RECLAIM THE FUTURE
HOW TO STAY AT THE FOREFRONT OF XR WITHOUT SACRIFICING DIGITAL SOVEREIGNTY

Thomas Riedel is a Cologne-based freelance tech journalist, podcast producer, and keynote speaker. His specialty? De-bullshitting the hype cycle. Thomas dives deep into tech, startups, and the future of work. Currently, he’s the voice behind ‘Spatial Realities’—Germany’s premier XR podcast—and the architect of NRW’s largest XR meetup. Whether it’s the Metaverse, digital transformation, or the startup ecosystem, you’ll find Thomas dropping knowledge at conferences, on live TV, or across the podcast charts. He also hosts an annual blogger summit and tracks Germany’s green innovation scene via GreenTech Startups.

Thomas Bedenk is a freelance advisor and tech strategist with 30 years of experience in emerging technologies. He is also the co-host of the Spatial Realities podcast. His focus areas are Strategy, UX, Innovation, and Emerging Technologies (XR/AI). He is a keynote speaker and founding member of XRBB and game. He was an interim Professor of Creative Producing and Digital Strategies for XR at Hochschule Darmstadt. From 2015 until 2024, he was VP XR at Endava and Director Immersive Media at Exozet. In 2008, he founded the game studio Brightside Games. He has degrees in Design and Human Factors. He was an designer and developer since 1996, when he published his first games and websites online.