How AWE Changed the Trajectory of My Career in Tech

There are moments in life when you can feel the shift happening in real time.

For me, AWE (Augmented World Expo) was one of those moments.

Walking into AWE wasn’t just walking into a conference it felt like stepping into the future and realizing that I belong there.

As a creator, builder, and entrepreneur working in immersive tech and video game development inside Meta Horizon Worlds, AWE became the place where my passion, curiosity, and career finally intersected in the most powerful way.

From Creator to Confident Technologist

AWE validated something I had been quietly building toward for years. It showed me that immersive worlds, social VR, mixed reality, and gaming aren’t “side interests” they are the next frontier of how we connect, learn, and create.

Meeting fellow Horizon Worlds creators in person was surreal. Collaborators I had only known as avatars suddenly became real people with shared goals, shared challenges, and shared excitement about where Meta is heading with creator tools and game development. Conversations went deeper than surface-level networking we talked about world design, player engagement, monetization, accessibility, and how Horizon Worlds is evolving into a true platform for game creation and social experiences.

The Power of Cross-Platform Collaboration

What truly made AWE special was the cross-pollination of ideas across platforms and companies. I wasn’t just surrounded by Meta creators I was learning from and connecting with innovators across the entire XR ecosystem.

I had the opportunity to engage with teams and representatives from:

• Snapchat – pushing AR into everyday storytelling

• Samsung – redefining hardware and immersive displays

• XREAL – bringing mixed reality into practical daily use

• Pico – expanding global VR access

• VRChat – demonstrating the power of creator-led virtual communities

• Niantic – blending real-world exploration with immersive tech

• RP1 – shaping the future of spatial shopping

• Google – advancing AI, spatial computing, and XR research

• 
  

Each conversation expanded my understanding of how video games, AR, VR, and mixed reality are converging into one ecosystem. AWE doesn’t silo ideas it connects them.

Learning From the Voices Shaping the Industry

One of the most inspiring parts of AWE was connecting with some of the top tech voices and streamers who are actively shaping conversations in gaming, XR, and emerging tech.

I had the privilege of learning from and networking with creators like Techman Prime, AtomBombBody, GamingWithMatteo311, and TheHowardHour.

These weren’t rushed meet-and-greets. These were real conversations about building sustainable careers, staying authentic in tech spaces, navigating platforms, and using storytelling to bring people into complex technology in a way that feels human.

I left those conversations energized, affirmed, and more confident in my own voice as a woman in tech.

Why AWE Matters—Especially If You Love Tech

AWE isn’t just for engineers or executives. It’s for creators. Gamers. Storytellers. Designers. Entrepreneurs. People who love technology not just for what it does—but for what it can become.

If you’re curious about:

• Video game development in social VR

• Building worlds in platforms like Meta Horizon Worlds

• AR and mixed reality storytelling

• The business side of immersive tech

• The future of creator-led platforms

  
  

AWE will stretch your mind and expand your network in ways you can’t replicate online.

Looking Ahead

Leaving AWE, I didn’t just walk away with business cards I walked away with clarity. Clarity about my place in this industry. Clarity about where immersive gaming and social worlds are headed. And clarity that this is only the beginning.

If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s space for you in tech, gaming, or XR—there is. And AWE is proof of that.

I’ll absolutely be back next year and I hope to see even more creators, builders, and dreamers there too. The future is being built right now, and AWE is where you get to step inside it. If you love tech, immersive worlds, gaming, and innovation AWE is where you need to be.