Disney's Magic Bench
Magic Bench is a platform that supports multi-sensory immersive experiences in which people can interact directly with an animated characters. It does not involve wearing a head-mounted display or using a handheld device; instead the surroundings are instrumented rather than the individual, allowing people to share the magical experience as a group.
Role
Asset Creation,
Concept/Story Development
Where
SIGGRAPH 2017
Grace Hopper 2017
Google SPAN 2017
Disney's Polynesian Resort
Disney Fairy Tale Weddings
About Me
I'm a Product Manager with 15 years of experience translating emerging technology into useful and engaging products for everyday people. I've built my approach around human-centered design, relentless curiosity, and strong cross-disciplinary collaboration—starting as an artist and creative lead, evolving into a product leader driving strategic change.
Early in my career, I partnered with researchers at Disney, Carnegie Mellon, and Toyota Research Institute working across machine learning, 3D printing, mixed reality, and robotics. I learned how to lead creative teams in bridging technical innovation with compelling experiences for everyday people. That work landed at Walt Disney World Parks, Walmart, SIGGRAPH, Comic-Con, and Dutch Design Week.
At CarMax, I bring that same creative-technical approach. I've launched digital appraisal tools, implemented quality controls, and modernized core platforms—balancing the stewardship of legacy systems with building new products that deliver meaningful value to our Supply organization.
I value solutions that welcome emergent behavior, make room for play, and invite people to see their world differently.
Contact:
(804)-432-5456
SKILLS
Product Strategy | Product Roadmap | 0-to-1 Product Development | Product Vision | Feature Prioritization | Backlog Management | Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) | User Stories | Go-to-Market Strategy | OKRs & KPIs | Cross-Functional Leadership | Stakeholder Management | Agile/Scrum | Sprint Planning | Data-Driven Decision Making | User Research | Rapid Prototyping | Executive Communication | 3D Graphics | 3D Printing | Augmented Reality | Data Strategy | Data Quality | Cloud Platforms (Azure) | Microservices Architecture | Data Pipelines
Exhibited Works
Adult Swim Rickflector - 2019
Deep Local
-San Diego Comic-Con 2019 | San Diego, CA
Disney’s Magic Bench - 2017
Disney Research Pittsburgh
-SIGGRAPH 2017 | Los Angeles, CA
-Grace Hopper 2017 | Orlando, FL
-Google SPAN 2017 | Pittsburgh, PA
-Disney’s Polynesian Resort | Orlando, FL
-Disney Fairy Tale Weddings | Orlando, FL
Build-A-Warrior - 2017
The Franklin Institute
-The Franklin Institute | Philadelphia, PA
-Pacific Science Center | Seattle, WA
Playful Self - 2015
Science Gallery Dublin
-Science Gallery Dublin | Dublin, Ireland
-Transnatural Art & Design | Amsterdam, Netherlands
-Dutch Design Week 2015 | Eindhoven, Netherlands
SuperAwesomeMe - 2014
3dplus.me
-Walmart | Select Stores Nationwide
-Target | Select Stores Nationwide
-MLB Experience CES 2015 | Las Vegas, NV
-San Diego Comic-Con 2014 | San Diego, CA
-Game Development Conference 2014 | San Francisco, CA
-E3 Ubisoft Uplay Lounge 2014 | Los Angeles, CA
Papillon - 2013
Disney Research Pittsburgh
-SIGGRAPH 2013 | Anaheim, CA
D-Tech Me - 2012
Disney Research Pittsburgh
-Walt Disney World Resort | Orlando, FL
-Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Orlando, FL
Press
Disney’s Magic Bench - 2017
-Wired
-Variety
-Disney Weddings
Playful Self - 2015
Papillon - 2013
Publications
PAPILLON: Expressive Eyes for Interactive Characters
July 2013
A Deep Learning Approach for Generalized Speech Animation
July 2017
Magic Bench — A Multi-User & Multi-Sensory AR/MR Platform
July 2017