E8: Vince Kadlubek - Part 1 | The Future of Imagination, Building Meow Wolf, the Real-World Metaverse

This was my favorite conversation of the past year, both on and outside of Medium Energy. It’s a chat with entrepreneur, dreamer, and dear friend: Vince Kadlubek.

Vince is one of the most compelling thinkers I know. He's also the co-founder of Meow Wolf: one of the world's most original and exciting ventures within arts and entertainment.

For those unfamiliar, Meow Wolf is akin to a next-generation Disney, but with a unique twist… catapulting visitors into a vortex of childlike wonder & awe.

More concretely, they transform huge physical spaces into a kaleidoscope of immersive experiences that blur the lines between art gallery, amusement park, and interactive museum.

Here are some examples…

With locations flourishing in Santa Fe, Denver, and Las Vegas—and with more on the horizon—the realms they build look & feel like a real-world ‘metaverse’, transporting visitors into narratives brimming with digital art, sculpture, and an evolving array of technologies like AI, augmented reality, and spatial audio. We also discuss the potential to use cryptocurrency and NFTs… which in my opinion, is where things start to get really interesting…

This convo was too rich and expansive for just one episode, so we’re dividing it into two parts.

In this first installment, we cover:

* The ethos driving Meow Wolf, tracing its origins and exploring a concept that resonates deeply with me: the ability to believe in the unbelievable.

* The evolution of storytelling and its impact on our species, considering how such experiences not only offer healing and growth but can also usher in new avenues for finding purpose and meaning in our lives.

* This idea of ‘religion without religion’, as we navigate a world where traditional religious structures have left a void (of community & places with inspiration + hope)

These themes are not just intellectually stimulating; they touch on something elemental to the human experience… something we’ll explore further into in Part II (which we’ll be releasing as a fast follow later this weekend).

For now, let’s dive into Part I!

I find these topics endlessly fascinating, and upon hearing Vince’s perspective, I think you will too. So without further adieu, I bring you, Vince Kadlubek…

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