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In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Scott Burkey, Technology Fellow at Smurfit WestRock, for a return visit three years in the making. Scott oversees emerging and spatial computing technology across 500 global manufacturing facilities and co-hosts the XR at Work podcast, making him one of the most experienced enterprise XR practitioners working in industry today.
Scott shares how his thinking has fundamentally shifted over nearly a decade at the company: from pushing XR as a solution looking for problems, to only bringing technology in when the underlying business is truly ready for it. The conversation covers where his program is now focused, including digital twins, reusable XR content assets, and on-demand reference materials for the shop floor over traditional VR training alone.
He gets candid about what enterprise adoption actually looks like, including a years-long effort to bring a division along before the timing was finally right. And he makes the case for why "is our company ready for the technology?" is the more important question than "is the technology ready?" He closes with three practical pieces of advice for new XR practitioners and a people-first take on where the industry is heading next.
Key Moments:
"I don't put XR on top of a mess. If the business processes aren't well-defined and understood and optimized, we need to work on that first." - Scott Burkey
"I've got this pile of gold, and people are just now realizing that they can buy a shovel. And it's like, okay, well, I'm glad you figured out there's a hardware store. Come get some of this good stuff." - Scott Burkey
About Scott Burkey:
Scott Burkey is Technology Fellow at Smurfit WestRock, where he leads the exploration and application of spatial computing and emerging technology across 500 global manufacturing facilities. With nearly a decade in the role and a technology background spanning more than 30 years, Scott is one of the most experienced enterprise XR practitioners in industrial manufacturing. He co-hosts the XR at Work podcast, speaks at conferences globally, advises startups, and mentors the next generation of XR practitioners entering the field.
Links and Resources:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Jeremy Dalton, founder of XRHQ and the person who spent five years convincing PwC to build what became their global immersive technology practice. Over 14 years in the industry, Jeremy has seen XR from every angle: building programs inside a skeptical enterprise, delivering over 150 projects across more than 50 countries, and now tracking real-world XR use cases globally through XRHQ.
The sharpest parts of this conversation are about what separates XR programs that stick from ones that quietly die. Jeremy breaks down his CECE framework (Cost, Education, Content, Experience) and makes the case that education and user experience are the two barriers organizations most consistently underestimate. He also names the two things he has seen in every pilot that succeeds: a genuine internal champion and someone grounded enough to actually manage the headsets day to day.
Whether you are in the early stages of a pilot or trying to scale what is already working, this episode gives you a clear-eyed framework for where programs fail and what to do about it. Jeremy also covers the AR spectrum from assisted reality to mixed reality, why a bad demo can do more damage than no demo at all, and why after nearly 14 years he is still bullish on where XR is headed.
Key Moments
"If nobody is managing the pilot in a deep way, it is absolutely guaranteed to fail. Evangelization gets the hardware and the solution through the door, but what keeps it there is the very boring task of maintaining things." - Jeremy Dalton
"There is no point in asking what is the killer application of VR. It is the same thing as asking what is the killer application of your mobile phone. What is the killer application of your laptop. A nonsensical question." - Jeremy Dalton
About Jeremy Dalton
Jeremy Dalton is the founder of XRHQ, a free, real-time library tracking XR applications and use cases across every industry and country globally. He previously led PwC's first global Immersive Technologies team, which he spent five years campaigning to establish before delivering over 150 projects across more than 50 countries. He is also the author of Reality Check, published by Kogan Page, with a second edition released in 2025. One of the XR industry's most recognized global voices, Jeremy has been working in immersive technology for nearly 14 years.
Links and Resources
About the episode
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Bill Ballo, EMS instructor and XR champion at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. Bill shares how a pig heart, a document camera, and a lot of spilled blood led him to VR in 2019 and how a single headset demo turned into one of the most expansive campus XR programs in the country.
From a grand opening in May 2023 with just 3 programs, Bill has grown the Madison College XR Center to 30 departments across nursing, dental, HVAC, botany, Spanish, vet tech, and even the volleyball team. With 12 PC VR stations, 80 headsets, and roughly 1,000 students put through VR experiences, Bill's model is built on one core belief: you need a dedicated person, not just hardware.
The episode covers how Bill approaches content curation across 30 disciplines, why "parallel play" is his framework for onboarding new instructors, how ArborXR helps branch programs run independently, and why every single headset they've ever purchased has had a student in it.
Quotes:
"I've put about a thousand students in VR now, and I've had three that have said, I have to stop. I can't do this. Most of them get through it because they love what they're doing." - Bill Ballo
"Every single one of the headsets that we've spent money on has had a student in it. Every single one. There are none sitting in the boxes, there are none that aren't plugged in, there are none that aren't in some way, shape, or form being utilized." - Bill Ballo
Timestamps:
About the Guest:
Bill Ballo is an EMS instructor and XR champion at Madison College in Madison, Wisconsin. With 30 years in emergency medicine and a passion for active, hands-on education, Bill launched the Madison College XR Center in May 2023 and grew it from 3 departments to 30 in just three years. His program now runs 12 PC VR stations and 80 headsets, with approximately 1,000 students put through VR experiences across disciplines ranging from nursing and dental to botany, Spanish, HVAC, and vet tech. Bill's approach centers on the dedicated champion model: one person who knows the hardware, the content, and how to build trust with instructors across every corner of campus.
About ArborXR:
ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at arborxr.com.
Links & Resources:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, hosts Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable talk with Michelle Rebaleati, Multimedia Technologist and Career Navigator with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).
Michelle shares how GOED turned the tourism slowdown of 2020 into a statewide innovation success story with the launch of Project SANDI, a VR-driven workforce initiative that helps residents move from unemployment or underemployment to sustainable careers. What started as a recovery grant has evolved into a network of 1,000 VR devices across 80+ locations, giving Nevadans immersive access to in-demand careers in healthcare, skilled trades, IT, and advanced manufacturing.
From high school students in tiny desert towns to unhoused adults in workforce centers, GOED’s program uses VR to let people “test drive” real careers by putting them in the shoes of an employee in life-like scenarios. Michelle discusses what it takes to deploy VR across one of the largest and most rural states in the U.S. as only a team of three, and how ArborXR makes it possible to manage and update every device remotely.
She also shares measurable impact: participants have achieved a 100% pass rate on the National Career Readiness Certificate exam, proving VR isn’t just inspiring, it’s driving real change for Nevadans.
Timestamps:
About Michelle Rebaleati:
Michelle Rebaleati is a Multimedia Technologist and Career Navigator with the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED). She leads statewide initiatives using VR for workforce development, managing over 1,000 devices across 80+ locations to help Nevadans explore, train for, and launch new careers in high-demand industries.
About ArborXR:
ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at https://arborxr.com.
Links & Resources:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Thi Luu, Vice President and General Manager of VR Training at Axon, to explore how immersive technology is transforming public safety training.
Axon, known globally for the TASER energy weapon and body-worn cameras, has made VR a cornerstone of its mission to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public by 50% over the next decade. Thi shares how Axon scaled from early pilots to one of the largest VR deployments in the world, helping officers train more often, more effectively, and more safely.
From building muscle memory for high-stakes scenarios to using AI for verbal de-escalation, Thi offers a rare inside look at how Axon designs scalable, high-impact immersive training for thousands of agencies. She also explains how ArborXR helps Axon manage and scale headsets, enabling deployments across precincts, training academies, and field operations.
Whether you’re leading training for a police department or an enterprise team, this episode offers a masterclass in building scalable, data-informed XR programs that drive measurable impact.
Key Moments:
About the Guest:
Thi Luu is the Vice President and General Manager of VR Training at Axon, where she leads product, design, and engineering teams developing immersive training solutions for public safety. With over 20 years in technology, Thi has driven Axon’s VR expansion from pilot to global scale, training thousands of officers worldwide. Her team’s work has earned national recognition for innovation in de-escalation and less-lethal training.
About ArborXR:
ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at https://arborxr.com.
Links & Resources:
Connect with Thi on LinkedIn
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn
Connect with Will on LinkedIn
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, hosts Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with XREAL’s Ralph Jodice, General Manager of North America, and Amir Khorram, Global Head of Enterprise, to unpack how AR is maturing from novelty to enterprise necessity.
Ralph and Amir share how XREAL has become the global leader in AR glasses with over 600,000 units shipped, leveraging a split-compute architecture that keeps devices light and enables longer sessions. They discuss how AR is transforming everyday work, from remote assistance in the field to productivity gains for “desk jockeys” who need multi-screen setups anywhere they go.
The conversation dives into the current AR hardware landscape, XREAL’s partnerships with Google and Qualcomm, and their upcoming Project Aura, built on Android XR. The team unpacks why AR adoption is taking off, how comfort and affordability are unlocking one-to-one device ratios for enterprise, and what the next generation of spatial displays means for the future of work.
Whether you’re exploring AR for remote support, immersive training, or productivity, this episode offers a grounded look at what’s possible today—and a peek at what’s just around the corner.
Key Moments:
• XREAL’s journey to 600,000 AR glasses and the shift to enterprise (3:28)
• How lightweight wearables enable new spaces for enterprise XR (7:10)
• Everyday use cases and remote assistance (10:10)
• Ralph’s real-world take on productivity in AR (11:40)
• Adoption of XR within enterprise companies (13:50)
• State of the AR market and room for growth (15:50)
• Split-computing vs all-in-one devices (18:06)
• What sets XREAL’s tech apart from other AR glasses (20:00)
• The limitations and challenges of AR (23:35)
• A look at the future of XREAL: Project Aura (24:55)
• What’s missing in the field of AR (31:30)
Quotes:
“We’ve shipped over 600,000 AR glasses—more than anyone else in the space. That’s proof people want lightweight, plug-and-play devices that just work.” – Ralph Jodice, XREAL
“What we’re really trying to do is enable people to wear these glasses for longer than 15, 30, or 45 minutes. If that means having a tether, that’s totally fine. There’s nothing lost, and a lot gained.” – Amir Khorram, XREAL
About the Guests:
Ralph Jodice
Ralph Jodice is the General Manager of North America at XREAL, leading market expansion and partnerships. With a background in PR, Ralph spent over a decade at Xbox developing deep expertise in gaming and consumer tech. Now he drives XREAL’s mission to make AR glasses practical, lightweight, and scalable for enterprise and everyday use.
Amir Khorram
Amir Khorram is the Global Head of Enterprise at XREAL, guiding strategy and adoption of AR across industries. With 10 years in XR—including leadership roles at HTC Vive and PICO—he focuses on accelerating enterprise AR deployment through practical, scalable solutions that bridge consumer innovation and professional use.
About ArborXR:
ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at https://arborxr.com.
Links & Resources:
Ralph Jodice on LinkedIn
Amir Khorram on LinkedIn
Brad Scoggin on LinkedIn
Will Stackable on LinkedIn
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Sophie Thompson, CEO and co-founder of VirtualSpeech, and Gema Molero, Project Manager of XR at IE University, to explore how VR is reshaping higher education.
What started as Sophie’s personal struggle with social anxiety has grown into VirtualSpeech—a global VR platform for soft skills training. Partnering with IE University, they’ve scaled immersive public speaking and leadership training across campuses, impacting thousands of students. Gema shares how IE made VR compulsory for over 1,000 master’s students, scaled to 700+ devices, and proved measurable gains in student confidence and skills.
The conversation covers the origins of VirtualSpeech, faculty adoption hurdles, the power of AI feedback, and how ArborXR helps IE University manage devices across multiple campuses. Whether you’re running a pilot or scaling XR globally, this episode is full of lessons on building programs that stick.
Key Moments
01:02 – From Social Anxiety to VR Pioneer
05:03 – Why IE University Made VR Compulsory
11:07 – Faculty Adoption & Early Challenges
15:30 – What Students Actually Do in VR
20:39 – The Power of Immersion & Emotional Response
20:39 – AI Coaching for Personalized Learning
21:46 – Scaling to 700 Devices Across Campuses
27:31 – Proving ROI: Confidence Up 24% in Two Sessions
27:31 – Advice for Universities Considering VR
Quotes
“In less than 20 minutes, students using VirtualSpeech increased their public speaking confidence by 24%.” – Brad Scoggin, citing IE University data
“At first, we had 300 headsets. Now we’re managing over 700 devices across multiple campuses—and ArborXR makes that possible.” – Gema Molero
About the Guests
Sophie Thompson is the CEO and co-founder of VirtualSpeech, the first VR app built to help people overcome fear of public speaking, now used globally for soft skills training.
Gema Molero is the Project Manager of XR at IE University in Spain, where she leads the integration of VR into curriculum and manages the university’s 700+ headset deployment.
Links and Resources
Gema Molero on Linkedin
Sophie Thompson on LinkedIn
VirtualSpeech Website
IE University Website
Brad Scoggin on LinkedIn
Will Stackable on LinkedIn
Episode Summary:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Dave Raasakka of Somero Enterprises and Greg Meyers & Devin Weidinger from ForgeFX to explore how VR is transforming training for the concrete construction industry.
What began as a solution to scaling training for niche heavy equipment has evolved into a full-fledged VR program that’s enhancing safety, saving costs, and boosting trainee confidence. The conversation dives deep into how Somero equips operators to handle machines that weigh up to 20,000 pounds—without ever touching real concrete. From loading a screed machine onto a trailer to precision pouring with laser-guided equipment, trainees now fail safely in virtual environments before they ever touch the real thing.
Together, the teams unpack the technical side of building a high-fidelity VR experience, how multi-user sessions enable real-time feedback, and why starting small is key to launching a successful XR training program.
Key Moments:
“VR gives us what I call ‘safety without penalty.’ You can make a mistake and learn from it without damage or danger—and that’s a huge win in our world.”
– Dave Raasakka, Somero Enterprises
"I’ve got a one-word answer to “Why VR?”—failure. Failure is phenomenal in training. You can't excel at something unless you try and fail and figure out how to overcome it. In the real world, you can’t let someone drive a trailer off the edge to learn spatial awareness. But in VR, you can fail safely, learn from it, and improve.”
– Greg Meyers, ForgeFX
About the Guests:
Dave Raasakka
Dave is the Senior Vice President of Global Customer Support at Somero Enterprises, where he oversees XR training strategy. With 25+ years in mechanical engineering and support, Dave has led the adoption of VR to help train operators on complex screed equipment across the U.S.
Greg Meyers
Greg is the CEO of ForgeFX Simulations. With a background in immersive learning and enterprise simulations, he leads ForgeFX’s strategy to help manufacturers reduce risk and cost by creating simulation-based training.
Devin Weidinger
Devin is the Technical Director at ForgeFX. He brings a decade of VR experience, including projects like Job Simulator and Rick and Morty VR. At ForgeFX, he ensures training simulations are realistic, intuitive, and immersive.
Links & Resources:
Connect with Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-weidinger-3a451467/
Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-meyers-4402a514/
Connect with Devin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devin-weidinger/
Connect with Brad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-scoggin/
Connect with Will on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willstackable/
Somero Enterprises website: https://www.somero.com/
ForgeFX website: https://www.forgefx.com/
Episode Summary:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Dr. Christina Potter from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital to unpack how VR is revolutionizing pediatric care and staff training.
Christina shares how what began as a one-year pilot to reduce pre-surgery anxiety has scaled into a hospital-wide program supporting 8,000 patients in a year. From immersive patient distraction tools to cutting-edge staff training on behavioral emergencies, the hospital is seeing measurable reductions in pain, stress, and clinical incidents.
The episode explores how Christina built a scalable, data-driven VR program from scratch, the importance of co-creating content with hospital staff, and how ArborXR helps them manage headsets across 12 units. Whether it’s reducing parental anxiety or helping neurodiverse patients learn to drive, this is a compelling look at VR for good in healthcare.
Key Moments:
“We supported 8,000 patients with VR last year alone, and ArborXR helps us manage it all. Being able to push content, track usage, and show real-time data makes all the difference when pitching for funding and proving impact.” – Dr. Christina Potter
“We’ve seen up to a 60% drop in patient anxiety and pain perception—and a 70% reduction in parental anxiety—just by introducing VR into the pre-op experience.” – Dr. Christina Potter
About Dr. Christina Potter:
Dr. Christina Potter is the Director of Digital Innovation at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. With a background in research and a passion for emerging technology, Christina has led the hospital’s expansion into virtual reality, developing use cases for patients, staff, and caregivers. Under her leadership, Nicklaus has seen over 8,000 VR uses annually, with outcomes including a 60% reduction in preoperative anxiety and groundbreaking staff training programs.
Links & Resources:
In this episode of the XR Industry Leaders Podcast, Brad Scoggin and Will Stackable sit down with Tomissa Smittendorf from Kellanova and Scott Stachiw from Roundtable Learning to explore how VR revolutionized retail sales training at Kellanova.
Tomissa shares how they replaced an expensive, in-person grocery store training center with an immersive VR experience that enhances onboarding, boosts display execution by 90%, and improves knowledge retention.
Scott breaks down the design strategy behind creating a virtual store where new hires learn to upsell, identify safety issues, and build real-world confidence.
The episode dives into how VR created scalable, data-driven training, and why strong partnerships are key to successful XR adoption. From overcoming deployment challenges to envisioning future applications across supply chain and retail partners, this is a masterclass in turning XR experimentation into a strategic advantage.
Timestamps:
About Tomissa Smittendorf:
Tomissa has over 30 years of CPG experience and is a visionary leader at Kellanova, driving growth through strategic learning initiatives. As Sr. Director, Commercial Capabilities, she led the launch of VR training at Kellanova, transforming onboarding and upskilling. Her work builds high-impact teams and a culture of continuous learning that solves real business challenges.
About Scott Stachiw:
Scott Stachiw is VP of XR Development and Design at Roundtable Learning, where he leads immersive learning strategy and content creation. With deep expertise in instructional design and XR technologies, Scott played a key role in launching Kellanova’s VR training—designing scalable, experiential solutions that drive measurable business impact.
About ArborXR: ArborXR helps organizations confidently manage VR & AR devices at scale, remotely install content, and control what users can see and do in the headset. Our mission is to help people live more meaningful lives through the power of XR. Learn more at https://arborxr.com.
Links & Resources:
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