The XR Association (XRA) announced at its Limitless Future Conference on Tuesday it had opened its XR for All Foundation (XRAF).
The event united global professionals in extended reality (XR) and the educational sector to develop new use cases and resources for immersive technologies.
Liz Hyman, Chief Executive of the XR Association, said that the XRA was “committed” to creating a diverse workforce so that technologies developed in the market represented the “full spectrum of users, lived experience, and imagination.”
Hyman, also the President of the XRAF, said in a statement,
“The future is bright for the XR industry and the XR workforce must be diverse to ensure that the technology is truly a democratizing force – preparing users for impactful careers both in the XR industry and across other industries as well”
The event comes as the XRA passed in Congress a resolution to designate November as National XR Month to celebrate the achievements, development, and deployment of immersive technologies.
XRAF Members, Goals
The Foundation aims to boost the development of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in immersive technology workforces via research and partnerships.
Members of the Foundation include,
- President Elizabeth Hyman, XR Association
- Treasurer Christina Sawyers, XR Association
- Chair Jessica Lindl, Unity Technologies
- Secretary Denise Zheng, Accenture
- Esther Jeong, Meta Platforms
- Naria Santalucia, Microsoft
The new group will also liaise with communities to discuss how XR technologies will benefit society and build career opportunities.
Jessica Lindl, GM and VP of Social Impact and Education at Unity, added the XR industry was committed to making Unity’s technologies more “equitable and accessible to all.” She added the XRAF was also an “important step in making that goal a reality.”
She added,
“XR is immersive technology poised to transform the way people work, play, and learn across the globe. Through each of these elements, we will position the XR industry for long-term success and create an opportunity for the best possible impact in every community”
CHIPS Act Passed
The news comes months after the XRA, joining lobbying efforts with the Congressional Reality Caucus, saw the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) for America Act, leading to the US Government funding billions for emerging technologies across the country.
Hyman lauded the Act as a “watershed moment” at the time, namely after US President Joe Biden approved $250 billion for research and development (R&D) funding, with a part allocated for XR technologies.
The LFC event featured some of the world’s top XR firms, professionals, and developers to discuss how immersive technologies streamline and boost training, talent, and education.
Companies such as Meta Platforms, Google, PIXO VR, Circuit Stream, ArborXR, and many others joined the one-day event. Speakers from esteemed firms such as Accenture, Penumbra, WestRock, the Association for Talent Development in Atlanta offered their expertise on immersive industries and
