Station 00 · World Hub
Building the spatial future.
I build connections between people, places, and digital worlds. For over 25 years I have helped move the web from flat pages to immersive, intelligent, spatial experiences.
Professional · 01 · Passion
What I build.
The companies, roles and boards behind the work. For the year-by-year journey see Story; for the events and communities I started, Community.
Why I do this
In 2000 I read Snow Crash. The book imagines the Metaverse as a separate place you escape into. What stayed with me was something else: a digital reality merged with the real world, where information lives in the places it's about. That idea became my passion, and twenty-six years later it still drives everything I do. It has taken three forms.
I taught myself to build for the web so I could help make it real. Web3D was the closest thing to it at the time, so I went all in. From there I followed it through WebGL, AR, VR and WebXR, and on to spatial computing and Spatial AI. I didn't only build. I organized the first AR Developer Camp, the first VR Hackathon, the first 3D Web Fest and WebXR Week, because I wanted more people building this future.
A merged world shouldn't belong to one company. From 2005 to 2010 I served the Web3D Consortium as Student Director and then Standards Advocate, promoting open 3D standards at industry events with industries, governments and organizations around the world. In 2016 I joined the W3C's WebVR Community Group, and I stayed through its evolution into the Immersive Web Working Group until 2021, contributing to WebXR, the standard that brings AR and VR to the browser. Open technology also needs shared values. From 2022 to 2026 I served on the board of the XR Guild, championing ethical principles for the people building XR and spatial computing. A building outlives every vendor who modeled it, so its data has to be open to last as long.
If digital and physical are going to merge, the built environment is where it matters most. Since 2007 I've worked on that intersection. At IDEAbuilder that meant robotic fabrication and immersive tools for timber construction. I also founded AEC Hackathon, which grew from 130 people in Menlo Park to about 30 cities. Since 2017 I've served on the board of the Construction Progress Coalition, which brings the construction supply chain together to scale the digital transformation of design and construction. At SIMLAB I worked on digital twins for buildings. Today, with Mixx Reality, I'm building spatial communication for the people who design, build and run the places we live in.
The spatial web has been "almost here" for most of my career. I've stayed with it through every wave of hype because the idea was never about a headset. It's about connecting people, places and information, openly, so everyone can take part.
THE SPATIAL WEB
The spatial web.
From the 3D web to the Spatial Internet. Since 2000 I've worked on moving the web from flat pages to spatial, connected experiences: first Web3D, then WebGL, AR, VR and WebXR, and now spatial computing and Spatial AI. Along the way I've helped keep that web open, through the standards bodies and communities shaping how it works. This is the technology foundation behind everything else I do, including my work in the built environment.
What it covers
Web3D & the 3D web
01Make 3D information interactive and usable in any browser, on any device.
Open standards
02Keep the spatial web open, so data and experiences work across platforms and outlast any vendor.
XR & immersive experiences
03Create new ways to see and work with information around you.
The Spatial Internet
04Place information in the world, persistent and connected, so the web knows where it is.
Ventures & founded
Mixx Reality
Jan 2023 – nowA spatial computing, enterprise AI and built-environment innovation company combining consulting expertise with the Mixx Platform, AI-infused spatial communication software.
SpiralConcepts
Mar 2004 – Oct 2019Hired and directed a studio of designers and web developers on projects spanning web, 3D, digital fabrication, IoT, VR and AR for enterprise sectors. Led new markets, strategic planning and the development of new innovations.
Career
Front-end web developer
2000 – now2D, 3D and immersive web design and development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, WebGL, Web3D standards and WebXR. The hands-on craft behind every company, community and standard I have helped build.
Samsung Electronics
Nov 2016 – Apr 2020Turbocharging the mobile web for immersive technologies including Web3D, VR and AR.
W3C Immersive Web
2016 – 2021Joined the WebVR Community Group in 2016 and stayed as it became the Immersive Web Working Group in 2018. Promoted and contributed to WebXR, the open standard that brings AR and VR to the browser.
Vivaty
2006 – 2008Web3DStudents
2003 – Dec 2010Directed students and professionals learning and working together to advance the 3D web.
Boards & advisory
XR Guild
Feb 2022 – Oct 2026An association of XR, spatial computing, metaverse and web3 professionals who support a common set of ethical principles, with resources and mentorship for members.
Finland's National Metaverse Strategy
Apr 2023 – Dec 2024Web3D Consortium
2005 – 2010Promoting open 3D web standards at industry events worldwide, to industries, governments and organizations.
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
The built environment.
Where spatial computing meets the physical world. Across the building lifecycle I connect design data, fabrication, construction and operations, so building information stays open, visual and usable from the first idea to the day a building opens and every day after. This is the deep application domain where the spatial web becomes real buildings, bridging the physical and digital worlds.
The building lifecycle
Design & Engineering
01Connect design information across applications, disciplines and stakeholders.
Digital Fabrication & Manufacturing
02Connect digital design with the machines and processes that make building components.
On-Site Assembly & Construction
03Bring the right building information to the people constructing and assembling buildings.
Digital Twins & Handover
04Keep continuity from design intent to as-built conditions to operations.
Facilities Management & Operations
05Keep building information useful through the whole operational life of a building.
Ventures & founded
IDEAbuilder
Mar 2007 – Mar 2021Robotic manufacturing and immersive technologies to build timber structures and homes more efficiently, on time, on budget and with less waste.
Featured: Digital Fabrication and Smart 3D City Models in Virtual RealityAEC Hackathon
2013 – nowThe first global hackathon series for and by built environment professionals, and its largest community. Over 60 events across 30+ cities worldwide.
hackaec.comMixx Reality
Jan 2023 – nowA spatial computing, enterprise AI and built-environment innovation company combining consulting expertise with the Mixx Platform, AI-infused spatial communication software.
Career
SIMLAB
Apr 2021 – Jun 2022Digitalization and software for home and building owners and operators of offices, factories, hospitals, hotels and multi-family residential buildings, with offices in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Boards & advisory
Construction Progress Coalition
Nov 2017 – nowA broad coalition of construction supply-chain stakeholders united around shared pains, from miscommunication to lost profits, iterating together to scale the digital transformation of design and construction.
SME & STARTUPS
SMEs and startups.
Building, backing and representing small and medium enterprises and the founders behind them: my own ventures, the people I invest in and partner with, and the committees that strengthen the wider entrepreneurial community.
Ventures & founded
Nømad Ventures
Mar 2020 – nowA global venture and operating platform at the intersection of technology, business, community and place. We invest, build, acquire and connect, backing promising founders and ideas.
Boards & advisory
Suomen Yrittäjät
Jan 2025 – nowAn elected member representing the capital city, Helsinki, working to strengthen the voice, visibility and opportunities of migrant entrepreneurs.
Professional · 02 · Community
The people who build it with me.
Hackathons, festivals, meetups and platforms I started so builders could find each other, from one room in Menlo Park to cities on every continent.
Events I started
AEC Hackathon
2013 – nowThe first global hackathon series for and by built environment professionals, and its largest community: where the people who design, engineer, build and operate our real world come together to tackle the problems they actually face, experiment with technology and build real hardware and software solutions. Over 60 events across 30+ cities worldwide.
hackaec.comChill Chats
2025 – nowA relaxed setting where founders, investors and community builders quickly find the right people and build partnerships that matter. No pitches, no decks, just real connection and conversations about journeys, challenges and motivations.
chillchats.ioWebXR Week
2018Seven days of coordinated immersive-web talks, workshops, meetups and hackathons in 13+ cities, from San Francisco and Dallas to London, Paris, Tallinn, Bangkok and Sydney, 25 June – 1 July 2018. Supported by Samsung Internet, Mozilla, Microsoft and Virtuleap.
webxrweek.comVR Hackathon
2014 – 2017The world's first virtual reality hackathon, 17–19 October 2014 at the Gray Area Art & Technology Center in San Francisco's Mission District. It later spread to Europe and Asia.
web3d.org3D Web Fest
2015 – 2017The first 3D Web Fest, San Francisco, 13 May 2015: a film-festival-style showcase of the best interactive 3D web experiences in WebGL, WebAudio, JavaScript, CSS, HTML5 and VR.
lbbonline.comAugmented Reality Developer Camp
2009 – 2010The first unconference dedicated to augmented reality.
Techs Mex
2004An early community initiative: teaching technology, the web and Web3D to students and anyone curious in Mexico, bringing emerging 3D and web skills to people who rarely had access to them.
Meetups I run
WebGL Developers Meetup · San Francisco
2011 –The Bay Area meetup for 3D graphics on the web.
WebXR Meetup · San Francisco
OrganizerConnecting developers, entrepreneurs, researchers and investors building VR and AR for the open web.
Platforms & ecosystems
Ecosystem Development
Helping cities, regions and organizations connect to international talent, technology, capital and expertise.
International Friendly
internationalfriendly.orgProfessional · 03 · Story
Decades evolving the web.
Professional · 04 · Speaking
On stage.
My work and insights have been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wired and Computer Weekly. I have spoken throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania on the Spatial Internet, Spatial AI, digital twins, XR, open standards, smart cities, built environment innovation and the future of human-computer interaction.
Speaking history
- MatchXRHelsinki · November 10
- BusinessXR SummitMálaga · March
- United XRBrussels
- G-Gravity Fireside chatMilan
- Sisu, Slush, & SiliconHelsinki
- MatchXRHelsinki
- AWE EUEurope
- Building Construction Technology Expo (BCT Expo)Thailand
- WDBE conferenceTallinnKeynote
- AWE USASanta ClaraPanel: XR & Ethics, ethical engagement practices in action
- AWE EULisbon
- AWE USASanta ClaraWelcome to the XR Guild panel · MetaTr@versal, a main-stage play about humanity in the metaverse
- DeveloperWeekSan Francisco Bay AreaRepresenting Samsung
- AWE USASanta ClaraRepresenting Samsung Research America
- IoT WorldSanta Clara
- Vision SummitLos Angeles
- Silicon Valley VR ExpoSan Jose
- FITC Web UnleashedTorontoThe Future of the Web Today with Samsung
- CONSTRUCTAustin
- REAL 2016San Francisco
- AWE, Augmented World ExpoSanta Clara
- AEC ExpoLos Angeles
- CSI eventsVarious US locations
- IoT WorldSan Francisco
- NVIDIA GPU Technology ConferenceSan Jose
- VR Gaming SummitSan Francisco
- MIT Reality, Virtually, HackathonCambridge, MA
- Northeast JavaScript ConferenceStamford, CT
- Smart Cities SummitStamford, CT
- SCS Professional Development EventSingapore
- IEEE Internet of Things WorkshopSilicon Valley
- SimLibraryDenmark
- MORGONew Zealand
- Augmented Reality EventSanta Clara
- Innovation Lab NEXTAarhus
- W3C Workshop: Augmented Reality on the WebBarcelonaSet the scene on open 3D and geospatial standards for AR
- Augmented Reality EventSanta Clara
- MetaverseUStanford
- Web3D Tech Talk at SIGGRAPHLos Angeles
- ICCIE SummitBeijing
- Virtual Worlds and User Driven InnovationCopenhagen
- AR Dev CampVancouver
- Digital Kung Fu, Centre for Digital MediaVancouver
- Where 2.0San Jose
- MediaX Virtual Medical Environments WorkshopStanford
- AR Dev CampMountain View
- Royal Academy of CambodiaPhnom Penh
- Web3D Outreach MeetingNASA Ames, Mountain View
- Virtual Worlds RoadmapPalo Alto
- Web3D Consortium and Web3DStudents outreachTalks and workshops on X3D and the 3D web as Student Director and Executive Director
Watch & listen
Web3D, XR & AEC Tech Journey
Jul 2022In the press
Professional · 05 · Recognition
Recognized work.
Awards, honors and published work from across two decades advancing immersive technologies and the spatial web.
Recognition
Nextant Prize · Rising Star
Recognized for advancing immersive technologies, inspiring innovation, and helping shape a future where technology serves humanity.
Bluebeam Innovator · The Incubator
Recognized for pioneering new ideas, pushing technological boundaries, and turning innovation into real-world possibilities for the AEC industry.
Books
Unlocking the Metaverse
2024A Strategic Guide for the Future of the Built Environment (Paul Doherty). My chapter explores the intersection of immersive technologies, spatial computing and the built environment: the opportunities emerging technologies create for how we design, understand, interact with and experience the spaces around us.
IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
2008Explores the benefits and challenges of emerging communication technologies, from mobile messaging and social networks to virtual worlds, and how these tools are transforming human interaction, reminding us that we all play an active role in shaping the future of communication.
Professional · 06 · Speaker Kit
Speaker kit.
For organizers inviting me to speak: bios in three lengths, a host introduction, talk topics, headshots and quick facts, each ready to copy.
Name and title
Damon Hernandez
Co-Founder & CEO, Mixx Reality · Spatial Internet pioneer
One line
Damon Hernandez is a Spatial Internet pioneer and Co-Founder and CEO of Mixx Reality, with over 25 years helping move the web from 2D information to immersive, intelligent, spatial experiences.
Short bio · about 100 words
Damon Hernandez is a Spatial Internet pioneer and Co-Founder and CEO of Mixx Reality, where he works at the convergence of Spatial AI, digital twins and intelligent real-world environments. For over 25 years he has helped move the web from 2D information systems to immersive, spatial experiences, including work at SIMLAB and Samsung Research America. He founded AEC Hackathon, organized the world's first VR hackathon, started WebXR Week, and ran the WebGL and WebXR Meetups in San Francisco. His work has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wired and Computer Weekly, and he has spoken throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
Full bio
Damon Hernandez is a Spatial Internet pioneer, web developer, ecosystem builder, entrepreneur, investor, and open standards advocate with over 25 years of experience helping shape the evolution of the web from 2D information systems to immersive, intelligent, and spatial experiences.
Beginning with a passion for Web3D in 2000, Damon has worked across the convergence of web technologies, 3D graphics, virtual worlds, WebGL, digital twins, GIS, BIM, IoT, XR, AI, and spatial computing. His work has focused on connecting people, places, assets, and information through open and interoperable technologies.
Today, Damon is Co-Founder and CEO of Mixx Reality, where he is helping pioneer the convergence of Spatial AI, digital twins, and intelligent real-world environments.
Prior to Mixx Reality, Damon helped advance digital twin technologies for the built environment at SIMLAB and worked at Samsung Research America exploring immersive web technologies, browser-based 3D experiences, and the future of spatial interactions on the open web.
Throughout his career, Damon has worked with startups, Fortune 500 companies, governments, universities, and innovation ecosystems across more than 45 countries. After spending more than two decades in San Francisco while working extensively throughout Europe and Asia, he developed a global perspective on how emerging technologies move from research into real-world adoption.
A long-time advocate for open standards and interoperability, Damon was actively involved in the Web3D community and spent decades promoting open web technologies to industry, academia, governments, and organizations worldwide.
Beyond building companies, Damon has spent much of his career building communities and innovation ecosystems. He founded AEC Hackathon, co-founded AR Developer Camp and VR Hackathon, and organized the WebGL Meetup and WebXR Meetup communities in San Francisco, helping connect developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and industry leaders exploring the future of immersive technologies.
His work and insights have been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Wired, and Computer Weekly. He has spoken throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania on topics including the Spatial Internet, Spatial AI, digital twins, XR, open standards, smart cities, built environment innovations, and the future of human-computer interaction.
Today, Damon is focused on helping shape the next evolution of the Spatial Internet, where intelligent spatial systems connect people, places, assets, and information across the physical and digital worlds.
Introduction for the host · read aloud, about 30 seconds
Our next speaker has spent over 25 years building the 3D and spatial web. He founded AEC Hackathon, organized the world's first virtual reality hackathon, and has spoken across four continents. Today he leads Mixx Reality, working where Spatial AI meets digital twins and the real world. Please welcome Damon Hernandez.
Talk topics
- The Spatial Internet
- Spatial AI
- Digital twins
- XR and the immersive web
- Open standards and interoperability
- Smart cities
- Built environment innovation
- The future of human-computer interaction
Quick facts
- Recognition: Nextant Prize, Rising Star 2024, Virtual World Society
- Featured in: Forbes, Fortune, Wired, Computer Weekly
- Speaking: 52+ stages in 30+ countries since 2005
- Based in: San Francisco, Helsinki and Copenhagen
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/damonhernandez
- GitHub: github.com/Metaverse1
- Blog: damonhernandez.blogspot.com
- Medium: medium.com/@MetaverseOne
- X: @metaverseone
- Instagram: @metaverse1nomad
- YouTube: youtube.com/metaverseone
Professional · 07 · Ideas
What I'm thinking about.
The spatial internet
Intelligent spatial systems that connect people, places, assets and information across the physical and digital worlds.
Spatial AI and digital twins
Where AI meets digital twins and real-world environments, and what changes for the people who design, build and run them.
Open and interoperable
A building outlives every vendor who modeled it. Its data has to be open to last as long.
Personal · 08 · Off the Clock
Do cool things with cool people.
Entrepreneur, builder, explorer, connector, lifelong learner. People are the greatest treasures in my life: the connections we make, the experiences we share and the things we build together are what make it meaningful. I'm driven by curiosity, human connection, and a desire to leave this little blue marble better than I found it.
People are the greatest treasures I'll ever collect.
What drives me
Human connection
Genuine relationships, unexpected friendships, meaningful conversations, and the magic that happens when people connect.
Meaningful impact
Contribute, create opportunities, solve problems, and leave the world a little better than I found it.
Cool things, cool people
Ambitious ideas, unconventional projects, creative experiments, and bringing interesting people together to make things happen.
Exploring this world
Travel, cultures, languages, music, ideas and experiences. There's so much to discover, and I don't want to stop being curious.
Never stop growing
Learning, questioning, experimenting, making mistakes and evolving. A meaningful life never stops discovering who we can become.
Beyond work
Music, guitar & piano
Playing guitar and piano, and chasing a better ear, one session at a time.
Languages & cultures
Learning languages and the cultures they open up.
Travel
Forty-five countries and counting. I want to experience as much of this world as I can.
Martial arts
Physical discipline on the mat: focus, patience and staying humble.
Philosophy & Stoicism
The old questions about how to live well, and the practice of actually doing it.
Books & lifelong learning
Reading widely and never letting the curiosity switch off.
Architecture & cities
The built environment: how places shape the way we live.
Games & creativity
Play, experiments and making things just to see what happens.
Community
Bringing interesting people together and building communities around big ideas.
Currently exploring
Learning
New languages, and the craft of spatial computing.
Reading
Philosophy, Stoicism, and the people building what's next.
Building
Mixx Reality and the Mixx Platform.
Exploring
New cities, cultures and conversations.
Experimenting with
Spatial AI, digital twins and the open, immersive web.
In the neighborhood
SoMa Movie Night
A neighborhood movie night I host in San Francisco's SoMa: screens off, people on.
Experiences over possessions. Connections over transactions.
Nomad's Creed
I am a traveler by choice, a student of the world,
With every place I set foot, I bring curiosity, not judgment.
I will honor the land, the people, and the culture,
Listening more than I speak, learning more than I assume.
Wherever I go, I seek to leave it better than I found it,
A shared laugh, a helping hand, a small kindness,
A spark of connection that outlives my stay.
I embrace new flavors, new friends, and new adventures,
Knowing each moment is a gift,
And every departure is just another beginning.
This world is vast, but I walk it with respect, gratitude, and wonder.
I am not just passing through,
I am part of every place I touch,
And every place becomes a part of me.
This is my creed. This is my journey.
I'm always up for meeting curious people, trading ideas and building something that matters. If you're making something interesting, or just enjoy a good conversation, let's connect. Life is better when we make it better together.
Personal · 09 · Connection
Tools for human connection.
Projects I build for connection: remembering people, understanding cultures, communicating better and making plans worth showing up for.
Amor Connection
An AI communication co-pilot that helps read conversations, draft messages and plan dates.
amorconnection.comFun Gentleman
An international lifestyle brand helping men grow in polish, cultural awareness and social ease.
fungentleman.comPlans Today
Three local plans in about 30 seconds, matched to your mood, budget, time and distance.
planstoday.funRelationship OS
A private relationship manager: memory, journal and date planner in one.
relationshipos.techPersonal · 10 · Impact
Built to give back.
Tools and communities I build for others, to honor, learn, hold power to account, and gather.
Honor
Learn
XR Camp
2020 – nowOnline courses on GitHub that give women the opportunity to become web designers and developers.
xrcamp.dev
W4, the Wikipedia World Wide Web
Geolocated Wikipedia on an interactive Web3D globe, built on open standards.
wikiworldwideweb.org
Mind Memory Palace
A Web3D memory palace: an open spatial canvas where you place and link text, images, documents, video and audio, then walk through it on any device.
mindmemorypalace.comHold power to account
My U.S. Representative
Nonpartisan civic accountability: find your representatives, their promises, votes and campaign finance.
myusrep.orgGather
Circuit Privé
A private global society where professionals meet in cities around the world to work on personal projects.
circuitprive.orgStation 09 · Let’s Connect
Let's build something meaningful.
Partnerships, speaking, ecosystem projects or a first conversation about what you are building.
Let’s Collaborate
Let’s have fun building something that solves a real challenge, or that’s never been done before.
Each year I take on a few projects with people who want to push what technology can do and make a real difference: for society, for the economy, or both. If it’s never been tried, even better.
What you get
Twenty-six years building the spatial web, from early Web3D to Spatial AI. Deep experience in the built environment, from design and fabrication to digital twins and operations. A founder’s and investor’s view of startups and SMEs, from first idea to scaling across borders. Work in more than 45 countries, and a network of builders, investors and experts around the world.
And the part that doesn’t fit on a résumé: leading teams, building communities, and getting very different people to work well together.
How I work
I’m selective because every project gets my full attention. My engagements are priced for the experience and outcomes they bring, and the teams I work with tend to find it’s one of the best investments they make.
The best fit is an ambitious idea, people I enjoy working with, and an impact worth the effort. If that sounds like your project, I’d love to hear about it.
Based in
San Francisco, Helsinki and Copenhagen.
Find me online