On this episode of AI: Decodes the System, Bianca J. Jackson, an award-winning Entrepreneur and Project Manager, and AI decode how Bianca navigated complications with the COVID pandemic to take her in-person event space to the Metaverse. During the conversation, Bianca breaks down the Metaverse and how she encourages us to follow the kids if we want to stay up to date with emerging technology and how everyone needs to find their intersection with their industry and the Metaverse. She is also one of the people behind WallVR- a pioneering experience where you can explore the wall and stand at the border itself. We also talk about AI's hate of Twitter (recorded before Elon Musk took over). Sorry, Twitter lovers.
More about Bianca
Bianca J. Jackson is an award-winning Entrepreneur and Project Manager that owns BrickRose Exchange, a collaborative space that engages communities in-person and in the Metaverse. Her background in tech, digital marketing, and social impact has landed her coveted speaking opportunities at SXSW, Digital Summit Philadelphia, and Tech Inclusion NY. Her work has been featured in such publications as Forbes, Washington Post, and Tech Republic. One of her Metaverse projects, USA Today's The WallVR, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018.
Resources Bianca mentioned on the podcast
Follow Bianca at the links below.
Bianca J. Jackson: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Website
AI: Decodes the System: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes
On this episode of AI: Decodes the System, Bianca J. Jackson, an award-winning Entrepreneur and Project Manager, and AI decode how Bianca navigated complications with the COVID pandemic to take her in-person event space to the Metaverse. During the conversation, Bianca breaks down the Metaverse and how she encourages us to follow the kids if we want to stay up to date with emerging technology and how everyone needs to find their intersection with their industry and the Metaverse. She is also one of the people behind WallVR- a pioneering experience where you can explore the wall and stand at the border itself. We also talk about AI's hate of Twitter (recorded before Elon Musk took over). Sorry, Twitter lovers.
More about Bianca
Bianca J. Jackson is an award-winning Entrepreneur and Project Manager that owns BrickRose Exchange, a collaborative space that engages communities in-person and in the Metaverse. Her background in tech, digital marketing, and social impact has landed her coveted speaking opportunities at SXSW, Digital Summit Philadelphia, and Tech Inclusion NY. Her work has been featured in such publications as Forbes, Washington Post, and Tech Republic. One of her Metaverse projects, USA Today's The WallVR, won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018.
Resources Bianca mentioned on the podcast
Follow Bianca at the links below.
Bianca J. Jackson: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Website
AI: Decodes the System: Website, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes
Help me become the #1 (number one) podcast and podcaster for technology, public policy, data, law, and culture. Subscribe, download, and share.
If you like the content, feel free to support the show by donating to my Patreon account at the link below: https://www.patreon.com/Aidecodes
00:01.28
aidecodes
Bianca J Jackson is an award-winning entrepreneur and project manager that owns brick rose exchange a collaborative space that engages communities in person and in the metaverse. Her background in tech digital marketing and social impact has landed her coveted speaking opportunities at south by southwest digital summit Philadelphia and tech inclusion new york her work has been featured in such publications as Forbes Washington post and tech republic None of her metaverse projects us today's the wall vr won a Pulitzer prize in 2018 hello bianca welcome to the show I am so psyched to have you here. Hopefully you know that.
00:38.32
Bianca
Hey Amber how are you.
00:46.22
Bianca
I Do know that and I'm excited to be here as well.
00:49.62
aidecodes
So like it's crazy because I love bringing bringing people on this show that can talk about topics that are relevant. So um, when I've like looked at the work that you've been doing in the background like I'm like someone needs to talk about the metaverse Bianca is the right person. I know when we none met I signed up to join your your company or join brick rows exchange and I remember hosting an in-person event pre covered back then I love the model and I was like this is so cool on what you were building. Can you talk to the audience and tell them what is brick rows exchange and why did you create it.
01:23.80
Bianca
Oh man. Ah I Want to say right now. Brick Rose is a community. We first started off as an event space right? And what I realized especially during Covid we could do so much more for people.
01:31.11
aidecodes
And.
01:42.36
Bianca
You know people in Baltimore and so we started doing more social impact work and so while we have a physical space I'm gonna talk about it more as like a community a social club a social impact club like all of those things because all of those things are very important to me in the work that we do and so. Covid we had to pivot right? like we lost 30% of our bookings overnight and we spent past two years just trying to figure out how to stay afloat you know, try different things and now what was really important was identifying.
02:06.68
aidecodes
And as to year further.
02:18.97
Bianca
Ah, service that would transcend any pandemic any crisis and so that's why we entered the metaverse. So yeah, we're all of those things that I mentioned.
02:27.44
aidecodes
That is amazing and I love that you say it's like a community a social impact space and even when I I remember doing my event there. That's what I was trying to do something around social impact so to see that it's grown and continues to grow into a space where people can exist not just in a event space but a community I think that is.
02:44.60
Bianca
Yeah.
02:46.65
aidecodes
Really critical as we think about what the murder metaverse is and we'll get to that in a None Um, but as we talk about the future of community and how that can look in these virtual worlds. So you know I've been watching how you pivoted your business model due to covid. Um, you talked a bit about that and how that new reality. Um, you reduce are losing business and what it meant for you to actually recap and try to figure out what you were going to do let me repeat that Okay, let'm. Go do that one again I've been watching how you pivoted your business model due to our Covid Reality. How did you make these decisions and what did you do to prepare yourself for the shift.
03:22.38
Bianca
Oh wow well let me just tell you sometimes you don't meet the decisions of decisions make themselves and you just gotta to go with it right? And so I mean essentially we haven't Ashley um, just recap this for one of my friends is like the first year of covid.
03:29.41
aidecodes
Themselves you just gotta build those have from just beanted for 1
03:39.70
aidecodes
None year movement you know, very great neighborhood were could right? like yeah savings yes for my internationalist and leverage and you know, kind of wrote it down thinking like well.
03:39.52
Bianca
You know we weren't great. We were good right? like we had some savings we had some financial instruments that we could leverage and you know we kind of wrote it out thinking like oh this is only gonna last a year second year kicking is like holy this like ending right? And so what do we do? And so.
03:49.16
aidecodes
So here you get that's whereing.
03:58.90
Bianca
There was a month. Um you know close to the end of None where we did the lowest probably one of the lowest funds ever and I seriously consider did it make financial sense keeping brick rows open and.
04:07.60
aidecodes
Seriouslyly considering getting a financial sense keep for something Oh Wow one here and I'm gonna run.
04:12.29
Bianca
Yeah, and it happened around the same time that I lost one of my cousins not necessarily due to covid but he just died. Unexpectedly so you thinking trying to figure out how to survive a pandemic how to deal with unexpected death. You know in your family and so my sales manager that was her older brother right? So we're cousins and so.
04:17.25
aidecodes
A.
04:28.13
aidecodes
No Wow! yes.
04:31.55
Bianca
Like a double whammy for both of us right and dealing with you know one of the lowest months of just revenue for the business is' just like well maybe we need to pack this whole thing up because it all like covid is ending anytime soon and so we get to December and I remember talking to None of my business coaches about. You know hey I think I might try out the metaverse and so he asked me a bunch of questions and he was like Bianca. You've been sitting on this this whole time like yeah like I didn't think anything of it and so you know in working for Usa today many many moons ago almost six years at this point.
04:54.10
aidecodes
The.
05:05.11
Bianca
Um, this is technology that I've known for a really long time and most people and most people didn't even pay attention until Facebook changed his name to meta when they changed their name the meta the world would you right? The the world will ah meta wheres what is and I'm all and that's what happened.
05:06.44
aidecodes
A.
05:13.38
aidecodes
You got that right.
05:22.10
Bianca
But and the the really funny thing for me and everyone who's been in it for a while is like all right? So they rebranded it kind of like when you go to new cities and gentrification happens and they give an old neighborhood a new name so people acted to move in. That's exactly what happened with the metaverse and so you're talking about technology that was.
05:30.84
aidecodes
Oh yeah.
05:39.80
Bianca
At 1 point in time just referred to as virtual realityli augmentary reality Matri Realityity and now they've added web 3 where you know about blockchain and of t's dows and all this other. so so I think it's been really fascinating to see how everybody is losing their mind over it. But I just want to tell them that there's nothing to lose their mind about.
05:44.49
aidecodes
Um, and.
05:58.38
Bianca
And so kind of getting back to how we got here right? So in telling my coach I was like yeah I think we're gonna do events in the medivers hes I do it and execute it at the end of the month so I like a good which right I like a good challenge I was like okay we going you know, throw us out here. We were already having an art show at the end of the year
06:06.68
aidecodes
Wow Can I get.
06:16.45
Bianca
Was like well we can take the digital representation of the physical pieces and put it in the metas inside our art gallery and had a metaverse art gallery that went along with our physical art gallery and so it was really successful and I did something that was really cool that I didn't have a chance to do before which was.
06:21.38
aidecodes
Ah.
06:34.54
Bianca
Actually have collectors meet the artists inside the metavers. So now no one? Yeah no one had the excuse of like well I'm not going in because it's covid or I'm not even in Baltimore like you know there was no excuse so that was the None indication to me that we were on the something and so I went to the lab.
06:36.49
aidecodes
Um, ah wet. All.
06:52.10
Bianca
Went to the lab in the month of January and we just like all right? What could this really look like for us as an ongoing service and so we came up with training kind of like you know a None on 1 teaching people like what is the metaverse. Then the none layer was like all right? How can we talk to business owners and get them to imagine and reimagine. What their business could look like in the metavers then another level was are you helping them build build out their own event spaces so that they can actually monetize their own events and then another level was actually running activations for them right? running events for them and so.
07:20.45
aidecodes
A.
07:27.84
Bianca
We've been fortunate enough to work with like black women talk tech vanner x you know Gary ve's company. We've done kind of like and yeah, a networking event for booze Allen Hamilton we had a speaker series with a price in our Maryland and so these are just.
07:33.28
aidecodes
Yes I love Gary Vee
07:45.93
Bianca
Let me just tell you all of this was an experiment for me and I think sometimes when we face crisis and sometimes even when we don't face crisis. We sit too long thinking about what we should be doing and so than just jumping out there and like all right, let me just see what will happen if I just try and so that's what we did and so in that try. Um, our first quarter of 2022 in comparison to our None of 2021 we outperformed it by none in revenue and amazing I was like wait I felt like a drug dilu was like what.
08:13.34
aidecodes
Oh wow, That's amazing.
08:23.78
Bianca
Yeah, push just work. Um I Just think that you know sometimes I'm I'm glad that I'm one of those people that just really likes to execute like when I get really clear on what I'm doing I'm on goal mode right? and so that's what we did and all revenue numbers that we're just insane that we're not used to seeing in the events.
08:35.40
aidecodes
M.
08:43.76
Bianca
Space industry. So and normally anyone who's in events. Normally you'll see somewhat of a slow down, especially if you have a venue or something you see that slowdown possibly starts to happen unless you have like this massive venue um Tourists Thanksgiving Christmas If people aren't doing events outside of.
08:59.35
aidecodes
Right.
09:02.18
Bianca
Homes they do it in their homes or family home or whatever or at our hotel or whatever and so you start to see that slow down and even it doesn't really start to pick back up until maybe like February when people are planning things for like may June kind of like that 2 to window before.
09:13.36
aidecodes
Ah.
09:17.50
Bianca
And so that money helped us cover a loan that we're used to seeing and also just really put us on a path and and and be put out there as a leader in this space and so I see people checking out our Instagram like oh what they doing over there. Um, what? yeah I'm just I'm just really excited about what.
09:31.19
aidecodes
I Love it.
09:37.43
Bianca
Is next for us on the horizon and like I told you before the recording happened. You're one of the few people who saw what I was doing and got it. You know how many conversations I've had with people like wait. So wait you you know you're not gonna do you know in this event space anymore like you're not having live events like what does it matter.
09:46.26
aidecodes
Oh yeah.
09:55.80
Bianca
To do with what you're doing I was like so I would have to sit down and try to educate people but I'm like all of it is connected. Um, whether you catch it or not that's up to you. We still Go't make this money and so um, so yeah, so that's that's how we got here.
10:05.39
aidecodes
Yeah. The crazy part is that as soon as you pivoted I was like genius like immediately. That's what I thought of um because a lot of folks during like covid, especially folks who were doing events a lot of people went out of business during that time and I have been watching you at a distance like oh man I hope they were successful like. I saw that you were trying to do things around co-working and things like that. But when you hit the metavers I was like this is it so I get it and I'm like ah we were talking about earlier before the recording and I'll share it with the audience they can hear it but like my niece is seven I have a 2 nieces none none the None ar old lives. On things like roblox right? Although it's not the metaverse. It's a place where you're playing as a character in this world and she has she loves those type of games and the thing that we were talking about before is that like the kids of generation. Whatever their call at this point I don't know if my niece is a z or.
11:06.95
Bianca
Jesus.
11:07.36
aidecodes
Z Plus or whatever they're going to call them but that generation lives that generation lives in a different world and they are want to interact in a different world. They want to create avatars. They want to create these alternative realities. But. What you said was very key is that a lot of people don't even understand didn't understand the connection. So Can you for a None take a minute to explain imagine you're talking to my 2 year old or my 7 year old niece. How would you explain the metaverse in plain language.
11:35.73
Bianca
The funny thing is is that roblox is the matterers right? Yeah, it is so think about the metaverse as a space right? Most of it happens. Well most people who um.
11:39.49
aidecodes
Um I didn't even know that's considered metaverse.
11:54.60
Bianca
Interact with it interact with it on a virtual level right? So in some ah virtual world or platform where you can build things you can share what you're building you can trade what they normally refer to as assets with a general word trading assets.
11:56.30
aidecodes
On earth.
12:09.93
aidecodes
Yep.
12:12.79
Bianca
You can buy assets and so in let's just take roblox. So for the kids that are in there. They're creating avatars. They're personalizing their look. They're they're expressing themselves right in a way that.
12:22.72
aidecodes
I hate.
12:25.84
Bianca
They may not feel like they can do in real life right? So that's the None thing being able to show up authentically as yourself in this virtual environment and then they go out and they make friends and they make friends with other people avatars right.
12:36.17
aidecodes
Brighter.
12:39.65
Bianca
And then not only are they making friends through their avatars. They're building Worlds they're building games together and then if you get suckered into this. They might you know tell you they need money for robux if they can buy stuff right? and so that's commerce.
12:49.92
aidecodes
Ah.
12:56.55
Bianca
And so something as subwest a place where you can go. That's virtual where you can be whoever you want and express yourself. However, you want meet your friends wherever they are around the world build things together build games together and buy things that literally is the metaverse. And so what I think is really interesting is that for years people who didn't get gaming really were hard on children about gaming right? Oh My God you're taking forever you're taking so Long. You've been playing that that game all day long right.
13:17.29
aidecodes
A.
13:28.68
Bianca
Not knowing that their kids were being trained for the new economy. Yeah, and so I just would want anyone listening here like if you have nieces and nephews and you know grandsons and granddaughters and your own children who play these games robbox Um sandbox.
13:31.11
aidecodes
Wrote that Soro.
13:47.90
Bianca
You know, whatever these platforms sit down and have them show you what they're doing and so they'll be really excited to show you and then you'll start to see the correlations of what is happening in there and where this is going I was having a conversation earlier today where one of my girlfriends was like. I don't know if anybody's paying attention to what's happening in the Uk the uk I think has told their citizens that they have about None or maybe to a hundred days or so to use whatever last paper currency that they have out right? I don't know what they're moving to but I'm pretty sure some of it is probably gonna have to do with cryptocurrency and.
14:14.59
aidecodes
Oh my god.
14:20.98
aidecodes
Here.
14:23.62
Bianca
Um, there's already conversations that actually governing bodies across the world who are trying to figure out how to build new global systems with cryptocurrency and so all of this is important right? It's important for the reason that you I mentioned about your artist friends who are you know, maybe a little. Hesitant to join the metavers but I'm go just tell everybody here if you don't think it got anything to do with you well congratulations because you're gonna get not just left out but you're gonna be last and all that opportunity that was available to you will disappear and so one of the things that I just.
14:52.81
aidecodes
A.
15:01.17
Bianca
I really try to tell us right? Unrepresented founders black people brown people just people are normally in marginalized communities that web 3 technology and out ofverse technology is one of our last shots to really shift massive generational wealth and.
15:16.65
aidecodes
That's so true.
15:17.72
Bianca
For me personally I've been having conversations around whether or not brick rows needs like Vc investment right? Vc funding and I mean by the grace of god I will do everything that I can.
15:24.80
aidecodes
Let.
15:33.67
Bianca
To leverage web 3 technology so that I can raise whatever funds I need and not have to go down the Vc route and so I already know how I can do it I just need to like put the infrastructure in place in that meeting already kicked off this last week but I just I just want to encourage.
15:37.97
aidecodes
A.
15:53.12
Bianca
Urge sound the alarm to anyone listening to this is I don't let the language scare You don't let the language intimidate you don't let anybody out there on the internet intimidate you from learning as much as you can because that's a tactic. None of the biggest things that I've learned over the last year and it was an epiphany for me and I'm pretty sure you know this already is that a lot of times we're kept out of things due to length right straight up straight up language and even when you start looking at the Vc world the language in it is so.
16:15.83
aidecodes
Hey, ah.
16:27.90
Bianca
Nonsense in my personal opinion like if they really said what None this stuff really is you like oh that's what it is oh right? Like oh that means I haven't made money yet. Okay, cool. Um, it's just is is really mind boggling to me but getting back to the point which is.
16:33.50
aidecodes
Yep.
16:39.15
aidecodes
Manha.
16:44.90
Bianca
I just want everyone listening here even if you don't know where to start I always say this in every interview that I'm in just Google metaverse plus whatever it is that you do web 3 plus whatever it is that you do. So if it's podcasting if it's law if it's financial advising. Do that so that you can get an idea what has already been done so that you can have some inspiration or you can come to None of my classes if I can tell yeah I can tell you or show you some examples of what people are doing so that you know, kind of like the little inspiration bubble pops up on top of your head. You're like okay, what if we do this.
17:06.89
aidecodes
Here we go.
17:21.30
Bianca
And so I just want to inspire people to to hit the Google search bar put down the Tiktok videos go far and really figure out how you can change your life and how you can change your business how you can change your career because.
17:26.65
aidecodes
Um.
17:36.46
Bianca
There are a lot of opportunities from job opportunities to business opportunities. There's so many different elements of the meverse that there's not just one way to get in and the other thing I want to mention is that Facebook is not the matter is.
17:47.80
aidecodes
Think like it is not that for sure is not.
17:53.80
Bianca
It's just one it's just 1 place to go. There are literally None Um, um, and so right now there's no clear people where where like in the wild wild west days of the internet back in the 90 s and so it'll be a while before somebody emerges the winner but all of that is gonna depend on your interaction right.
17:57.31
aidecodes
Here Friend deal right right away in the wildlife and.
18:12.85
Bianca
And so that's why I'm saying right now. Um for people of color underrepresented get in now and so that you know other people aren't deciding for us what we will be using in 20 years
18:23.56
aidecodes
That is so true on so many levels I'm a hud like point to a few things you said because you were dropping nuggets dropping gyms um a few things you said so one of the first things. That I'm recalling as I'm thinking about the different points you're making is around one underrepresented communities being left behind um, back to the internet early days and a lot of us didn't even get on until later This is that next version of that and I don't know if there's a next version coming very soon after that.
18:42.67
Bianca
Yes.
18:55.52
aidecodes
Because what web 3 and all the stuff that is going on with metaverses. It's so big that the gap could be almost insurmountable if we don't figure it out like I know for me I know like says it's the wow while west I invest in a lot of random crypto cra kar currencies because I'm like I don't know what's going to hit I watch the I of course not let me not say random.
19:05.66
Bianca
You're not.
19:14.23
aidecodes
Invest in ones that I believe in and projects that I believe in ah, mostly metaverse projects because I do think those are are going to hit and I invest in the ones that I think actually have viability in places where I would want to hang out and be a part of um, but that that is a really really really critical thing for us to do our research because I feel like a lot of times. We wait until is's not It's like already adopted by other folks people are. It's all over the place and it's too late to really like make real money off of it. But now even though it is something that is ah pretty vast and a lot of people are talking about. It's still a small group of people that are having these conversations. So I'm glad you said things like metaverse plus your industry like there are people right now working in the metaverse in different jobs and folks don't even know that I'm like they're literally like phone operators in the metaverse or lawyers in the mediverses. There are people who are figuring some things out today not in the future but like right now.
20:08.98
Bianca
That.
20:09.74
aidecodes
So I think it is really critical. Um for people of color to really figure that out and to the point you made about vcs where that language is almost like it's not plain language like that's None reason I have my podcast is to break things down in a way that anybody can understand can make it simple can make it seem like it's something that you can achieve. Because it is um, hard out here if you're trying to get into a new industry and you don't know what to search or where to start. So thank you for calling that stuff out but the reality is there's probably going to still be some skeptics even though you had a lot of good gyms that you dropped for the skeptics who believe the metaverse is just a buzzword are not going to last? um.
20:34.99
Bianca
Know what.
20:47.52
aidecodes
From like past this year and past folks being bored and covered What do you think people need to keep a close eye on to really realize it's a viability.
20:56.23
Bianca
So if you could see my face my eyes rolled and here's why um I actually posted earlier this year I saw it on someone else's timeline our article from like 1994 and 93 somewhere in the early 90 s where. There were a gang of people talking about the internet was ah a fluke. The internet was not going the internet was gonna steal their information and we can't do anything with the internet and we can't do anything without the internet now. The same thing is gonna happen like I said.
21:20.23
aidecodes
And then.
21:34.54
Bianca
They're building new economies like literally new economies in this space and so one thing I wanted to make sure that I said because you talked about cryptocurrency if you don't have Hidera on your list ambra put it on there.
21:36.39
aidecodes
Oh yeah.
21:49.35
aidecodes
Adding it right now.
21:50.57
Bianca
Yeah, hidera is probably 1 of the quieter um cryptocurrencies. But what's happening is there is a whole global council of like 32 companies I think Google not I think I know Google is None of the council members. For this None or 64 Council Board yeah where they're trying to figure out how to build it in a way that is sustainable and beneficial to the global economy. So enable particular cryptocurreies. So.
22:07.85
aidecodes
Oh wow.
22:19.58
aidecodes
Oh.
22:24.55
Bianca
That is one the watch. Um and I've met a plenty of developers who are developing on that platform. So but yeah, no problem. So as far as naysayers and what they should be watching for I would say watch the kids.
22:28.63
aidecodes
Oh good to know? Thank you man.
22:41.27
Bianca
Watch your kids. They tell you that with any industry if you want to know what's how is upcoming. Ask your children and someone gave me really great stock advice a long time ago. They it's like if you want to know what stock to invest in pay attention to which your kids are playing with and.
22:42.27
aidecodes
Can become and withcom active.
22:55.27
aidecodes
Like that is so real. Yep and yeah.
22:59.69
Bianca
Yeah, so um, they they just seem to know about things when you before we do I remember what was it Beyonce I feel like I'd be talking about beyonce every time web 3 comes up but there's always like a good lesson in the air right? I think. Ah, there was None story that I heard about beyonce where she had no idea who um, Jay Balvin was right? who wind up doing a song with her daughter was singing the song one of his songs and she asked her like who is this and she told her and then next thing you know Jay Balvin is on a beyonce song.
23:19.49
aidecodes
Ah, here.
23:34.38
Bianca
So it's just like and he was yeah he was already high I want to say in the latin american market but now he has global international success because why Beyonce's daughter was listening to him and beyonce had no idea who he was and so I think it's the same principle here when is.
23:36.42
aidecodes
That's real.
23:53.69
Bianca
Coming to emerging technology just really pay attention to what kids are gravitating to the other thing too is the fact that a ah lot of younger people are leaving Facebook and they have no interest now I know Facebook yeah yes, Facebook is trying to do some damage control because they they really want their.
24:03.16
aidecodes
Oh yeah, they're out.
24:13.82
Bianca
Meta quests and horizon worlds to be successful, but we'll see what happens right? Well that they're changing the sign on requirements I was actually surprised when I got my headset earlier this year that I had to connect my Facebook account to it and I was like wait whoa like why I gotta do all.
24:17.10
aidecodes
There.
24:28.81
aidecodes
Never.
24:32.22
Bianca
And so I think that they're taking that requirement off in the new one but we'll see so I would say then pay attention to what the kids are paying attention to um, do the Google Search Matterverse plus whatever you do web 3 plus whatever you do they get some inspiration and let that be your starting point come to a class like mine. Ah, so that you can hear about how this is even applicable to you I don't want people to sit back thinking like oh this don't got none to do with me. It has to do but it has something to do with everybody. Oh really figure that out now get out there start testing some stuff before it becomes like a mainstream thing.
25:00.58
aidecodes
Here.
25:09.42
Bianca
And so that you'll be able to flex on people like wow you know I've been doing this for seven months now and there's like I just got started last night. Um I just yeah I just think that there's just something powerful about people just getting in and just starting.
25:15.58
aidecodes
You realize.
25:24.80
Bianca
And like you're not gonna be perfect. You're not gonna have this multimillion dollar business by you know tomorrow the next day you wake up but you just never know what could happen and so even for me. Um, we hit a milestone you know recently and I was like this is awesome considering that you know covid almost took us out now I'm on path. So like figure out how we get this company to a None right? and I have a couple ideas of how that's possible. It's gonna take me actually sitting down and actually executing it and so I'm gonna do what I need to do because I want to hit that million. So I'm not gonna sit down and wait for somebody to tell me what platform they think.
25:44.40
aidecodes
There we go.
26:02.91
Bianca
It's good for me and what I do I'm just gonna try different ones out and you know be in different places to figure out what makes sense for me and my audience.
26:09.74
aidecodes
That is amazing. So many things in there as well like one I had never heard of hadera if I'm saying it right? Um, as we were talking. It has been purchased and added to my crypto wallet. Um, so folks you.
26:14.41
Bianca
Earth.
26:22.60
Bianca
Ah, please like because not I like it.
26:27.50
aidecodes
I don't play if someone tell me I do not I listen like knowledge is very important to me and if someone knows something I'm like yes please I will take it in and you're right about the pieces around like folks. Thinking about the old internet and like all the fear around that and what's happening like it's such a reality that kids are in this space. Thank you for explaining roblox was the matterverse I didn't even connect it to that so that the roblox in these other places I know sandbox um, my neighbor Alice like all these other things that are out there.
26:49.35
Bianca
Yeah, yeah.
26:58.15
aidecodes
But it's amazing that these kids are already in it and they're active in it like roblox has went up like that if you would have bought roblox stock some time ago like that I don't know about right now because of the crashes but roblox stock was heading up and then all these other things were going up because of that. And thinking about all the stuff around just like streaming with Twitch and all these other different companies like the kids are really in a different world and I'm glad that you were able to call out some of those key points because I don't want people to get left behind and that's another reason for this podcast I want people to learn about stuff. So then they can take whatever industry they in or they are in and apply it like.
27:17.68
Bianca
Go ahead.
27:33.68
aidecodes
Reality is the future of our world is data technology law is always goingnna exist and um government is always gonna exist So Those are the topics I talk about because I don't want specifically people of color to be left behind because I do think that that's something we just aren't aware of when it comes to certain spaces. So I'm so thankful that you share that. Another thing I wasn't aware of is that one of your projects won a Puultz surprise like one that is amazing like I'm like when I read that I was like wait. What? Okay and I saw it on I think I saw it on either your bio or something beforehand or somewhere online where I had read it before we even planned the interview.
27:56.78
Bianca
Thank you.
28:12.15
aidecodes
But that's just amazing. So but can you talk a bit about what is wall Vr and how did you all win that award.
28:15.13
Bianca
Yeah, well let me start with even this right? Um, just real quick I think that generally it took me a long time to even tell people about it. Um I felt like I don't know I had a little bit of imposter syndrome around it and it took my.
28:31.52
aidecodes
What.
28:34.59
Bianca
Yeah, it took a lot of my friends is like B I need y' I need to stop tripping because like more people need to know about this is like this is not like some normal stuff right? And so as I started to you know, um wrap my arms around the idea of like yeah this happened right? like and I completely. Earned this? um this this recognition with the team and it's like all right I feel good about it now right? How it happened I was assigned to a team. Um, the project manager for the team was let go like we had what do they call it layoffs when when they cut.
29:11.90
aidecodes
Ah.
29:14.10
Bianca
Workforce I can't think of a name and so anyway I was one of the make one of the project managers that made it through the cut and so the team still needed a project manager and so my boss was like hey do you want to manage your fruit Ninja team. There's a whole fruit nunja story that I have that I tell people.
29:26.92
aidecodes
Ah.
29:30.00
Bianca
One day I was leaving the office and I just see these guys playing fruit ninger on br and I was like what is that they like you want to play and I was like sure so I'm like swinging imaginary swords and that was my None introduction to them right? So it was really cool. So then you know fast forward a week later she was like do you want to manage the emerging tech team I said the fruit ninja team.
29:36.96
aidecodes
Um, right.
29:49.37
Bianca
And we both start laughing. She goes yeah and so I always yeah and I always liken the experience to it was like being asked I managed the Us Ski team without ever stepping on snow so I had to research a lot of stuff right? like.
29:50.48
aidecodes
Yeah, how does not.
30:05.60
Bianca
The you know vr a r lidar photogrammetry what content was already out there and None of the things that just really stuck with me for a long period of time is still sticks with me to to this day as I did my research and just really tried to find content I didn't find much content that had us. and and I meet us as in black and brown people representing a good light. What I will tell you I found was very unsavory content and I won't get into the details of it. But um, you know there's certain industries that always seem to be always at the forefront of everything but that's a conversation for another day and so anyway.
30:23.40
aidecodes
M earth.
30:30.18
aidecodes
Oh.
30:41.66
Bianca
Um, in in dealing with a team and in researching and traveling with them doing activations. Um, we built 3 products while I was there and so the last one was an experience which is the wall vr where we told we let with storytelling with led with storytelling and art. So essentially we modeled the terrain from California to Texas Hill from footage from a helicopter and so we use um lidar data and photogrammetry to really get the scale right.
31:03.65
aidecodes
A.
31:14.55
Bianca
And so along the border you would hear stories and watch interviews of people just sharing their versions or their perspective of what was happening so we told the story from a place of or beyond the narrative of just illegal immigrants jumping over a fence but really humanizing them right.
31:28.93
aidecodes
Um, and moving. Ah.
31:33.46
Bianca
Talked about and um, endangered species Imminent domain rape Unfortunately Border control drugs I mean literally every topic that you would think of that would touch.
31:40.80
aidecodes
Right.
31:47.60
Bianca
Um, the border we told that story I Just remember having a conversation one day where we were discussing just different pieces of media that put in and we had to have a really hard conversation about dead bodies and how we felt like it was not responsible to put images of.
31:59.93
aidecodes
Ah.
32:07.12
Bianca
Unfortunately, really brave men men and women who risk their lives to walk None let me not say None of miles right for a chance at a different life who just didn't make it right? and so I think a lot of times.
32:14.92
aidecodes
Frank.
32:20.83
aidecodes
The.
32:23.68
Bianca
Hear these stories we forget that these are people that you know some of them walked with days they were hungry. They were without water some were without shoes or they had holes in their shoes some got attacked by animals some got attacked by people like I mean like it. It's It's a.
32:25.80
aidecodes
That soldier.
32:37.30
aidecodes
Gotta type on people and maybe like at it.
32:41.68
Bianca
Like I'm I'm getting emotional as I'm even talking about it like so let me just wrap this up. Um, it was a really important project and we did it because the story needed to be told at the same the same time that we released a product The their timeline was the release of before they voted on funding for the wall.
32:43.60
aidecodes
And.
32:59.11
aidecodes
Um, and right right.
33:01.34
Bianca
Like as government so this was designed to influence. Let's be very clear right? That's what it was designed to do. It wasn't designed the will ah win a Pulitzer but it did and so we put out the piece. You know with the expectation and the hope that when people downloaded it. They really got a sense of what it would be like to try to make this truck and so it was probably single handily one of the most important projects that I've ever worked on in my life because it was not only innovative it was collaborative. Our team. Was the epitome like if you looked up d I in aductionary we were that team like everybody's voice and opinion. Yeah, everybody's voice and opinion matter and we and we looked like the united nations right? like we were all um.
33:38.66
aidecodes
Off and. I Love it.
33:49.40
Bianca
Yeah, different, um ethnic backgrounds different ages, different religious beliefs different. Um political beliefs What we came together to tell this story and it was just so beautiful and so when it dropped and I talked about it and I continue to talk about it to this day because um, so it's a piece of work that I'm really proud of.
34:06.11
aidecodes
A.
34:08.36
Bianca
And I hope that the landing page is still up. So if anyone wants to Google the wall vr usa today. You'll be able to see at least a landing page and some of the screenshots from the experience. I'm not sure if it's still on vibe or not or steam I should say steam where you can download it into a vibe I'm not even sure they make that version of vibe anymore. But because it was like 6 year not six years ago about set None ar old. Yeah cause you know how fast technology changed it. Yeah and so it was such a beautiful project.
34:28.37
aidecodes
Ah, right, stop moves exactly.
34:39.46
Bianca
Especially from just being able to do Justice by by people who've risked their lives for freedom and so I think it's a journey that most people in this country, especially if you're from and a marginalized community or from a community where. You fought too fanel for everything that you have I think it's a story that everybody can um, identify with in some way or hopefully that they at least can empathize.
34:57.29
aidecodes
Move this.
35:06.23
aidecodes
Man That's one. That's a very touching story I didn't realize it. It did all the things you mentioned and to be able to tell the story of migrant folks trying to escape persecution. Whatever it is. That's going on their country poverty. Um, and and be able to see that in this immersive experience like who dos see you all for even coming up with the idea. Um I Also love what you said around having a team that looked like the United Nations I think a lot of times people think about diversity equity inclusion and think of.
35:26.77
Bianca
Has.
35:37.46
aidecodes
Ah, lack or if they're losing something when in reality when you have all those perspectives in a room you actually gain so much more and I imagine that that contributed to this amazing project because you had all these different point of views coming together to rally around this project. So amazing work.
35:43.31
Bianca
Will.
35:53.40
Bianca
Yeah.
35:55.32
aidecodes
Um, that's beautiful and please tell that story like wear that on a back of your shirt because that is amazing in so many ways and that is a huge like that's one of the top accomplishments that most folks will never even get anywhere near it. So I just want to say kudos to you again I Know Imposter Phenomenon is real. Um but amazing work.
36:06.77
Bianca
Um, yeah, yeah.
36:14.56
aidecodes
I Know for me every time I see you win a pitch competition or funds for your small business I'm like getting excited I'm room for you and I love seeing your dreams to come reality and thank you for sharing that story Some of the folks that listen to my podcast are folks who are trying to do exactly what the the? um. Different guests are are doing within their line of work. What would you tell a listener who's interested in venturing into the metaverse space like outside of googling like how do you do it like how do you actually get into it if I really want to start a company or business similar to what you've done with brick Rows exchange.
36:50.75
Bianca
I would say come home at me so that would be yeah yeah, come to the class that would definitely be the None thing but I think another thing that you could do is just really visit the different platforms.
36:52.89
aidecodes
There you go and your class.
37:05.34
Bianca
Each platform gives you a different feeling a different vibe. There's a different community. So think about it as being very similar to social media twitter has its own base Twitter in my opinion. Don't laugh at me Twitter for me is these are the people who like to talk in like a megaphone. I just want to say some stuff is somebody like um, but that's why I look at Twitter.
37:24.17
aidecodes
Ma'am can you say it again for the people in the back I hate twitter I feel like all the people who wanted to talk. Are just talking and air everybody else just listening oh my god I hate twitter I'm up there. But god I hate twitter sorry Twitter go ahead.
37:39.10
Bianca
Oh no, it's okay, listen so I got a Twitter account. Do I check it no cause that ain't my den a my community right? Then you got like clubhouse where everybody's an expert right? Well you know and I do this and I do that.
37:51.70
aidecodes
Um, if I ah.
37:55.20
Bianca
And so and then you got Facebook Facebook for me is like all oh kids right? So this is where yeah you stay on air because your aunties your grandmother want to see your pictures. They want to be all up in your vacation and then like the younger people are like.
37:59.34
aidecodes
All my friends from high school and college. Yeah.
38:09.30
aidecodes
There you go.
38:12.32
Bianca
Who out you know I talk to Nan and when I go home right? and so you know in comparing that to the metaverses and metaverse environments every every place has its own vibe right? and so the central land has its own vibe. The sandbox has its own vibe. Crypto voxels has its own vibe. Um. But the one that had the me church um I am you v you or something it has its own vibe. Um spatial has its own vibe and so I think that it just takes visiting as many place horizon world on vibe so it takes visiting these different places and figuring out where you feel comfortable.
38:39.66
aidecodes
And then.
38:48.67
Bianca
Um, setting up and building and so I know like for instance I've just given example snoopog was one of the None artists to set up on sandbox right? And so because he set up there. A lot of people ran to that platform because there's like all was here and so.
38:59.35
aidecodes
Yep, straight in.
39:06.36
Bianca
Um, I went there because snoopog was there not that I have virtual real estate there but there are some spaces we can just go visit right? and so the central um essentially and sandbox are places that you can actually get to on your computer and so I went to in fact that I was like yeah you know, not really my vibe right? So what.
39:09.63
aidecodes
Okay.
39:18.42
aidecodes
Yes, and.
39:25.41
Bianca
But I think that it just takes some exploration. The good thing is that we're still really early in this thing where we're still building. No one really can tell you definitively what the metaverse is and kind of like the same thing with the internet. Most people can't explain what the internet was.
39:41.47
aidecodes
That's fair. Yep.
39:42.80
Bianca
Um, they just couldn't and so it took I want to say even now you say internet people know what you mean, but now it's twenty years later the same thing will happen with.
39:48.99
aidecodes
Um, wow. That's so real. Um, and I was interested in sandbox before Snoop but I was excited when Snoop got um, involved in it I like anywhere where people who have a name come this could mean something good. But yeah, I'm also interested in decentral land and a few of the others but it is um, good just to note that you can try out a few places and I'm glad you called out the site so you can actually get to like from your desktop or whatever because I think that's also critical because a lot of people are like well how do I get to the metaverse or thinking about when Facebook. Ah, changed his aim to meta. Um, they were smart with the branding because they were. They've been struggling a bit on the um front of losing users and things like that and then the ad revenue going down. Do so apples move with um, changing the privacy stuff. So I know they had to make different shifts to figure it out. But.
40:36.14
Bianca
We.
40:43.27
aidecodes
Is not like you said it's not Facebook. There's a lot of different places that are popping up everywhere and I love what you say around finding a place that fits you and that's your vibe because.
40:49.80
Bianca
Or.
40:53.65
aidecodes
You may not like a sandbox or decentral land or these other places you may want to go on to another platform so trying things out I think is a really big. Ah big and key point and I also want to tell folks, you're not too old to be in the metaverse.
41:07.90
Bianca
When.
41:09.24
aidecodes
Um, basically all the kids who are the parents told them to get off the computers and didn't are the ones who built these spaces and are the ones who created a world that worked for them. Um, because often they were left behind and so I love that all the what used to be called nerds and geeks are now running a world. Um, so I give mad props to all the gamers and all the computer sciences that are building this world and for the new generation is already getting involved in it. So I think this is a cool space I think it's a cool topic and I know we talked about a lot of different things and I just really appreciate the time you've spent with us today. Touching on the metaverse on the things that you've done as a business owner and I just think it's just amazing. All the things that you've done and I want to continue to say congratulations and I know you're gonna hit that million I don't have to worry about you like I've been watching I'm like oh yes, she got it. Because like you say when you hit your None none is right after that so you will be on your way I just want to leave the audience with a few final thoughts firstly feel free to share anything about your classes that you offer and and go into a little bit more detail about that. We'll drop it into show notes. But also why do you think. This is important and I want you to end that as open ended as you want it? Um, and interpret that question how you see fit to be able to say whatever it is you want to leave the audience with.
42:27.35
Bianca
So what? Well let me just tell you this I won't even tell you why I think is important I'm gonna tell you when magic Johnson said to me last week right? So I was at a Com. Yeah.
42:36.17
aidecodes
I did see him in the video. Let's go.
42:41.63
Bianca
Oh I will drop my little shoddy cell phone video of me asking my question and so recently Madrick Johnson acquired a e sports mediverse team right? So I knew this I didn't know that everybody in the conference knew it. So I asked them the questions said congratulations on acquiring a team. I said but I want to know I already knew the answer but I wanted him to tell everybody in the audience. Um I want to know why'd you do that deal right now and essentially said he said it was the future that a lot of times we as black people normally wait and we get left behind when we something new happens and he said.
43:15.33
aidecodes
And.
43:18.30
Bianca
He congratulated me on being in the space and he congratulated congratulated himself on being in the space and he was like you know because of us and because of others like us. We won't be ba behind and he was like thinks is really important now if magic Johnson who is multi millionaire right? who has None of kind of.
43:26.90
aidecodes
And.
43:36.32
Bianca
Um, companies has done a really great job of acquiring companies to ex-ing and exing within 3 to 5 years of whatever it is that he's doing he has identified the metaverse as an opportunity that he was willing to put down his own money for I don't know what else to tell you like you know. JayZ has already been investing in the metavers. He's working with Miss Sea hustles old cto so a young man named Idra Sand do so there's none of people doing this work behind the scenes. They may not always put their projects out there. But I just want to tell you this I know what I know. I knew it six years ago and I still know it today and I've made it my mission to tell the everyday person like you and me was happening behind the scenes that may not make you know national news because it's not the kardashians right.
44:25.29
aidecodes
Re.
44:27.36
Bianca
Um, I think that is really important that when you see something you're just like okay, what is this and I think um, you know Nft's and web 3 got a bit of a bad handshake because ah and of um, the metaverse in web three got a bad handshake because of nft ts people saw you know why would.
44:43.40
aidecodes
Yeah.
44:45.89
Bianca
400000 for picture right? and like people were like that's stupid hey like they just fucking what? yeah but I will say is virtual land actually has its place that may complete. So.
44:51.50
aidecodes
Or virtual land I think it has value but I also think depending on the Nft project. It has values to but that's a whole nother podcast.
45:03.26
Bianca
Yeah, it it is a whole other progress but in ah, um, the virtual land made sense to me right out the gate the and Nftts I was like I got to study this a little bit more to going on but I will say this the next generation of Nfts will have a lot of utility and you'll hear people talking about that utility in a sense of.
45:10.60
aidecodes
A.
45:22.67
Bianca
People can use it to go do something like for instance, the really big board Ape collection. They release something they release um a coin like their own cryptocurrency for people who hold the Nft.
45:28.39
aidecodes
Yes.
45:36.50
Bianca
They had a pop-up restaurant I want to say in California where people who had that coin can come eat for free or at a discount. The the restaurant was on will be a popup ended it so well that is going to be leaving it there like is going to be a thing like so I'm just telling you like.
45:41.87
aidecodes
Nice.
45:51.60
aidecodes
Oh wow.
45:56.14
Bianca
If you're starting to see these applications where you know something online is giving you access to something in person pay attention because that's some of the work that we'll be doing at Brick roses. Um, the rest of these this year is gonna look a lot different than the beginning and people are gonna like wait what you there.
46:11.13
aidecodes
Hey.
46:14.89
Bianca
And the 1 thing that I just really had to tell myself especially about Baltimore specifically is that when I got here in 2018 2019 that the end of 2018 early 2019 I kind of convinced myself that the city wasn't ready for emerging technology just yet cause this it's a working class city right? um.
46:33.43
aidecodes
Now.
46:34.53
Bianca
But with the with Meta changing his name and everybody paying attention is like I can't I can't wait any longer. So either people are gonna get it or they won't and so my my thing that I just want to leave people with is just don't be fearful which you don't know lean into what you don't know um and find people that you both.
46:49.74
aidecodes
Only since you don't know and I let people.
46:52.71
Bianca
Know what they know or that they can teach you or at least be able to explain it to you in a way that you can understand it pretty quickly. But you know if you're looking for that. One of the things that I am doing amber is actually doing meta verse None on 1 classes for whole groups of small entrepreneurs a small business entrepreneurs. Ah there's someone with a small group. Um, let me know and you know we can do that. What is the metaverse class I have a paid training where um, business owners can come in and learn specifically how it applies to them specifically and then you know we have the boot camps where we help you build your own virtual event spaces and then if you don't want to build your own spaceship like Bianca I just want to run an event.
47:21.21
aidecodes
Stay.
47:32.15
Bianca
Got you right? and so that those are the different ways that you can really start getting your feet wet and exploring what is possible for you and the members.
47:43.75
aidecodes
Bianca you're amazing. Thank you so much for spending time with us today. Um tell our listeners where they can find you what are your handles.
47:46.40
Bianca
Yeah, um, that's a great question so you can definitely hit us up at brick rose exchange so like brick on a wall rose like a flower exchange were on. Linkedin we brick http://roseexchange.org as a website brick rose exchange as a Ig account and then brick rows exchange on Facebook and if you're trying to follow me personally is my name Bianca J Jackson and I'm in these streets in these internet streets. Um, a.
48:15.98
aidecodes
Um.
48:20.18
Bianca
And so yes, so those are the different ways that you can connect to me and also Brick rose.
48:23.54
aidecodes
Well thank you for being in these podcast streets and as a person that lives in Baltimore City thank you for being in these Baltimore streets. Amazing. Thank you so much.
48:26.35
Bianca
Hit Yes, you're welcome.