While the metaverse is a relatively new concept for most of us, this week’s guest has worked in this space for some time.

Our guest on Manufacturing Happy Hour is emergent technologist and GatherVerse founder, Christopher Lafayette.

Tune in to hear about Christopher’s background, what his job title really means, his take on the metaverse’s role in manufacturing and MedTech and the importance of inclusion and diversity in tech.

Plus, Christopher explains skepticism towards the metaverse and the reasons behind it. It’s a meaty one, so be ready to immerse yourself in a metaverse masterclass.

In this episode, find out:

• What an emergent technologist does
• Why the metaverse is a game changer for manufacturing
• How MedTech could change in the metaverse
• Why people are right to be skeptical of tech advancements
• The right way to bring manufacturing into the conversation
• About awareness and education surrounding the metaverse
• Whether we should care about the metaverse
• About the metaverse and diversity/inclusion
• How to approach skeptics
• About Christopher’s LinkedIn Learning class

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “When we think of the metaverse, we ingress into entertainment. But medical technology has the single biggest global impact.”
• “It’s important for (tech) leadership to get good-sourced information from people who actually know what they’re talking about.”
• “The metaverse is here, but as we know it today. We can’t put in concrete terms that “this is what it is” because we don’t completely know what it’s going to be.”

Links & mentions:

• Official Website - Christopher Lafayette, connect with Christopher on areas of expertise, events, press, and speaking categories across the metaverse, NFTs, tech inclusion, MedTech, and removing barriers to innovation GatherVerse, a global ecosystem where communities gather, discuss, and share human-centered approaches to the metaverse
• Black Technology Mentorship Program, a mentor-mentee program that inspires, educates, and brings underserved Black communities into technology
• Course - What is the Metaverse?, Christopher’s official course on the metaverse on LinkedIn Learning
• Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn
• Follow Christopher on Twitter
• Follow Christopher on Instagram

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.