Supporting Black Founders & Creators in XR

The pervasive pain caused by racial injustice in our country is unfortunately a reality known all too well to Black Americans, and that urgently needs to change.

We are committed at the WXR Fund to building a more inclusive foundation for the XR industry and are always working to examine our own biases and blindspots. We believe in the power of diversity to build superior technology, stronger economies, and ultimately a better world. 

The venture funding gap for women overall is large, and far greater for Black women. We recognize that we need to do more to correct this disparity, and we will be holding ourselves accountable to that. Below are three opportunities to act now to support Black founders & creators in XR. 

Crux

Crux is on a mission to build an XR movement that lifts black artists up rather than grows on the back of our brilliance. Our core values are rooted in liberation theology and are a counter-narrative to traditional ways of building a revenue-driven business.  We are human-first community builders who lead with trust. We believe in shared leadership, joy, abundance, and moving slowly and thoughtfully as we grow. 

Kai XR

Kai XR is on a mission to open doors for students with our inclusive & accessible VR field trips.

The Kai XR platform lets kids explore the world with our VR field trips, plus, kids can improve their tech skills by creating their own VR adventures.

The Kai XR Team needs your support as we fundraise 500K to continue building our accessible Web XR platform. The platform is unique because it works on any device (smartphone, tablet, laptop) and ALL VR headsets.

This means kids can access the platform using their cell signals if they don't have WiFi. In addition, if customers would like to purchase a VR headset, they can buy an affordable $35 Kai XR headset to get started as opposed to the usual ~$500 price tag on headsets.

Vantage Point

Vantage Point was founded in 2017 by Morgan Mercer, a two-time survivor of sexual violence. After realizing that society lacked the proper education and awareness of key intervention points to prevent sexual harassment and assault, Morgan explored the possibility of using Virtual Reality (VR). While some technologies can cause apathy, immersive technology can drive empathy and fundamentally make the world more human. It is the "human" component of Virtual Reality that inspired Morgan to found Vantage Point.

In a recent Forbes interview, Mercer explains that “Every scene in [Vantage Point] training is based on something that has happened in real life. Every word we use is something that's actually been said.”

 This realism creates empathy, connection, self-awareness and empowerment, she explains: “Watching your coworker experience physical and psychological trauma shows you that your actions or passivity have major consequences on how things play out.”

 Learn more about how Vantage Point can train employees on EQ-driven and Soft Skills that matter, with the ultimate goal of enabling humans to unlock their full potential.