Luxury & Fashion Innovator | Founder & Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey | NEW BOOK out on 01/17: Into The Metaverse | Speaker |Ex: AWS, Magic Leap, HTC | Virtual Fashion & Couture, Gaming, AR, Connected Fashion

Cathy Hackl is a globally recognized tech & gaming executive, futurist, and speaker focused on AI (including multimodal & on-device AI), spatial computing, virtual worlds, next-gen consumer experiences, new commerce models, strategic foresight, and gaming platform strategy. As one of the top tech voices on LinkedIn, she serves as an External Advisor to BCG’s Frontier Tech practice (AI, Quantum, XR, IoT, Web3), and is founder & CEO of Future Dynamics, overseeing her professional speaking, thought leadership, and publishing. She has worked at Amazon Web Services (AI & Simulation Services), Magic Leap, and HTC VIVE, advising Fortune 100 brands like Nike, Walmart, Louis Vuitton, and Estee Lauder on emerging tech and gaming journeys. She’s built large-scale virtual experiences in Roblox and Fortnite, produced virtual concerts, and is an Apple Vision Pro developer.
Named by Newsweek as a Top 25 AI Visionary of 2024 and a Top Latina Women in AI, her accolades also include recognition as one of Ad Age’s Leading Women of 2023, a cover feature for Forbes Latam’s 100 Most Powerful Women 2023, and a spot on the Vogue Business 100 Innovators list—underscoring her profound influence in the tech world.
As a sought-after keynote speaker, she hosted this year’s inaugural AI House at CES, and has spoken at Harvard Business School, MIT, SXSW, Comic-Con, the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos 2023, CES, and more. She hosts Adweek’s TechMagic podcast and is known in tech circles as the Godmother of the Metaverse. Her media appearances span CNBC’s Squawk Box, 60 Minutes, CNN, Good Morning America, GQ, Time, The Economist, Bloomberg, and Vogue Singapore. In 2022, she became the first human to ring NASDAQ’s opening bell physically and in avatar form, doing so live on television.
Hackl has taught at IE Business School and SDA Bocconi, and authored 5 books, including Into the Metaverse: The Essential Guide to the Business Opportunities of the Web3 Era and The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR, and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make, and Spatial Computing: An AI-Driven Business Revolution. 
Her personal research explores the future of dating & relationships, Gen Alpha & Beta, neural interfaces, BCI, space marketing, and the post-smartphone era. With a deep passion for frontier technology, she continuously evolves, helping Fortune 100 companies strategize and implement AI and emerging tech solutions—solidifying her place as one of the world’s leading tech trailblazers.

Cathy Hackl

What if gaming isn’t just about fun, but the foundation of our digital future?

During the Global Blockchain Show in Abu Dhabi I shared my perspective on how I view gaming as infrastructure. The virtual worlds built through engines like Unity and Unreal are not just experiences. They are the base layer of a new digital economy.

As we move beyond smartphones into wearables and smart glasses, the virtual layer will expand into our physical world. That shift could unlock an entirely new virtual GDP, and Web3 and blockchain may play a critical role in enabling trust and financing this next evolution.

Gaming is no longer just play. It may be the backbone of what comes next.

I shared the stage with my fellow tech pioneers and friends Yat Siu BORGET Sebastien Wissam Younane at the Global Blockchain Show.


#GlobalBlockchainShow #GBS2026 #Gaming #AI #SpatialAI #smartglasses #wearables #MWC26 #GDC #DCBlockchain

I’m honored to join the inaugural cohort of the Semafor World Economy Principals.

This carefully curated and highly influential community brings together global CEOs, policymakers, builders, and innovators who are actively shaping the next chapter of the world economy. Principals are nominated by peers and institutions and selected for their leadership, ideas, and real-world impact. Semafor World Economy, convening in Washington, DC, is the largest gathering of global chief executives in the United States.

At a moment of extraordinary global change, the conversations around technology, AI, and the future of markets matter more than ever. I’m looking forward to joining this exceptional group in Washington, DC this Spring to engage in high-trust discussions about the forces reshaping our economies, industries, and societies.

Grateful to contribute my perspective on AI, spatial computing, physical AI, world models, XR, gaming and the convergence of technologies that are redefining how we live, work, and connect. 

#SemaforWorldEconomy #SWE #AI #SpatialComputing #SpatialAI #TechConvergence #WorldModels #Gaming #XR #keynotespeakers

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