Cathy Hackl
{{Short description|American futurist, author, and speaker}}
{{Infobox person
| name =
| image =Cathy Hackl.jpg
| education = The University of Texas at Austin
| occupation = writer, chief executive officer, journalist
| website = https://www.cathyhackl.com/
}}
Cathy Hackl is a Costa Rican-American futurist and author. Dubbed the "Godmother of the Metaverse",{{Cite web |title=The One Show - Archive of Winners {{!}} The One ClubCathy Hackl {{!}} Futures Intelligence Group |url=https://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-judge/5656/cathy-hackl |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.oneclub.org |language=en}} she has researched and consulted on the metaverse, video games, Web3, and augmented reality.{{Cite web |title=The metaverse is coming. Cathy Hackl explains why we should care. |url=https://www.freethink.com/technology/building-the-metaverse-cathy-hackl-gives-us-a-glimpse-of-the-future |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Freethink |date=27 October 2021 |language=en-US}} Hackl's firm conviction about the significance of the Metaverse{{Cite web |last=Hackl |first=Cathy |title=The Metaverse Is Coming And It's A Very Big Deal |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2020/07/05/the-metaverse-is-coming--its-a-very-big-deal/?sh=585004b7440f |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Forbes |language=en}} has had to be tempered when metaverse products did not gain market traction in the global north, as predicted. The Metaverse however, remained popular in South Africa,{{Cite web |last=Modise |first=Ephraim |date=2023-11-15 |title=The metaverse is not dead in South Africa |url=https://techcabal.com/2023/11/15/south-africa-metaverse/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=TechCabal |language=en-US}} Nigeria, and Egypt,{{Cite web |last=Web3Africa |date=2023-02-15 |title=African countries thriving in the Metaverse |url=https://furtherafrica.com/2023/02/15/african-countries-thriving-in-the-metaverse/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=FurtherAfrica |language=en-GB}} as venture capital's investments have shifted to generative AI.{{Cite web |title=What Happened to the Metaverse? How Zuck's VR Dream Died {{!}} Enterprise Tech News EM360Tech |url=https://em360tech.com/tech-articles/what-happened-metaverse-how-zucks-vr-dream-died |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=em360tech.com |language=en}}
Career
In 2017, Hackl began her career in the field of technology and the dissemination of augmented reality, at HTC Vive.{{Cite web |last=Zappar |title=The future of XR with Cathy Hackl - Futures Intelligence Group |url=https://www.zappar.com/blog/cathy-hackl-futures-intelligence-group |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Zappar |language=en}} She then joined the Magic Leap team, and by 2021, she had already launched her own business.{{Cite web |last=O’Brien |first=Kyle |date=2021-11-30 |title=Boson Protocol Names Futures Intelligence Group as Metaverse Agency of Record |url=https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/boson-protocol-names-futures-intelligence-group-as-metaverse-agency-of-record/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |language=en-US}} She currently disseminates her findings and contributions in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, WIRED and Forbes.{{Cite web |last=Hackl |first=Cathy |title=Accessorizing The Metaverse With Luxury AR Wearable NFTs |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2022/01/02/accessorizing-the-metaverse-with-luxury-ar-wearable-nfts/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
She is currently the CEO of Futures Intelligence Group, a company dedicated to research and consulting for businesses such as Clinique{{cite web|access-date=2022-05-12 |date=2021-10-19 |first=Condé |language=en-GB |last=Nast |title=Clinique's first NFT ties to loyalty and products as uses expand |url=https://www.voguebusiness.com/technology/cliniques-first-nft-ties-to-loyalty-and-products-as-uses-expand |website=Vogue Business}} and P&G{{cite web|access-date=2022-05-12 |language=en-US |title=P&G takes first step into the metaverse with BeautySphere |url=https://www.marketingdive.com/news/pg-takes-first-step-into-the-metaverse-with-beautysphere/616712/ |website=Marketing Dive}} on strategic topics related to non-fungible tokens, better known as NFTs, video games, and virtual fashion. In addition to research, Hackl disseminates metaverse topics through two podcasts: Adweek's Metaverse Marketing and Future Insiders, dedicated to marketing and web trends enthusiasts.
Publications
- G. Wolfe, S., Hackl. C. 2017. Marketing New Realities: An Introduction to Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Marketing, Branding & Communications
- Buzzell, J., Hackl, C. 2021. The Augmented Workforce: How AI, AR and 5G Will Impact Every Dollar You Make
- Hackl, C., Lueth, D., Di Bartolo, T. 2022. Navigating the Metaverse: A Guide to Limitless Possibilities in a Web 3.0 World, U.S. Wiley
=Noteworthy=
Hackl has the distinction of being the first physical and virtual person to ring NASDAQ's opening bell with her digital twin (physical and avatar form) on TV and open the financial markets.{{Cite web |date=Jun 17, 2022 |title=Journey Rings the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell |url=https://www.nasdaq.com/videos/journey-rings-the-nasdaq-stock-market-opening-bell |access-date=April 20, 2025 |website=www.nasdaq.com}}
References
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Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni
Category:American futurologists
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Category:Year of birth missing (living people)