“Since 2009, your wise and steady leadership and your passion for 3D on the web has led to the widespread deployment of WebGL.” — Neil Trevett
Ken Russell’s leadership of WebGL and WebGPU at Google has kept 3D graphics thriving in browsers worldwide. His technical mastery and persistence helped transform experimental web graphics into an everyday creative medium.

Producer, curator, and Electric South co-founder, Ingrid Kopp nurtures an ethics of access: resourcing African artists to tell immersive stories on their own terms, and shaping metaverse policy conversations to reflect global realities. Her ecosystem-building treats equity, inclusion, and consent as design requirements—not optional aspirations.

Andy Fidel coined the phrase “Spatial Networking” to describe how shared immersive spaces build connection rather than just disseminate information. As founder of Spatial Networks she has created virtual meet-ups, events and creator networks that prioritize agency, presence and co-creation in XR. Her community work supports emerging creators and builds inclusive, persistent social systems in immersive environments.

Built from the indie heart of SideQuest, Banter redefines embodied locomotion in VR with web-slinging, wall-running, and physics-driven chaos that feel both impossible and intuitive. Its elastic grappling mechanics let players soar and bounce across surreal arenas with superhero agility—Spider-Man by way of ragdoll physics. Designed for pure social fun, Banter filled a void between technical demos and shared joy, proving experimental motion can build community as much as spectacle.