Howard 702 Taylor is a VR digital enthusiast and content creator who hosts "The Howard Hour," a weekly series in Horizon Worlds. Howard's mission is to bring awareness to VR, XR, and AR technologies in the metaverse, highlighting what's cool and what to avoid.Key Takeaways:

• VR as a Platform for Connection: Howard discovered VR's potential for community building and creative expression through experiences in Horizon Worlds.
• Tethering Virtual and Real Experiences: Howard emphasizes the importance of maintaining organic, genuine interactions in virtual spaces, recognizing the real emotions and energy people bring into VR.
• Impact Beyond Entertainment: The Howard Hour has shown its potential to positively influence viewers' lives, even preventing potentially harmful actions.
• Global Reach of VR Content: Howard's experience at AWE demonstrated the international impact of his work, transcending language barriers.
• Future Focus on Mental Health: Howard plans to expand The Howard Hour to address mental health issues and create a space for authentic human experiences in the digital realm.

Howard's journey into VR began with a serendipitous experience in Horizon Worlds, where he performed his music in a virtual comedy club. This moment revealed VR's potential for creative expression and community building, inspiring the creation of The Howard Hour.

The concept of "tethering" the metaverse to real life is central to Howard's approach. He stresses the importance of maintaining genuine, organic interactions in virtual spaces, recognizing that real emotions and energy translate into VR experiences. This philosophy has led to meaningful connections and impactful moments with his audience.

A pivotal moment for Howard was when a viewer shared that The Howard Hour had prevented them from making a potentially life-altering mistake. This experience underscored the show's potential to positively influence lives beyond mere entertainment.Howard's impact was further validated at the AWE conference, where an international attendee recognized him and shared a clip from The Howard Hour, demonstrating the global reach of his content despite language barriers.

About Howard Taylor
Howard702lv is a virtual personality known for his presence on the Howard Hour Live show in the metaverse. With a charismatic and engaging personality, Howard702lv brings a unique perspective to the show, offering insightful commentary on a variety of topics ranging from technology and gaming to current events and pop culture.

As a seasoned virtual entertainer, Howard702lv has built a loyal following of fans who tune in regularly to watch him in action on the show. His quick wit, infectious energy, and passion for engaging with his audience make him a standout figure in the metaverse entertainment scene.

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

Austin Stanbury is the co-founder of Augmented Info Systems, a VR development studio focused on enhancing accessibility in education, particularly for neurodivergent individuals with high support needs. The company aims to create immersive learning experiences that benefit all students by addressing diverse learning styles and needs.Key Takeaways:

• Accessibility in Education: Augmented Info Systems prioritizes making educational tools accessible for neurodivergent individuals, which ultimately enhances the learning experience for everyone.
• Virtual Reality as a "Helping Technology": VR is utilized to simulate real-life scenarios, allowing users to practice skills and navigate challenging social interactions in a safe environment.
• Vocational Training Support: The company develops tools that help neurodiverse individuals build confidence and autonomy through vocational training and mental health support.
• Collaboration with Institutions: Partnering with educational institutions and support centers provides valuable insights into the needs of neurodiverse learners, ensuring the tools developed are effective and relevant.
• Long-Term Vision: Austin dreams of establishing an educational facility that leverages VR across all subjects, aiming to remove barriers to learning and provide multimodal instruction tailored to individual needs.

Austin discusses how VR can help individuals practice everyday situations, such as workplace interactions or health-related scenarios, which can be particularly daunting for those with anxiety or social challenges. This approach not only prepares users for real-world experiences but also fosters personal dignity and self-esteem.

The insights gained from collaborating with support centers have been instrumental in shaping the direction of Augmented Info Systems. Austin emphasizes that the focus should always be on the needs of the people being served, ensuring that the technology developed genuinely addresses their challenges.


About Austin Stanburry:
Austin Stanbury, CEO of Augmented Info Systems (AIS), has a wealth of expertise in project management, edutech, and virtual reality development. His professional experience spans roles as an adjunct professor, senior consultant, and co-founder. Austin's work has been showcased globally at major venues including AWE, ACM VRST, IEEE GEM, and Games for Change. He is dedicated to establishing virtual reality as a default educational technology for everyone.

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

Alicia Navarrette shares the journey of Cheechable, a community of digital creators and ethnobotanists working towards a symbiotic future. Learn how they're leveraging mixed reality to open minds and inspire new possibilities in the emerging cannabis industry.

Alicia Navarrette, Creator of Cheechable

Cheechable is an immersive independent media collective where digital creators and ethnobotany intersect. The mission of the organization is to inspire, instruct, and invigorate our capacity to live a symbiotic existence.

We are a community who is open to experimentation, cultural research, and design as the pathways to sustainable futures.

The commercial landscape of the 21st Century has shown us needs in social, economic, and environmental perspectives that have been previously underrepresented. Cheechable conversations are representative of humanities’ future concerns, like sustainable community systems, new experiential language, and creating space.

We deliver these explorations with a quarterly publication, talk show, and live events. We further examine these ideas of culture and commercialism in the Futurist blog and carry limited product runs in our shop.

We accept written, visual, short film, short animation, and performance contributions on a rolling basis. Check out cheechable.com or @cheechable_world on instagram for more ways to get involved or hire our design team.

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.