Alex Fernandez has an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology and New Literacies. As a business owner he has been a leader in various startup companies and currently is the Chief Product officer of Nspire Create Labs an immersive media agency established in 2022 with clients such as Wendy’s, Cheetos, Target, Warner Music, and more. Locally he is the founder and owner of VRBuffalo which has growing reach bringing VR to all parts of Western New York
He is a self-proclaimed table tennis addict in both real life and in Virtual Reality. He thrives on projects that blur the lines of Learning, Art, and Emerging Technology. He is a passionate builder, teacher, researcher, tester of (XR immersive media) with a business background in agile methods and product marketing/development. As a Teaching Artist Alex has experience with many schools and community programs.
You can meet Alex in person and see him demonstrate his Virtual Reality technology on Thursday, November 16th at 4pm in the UB Career Design Studio (259 Capen Hall) at the Arts, Design, Entertainment, Communications Snack N’ Chat. Register on Bullseye powered by Handshake to receive updates and reminders about this event.
1) What is your educational background and how did it influence you to go into VR and immersive technologies?
Art was at the core which influenced my creativity. Then Business followed by technology then after a few years and promotions I went to staffing and recruiting followed by a classroom teacher role in a K-8 school. Now with business, education, HR, and tech I am a lifelong student always taking certification training or workshops to better my abilities in any professional setting. It is my experimentation and adaptability that helped me prepare for a dynamic field such as emerging technology
2) What are ways that you would recommend breaking into the Virtual Reality industry?
Create, collaborate, build a portfolio. Don’t be afraid to share your work and try new tools. Become a BETA tester, maybe get into Quality testing and create your own content or contribute to projects constantly.
3) What do you wish you would have known prior to entering into your field?
How important it is to practice and work with others. No one person is the best at everything, learn from others and be ready to fail and move on fast.
4) What organizations, clubs or internships were you involved in during college? How did those experiences help prepare you for your current role?
Teamwork is necessary in many professions and the groups and organizations I affiliated with helped me in both contributing to a community or group-cause as well as leading a group in a collective effort I am driving.
5) What are the biggest challenges that you typically face in your career?
Constant change and evolution as technology is exponentially advancing the leaps are much bigger now than they were in the early days (ATARI).
6) What other advice do you have for anyone that would want to pursue a similar career?
Find your tribe and contribute to a community both in VR and on social media. People congregate around so many different interests in immersive spaces. We can impact the future of technology by being involved as an early adopter and a creator. Expand your network, test as many apps and experiences as you can, then create your own.
7) If a UB student wanted to talk with you, what is the best way to reach you?
alex@vrbuffalo.org or https://www.linkedin.com/in/afernandez1979/.
Alex Fernandez
VRBuffalo LLC Immersive Media Consulting
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand” Confusious
