished Technical Fellow and Chief Architect, VP, Professional Artistry & Graphics Innovation, Unity
Distinguished Technical Fellow and Chief Architect, VP, Professional Artistry & Graphics Innovation, Unity
Natalya Tatarchuk, Distinguished Technical Fellow and Chief Architect, and VP, Professional Artistry & Graphics Innovation at Unity Technologies, joins Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss her long career in graphics engineering and rendering, how to provide creators with accessible technology, and the challenges ahead in the quest to build the open metaverse.
Guests:
Christina Heller, CEO of Metastage, joins the podcast to discuss how volumetric capture enables the creation of award-winning immersive projects, their Reality Capture partnership with Microsoft, and the future of digital production in the metaverse.
Guests:
Kim Libreri, formerly of Lucasfilm and current Chief Technology Officer at Epic Games, joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss moviemaking, world-building, and VFX technology in The Matrix films and beyond.
Guests:
Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY and Founder of RNDR, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss real-time rendering for films, games, and the metaverse.
Guests:
Innovation Manager, IKEA; Vice President, The Khronos Group
Innovation Manager, IKEA; Vice President, The Khronos Group
Martin Enthed, Innovation Manager at IKEA, joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) on Building the Open Metaverse to discuss his pioneering work in computer graphics, spatial computing, and 3D development at IKEA, and his advocacy for open standards as Vice President of The Khronos Group.
Guests:
Guido Quaroni, Senior Director of Engineering at Adobe 3D&I, joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) on Building the Open Metaverse to share the origin of USD and insights from his work at Pixar and Adobe.
Guests:
Morgan McGuire, Chief Scientist at Roblox, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss research areas at Roblox, including applied data science, user research, and scaling for the metaverse.
Guests:
Ruth Suehle, Director of Community Outreach at Red Hat, joins Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) for a special bonus episode of Building the Open Metaverse that looks back at the metaverse in the year 2021.
Guests:
Michael Kass, senior distinguished engineer at NVIDIA and the overall software architect of NVIDIA Omniverse, joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) on Building the Open Metaverse to discuss collaboration with NVIDIA Omniverse.
Guests:
Vladimir Vukićević, Director of Lightweight XR at Unity Technologies, and inventor of WebGL, joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the origin and current state of 3D on the web, open standards for the metaverse, and more.
Guests:
Nadine Alameh, CEO of Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) joins hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss the role of geospatial data and open standards in the metaverse.
Guests:
VP, Engineering, Amazon Web Services
VP, Engineering, Amazon Web Services
Bill Vass, VP of Engineering at Amazon Web Services joins host Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games) to discuss Cloud Infrastructure for the Metaverse.
Guests:
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
President, The Khronos Group, and VP, Developer Ecosystems, NVIDIA
Industry Manager, Epic Games and Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation
Industry Manager, Epic Games and Executive Director, Academy Software Foundation
Technologists Neil Trevett, President of The Khronos Group and VP of Developer Ecosystems at NVIDIA; Ruth Suehle, Director of Community Outreach at Red Hat; and David Morin of the Academy Software Foundation, discuss governance of open standards on the Building the Open Metaverse podcast hosted by Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games).
Guests Matthew Ball, metaverse investor and author of The Metaverse Primer, and Samantha G. Wolfe, founder at PitchFWD and adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt, join hosts Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit (Epic Games), to share their take on what the metaverse is, how to explain it, and their vision of a more immersive, intuitive, and collaborative future.
