Podcasts about Vntana

This week the hosts welcome Ashley Crowder, CEO of Vntana, which manages CAD drawings and other 3D assets for companies in industries as diverse as fashion and concrete. The news segment was focused on the imminent shut down of TikTok, and rumors Elon will announce a deal to buy the platform before the deadline Sunday night. Biden mentioned tech oligarchs in his farewell address to the nation, and we talk about them, too. Ashley's company has been around twelve years, first focused on consumer marketing and live events before pivoting to solving companies' problems managing and distributing their 3D content. Ashely is also a pioneering female founder, of which there are still precious few today. Thank you to our sponsor, Zappar!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR!https://linktr.ee/thisweekinxr Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this insightful conversation, Ashley Crowder, the co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, takes us on her entrepreneurial journey from quitting her engineering job to pioneering a company that is revolutionizing how enterprises leverage 3D and augmented reality. Ashley shares her passion for spatial computing and immersive technologies, which led her to co-found VNTANA, initially focused on creating location-based mixed reality experiences for events. As the demand for 3D content grew, Ashley and her team developed a software platform to automate the optimization, conversion, and management of 3D assets, which eventually became VNTANA's core offering. Ashley highlights the challenges of managing complex 3D assets, particularly in ensuring consistent visual representation across different platforms and devices. She emphasizes the importance of open standards like GLTF and USD in enabling seamless integration of 3D content across design, sales, and marketing workflows. Ashley discusses VNTANA's innovative platform, which features a proprietary cloud infrastructure called ModelOps, capable of creating custom data pipelines and automated optimization processes. This allows clients like Kohler, Puma, and Astec Industries to upload thousands of assets simultaneously and convert them to meet specific requirements while maintaining fidelity. Throughout the conversation, Ashley underscores the significance of open standards in driving scalability and democratizing 3D experiences. She touches on the potential impact of AI and emerging technologies on 3D content creation and asset management, while acknowledging the need for ongoing advancements in standards to meet evolving industry demands. Ashley shares insights into VNTANA's work with global brands across various sectors, including fashion, manufacturing, and retail. She highlights the diverse use cases, from reducing physical samples and carbon footprint to enhancing e-commerce experiences with 3D product visualization and augmented reality training. Looking towards the future, Ashley expresses excitement about the adoption of 3D and AR by industry giants like Amazon and Google, driving widespread adoption across categories. She envisions a future where 3D standards become as ubiquitous as 2D content standards, enabling seamless integration of immersive experiences into everyday consumer and enterprise workflows. Overall, this conversation with Ashley Crowder offers a compelling perspective on the present and future impact of 3D and AR technologies across industries, driven by the democratization of content creation, open standards, and innovative platforms like VNTANA. Have any comments or questions?   Email the show Feedback@Buildingtheopenmetaverse.org   Want more information?    Visit our website www.buildingtheopenmetaverse.org    And make sure you follow us on Linkedin for all of our show updates    https://www.linkedin.com/company/buildingtheopenmetaverse    Building the Open Metaverse is a podcast hosted by Patrick Cozzi (Cesium) and Marc Petit that invites a broad range of technical experts to share their insights on how the community is building the metaverse together.    #BuildingTheOpenMetaversePodcast #MetaversePodcast #Metaverse

How will retailers find a path to the metaverse? How can retailers leverage AR and VR along that path? It all starts with having a 3D product infrastructure, but what if all of your systems are designed for 2D and not 3D? How do you adapt your design process, your PLM, and your DAM to 3D when there are so many options? Meet Ashley Crowder, CEO and co-founder of VNTANA, the 3D infrastructure platform that is making 3D accessible to retailers and brands across design, development, sales, and marketing!You'll find out how Ashley is democratizing access to 3D across the retail business. Not only can this help retailers and brands deliver a unique customer experience but wait until you hear how 3D can help you reduce productions costs, eliminate product samples, and dramatically reduce your time to market for new products. 3D is here and before you need to worry about how you'll leverage the metaverse, this episode will help you understand how 3D is the beginning of your journey to AR,VR and immersive commerce! And did we mention the cost savings to your retail business?News alert! We've moved up to #18 on the Feedspot Top 60 Best Retail podcasts list - please consider giving us a 5-star review in Apple Podcasts! With your help, we'll move our way up the Top 20! Leave us a review & be mentioned in future episodes! https://blog.feedspot.com/retail_podcasts/Meet your regular hosts, helping you cut through the clutter in retail & retail tech:Ricardo Belmar, a RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2023, 2022 & 2021, RIS News Top Movers and Shakers in Retail for 2021, a Top 12 ecommerce influencer, advisory council member at George Mason University's Center for Retail Transformation, and director partner marketing advisor for retail & consumer goods at Microsoft.Casey Golden, CEO of Luxlock, and RETHINK Retail Top Retail Influencer for 2023. Obsessed with the customer relationship between the brand and the consumer. After a career on the fashion and supply chain technology side of the business, now slaying franken-stacks and building retail tech!Includes music provided by imunobeats.com, featuring E-Motive, and Overclocked, from the album Beat Hype, written by Hestron Mimms, published by Imuno. The Retail Razor ShowFollow us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/TwRRazorConnect with us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/LI-RRazorSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/RRShowYouTubeSubscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/RetailRazorShowRetail Razor Show Episode Page: https://bit.ly/RRShowPodHost → Ricardo Belmar,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twRBelmarConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LIRBelmarRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWRBelmarCo-host → Casey Golden,Follow on Twitter - https://bit.ly/twCaseyConnect on LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/LICaseyRead my comments on RetailWire - https://bit.ly/RWCaseyTRANSCRIPTS2E11 Ashley Crowder - VNTANA[00:00:00] ​[00:00:19] Show Intro[00:00:19] Ricardo Belmar: Hello, and welcome to season two, episode eleven of the Retail Razor Show. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:00:26] Casey Golden: And I'm your co-host, Casey Golden. Welcome to the Retail Razor Show. Retail's favorite podcast for product junkies, commerce technologist, and everyone else in retail and retail tech alike.[00:00:37] Ricardo Belmar: We're back with another incredible retail transformer as our guest this week.[00:00:44] Casey Golden: Yes, and I'm so excited to have with us someone who is transforming how retailers and brands embrace the new world of commerce with 3D, AR, VR, and mixed reality.[00:00:55] Ricardo Belmar: If you're a retailer or a brand trying to experiment with the metaverse, or just trying to give [00:01:00] your e-commerce an edge with more visual product pages and 3D visuals of your products or just, you know, looking for ways to incorporate your products digitally in other channels using 3D technology.[00:01:11] This episode is for you.[00:01:13] Casey Golden: So let's welcome our amazing guest, Ashley Crowder, co-founder and C E O of VNTANA, the 3D infrastructure platform that is making 3D accessible across design, development, sales, and marketing.[00:01:26] ​[00:01:31] Meet Ashley Crowder - VNTANA[00:01:31] Ricardo Belmar: Welcome, Ashley. It's great to have you here with us today.[00:01:33] Ashley Crowder: Thanks so much for having me.[00:01:35] Casey Golden: So just to start off, can you introduce yourself and share a little bit about how you got here and why VNTANA?[00:01:42] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. So my background's in engineering. I went to USC Engineering school, which actually has a partnership with the military called I C T, where they fund research in 3D, AR, VR technology. So I got involved in the space. 15 years ago and [00:02:00] was like, this is gonna change the world. This is amazing.[00:02:03] But there was no career path back then to do this sort of thing. So. ended up co-founding VNTANA with my friend Ben. And, you know, 10 years ago, again, like phones couldn't do AR, web couldn't do 3D. So we were building location-based mixed reality experiences for brands like adidas, Nike, Lexus, and others.[00:02:24] And you know, we built a profitable business doing that, but nobody ever had the right 3D models for web-based or game engine applications. We would get these huge manufacturing design files that would take days or sometimes weeks of manual 3D artist time to fix and convert. And so we started writing software to help automate all this work for ourselves.[00:02:48] And then in 2019 we said, you know what? Now that everyone's phone can do some pretty decent AR, every web browser can support 3D content. We should take this [00:03:00] software we wrote for ourselves and launch it as a platform to make it easy for anybody to instantly embed, share, 3D at scale, you know, anywhere they want.[00:03:10] So, long story short,[00:03:13] Ricardo Belmar: So, Ashley, why don't you tell us a little bit how do companies use VNTANA?[00:03:17] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. So today we work with a lot of apparel and footwear brands who design in 3D today. So apparel tends to use chlo and browse wear. Footwear tends to be key shop moto. Some people use 3D S Max. Whatever program you're using the minute you start to have, you know, hundreds or some of our clients, thousands of 3D assets, some of their IT infrastructure starts to break down.[00:03:41] So most of their existing P L M or DAM systems were only built for 2D assets. And so, you know, they're kind of in this quandary of like, how do I easily manage and distribute these 3D designs within my internal company just for line planning, reviews, merchandising how can [00:04:00] I easily share them with buyers so I can replace physical samples?[00:04:03] And then, you know, how do I get them on E-com? So, That's really what our software comes in. So we wrote patented algorithms that can take these really big 3D files and shrink them down up to 99%, but they still look the same. so we can help you meet whatever specs of whatever end use case you're trying to go to with 3d.[00:04:24] So we get rid of all that manual work. And then it's all housed in our cloud content management system, which you can integrate into your existing dam, PLM or other platforms. So you don't have to replace your IT infrastructure as an organization. You can just quickly upgrade what you have to handle 3D at scale.[00:04:45] Casey Golden: That's awesome.[00:04:47] Ricardo Belmar: Wow, so. Can you tell us a little bit about you know, what kind of results your customers are getting? Because just listening to you now, I, I'm just automatically thinking of that there has to be a pretty sizable time savings, right. In any of [00:05:00] these kind of activities with, with what you're allowing your customers to do.[00:05:03] Ashley Crowder: Yeah, I mean, we're, we're definitely built for that, that scale problem. You know, a lot of people might start with a POC and they're like, oh, we, we did it ourselves. We did 10 3D models. We're like, great, you know, cl clients like Hugo Boss launched 40,000 products a year. You need some automated software to, to be able to do that.[00:05:20] So most clients start using us within that design and development process. So wi within that people like VF Corp, they've been able to upload 2,500 assets. In a couple minutes. They have all the shareable links and file formats they need to deploy in any end use case application. So I know you know, other clients like Adidas, they were able to accomplish in one hour what used to take them six weeks, of manual work.[00:05:47] So definitely a huge time saving. And then kind of the next step is people are, are using us to replace physical samples. So you can quickly, you know, with a click of a button, create a 3D line sheet you can share with a buyer. And so we have [00:06:00] other clients like this, children's clothing brand they've been able to fully replace their physical samples with using our software.[00:06:07] And so they're saving about a hundred thousand dollars per season. And 4.4 tons of carbon, which is pretty cool, uh, that they calculated. And so, you know, that's all in that before you even get to the consumer experience. And then the consumer experience 3D just gives. them such a better understanding of the product.[00:06:28] Clients like Stodd saw returns decrease up to 60% which was pretty amazing. And then we've had other, you know Diesel's used us live on their e-com site. They saw the average cart value increase really significantly and the conversion rate increase with 3d. So yeah, it, it really helps you across your entire product life cycle.[00:06:49] Ricardo Belmar: That's amazing. I mean, you know, we, we focused on that customer side of it in the intro, but just hearing all of the things that you mentioned there really is a, a powerful impact just [00:07:00] across the business. E even you know, you mentioned the carbon savings, so there's even a sustainability impact.[00:07:04] There's an environmental impact. You've got operational process savings, it sounds like. You know, I love, love the example of replacing physical samples cuz then there's automatic cost savings as well. And we always hear in media reports, right? With this kind of technology, just the customer facing piece that you're highlighting, a lot of other internal process areas that really create a lot of savings,[00:07:26] Ashley Crowder: Oh yeah. And, and I mean I still talk to brands all the time with, you know, samples are always late, right? , they're always a pain, they're always late. And even I was talking with this footwear client saying, you know, some retailers. don't wanna meet in person anymore. You know, everybody got used to working from home and I think it was R e I don't hold me to that, but they were like, yeah, we don't wanna do internal, just like send us your digital stuff.[00:07:51] Well, like how do you stand out? Like being able to show, you know, true 3D interactive models and AR, it's like it's sitting on your desk, you know? And [00:08:00] we've got other people who, you know, you might always still make a few samples, but there you don't need to make all the colorways. So maybe you have one shoe or one article of clothing, but then all your colorways are in 3D and you can share, you know, that 3D configurator with them.[00:08:13] So yeah, there's huge benefits and we, we actually did a really great case study with Merrell as well. So, you know, they estimate about 81% cost savings and one month increased speed to market using VNTANA. So that, that speed to market is really important too, cuz you know all that back and forth with before a physical sample.[00:08:35] You make a sample, you ship it, well, I want these changes. Go make another sample. Well now that can happen so much faster.[00:08:43] Casey Golden: I mean, it's, the speed to market is a really big deal. Just being able to get through that process faster. I mean, I feel I would go to market literally with 250 printed CADs[00:08:59] Ashley Crowder: Wow. [00:09:00] Yeah.[00:09:01] Casey Golden: I don't have samples yet, and we definitely did not sample the entire line. Right.[00:09:06] Ashley Crowder: Mm-hmm.[00:09:07] Casey Golden: You'll get to see that later, like in like four months.[00:09:10] I need to sell it in now. And so literally sitting there with little pieces of paper and clothes, happens.[00:09:17] Ashley Crowder: Yeah.[00:09:17] Casey Golden: Merchandise disturbments together, . So a lot of people don't really realize what people are doing at work before the customer ever sees a product.[00:09:30] Ashley Crowder: oh yeah. Like a year [00:09:32] Casey Golden: They're hard jobs,[00:09:34] Ashley Crowder: Yeah.[00:09:36] Casey Golden: and very, very, very oftentimes still archaic in a lot of ways. Do you have a focus point kind of where you start with the company to say like, this is where you can kind of get the biggest ROI out of the challenges that you're, that they're trying to solve? Because I'm sure that when you go in to talk to a brand for the first time, you're able to identify really where, what challenges [00:10:00] or where in their business you can kind of make the highest impact for like a day one project. So if our listeners are, are thinking about this and find it intriguing, where do people start and start at a, in a way that they can get that roi.[00:10:16] Ashley Crowder: So we're generally starting with brands when they are designing in 3d. So they're using CLO brows, you know, key Shop, Moto one of these programs. If you're not there yet, that's where I would start. So if you are an apparel company, look into CLO and browse ware. Those are like the two, you know, best programs.[00:10:36] They each, you know, they're, they're different. But they're both great. So, so check 'em out. For footwear you can generally get Rhino files from your manufacturer, and then you're taking those into a program like KeyShot, I, I think, is much easier to use than Moto. But in KeyShot you can do the uppers and, and create all your different colorways.[00:10:53] So, so I would start there. We also sometimes help create 3D models for people who are just getting started. So sometimes [00:11:00] brands are like, yeah, like we're starting 3d, but like, we don't have enough bandwidth. We have one 3D person for all this stuff. So, so we, we can help create 3D models for you.[00:11:08] And then we're really, y you know, we really were with that like design and B2B sale, that's where everybody starts. Because if you can say, look, I'm gonna reduce my samples by x, I can increase speed to market by y. That's a very clear value proposition for your organization. And then you know that, that kind of next step is using it for e-commerce.[00:11:28] So once you have 3D models on VNTANA, we help. , get them anywhere you want. And, and it's all included. It's instant. One of the big things I'm really excited about is our, our work with Google. And so we're starting, well, one, if you have a 3D viewer on your e-commerce website, we can make sure Google sees that 3D model.[00:11:50] Just like Google sees the 2D images and videos that help with your seo. , they can now see the 3D models, which will help with your seo. And then we can [00:12:00] also we've got early access to published 3D to Google search. So you know, they're, it's not available to everybody yet. They're doing some A B testing.[00:12:08] But if you were to search for, you know, just an example like Merrell Shoe, like you might see a 3D version of that. And so far they're seeing a 6% higher click-through rate with 3D compared to[00:12:20] Ricardo Belmar: Oh wow.[00:12:21] Casey Golden: It's a great way for Google to be pushing innovation.[00:12:25] Ashley Crowder: yeah, and it's just organic search to [00:12:27] Ricardo Belmar: Right, [00:12:28] Ashley Crowder: So, and it makes sense. I mean, 3D is just the, it, it's the next evolution of digital content, right? So,[00:12:38] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, so just thinking about that, I mean, do you see 3D content like this for, as sort of a, becoming the standard asset that replaces the, the 2D versions, especially once you layer in what Google's doing on search for that? You know, plus anyone working with you that's putting this content on their e-commerce site, do you, do you see this becoming the standard because it's gonna, you know, you mentioned the stat that I picked up on [00:13:00] earlier about lowering your return rates from this, which has become huge now for online retailers.[00:13:04] So do, do you think this is gonna be the new standard[00:13:06] Ashley Crowder: A hundred percent. I mean, it's, think about like when, when web first started supporting video, right? And now it's like, if you don't have video as a brand, what are you doing? You know, like that. That's like everywhere. Everywhere. So 3D is, is that next evolution, right? It it is just more interactive. It's more engaging.[00:13:26] It's showing the product better. On top of that, like. We always talk about 3D as the highest level asset. If you have a 3D model, I can create all the 2D content I want. So, you know, I can generate a product shot from every angle automatically. You know, we're, our team, just like the rest of the world, is like fascinated by all this AI technology that's now out there.[00:13:48] And we're playing around with like, okay, well, like I, I have this 3D model. This Stodd purse, can I automate 2D images of this purse on a bar, this [00:14:00] purse on a yacht? Like, can I automatically generate all these product lifestyle shots? Like this is where all this is going, right? Uh, and at the end of the day, it's gonna be huge cost savings and better consumer experience[00:14:13] Ricardo Belmar: And better time to market with that.[00:14:14] Ashley Crowder: Yeah.[00:14:14] Ricardo Belmar: So then let's, let's keep going on, on that theme. So in addition to the 3D versions of the product becoming sort of the standard asset, let's say for e-commerce we've already kind of talked about and hinted a few other uses for that, that you've brought up. Where, what do you think is next? What do you think comes after that?[00:14:32] What's the next thing that you see retailers going for? Once you have all of this capability?[00:14:37] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. And, and I mean, again, I think you know, step one, it's, it's speeding up to the design process. It's resulting in better products with better fit because 3D just gives you, you know, that better initial design to work off of. You're replacing samples, so you're saving money, increasing speed to market, reducing carbon footprint, and then 3D on E-com is reducing [00:15:00] returns, increasing conversion rate.[00:15:01] But then we can go into all these virtual worlds, right? Like so I'm sure many of you read the the Wall Street Journal article. Every kid is spending all their allowance in Roblox, which is true like my friends can all attest that that's where all their kids' allowance is going. Um, but, but it's true. Like kids aren't going to meet at the mall anymore.[00:15:23] They're like going online and meeting in these virtual worlds, and that's where they wanna look cool. And that's where they're spending money on their, their digital avatar. And you know, the two biggest worlds right now are, are Roblox and Fortnite. Fortnite has, I think 300 and 30 million daily active users, which is pretty crazy.[00:15:42] Um, Roblox Roblox, I think is like a 10th of that. Roblox is like 36 million da daily active users. But either way it's like huge, right? Like if you're a brand. , you need to be there. If you wanna remain relevant and what we're trying to do at VNTANA I is help automate that so [00:16:00] we can take your existing design and instantly deploy a version in Roblox or, or Fortnite. Because right now, you know, only the huge brands like Nike, Walmart have, have just custom built these Roblox worlds from the ground up. Yeah, well that's great. Like how much money does that cost? So not every brand, you know, could have access to that.[00:16:18] So we're trying to help automate getting designs in there. I think another thing that's really cool iHeart Media created iHeart Land in Roblox, and they have programmed content every day of the year. You know, they're a radio station, that's what they do, but they, they have this like virtual concert every day in Roblox and just like a real concert.[00:16:40] If you're a brand, I believe you could do a deal with them for, to do, do a branded sponsor. And I think that's a really cool way to start small. Yeah. Like, you don't need to build your, build your own world like Nike, but you could participate in, in iHeart land, which is cool. So you know, I think this is all really relevant.[00:16:58] You know, everyone obviously like [00:17:00] the, the N F T and crypto market had like a huge plunge. But, but the technology is gonna be around for a while because what , what crypto and NFTs enable is this interoperability. So right now I can buy a Gucci person, Roblox, but it's stuck in Roblox. I can't take that anywhere[00:17:20] Ricardo Belmar: Mm-hmm.[00:17:20] Ashley Crowder: With blockchain, I own that Gucci purse and I can take that with me in my wallet into Fortnite or into these other virtual worlds and. You know, that's coming and that's exciting because it really helps, I think, increase the utility of these digital goods. And then, you know, the really creative stuff I've, I've seen too is it's, it's almost people are using crypto and digital goods as like a rewards program.[00:17:45] Right. So you can earn, earn different, you. I'm just making this a Versace coin and then you, you get that. Then I get my robot Versace purse. But it's kind of like building this you know, cult following for people [00:18:00] and, and just with like fun digital giveaways. So,[00:18:03] Casey Golden: Yeah, I'm really excited to see more of the brands coming together to wrap around the customer. And I think that that's something that the Metaverse does really well, that we just kind of fail to do here in the real world. There's so much more of a competitive landscape rather than a community. So I think that that's one of the big takeaways that I'm really excited to see over the next five years is just seeing these brands that used to hang together, actually start playing together.[00:18:29] When you're looking at the future of retail in, in five years, eight years cuz we don't come on. They're slow to adopt. Um, what world are you, are, what world are you envisioning that like as a founder that you're working towards? Like this is the version of the world that you see and everybody kind of needs to take step one and you're really helping them with Welcome to the future.[00:18:57] Ashley Crowder: Yeah, I mean, [00:19:00] I, I see all these amazing interactive 3D consumer experiences with 3D and augmented reality. On e-commerce as well as that same 3D asset within these virtual worlds. So maybe, maybe if you buy a Nike shoe in the real world, it comes with that 3D version of the shoe that you can take in all these virtual spaces.[00:19:23] So your, your virtual avatar can be like your real life, you know, dressing. Um, but in order to do that, and in order to do that at scale, , it's so essential that it starts with that design and so that every brand is like designing in 3D and using that across the retail value chain. Because that's the only way it's gonna work if you're re if you're having to recreate assets for every end use case.[00:19:48] It, it's just not feasible or scalable. It's gonna[00:19:50] Ricardo Belmar: It's not scalable.[00:19:51] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. So so you know, that's what, you know, VNTANA is trying to do with like our automatic optimization to convert what you have into whatever you [00:20:00] need. And then we're also part of the Kronos group, which is a non-profit pushing standards for 3D to make this easier.[00:20:07] So, we have the JPEG of 3D. So everybody can can handle it. It's interoperable. Everybody takes the same thing. And there's startups like us in it, but also huge companies like Wayfair and Microsoft and Nvidia and Autodesk. So there's a lot of people working together to kind of push these standards and, and make it easier for everybody.[00:20:28] So that's what I think is really important. And if you're a brand. Don't be afraid to, to test stuff out. Like that's the beauty of digital is like you can do ab testing and remove it. It's okay. Like don't be afraid. It's , you know? That's my, my biggest thing. Just make sure you set up and test right. Um, cuz then you'll learn and grow and, and, you know.[00:20:50] Casey Golden: I'm, I'm thrilled to see so much more software coming in that is becoming more standardized. And more [00:21:00] scalable where the goal is to get it in and allow it to scale out so we can just move faster, right? We've moved pretty slow over the last 30 years when it comes to the internet to a static e-com store.[00:21:14] Like we haven't , we haven't really done much, um, in that, in that time period because this backend enterprise technology problems, I feel, you know, we a lot, this makes a huge.[00:21:26] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. You know that legacy IT infrastructure, right? And, and we talk with so many clients who are like, well, I'm, you know, doing my PLM upgrade that's gonna take a year and a half. And[00:21:36] Ricardo Belmar: Right, exactly.[00:21:38] Ashley Crowder: OK, . So so, and that's like our whole, that again, why we exist is, okay, well, we're headless. We can, we can upgrade your system to 3D in a day.[00:21:47] We, we can integrate both on, there we go. You don't need to. Try to rewrite everything or replace stuff. Let's just like, you know, upgrade what you have. Because yeah, these legacy systems are [00:22:00] just hard to get rid of and you don't wanna do employee training of, of new products. It's hard. And yeah, so we're, we're trying to just plug in there because yeah, at the end of the day, every system was built for only 2D content in mind, and 3D just has its own, you know, you need a 3D viewer if you're gonna see 3D on the.[00:22:17] You need certain file formats if you're trying to do iOS first Android, because Apple always has to be different . So,[00:22:24] Ricardo Belmar: Right, right.[00:22:25] Ashley Crowder: you know, but, but we help automate that. And I'm kind of jumping around, but I know, uh, uh, just like another suggestion for brands who are starting to design in 3d, I think a, a big thing is to have a material library a consistent material library that your whole team uses to make sure.[00:22:44] you know, if, if someone's designing a brown leather bag, your other designer is using the same brown, right? In the same, same material. And you know, we've got the, there's companies that will scan their own materials using a product like Visu. [00:23:00] Or you can use Adobe Substance. Adobe Substance has thousands of digital materials that are great and amazing. So that's, that's another place you can start, that's not, you know, very expensive. So.[00:23:14] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, a Ashley, let me ask you another question too. As you mentioned a couple interesting things there. What. What's holding back most often? You know, when you start working with a new customer, what are you running into as are the top things that are holding them back and kind of preventing them from really embracing 3d?[00:23:31] You mentioned a few things earlier, but I'm just curious you know, is it that legacy IT infrastructure that they feel like they have to overcome before they can get into this new field? Or are there other things, you know, one of the most common things you, you see that are, are really holding everyone.[00:23:46] Ashley Crowder: Yeah, so I'd say you know, initially it's that just skillset of designing in 3d. So, you know, there, there's a lot of. programs out there, both CLO and browser provide great training materials. They do different [00:24:00] webinars. We actually do monthly webinars now to train people on like, you know, different 3D techniques.[00:24:05] So, so there's that training aspect. Merrill actually has a really great program. So they when they hire students at a school, you know, they're all coming in knowing 3D and software, but like, you know, , they're very green. And then they pair them with this mentor program, with these older designers you know, who've been doing it forever in the company who can teach them more, you know, the, the, the traditional design skills they need, but it's just like pairing.[00:24:29] That's perfect, right? So then they can learn more of the 3D stuff. So I thought that was brilliant. So, so that's initially it, and then once, once you have that 3D design in. , then it's like, oh yeah, crap. We have a thousand 3D models. We can't store them in any system that we currently have. Like what do we do with this?[00:24:47] And like the digital product creation teams we talked to, they're like, yeah, I did all this beautiful work in 3d, but I'm sharing 2D screenshots cuz there's no way I can like, Share a 3D model with someone. I'm like, that's [00:25:00] awful, like[00:25:01] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.[00:25:01] Ashley Crowder: So yeah. So that's, you know, that's when we come in and help and automate that workflow and make it easy for anybody to view and share and collaborate in, in 3d.[00:25:10] But, but yeah. And then the third I'd say you know, people are just sometimes afraid to try new things. So I'd I'd say, you know, design, you know, work with your, you know, Customer experience team on designing, you know, specific ab tests and, and say, you know, clarify what you're trying to define success as.[00:25:31] You know, before you start the all stuff people know for changing any UX design, right. But, but like, you know, apply it to 3D and do it. And you know, we've, I've continually been surprised at you know, even better outcomes than I thought with, with certain clients. But on the flip side of that, sorry. I will say like, don't be afraid. Like I have like some clients who are like, yeah, we did 3d, but it was like buried on the website because we were kind of like afraid. And I'm like, well, this is like destined to fail, you know, . [00:26:00] So don't do that.[00:26:01] Ricardo Belmar: They were setting themselves up to fail that way.[00:26:03] Casey Golden: I see that a lot actually. A lot of the innovative things that they're doing, there's this level of fear of putting it front and center because of this, gosh, fashion has the biggest fear of failure of any industry like God. Goodness gracious, I'm not putting it up front. We'll bury it here and see what if people like it.[00:26:23] I'm like, that's a terrible guide. Like that's a terrible score. Like put it front and center. There's been some brands that have launched some more immersive experiences or the 3D and they're using a different URL and they're putting it in marketing to take you to a different u l of the brand to keep you away from the limelight, but to do some testing.[00:26:46] And, I find it very interesting because, you know, coming iin from more on the innovation and the tech side and that culture, it's pushed forward with full force and fail fast and iterate. And that's [00:27:00] just not the, the culture that the retail industry has been able to embrace over years. So I see that starting to change more.[00:27:09] Ashley Crowder: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely changing and I think, you know, people see first movers have first mover advantage. Um, you know, I, I've watched a lot of, like Gary Vaynerchuk's videos, love him. He is like, you know, built this like huge empire, but it started with his family wine business. And when email first came out, he was like, oh, I'm gonna advertise with email.[00:27:31] You know, this is when like no one was getting emails. So you actually opened everything.[00:27:35] Ricardo Belmar: read them[00:27:36] Ashley Crowder: You know, and he like, yeah. Yeah. It was exciting[00:27:41] Ricardo Belmar: got email.[00:27:43] Ashley Crowder: Yeah, it was. And, and he like 10 Xed his family wine business by like the first ever email marketing, right. . And then, you know, ended up growing this, this huge marketing empire.[00:27:57] But because he's not afraid to move first and he [00:28:00] sees these new technologies and he implements them and iterates and tests and, and there's a huge advantage to be that first mover for this stuff.[00:28:07] Casey Golden: Yeah.[00:28:08] Ricardo Belmar: Is, is that one of the things you see when you start working with customer and they get you know, more used to using the tools that you're providing? Do you, do you see their confidence improving when it comes to 3d and do they get, or do customers get more excited when they, you, you've given them one success through the system and now do they want, are they ready to jump in right away and find the next thing that they can do with this and succeed at that, and then keep building and building?[00:28:32] Or do they still, do you still see retailers kind of having a very tempered approach and trying to go a little bit slower, even though they got that first success. But they're still cautiously approaching the next one.[00:28:41] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. And, and I will say, I mean our you know, we have an amazing team of like 3D experts who come from like the game engine space and, and look, I get it, 3D is, complex and new. And so, you know, we, we almost end up coming and, and being consultants, some, and, you know, we, we can give you all that information and [00:29:00] explain how this will all work to give you that confidence.[00:29:02] And, and with almost all of our clients, you know, that, I think that's why what we start with that like design and development phase and really show them, hey, like this is how you can easily manage and share. internally, and they see that, you know, save time and costs and, and improve speed to market. And so then, and then they start using it with the sell-in meetings and wholesale, and the buyers love it.[00:29:26] So they're like, okay, this is great. And then they go to, to consumers. That tends to be the general path right. But, you know, I don't know. D Diesel went e-com first. They were great. I mean, they're, they, they're very innovative.[00:29:39] So [00:29:40] Casey Golden: very forward[00:29:41] Ashley Crowder: yeah.[00:29:42] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah.[00:29:43] Casey Golden: No, I think that's great. I mean, I have seen a lot of innovation in the PLM industry. just in general. Like I've seen hologram, like insane hologram technology and it's come out of a PLM company, you know, so the consumer won't see it for years, [00:30:00] but some of the capabilities and some of the things that are possible, definitely the innovation is happening internally for internal tools.[00:30:10] And I think it's important that just more people know that it's coming, and in most cases it's already here and you just don't know about it because it is happening internally.[00:30:21] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. And, and it is coming, I think this year we're gonna see way more 3D on consumer facing experiences, whether it's e-commerce part, partially because of what Google's doing. You know, Amazon is also starting to do 3D and ar. We have an integration so we can publish 3D to Amazon store. Not available to everybody yet.[00:30:40] But you know, I, I think as, as big players like Amazon, Google, and others start to offer 3d, it, it just becomes the standard that much faster, you know?[00:30:52] Casey Golden: It's amazing.[00:30:53] Ricardo Belmar: Right. And so Ashley, we just, one, one last thing before we close this out here, if you could leave listeners, and, [00:31:00] and viewers who will be watching on the, the YouTube channel with one key takeaway from everything we've talked about. What, what would that takeaway be?[00:31:06] Ashley Crowder: 3D is here. , and don't be afraid to experiment. It is adding real value to the bottom line of businesses today. So, you know, 3D is not just the future metaverse Roblox stuff, which yes, I, I love that as a gamer and excited, but it is, you know, saving costs by replacing samples, increasing speeds of market, improving your consumer experience just on your e-comm site, right?[00:31:35] Like this, you don't, you don't have to go VR all the way . You can do the baby steps. So,[00:31:42] Ricardo Belmar: Yeah, go in, go in steps, and go in steps. a Ashley, this has been an amazing discussion. we can't thank you enough for joining us today and having this conversation about what you're doing and what VNTANA is bringing to retailers and brands with 3D capability.[00:31:55] Ashley Crowder: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me.[00:31:58] Casey Golden: Hundred percent. I'm so [00:32:00] excited for this space to grow and to watch brands translate 3D aspects into their business. I just hope our listeners were inspired, intrigued, and with the value of 3D assets. It's time to wrap up this episode and wrap up 2D[00:32:17] Ricardo Belmar: It is that time.[00:32:24] Show Close[00:32:24] Casey Golden: If you enjoyed our show, please consider giving us a five star rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Remember to smash that subscribe button in your favorite podcast player so you don't miss a minute. And if you wanna know more about what we talked about today, take a look at the show notes and handy links for more deets.[00:32:43] I'm your co-host Casey Golden.[00:32:44] Ricardo Belmar: And if you'd like to connect with us, follow us on Twitter at Casey c Golden and Ricardo underscore Belmar, or find us on LinkedIn. Be sure to follow the show on Twitter at Retail Razor on LinkedIn, and on our YouTube channel for the latest updates and content. I'm your host, Ricardo Belmar.[00:32:59] Casey Golden: [00:33:00] Thanks for joining us.[00:33:01] ​[00:33:04] Ricardo Belmar: And remember, there's never been a better time to be in retail if you cut through the clutter. Until next time. This is the Retail Razor Show. 

SummaryThe last few months has brought some near future technology into the spotlight, in particular generative AI for image creation, copywriting and more. Over the last year on this podcast we've had the opportunity to speak to several companies that provide services that we would call future tech for creative production, and so as we get ready to close out 2022 we've put together this clip show, our future tech round up. You'll hear from Ajay Bam of Vyrill, Mark Milstein of Vaisual, Ben Conway of VNTANA, Mark Duhaime of Orbitvu, Patrik Bluhme of ProFoto. Let's take a look back over some of 2022's episodes focusing on the technology supporting the future of e-commerce. Key TakeawaysAjay Bam - Ep 45One of the most interesting things for me is that Vyrill has created a tool that allows you to leverage user videos of your products. Customers are already watching these videos, you can help point your customers to the most helpful content for them personally.Measuring ROI of creative can already be challenging, but one such measure is almost certainly engagement, and Vyrill also helps you understand engagement on YOUR videos, but other creators videos that feature your product. We only touched on sentiment analysis and other insights capabilities that Vyrill offers, but if we think about this in the context of localization, you can really start to see some value in that.Ben Conway of VNTANA - Ep 85When we talk about 3D I think many people jump to thinking about the end customer, but as Ben pointed out, many VNTANA customers have found a lot of value in B2B situations. Designers working with 3D models to help sell a product before any samples have gone into production. I don't think it's a big leap to make at all that these 3D design renders become the starting point for fully rendered product imagery. Could we see product imagery creation become a part of the merchandising process, before any sample is ever cut or sewn?The second part of that clip illustrates how powerful AR has the potential to be for categories of product that customers have a hard time understanding in e-commerce. In this anecdote we're talking about handbags and the relative size of handbag has been a perpetually challenging thing to indicate to customers in traditional e-commerce interactions. The numbers are powerful here, very real improvements in return rates.Mark Duhaime of Orbitvu - Ep 78One of the big concerns about automation is always flexibility, I think many photography professionals are really hyper aware of this. We learned from Photoshop Automations how badly things can go wrong if your automation interprets your instructions in a way you didn't intend. But what systems like orbitvu are really automating is a bunch of non-value add steps that a photographer has to do manually today, with a lot of smart ways to avoid unintended consequences. The studio is still in control, but with more time to focus on producing and improving imagery. While an automated device might ot be right for every production type (today at least) I think almost any studio has space for one. Even the most high touch on figure studio often still has to shoot a box full of accessories that could be dealt with quickly and easily with an automated device. Patrik Bluhme of Profoto - Ep 69This was pretty big news in the industry, profoto is one of the leading brands of studio lighting and has been present in every studio I've ever worked in, and maybe even set foot in. They see the value in supporting workflows for many of their customers, and StyleShoots gives them a product they can bring to a studio and show them how automation can change their workflows. I really think automation for a lot of product photography is going to be big, if not in 2023 then beyond, and part of that is because we have a LOT of things creative production professionals need to focus their time on, and product photos on white maybe doesn't need to be one of them. Mark Milstein of Vaisual - Ep 45This is obviously a topic that is front and center right now. As various generative AI tools have started becoming publicly available, there have been a lot of questions about how they work, what protections for artists should be in place, and how does this impact the human beings doing these jobs using traditional tools today. I think it will have an impact. But not overnight. We've spent 15 years building our ecommerce creative production processes to what they are today and just like any new technology, generative AI will have to be evaluated and adapted into workflows and processes that can keep this all organized. One of the things that Mark said that I found really striking is that he feels that this technology will make traditional art methods MORE valuable in the long run. I think there may be something to that. In the same way that we still value vinyl records after digitization of music, I think the photographer, painter, poet and sculptor will see the public's value perception of their work go up. Discount CodeReminder to use code ECCP to get your first month of PhotoRoom Pro for free! Thanks to the PhotoRoom team for the generous offer. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

SummaryAs we draw ever closer to the next big thing in e-commerce, the fog of what exactly its going to be starts to thin out a little bit. I feel comfortable saying with some amount of certainty that regardless of what becomes of virtual environments such as the metaverse, 3D interactions will become part of the e-commerce experience. My evidence of that is Ben Conway of VNTANA. VNTANA is a 3D infrastructure platform that enables management, optimization and distribution of 3D assets, both for the purposes of internal product development and design, and consumer facing applications such as 3D models of products they want to buy.Key TakeawaysVNTANA is a 3D infrastructure platform. VNTANA enables 3D capabilities across the entire lifecycle of the product or asset.VNTANA works in three primary areas of 3D asset creation: Management, Optimization, DistributionThe platform allows users to work with 3D files across locations and workflows, and can even distribute those assets in customer facing e-commerce use casesVNTANA can compress 3D assets by 90% or more, to enable better management of those workflows.Many VNTANA customers are fashion brands, and they use the tool for multiple internal and external touch points.VNTANA started on the end consumer side of the business and found that they may have been too early for that, but their customers were getting a lot of value upstream.VNTANA has customer who saw return rates in some categories go from 25% to 8% thanks to the ability of the customer to understand scale in a more meaningful way.Ben sees a future where virtual shoe try on is everywhere, virtual clothing try on is available but largely for entertainment, but applying physics of fabric characteristics is used to help aid virtual try on and adds value in some ways.Discount CodeReminder to use code ECCP to get your first month of PhotoRoom Pro for free! Thanks to the PhotoRoom team for the generous offer. CreditsProduced by: Creative Force - creativeforce.ioEdited by: Calvin Lanz Sound - clsound.netHosted by: Daniel Jester - danieltjester.com

This week the hosts are reporting live from AWE 2022. In this special episode of TWIXR, Charlie and Ted will be interviewing the following: Shawn Frayne, CEO, Looking Glass, Ashley Crowder, CEO, Vntana, and Avi Bar Zeev, CTO, Reality Prime.Thank you to our sponsor, Virbela!Don't forget to like, share, and follow for more! Follow us on all socials @ThisWeekInXR See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you aren't already, get ready to use 3D ads on Facebook, Instagram, and in the Metaverse. Steve Sipress, entrepreneur, marketing, sales, tips, ideas, help, strategy, small business owner, direct response, tactics, success, profits, growth, results, marketing consultant, Meta, Metaverse, 3D, ads, ad, Facebook, Instagram, Vntana,

Show Notes Disruptive CEO Nation Podcast with Allison K. Summers Episode 130 Ashley Crowder, CEO and Co-founder Vntana, USA and Europe   Ashley Crowder is the Co-Founder and CEO of VNTANA, the world's first 3D content management system with patented optimization that makes 3D fast and easy to scale for eCommerce. She has worked in the mixed-reality space for over 10 years helping Fortune 1000 brands, including Adidas, Lexus, and AT&T, to launch XR applications to increase sales. Ashley has 14 patents on mixed reality technology and leverages her engineering background to guide VNTANA's overall direction and technology development to shape the future of e-commerce.  Allison had an incredible conversation with Ashley, learning how her company's groundbreaking services are helping businesses move products and make profits online by making it easy to create a 3D version of every product imaginable. Highlights include: An explanation of the Metaverse in simple terms. Why CEOs need to invest in the development of 3D assets as part of their value proposition. How VNTANA solutions support 3D creation and distribution, including their Smart 3D compression. Serving as a thought leader in your market space can attract and grow new business. How the team holds meetings in VR to keep things lively. (Visit www.rec.net or www.vrchat.com) Finding and sharing support with other female entrepreneurs. Enjoy the show! Connect with Ashley: Website: https://www.vntana.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-crowder-55a9875/ Connect with Allison: Website: allisonksummers.com #CEO #business #businessstrategy #growthstrategy #entreprenuer #entrepreneurship #entreprenuerlife #tech #technology #startups #startupstory #AI #machinelearning #founder #femalefounder   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ashley Crowder, CEO/co-Founder, VNTANA joined me for a discussion about the role 3D & AR will play in n eCommerce. Hint: it's big…really, really big.  We even talk about the metaverse. This interview is the third in the Startups of NRF series.  I'll ask each of the startups exhibiting in either the Innovation Lab or Startup Zone the same 8 questions listed below. Ashley Crowder, CEO/co-Founder, VNTANA joined me for a discussion about the role 3D & AR will play in n eCommerce. Hint: it's big…really, really big.  We even talk about the metaverse. This interview is the third in the Startups of NRF series.  I'll ask each of the startups exhibiting in either the Innovation Lab or Startup Zone the same 8 questions listed below.         1.  Can you introduce yourself and tell us about Your company The problem you are solving         2.  The “pigeonhole” question:  Where does your solution sit?         3.  Where are we in the adoption cycle for this technology?         4.  What is the message you're sharing at NRF?         5.  How do you see 2022 shaping up For all the college students out there         6.  What advice can you offer budding entrepreneurs?         7.  What skills that you use now you wish you paid more attention to?         8. How do we get in touch with you? Give it a listen and let us know what you think? Podcast Guest Ashley Crowder CEO & Co-Founder VNTANA https://www.vntana.com/ Podcast Hosts Jeff Roster Twitter https://twitter.com/JeffPR LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-roster-bb51b8/ Website https://thisweekininnovation.com Brian Sathianathan Twitter  https://twitter.com/BrianVision Website https://www.iterate.ai Podcast Website https://www.podbean.com/pu/pbblog-f8asf-af2782 https://thisweekininnovation.com Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-innovation/id1562068014 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2QDqTUnt6jebdRHbRzSTJN  LaunchPadOne https://www.launchpaddm.com/pd/This-Week-in-Innovation?showAllEpisodes=true  Listen Notes https://lnns.co/2QPSfnizE5K   #nrf2022, #StartupsOfNRF,  #innovation, #Startup,  #Startups, #Retailers,   #retail, #retailers, #thisweekininnovation, #DigitalTransformation,#retailtechnology, #retailtech, #futureofretail , #retailtrends, #emergingtechnologies, #podcast, #retailpodcast #unifiedcommerce, #socialcommerce, #mobile, #VentureCapital, #VC,  #Founders, #Entrepreneurs, #Gartner, #unifiedcommerce, #socialcommerce, #5ForcesOfInnovation, #ArtificialIntelligence , #AI, #cloud, #data , #deeplearning, #naturallanguageprocessing , #sentimentanalysis , #conversationalai, #InternetOfThings,  #IoT, #machinelearning, #Blockchain, #LowCode. #Data, #computervision, #virtualreality, #augmentedreality, #personalization,  #datamining, #pos, #loyalty, #livestreaming, #SaaS, #Recommendations, #QRcodes, #Robots, #metaverse, #Cryptocurrency, #vr, #3d, #ar, #xr, #NFTs,    

In today's episode of the AR/VR Magazine Podcast, I talk to Ashley Crowder, CEO and co-founder of VNTANA VNTANA is a SAS platform that allows retailers and designers to create 3D and AR eCommerce experiences from existing 3D designs. We discuss the VNTANA platform, their new partnership with Joor and Ashley shares some thoughts on how this technology can be utilized in building the metaverse. Show Notes VNTANA Website Joor Website Today's Sponsor Today's podcast is sponsored by Zencastr - a browser-based platform for high-quality podcast production. We use Zencaster here at Robotspaceship studios and it has been an invaluable tool for recording all of our remote podcasts. Use the promo code "kemweb" to get a 40% discount on the professional package from Zencastr for a period of three months after the 14-day test phase! For more info, go to https://zencastr.com/ Subscribe and Follow! Be sure to subscribe to our podcast so you don't miss all the weekly episodes. We are currently on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts & Anchor with support for more podcasts on the way. You can also follow us on all the relevant social media channels. We are on: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. Website: https://arvrmagazine.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/arvrmagazine/support

For more than two decades, Suzi Watford has been using an extraordinary ability not often found in the news industry: sparking new ideas that turn into revenue-driving realities. After spending close to seven years working at News UK with roles in partnerships, sales, and marketing, Suzi joined The Wall Street Journal as their CMO back in 2014. In April of this year, Suzi became EVP, Consumer, a newly created role charged with creating a stronger Dow Jones “ecosystem”––fostering upselling, cross-selling, and bundling opportunities within their existing portfolio––as well as helping to build a Dow Jones platform complete with new products and services. On the latest episode of The Business of Marketing Podcast, Adweek's chief innovation officer, Toby Daniels, sits down with Suzi to discuss her career journey in the world of news, the ever-evolving newspaper business, The Wall Street Journals' strategic pivot towards digital, and how she is working collaboratively within the organization to grow Dow Jones' digital subscription businesses. They also talked about the brand's commitment to advancing news literacy and the launch of “Trust Your Decisions,” a new brand platform and campaign designed to reinforce the Journal's position as the definitive source of truth for decision-makers. Throughout Season 2 of the podcast, we will be spotlighting a number of different startups that have participated in SAP.iO's foundries programs. During this episode, you will hear from Ashley Crowder, Co-Founder and CEO at VNTANA, a SaaS platform that makes 3D asset production and distribution fast and scalable for apparel, footwear and furniture. Learn how they worked with SAP to transform their business, the major obstacles they faced as a startup in the 3D space, and how they are leveraging technology to drive their growth.

Sharing the following this week: - Autonomous delivery startup has raised $600 million in a fundraising round led by new investor Tiger Global Management, capital that the autonomous delivery startup will use to ramp up commercial operations. - Mark Cuban and former Oculus CEO back 3D e-commerce startup VNTANA, which helps e-commerce retailers show off products on their sites in glorious 3D, while also allowing users to view objects in augmented reality and try on items virtually. - OQmented, a German pioneer in AR/VR Display and 3D Sensing Solutions, scores €8 million in funding. - Climate tech investment in Europe has grown 7x in the past five years, over the global average of 4.9x. Sustainability-focused VCs in Europe have raised $1.8bn this year so far, which includes the €350m fund by Ecosia-backed VC firm World Fund. For more startup news, head to our website. --------------- Interested? Subscribe to receive your Startup Monday in your inbox every Monday. Do not miss out on the latest tech trends happening in the global startup ecosystem, VC weekly overview, access to 1000 + Investors, Venture Capitals, Accelerators, tech jobs at the top tech companies in the U.S., and more. -------------- Startup Monday Newsletter is empowered by the HyeTech Minds Podcast - a mission-driven platform aimed at fostering a community of people who are looking for inspiration to take their venture to the next level. Join our community --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hyetechminds/message

How will retail evolve? We asked Ross Neumann, Head of Partnerships for Lowe's Innovation Labs; David Matthews, Managing Director at RevTech Ventures; Richard Schwartz, President and CEO of Pensa Systems, a leading innovator in autonomous perception for retail inventory; and Ben Conway, Co-Founder and COO of VNTANA, the world's first 3D Collaboration Platform. This is a live recording from our What's Next, Now event series and we discuss 3D models, spatial computing, the harmonization of on-line and off-line and the digitization of on-shelf.

Assembling the right team for your startup is essential for its success, which is why most founders will want to know about your previous experience, how you handled pressure situations, an example of your problem-solving skills, and maybe your philosophy on teamwork. But Ashley Crowder wants to know what you did in high school. “We want to find out, what were your childhood interests and how did that get you to where you are today?” she says. In this edition of UpTech Report, Ashley talks about the rigorous process she uses to find the people who will create the right culture at her company, Vntana, an imperative that she says outweighs experience.

With so much sales and marketing happening in online spaces, companies more and more are craving to deliver 3D and AR experiences for their customers. Wondering what that couch will look like in your living room? Hold up your phone, and an app will visually place it there. Want to see that sneaker in a full 360 radius? Just spin it to get a full view. The problem is that software platforms that deliver these experiences need files that aren't used by most design teams. Ashley Crowder set out to find a solution, which eventually became her company, Vntana. In this edition of UpTech Report, Ashley discusses the Vntana product, which helps content teams quickly and easily bridge the gap between their product designs and interactive experiences for customers.

Ashley has worked in the mixed-reality space for almost a decade helping Fortune 1000 brands including Adidas, Lexus, AT&T and more launch mixed reality applications to engage consumers and increase sales. She has 14 patents and have given talks on the future of mixed reality at SXSW, Digital Summit, Augmented World Expo, TEDx, World Economic Forum and more. Ashley graduated from USC with a bachelors and masters in engineering and leverage my engineering background to guide VNTANA's overall direction and technology development to shape the future of commerce by making it easy to create a 3D version of every product in the world. Ashley loves helping companies plan and execute a winning 3D strategy that not only increases revenue and consumer engagement, but also creates cost efficiencies and collaboration across an organization.. . VNTANA provides an advanced CMS for 3D rendering of products for a new level of eCommerce enablement. The system is designed to automate and streamline the workflow for economic rendering in 3D, tens of thousands of SKUs at a time. Proven to increase sales for major apparel, retail and industrial corporations, the 3D CMS allows easy interaction between product designers, promoters and sellers. Support this podcast

In this episode, Don interviews Ashley Crowder! Ashley is the CEO and Co-Founder of VNTANA. VNTANA brings products to life, from design to 3D shopping, across web, augmented and virtual reality platforms in minutes rather than weeks.

Recruiting and Consulting Firm @Riderflex Podcast Presents: @Ashley Crowder, Co-Founder & CEO, @VNTANA Riderflex.com | 888-964-5876 Riderflex is a global Recruiting and Consulting Firm. We give Career Advice & Job Interviewing Tips on this podcast. This episode of the Riderflex Podcast is sponsored by our friends at Marketing360, the #1 marketing platform for small businesses. It’s everything you need to grow your business. Visit Marketing360.com or call them at 833-277-1328. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/riderflex/support

Remaining competitive in today's online marketplace is top on the list for many businesses. But what can a company do to make their products stick out from the crowd? In this episode, Adam Torres and Ashley Crowder, CEO and Co-founder of VNTANA, explores how VNTANA is allowing clients to use existing product design files in a new way, transforming them into 3D shopping experiences in minutes. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule.Apply to be interviewed by Adam on our podcast:https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/

Today we welcome Ashley Crowder, Co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, an industry leading augmented reality platform that allows brands to easily create interactive hologram experiences. VNTANA recently launched Omnichannel 3D Automation Software allowing the creation of 3D web, AR and VR experiences in minutes rather than weeks. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/2ndlevelpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/2ndlevelpodcast/support

This week’s podcast interview was originally scheduled to take place live on stage at SXSW. Unfortunately, a nasty pandemic got in the way of this. However, I still wanted to talk with VR expert Ashley Crowder about her work as CEO and Co-Founder of VNTANA, a company that helps brands build out new online realities (which may be more relevant now than ever before!). We discussed all of this and more on this week’s episode of the On Brand podcast. About Ashley Crowder Ashley Crowder is the co-founder and CEO of VNTANA, the industry-leading platform that automates the conversion of physical products into 3D Web, AR, VR & hologram e-commerce experiences. She has worked in the mixed-reality space for over 7 years, creating unique hologram activations for Fortune 1000 brands including Adidas, Lexus, Intel and more. Prior to co-founding VNTANA, she gained valuable engineering experience at Gulfstream, Northrop Grumman and BP, now leveraging her engineering background to guide VNTANA’s overall direction and technology development to shape the future of e-commerce. Under her leadership, VNTANA has released the fastest and easiest way to create, manage, and distribute 3D assets for the web, AR, and VR in an end-to-end CMS, making it easy to create a 3D version of every product in the world. Ashley has given talks on the future of mixed reality and how to incorporate it in enterprises today at prestigious venues including SXSW, Digital Summit, Internet Summit, Augmented World Expo, TEDx Venice, the World Economic Forum’s Global Growth Companies & Technology Pioneers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, The Montgomery Summit, Siemer Summit, Digital LA, and others. Ashley was featured as one of USC’s leading engineering CEOs of 2016 and is a part of the Microsoft Early Developer Program. She earned her BS in Industrial Systems Engineering and MS in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California. Episode Highlights Why is VNTANA such a good brand name? As a brand builder, I had to start with this great brand name, which comes from the Spanish word for window, ventana. “We’re giving people this view into another world,” explains Crowder of her company and its brand name. “Every brand needs to create their online twin for the VR, 3D spatial computing web.” We’ve come along way from those “brochure websites” we laughed about during the podcast. Perhaps taking the metaphor too far, I asked Ashley if it was an identical twin we should be striving to create online? She said responded, “It’s getting close …” “Results are everything.” Crowder shared stories about IKEA and Shopify using VR and AR to achieve significant results. IKEA created a 3D virtual catalog and saw a 35% increase that they could attribute to this. Shopify found customers were twice as likely to purchase after using their AR support feature. What brand has made Ashley smile recently? “Chipotle!” She shared a story about Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics pranking rookie, Romeo Langford, along with some help from their local Chipotle. This one will literally make you smile! To learn more about Ashley Crowder and VNTANA, check out VNTANA’s website. As We Wrap … Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show. On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more. Subscribe to the podcast – You can subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and RSS. Rate and review the show – If you like what you’re hearing, head over to Apple Podcasts and click that 5-star button to rate the show. And, if you have a few extra seconds, write a couple of sentences and submit a review. This helps others find the podcast. OK. How do you rate and review a podcast? Need a quick tutorial on leaving a rating/review in iTunes? Check this out. Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

Ashley Crowder is the CEO and co-founder of VNTANA, a company focused on interactive hologram technologies and 3D asset conversion for AR, VR, and e-commerce.After earning a BS in Industrial System Engineering and MS in Engineering Management from USC, Ashley started her career in industrial engineering with a job as an oil refinery planner for BP.From there, she started VNTANA, which has gone on to work with Adidas, Under Armor, Nike, NBC, Viacom, and many others.In this conversation, Ashley describes how she exercised her creativity, as side job to her work at BP, by creating light shows for DJs, which ultimately drew her into the world of holograms and spatial computing.After founding VNTANA, she and her team were finding a lot of success, but there was something even more valuable they’d created. She retells how she came to understand that value and led the company through a pivot to take advantage of this bigger opportunity.And that opportunity is around creating the digital twins of the products we use every day. Ashley believes AR & VR are going to change every aspect or our lives, and overcoming the challenge of making digital twins is the key to helping unlock that potential.You can find all of the show notes at thearshow.com.

Today on the show we’re talking about holograms. Now you are probably most familiar with this tech from a little movie called Star Wars. Well, holograms are real and Ben Conway, co-founder of the company VNTANA, has been turning what was once science fiction into science fact. VNTANA is on the bleeding edge of an augmented and virtual reality revolution that will drastically change how we perceive the world. But on the road to change, the world presented a lot of unexpected twists, turns, and pitfalls…

Join Tyler and Sophia as they speak with Ashley Crowder from VNTANA and Diego Medina from Viacom about the exciting work they're doing together in Augmented Reality. Connect with Ashley & Diego Ashley Crowder @acrowder33 Diego Medina https://www.linkedin.com/in/diegojmedina/ Visit the VR/AR Association at www.TheVRARA.com for more information about how you can get involved with this worldwide organization to help gain exposure and share ideas and best practices with other experts in the industry. Subscribe to the podcast wherever podcasts are found or listen to past interviews at www.TheVRARA.com/podcast

Interviewing Ashley Crowder from VNTANA, an end to end solution for premium mixed reality. VNTANA’s patented AR computing platform provides the only interactive holograms with data collection that “wow” consumers while quantifying engagement. VNTANA’s interactive hologram technologies are applicable globally and across multiple industries including sports, advertising, retail, business communications, automotive, education, healthcare and entertainment. Find out more at vntana.com/ Hosted by Benjamin Penkert from SportsTechX - Data & Insights about SportsTech startups and the surrounding ecosystem.

Today on the show we’re talking about holograms. Now you are probably most familiar with this tech from a little movie called Star Wars. Well, holograms are real and Ben Conway, co-founder of the company VNTANA, has been turning what was once science fiction into science fact. VNTANA is on the bleeding edge of an augmented and virtual reality revolution that will drastically change how we perceive the world. But on the road to change, the world presented a lot of unexpected twists, turns, and pitfalls… Create your own online business - jumpcut.com/makebank --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/anunconventionallife/support

You can have someone present without being at your event: Holograms. Ashley C talks all about holograms and how they are changing the events industry. Listen to the expert in the market who has created the patents for this engaging experience!

Large realistic computer-driven holograms are popping up in places like jewelry stores, car dealerships and the Mall of America. James visits Ashley Crowder, Co-Founder and CEO of Vntana, a company that makes those holograms.  James Cook is the director of retail research in the Americas for JLL.  Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android  Listen: WhereWeBuy.show  Alexa: Say "Enable the Where We Buy skill" Tweet: @JamesDCook Email: jamesd.cook@am.jll.com  Instagram: @jamcoo Leave a message on the Where We Buy hotline. We may use it on an upcoming show. Call (602) 633-4061  Read more retail research here. Background music: Creepy Organ Loop by Aeonemi under Creative Commons license.  Theme music is Run in the Night by The Good Lawdz, under Creative Commons license.

On this episode of Six Degrees of Storytelling, we learn about Ashley Crowder, founder and CEO of VNTANA, and how her company is pioneering interactive hologram experiences. Ashley defines “hologram” through VNTANA’s unique lens, and describes how the company fits into the broader industry landscape and historical context of the technology. Of course, we navigate […]

On this episode of Six Degrees of Storytelling, we learn about Ashley Crowder, founder and CEO of VNTANA, and how her company is pioneering interactive hologram experiences. Ashley defines “hologram” through VNTANA’s unique lens, and describes how the company fits into the broader industry landscape and historical context of the technology. Of course, we navigate […]

Omni Talk sits down with VNTANA Co-Founder/CEO Ashley Crowder live from their Holiday Hologram Concierge, Ellie the Elf experience at the Mall Of America.

Today we get to know Ashley Crowder of VNTANA. VNTANA is an end to end solution for premium mixed reality experiences. To support the Women in Tech podcast go to https://www.patreon.com/womenintech - tweet @womenintechshow and @EspreeDevora. https://vntana.com/ http://twitter.com/womenintechshow https://twitter.com/espreedevora https://twitter.com/krisztinaholly http://artofmfg.com/

Holograms and hardware: just one piece of VNTANA's strategy to become the go-to platform for brands to engage with customers using AR and mixed reality. Augmented reality is a big buzzword these days. But most companies are focusing on creating content. Because of her deep technical background, Ashley and her company started with a portable holographic projection system, and they are now positioning themselves as the go-to platform for brands to leverage and capitalize on mixed reality experiences. I was curious to hear her thoughts on the future of AR and VR, and how businesses can best leverage these technologies. I was also excited to learn how she built this hardware company from the ground up and how they plan to scale production. But the most interesting aspect might be how they are evolving into a full platform that works with anyone's hardware. And how she is integrating technologies like data analysis, AI, motion capture, and facial recognition to engage more deeply with customers. We also talk how she successfully raised money since her company's business model is a very non-traditional investment for venture capital. The views expressed on The Art of Manufacturing podcast are those of the guests, and not our sponsors or partners. For more information, photos, and links, check out the show notes at http://makeitinla.org/ashleycrowder.

Women to Watch™ Media interview with Ashley Crowder, CEO and Co-Founder of VNTANA an augmented reality platform that allows brands to easily create interactive hologram experiences.

Ep 20: The Future of Experiential Marketing with Vntana's Ashley Crowder   In Episode 20, Ashley Crowder, CEO and Co-Founder at Vntana, discusses Experiential Marketing and how it is changing as a whole. She shares her insight on Holograms and companies using it to their advantage, data and metrics with AI, and where marketing is headed.  Ashley begins the conversation talking about Vntana and how the company was born. She elaborates on the strong case studies that Vntana has established over the past couple of years and her favorite campaign. With her expertise with UGC and AI, she gives listeners insight on the challenges with hologram implementation and how to overcome them. Tyler and Ashley also discuss the data and metrics side of AI implementation and how marketing leaders can use that data towards their own brands' research and goals. Ashley shares her overview of the Shop.Org conference and reveals pieces of what's to come with Vntana. Ashley wraps the conversation by giving her key advice on staying ahead of the curve and that marketing leaders should try to be the first movers in using new technology like AI. Join Tyler, Michelle, and Ashley in this exciting conversation of what the future of Experiential Marketing looks like and a sneak peek at what's to come with Vntana.    Timestamps  00:00 – Intro 01:07 – What’s in the News | UnderArmour Q3 Sales Drop 06:45 – Featured Guest Intro | Ashley Crowder 07:39 – Ashley & Vntana 09:19 – Brands Using Vntana’s Technology 10:20 – Strong Case Studies with Vntana 11:45 – Holograms and Company Goals 13:40 – Ashley’s Favorite Achievement 14:26 – 5 Years Ago: Ashley’s Startup with Vntana 15:56 – Microsoft’s Kinect 18:10 – AI Hologram vs Virtual Performance 19:34 – Experiential Marketing Change as a Whole 21:20 – UGC and Experiential Marketing 22:00 – Challenges with Hologram Implementation 23:03 – Smaller Brands Using Vntana 25:01 – Data and Metrics with AI 25:43 – Sneak Peek with Vntana 26:42 – Shop.Org Overview 28:00 – Next Big Thing for Marketers 29:01 – Split Testing on Holograms 29:42 – Key Take Away 31:30 – Outro   Featured Guest Ashley Crowder | CEO and Co-Founder at Vntana  LinkedIn Lion’s Share Marketing Podcast Learn More About Tyler & Kyle   Music Intro Music – Colony House – Buy “2:20” on iTunes Outro Music – Skillet – Buy “Lions” on iTunes 

Looking to boost your customers’ digital service experience is Satisfi Labs, an intelligent data deployment platform that uses companies’ data to power voice and text communications with their consumers. At the helm is this week’s Tech Cat Show guest, Justine Santa Cruz, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, to discuss the latest trends in retail technology and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the company’s newest foray into holographic AI, partnered with AR hologram company VNTANA. Become a customer service star by keeping up on the latest stuff, right here on the Tech Cat Show!

Anyone in events knows that in order to stay busy, you have to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest technology. Augmented reality (AR) is one of these areas that you need to know about! Holograms at events is something that is definitely current and cutting-edge. Today, we are joined by the ICONIC Ashley Crowder of VNTANA, and she is going to be sharing her knowledge and experience with us. VNTANA’s social augmented reality technology creates shareable group experiences by placing the digital in the real world. Ashley will be explaining what AR is and how it can be used to create bigger and better events. She’ll also discuss holograms at events, specifically, and she will share with us how VNTANA collaborated with Microsoft to introduce the HOLLAGRAM: The first interactive and social media integrated hologram system! You NEED to know about this! We want to help keep you up-to-date on the latest and greatest! Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! You’re watching this recording of our episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. We do this for you! How To Subscribe: Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes. Subscribe via iTunes: Video & Audio or Audio Only Click here to subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed): Video & Audio or Audio Only Follow our iconic guests on Twitter: Ashley Crowder of VNTANA (@vntanalive) Brandt Krueger of Event Technology Consulting (@BrandtKrueger) Check out the epic resources mentioned in this episode: VNTANA: Interactive Hologram Experiences YOAST (WordPress Plugin) Grammarly (Chrome Plugin)

Anyone in events knows that in order to stay busy, you have to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest technology. Augmented reality (AR) is one of these areas that you need to know about! Holograms at events is something that is definitely current and cutting-edge. Today, we are joined by the ICONIC Ashley Crowder of VNTANA, and she is going to be sharing her knowledge and experience with us. VNTANA’s social augmented reality technology creates shareable group experiences by placing the digital in the real world. Ashley will be explaining what AR is and how it can be used to create bigger and better events. She’ll also discuss holograms at events, specifically, and she will share with us how VNTANA collaborated with Microsoft to introduce the HOLLAGRAM: The first interactive and social media integrated hologram system! You NEED to know about this! We want to help keep you up-to-date on the latest and greatest! Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! You’re watching this recording of our episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. We do this for you! How To Subscribe: Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes. Subscribe via iTunes: Video & Audio or Audio Only Click here to subscribe via RSS (non-iTunes feed): Video & Audio or Audio Only Follow our iconic guests on Twitter: Ashley Crowder of VNTANA (@vntanalive) Brandt Krueger of Event Technology Consulting (@BrandtKrueger) Check out the epic resources mentioned in this episode: VNTANA: Interactive Hologram Experiences YOAST (WordPress Plugin) Grammarly (Chrome Plugin)

Ashley graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelors and masters degree in engineering and co-Founded VNTANA in 2013. VNTANA live streams holograms, bringing fans face-to-face with their favorite artists, actors, and athletes. Prior to VNTANA she worked at BP for three years where she devised the production strategy for multiple products at the West Cost refinery. Before that she gained event production experience at MTV Networks in Los Angeles and INCA Productions in London.

Ashley graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelors and masters degree in engineering and co-Founded VNTANA in 2013. VNTANA live streams holograms, bringing fans face-to-face with their favorite artists, actors, and athletes. Prior to VNTANA she worked at BP for three years where she devised the production strategy for multiple products at the West Cost refinery. Before that she gained event production experience at MTV Networks in Los Angeles and INCA Productions in London.

This week we chat with Ashley Crowder, who is the co-founder and CEO of Vntana a company that builds scalable and interactive hologram systems for businesses to leverage in a variety of ways. Holograms are in the family of Augmented reality, an experience in the physical world where elements are ‘augmented’ by a computer generated experience in video, graphics, and/or sound. Holograms are digital images projected into reality in some way and what Vntana has done is create ‘holographic experiences’ to engage people in person, whether they are attending a live event, or directly with a brand through an interactive display. You are going to learn a lot about this new reality when you hear from Ashley Crowder, CEO of Vntana and join The Tech Cat Show.