Dan Scarfe is the CEO and founder of XRAI, a company that develops augmented reality solutions to break down communication barriers, particularly for those with hearing loss and across language differences.

Key Takeaways:

• Origin Story: XRAI was born from Dan's personal experience with his grandfather who had lost his hearing, inspiring the idea to combine real-time subtitles with augmented reality.
• Evolving Technology: Starting with assistive technology for hearing loss, XRAI expanded to facilitate cross-language communication and make events more accessible.
• Innovative Features: XRAI's "Auto Reverse" feature allows for seamless two-way conversations across languages, a significant improvement over traditional translation methods.
• Market Timing: Dan emphasizes the importance of timing in tech innovation, balancing between being too early and too late in the market.
• Hardware Challenges: While software capabilities are advancing, XRAI is still waiting for hardware breakthroughs to achieve the ideal AR glasses experience.

Dan's journey with XRAI began two and a half years ago, evolving from his background in enterprise IT. The company's initial focus was on providing real-time subtitles for individuals with hearing loss. However, they quickly expanded their vision to address language barriers, enabling conversations across 140 different languages.

XRAI's technology goes beyond simple translation. Their "Auto Reverse" feature allows for fluid two-way conversations, automatically detecting the spoken language and providing captions in the listener's preferred language. This approach significantly improves upon traditional translation methods by reducing communication delays.

Dan highlights the importance of balancing customer feedback with maintaining a focused vision. While open to user suggestions, he emphasizes the need to "stick to their knitting" and excel in a few key areas rather than trying to do everything.

The company faces challenges in hardware development, as the ideal AR glasses (lightweight, all-day wearable, full-color) are still a few years away. However, Dan sees this as an opportunity, positioning XRAI to be ready when the hardware catches up to their software capabilities.

Looking ahead, XRAI aims to continue refining their technology and expanding its applications, potentially revolutionizing how we communicate across languages and accessibility needs.

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

Richard Zreik is the founder of InnoVationGirls, and Tereze Bogdane is a student and active member of the community. InnoVationGirls is a global community of young Gen Z girls and non-binary individuals working on innovative solutions to global problems, with a current focus on solving fast fashion waste using new technologies.Key Takeaways:

• Origin Story: InnoVationGirls was born from Richard's personal experience as a father, recognizing gender inequity in the workplace.
• Global Community: IVG has evolved into a worldwide network of young innovators, working remotely across many countries.
• Technology Focus: The group utilizes cutting-edge technologies like VR, AR, NFTs, and DAOs in their projects.
• Fast Fashion Solution: IVG is currently working on addressing fast fashion waste through innovative use of technology and creative thinking.
• Award-Winning Work: The team has gained international recognition, including winning best in show at the Augmented World Expo in Vienna.

Richard's journey began when he became a father and noticed the unfair treatment of women in the workplace. This realization led him and his wife to quit their corporate jobs and create a business model that could bring about change. InnoVationGirls evolved from this mission, aiming to tap into the latent innovative energy of young minds.

Tereze, representing the student perspective, describes IVG as a fun and engaging community where learning happens naturally through collaboration and creative problem-solving. She emphasizes the power of storytelling and the excitement of being part of a movement fighting for a better future.

The group's approach combines systematic inventive thinking with new technologies. Their current project on fast fashion waste involves using leftover fabric to create patches with NFC tags, turning them into NFTs that can represent tickets or memories.IVG's success is evident in their collaborations with major companies like Meta, Procter & Gamble, and General Electric. In one project for GE, they developed a solution for recycling K-cups in the workplace, which won first place among 50 competing teams.

Kickstarter Campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ivgworld-sesame/sesame-design-with-conscience (not live yet)

Website: https://ivg.world/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovationgirls

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivg.world/

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

Moody Mattan is the co-founder and CEO of Brand XR, a company that offers a no-code augmented reality platform and professional XR services, focusing on making AR technology accessible to non-technical users and businesses.Key Takeaways:

• No-Code AR Platform: Brand XR's Studio allows users to create AR experiences without coding, similar to website builders like Squarespace or Wix.
• AR Murals: A unique product combining physical murals with AR technology, used by major brands like Verizon for engaging local communities.
• Rapid Prototyping: Brand XR emphasizes quick turnaround on prototypes, allowing clients to experience and provide feedback on AR projects within weeks.
• Industry Evolution: Moody's journey reflects the rapid growth and changes in the AR/VR industry over the past decade.

Moody's journey into AR began during his time in venture capital, where he first encountered AR technology through an investment in Meta (not Facebook's Meta). This experience led him to start a company producing Google Cardboard VR viewers, which sold millions of units.

Brand XR was born from Moody's realization that there was a need for easy-to-use AR creation tools. The company now offers both a no-code platform for creating AR experiences and professional services for custom projects.

One of Brand XR's standout products is their AR murals, which combine physical street art with interactive AR elements. These projects, like those for Verizon, involve collaboration between local artists, Brand XR's team, and the client's marketing departments to create engaging, localized experiences.

Moody emphasizes the importance of rapid prototyping in their process, allowing clients to experience and provide feedback on AR projects within weeks. This approach has been crucial in helping clients understand and engage with the technology.Looking ahead, Brand XR continues to focus on making AR technology accessible and useful for a wide range of applications, from marketing to education.

__ About Moody Mattan
Mahmoud “Moody” Mattan is a serial entrepreneur and the Founder & CEO of BrandXR, a No-Code Augmented Reality Platform and award-winning XR Studio. Under Moody’s leadership, BrandXR has delivered cutting-edge AR experiences for major brands such as Chevy, NASA, the NBA, and Verizon, transforming how these companies engage with their audiences. He has also established strategic AR partnerships with META, Snapchat, and TikTok, positioning BrandXR as a top AR creator in the industry.

Before founding BrandXR, Mr. Mattan built PowisVR, a multi-million-dollar virtual reality headset and mobile accessories business. His venture capital experience includes leading investments in Meta, Sidecar, and Genius (formerly Rap Genius) at Pegasus Tech Ventures. With a venture capital, business development, and marketing background, Mr. Mattan specializes in finding profitable strategies for emerging technologies.

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.