The Future of XR Is Closer Than You Think - Karen Alexander | 61

Karen Alexander, founder of XR Women and co-founder of the Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences, joins David and Becky to explore why extended reality is approaching a tipping point in adoption. From her unconventional journey out of academia and literature into immersive technology, Karen shares where XR is being quietly adopted across enterprise, education, and healthcare, the real risks companies face, and why the limits of XR are not technological but imaginative. She also discusses the gender gap in XR entrepreneurship, the power of body swapping for empathy training, and her vision for social, creative virtual worlds.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/karenfalexander

Website: xrconnected.com

XR Women: xrwomen.com

Academy of Immersive Arts and Sciences: academyimmersive.org

0:00 - Highlights

1:03 - Karen's journey from literature to XR

3:07 - What is reality?

5:19 - Where XR is headed and the tipping point

8:55 - Risks of XR adoption

11:40 - Benefits of immersive training

15:02 - Haptics, smell, and the senses in VR

16:55 - What kids understand about XR that adults miss

18:10 - Body swapping and diversity training

21:22 - Public speaking training in VR

23:40 - Will we live in virtual worlds?

30:18 - XR Women and the gender gap

33:48 - XR in healthcare

42:24 - Dream XR experience with unlimited budget

44:10 - Where to find Karen