Cathy Hackl - Into the Metaverse: The Essential Guide to the Business Opportunities of the Web3 Era

This is an important and well-researched how-to book for anyone who hopes to become a Chief Metaverse Officer, as well as an essential refresher for those of us already pioneering in these roles. Its also a valuable read for executives seeking a roadmap for experimentation in the Metaverse and guidelines to hiring the right Chief Metaverse Officer.

Joanna Popper, Chief Metaverse Officer at Creative Artists Agency

While the Metaverse is still in its infancy and challenging to describelet alone understandCathy takes you inside where we are today and highlights where we can go tomorrow. Of course, we are so early in this space that the landscape is changing daily, but Into the Metaverse gives you a crash course that will not only bring you up to date but put you ahead of the curve in this new frontier.

Scott DJ Skee Keeney, Founder of DXSH.mv and Chief Metaverse Officer, TSX

The Metaverse will inevitably become a daily reality in our lives in the coming decade, bringing with it new business and employment opportunities. Cathys book is a great tool to help you get prepared to play an impactful role in this new digital economy.

Alvin Wang Graylin, China President, HTC and President, Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance

Cathy Hackl, The Godmother of the Metaverse, gently guides us into a universe that exists parallel to our own. She convinces us that it is here we will work, play, create new and exciting relationships and get closer to the ones we treasure. She tells us that we will live, love, and adventure into virgin spaces and unforeseen places. She explains how to grow your company here and start new ones, at the same time. Suddenly you see how to build your wealth with a different currency and fly free over new territories, with a birds eye view of worlds you could only conjure in your imagination. Jump on this power-boost Into The Metaverse. Youll be landing there much sooner than you think.

Faith Popcorn, CEO & Chief Futurist, Faith Popcorns BrainReserve

Orlando is fast becoming one of the worlds leading locations where tech companies and talent converge to create the core of the Metaverse. We are indeed living up to our new status as the Meta Center and Cathy Hackls strategic advice has been crucial. We simply could not be progressing at this pace without her expertise. Her influence is so substantial and significant, that this new book is invaluable to professionals who want to ready their cities and companies for the future. I highly recommend that you read this cover to cover to help you enter the Metaverse and come out the other side better prepared to lead. Without such advice, you just might be left behind.

Mayor Buddy Dyer, City of Orlando

This book is dedicated to Christine, Collin, Camilla, and Arthur.

Also to my mom and dad who raised me as an equal, and to all the women courageously building and helping create the future.

This book is for the Metaverse and Web3 leaders that will come after me.

On June 17, 2022, I rang the opening bell at Nasdaqs Market Site in the Metaverse and in the physical world at the same time. Here is an extract of my remarks:

Today, just as hundreds of creators descend on New York City for NFT NYC, I cant help but feel that there is a new renaissance of creativity upon us and that what we build today matters more than ever.

As the co-founder of new a multi-million dollar company, Im not the typical face you see representing technology and thats why its important for everyone to know that the future is for all.

Lets not seek to define the Metaverse, but lets build it and create it together.

In the Metaverse we are all world builders and now is our time to build!

I want to acknowledge all the women and allies that have guided me, mentored me, funded my work, and have given me a seat at the table. Thanks to you more young girls can see someone more like them helping lead.

I want to thank the publishing team at Bloomsbury for all your help. Im eternally grateful to my editor, Susan Higginbotham for working with me on this book. This book exists thanks to you! Without you, I couldnt have done it. I also want to thank Lily Snyder and Jon Jaehnig for your help with the initial drafts of this book. Thank you Izzy for all your help on this journey. You are my right hand!

To my mom and dad who raised me as an equal.

To my Journey family! The future is wide open.

To Sacha Knop for changing my life.

To Faith Popcorn. Thank you for your friendship, kindness, and words of wisdom.

To Andrew Schwartz for giving me the Godmother of the Metaverse moniker.

Special thanks to Charlotte Perman, Sonya Denyse, Lindsey Mac, Ignacio Acosta, Brittney Suttle, Lee Kebler, Sasha Wallinger, Matthew Ball, John Buzzell, Tommaso Di Bartolo, Sam Wolfe, Cathy Li, Stephanie Llamas, David Adelson, Roxanne Iyer, Justin Breton, Jean Van Damme, Navah Berg, Rob Crasco, Alberto Carillo, Juan Carlos Varela, Cristina Quesada, Victoria Varela, Monica Vallin, Iraida Rivas, Anita Cardenas, Sarah, and KC Blake.

Most of the books written about the Metaverse in 2022 were written by many brilliant men. While I applaud their brilliance, I hope the fact that this book is written by a woman can help open the door for more women and BIPOC who are also brilliant so they too can be offered the chance to write a book about the Metaverse or about the future that we want to see built.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has been my support system during turbulent times and most especially my children, my parents, and my brothers family. Live the life you are meant to live and remember that acceptance is the path to clarity and peace. Enjoy every second!

It became clear what theappeal of the Metaverse was
the rest of the world (its troubles, its pettiness, and its social codes) didnt matter here.
In this space, taste was identity, and your relationship with your non-Metaverse self went only as far as you wanted it to.

1. Steven Zeitchik, At Sundance, the Future of Film and VR, The Washington Post, Metro section, February 5, 2022.

Today, there are 200,000 Chief Executive Officers, 125,000 Chief Financial Officers, and 62,000 Chief Information Officers in the United States.

At the time of writing, there are only six Chief Metaverse Officers and I am one of them.

I gave myself the title when I launched the Futures Intelligence Group in February 2020 and kept it even after my company was acquired after just 10 months by Journey, a new design and innovation company that is focused on the customer journeys of the future. When we got acquired I told my now colleague, Andy Zimmerman, that my title was non-negotiable. I wear it as a badge of honor because I believe it forces us to start a conversation about who will guide companies internally as they enter this new era.

As a practitioner and entrepreneur, I predict tremendous growth in this corporate position, or something similar, over the next decade. There will be a need for thousands of professionals to take on these new responsibilities to allow companies to keep up with the rapidly evolving technology and applications in the Metaverse.

In the near future, every person will have a

parallel digital identity. Avatars, crypto wallets, digital goods

will be the norm. Are you ready for this?