Cohort Spotlight | Zero Infinity One
Introducing Zero Infinity One
After gaining experience working for an interactive experience company, founder Mike White followed his vision to create his own XR entertainment company. Based in Long Beach, Zero Infinity One's proprietary XRSystem transports remote users to physical venues - elevating attendance and social interaction capabilities. Just as every business has needed a website to be discoverable across the web, location-based businesses will use this system to provide access to their events, venues and meeting rooms across the Metaverse.
Connect with Founder, Mike White
Connect with Zero Infinity One:
In conversation with Zero Infinity One Founder, Mike White.
How did you come to be an entrepreneur?
I’ve been an entrepreneur most of my life… while working plenty of jobs since the age of 12 (as a kid I sold door-to-door and ran my own little lawn care & property maintenance business) I generally preferred having control over quality, results and time. Along the way to founding Zero Infinity One, Inc. I founded Zero Infinity Inc. in 2011 engaging in Interactive Advertising and Creative Agency Services before starting a bar-restaurant-venue, which occupied most of my attention for the first 2 years until it was a self-managed money-making machine generating $700K/year. A combination of excellent people, products, culture and process allowed me to pour into the venue creatively and socially - as I was getting ready to franchise the concept, roofers burned the whole block down in late 2015. I discovered the Microsoft Hololens shortly after in early 2016, and immediately saw it as a means for fulfilling the new forms of social and digital entertainment I’d envisioned since 1994 - so began prototyping games and experiences based on its spatial and voice-activation principals and features. Those prototypes led to signing a large deal with an Entertainment Center chain, for which I joint-ventured with a developer to create a location-based VR laser tag product in 2019. Prior to 2011 I co-owned a commercial recording studio, produced and composed music, voice and sound effects and developed interactive experiences for McDonalds, FOX, HBO, Microsoft, Lionsgate, THX and other brands through my own audio production company while also holding a full-time position with an interactive agency for 5 years. Through high-school and University I played in bands, touring as a hired drummer full-time after high-school. While earning my BBA I organized live events for the restaurant I waited tables at in Nashville - earning money for musicians and revenues for the restaurant by turning the place into a venue at night when it was previously dead. Most of my life I've generally seen opportunity - needs - and have to act on it in some way.
How did you learn about the Long Beach Accelerator and what attracted you to apply and subsequently join the program?
I found the LBA through a combination of Spark.xyz and an interview I watched with Andrea. My experiences filling out the application, and interviewing - enjoyable, empowering ones where every answer flowed - told me something was very right about this.
What aspect of the Long Beach Accelerator Program have you found most valuable to the growth and accelerator of your company and why?
By far, and as I expected, direct, personal interaction with LBA staff. This has produced valuable investor intros, strategic and pitch help.
What would you share with a startup founder that is considering applying to the Long Beach Accelerator?
Apply, and if you have the choice between this and anything else, do this. Your life will be better.
I believe the LBA is unique in shaping founders who will actually move the world forward in good ways. Where so many so often only see the outer layers, I believe the LBA sees the heart - a truer indicator of the potential for real success.