Cindy Ball is a seasoned leader with a diverse background in education, entertainment, healthcare, training, and job skilling, with a focus on immersive technologies. She leads with extensive experience in strategy, product development, content production, research, and partnership management.
At Meta, Cindy led global programs and partnerships, including the $50M XR Programs & Research Fund, driving metaverse research and solutions for over 90 orgs worldwide, including the WHO, the Organization of American States, and the World Economic Forum. She also launched Oculus for Education, transforming learning through investments in academic research, bringing VR to hundreds of libraries, museums, and schools around the world.
At Microsoft, Cindy drove the production of pioneering AR experiences and platform development for the HoloLens and led the development and launch of Microsoft Learning, a large-scale online learning and certification platform.
Cindy is also passionate about game development, animation, and content production. She co-founded and managed an animation studio for a decade and collaborated with other game studios to build products for clients such as Microsoft, Sony Online Entertainment, and Disney. She also developed a cutting-edge digital ink and paint system for TV animation while at Hanna-Barbara Productions, where her love of innovation took root.
Paula Cuneo is a digital entertainment and technology vet and well-known industry leader, having worked for more than two decades across production, business dev, licensing, experiential, brand, social impact, and trans-media marketing.
Paula is a pioneer in video game brand partnerships and helped establish the now ubiquitous in-game advertising business, working with brands like Jeep, Puma, Burger King and Red Bull in games like Spiderman, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Call of Duty.
Part of the VR Vanguard, Paula helped launch the DK2, the Oculus Rift, the Touch Controllers, Gear VR, the Oculus Go and Quest, and now the metaverse, where she works to center the marketing and community programming on equity, inclusivity, accessibility, and authentic representation to help build the foundation for a safe, inclusive, equitable, and fun metaverse for all.
A creative Marketing lead who envisions and executes strategic programs driven and bespoke event activations, Paula created and launched Meta Connect, Oculus VR for Good & Creators Lab, Oculus Launch Pad, the VR eSports Challenger League and other first of their kind partnerships and programs.
Monica is a leading expert in immersive technology, using it to empower people to learn, connect and create in ways they never could before. She is deeply committed to using XR technology to increase access to education and fundamentally transform the way we learn.
As the former Head of Immersive Learning at Meta, and a pioneering leader on Interactive Learning Labs at Amazon, Monica is a visionary and leading figure in the field of immersive education. She is dedicated to developing innovative products, programs, and content to make learning more powerful and accessible.
As a dynamic team leader and collaborator, Cynthia has spent her 25+ year career at the intersection of technology innovation, strategic partnerships, product development, and storytelling. During her twelve years at Microsoft, Cynthia led product strategy, developers, designers, and QA to launch ground-breaking apps and experiences.
Cynthia’s commitment to empowering customers through functional design has resulted in user interface patent awards and a long list of commercially successful product launches.
Her drive for emerging technologies has enabled her to work with top organizations such as the WHO, NHS and UNGA, entertainers such as Julia Child, and major brands such as Nexus Studios, The Glimpse Group, Ford, BMW, and AT&T. Her passion is connecting and collaborating with brilliant innovators, technologists and entrepreneurs to create products that positively impact the world.