Dustin Ballard is a ruggedly handsome gentleman adventurer who writes his own bios with no editorial oversight. After being raised by wolves on the great plains and deserts of the American southwest, he started his information technology career at corporate giants like EDS and Verizon. After ten years of the corporate world, he took his cowboy boots and struck off into the unknown. A few years in the entertainment industry as a screenwriter and producer were followed by a round-the-world tour as a consultant for oilfield drilling control systems. Eventually he settled into an operations role, serving as COO of PK Pictures in Nashville, TN. Ready for the next adventure, he and his partners founded Big Banzai to build amazing AR and VR experiences for enterprise and entertainment.
One of the best, and arguably the most attractive founder of Big Banzai: Drew Martin. He spent his younger years as an Auto Mechanic and personal banker. Growing tired of the corporate life, he decided to go to Nashville Software School to learn the wizardry of software development. After graduation, he found friends at a VR software development shop in Nashville. He learned the trade and earned his stripes. He enjoys long walks on the beach, fish tanks, puppies and whiskey sours.
Phil Walton is the Creative Director for Big Banzai and an Official Lens Creator for Snapchat. He has created some of the most widely recognized and viral social AR experiences in the world. His lenses have been viewed over 1 Billion times and have appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and Saturday Night Live. He’s also created lenses for John Wick 3 and Skrillex. Prior to his work in Augmented Reality, Phil has written 9 children’s books, co-wrote an episode of Veggie Tales and was a former Air Force Staff Sergeant who specialized in Aircraft Avionics.
Adam has been a designer and developer for over a decade. He’s managed small and mid-sized teams, led development on multiple projects, shipped dozens of products including contributions to the multi-award-winning title “That Dragon, Cancer,” and he just can’t get enough of it.
Outside of work, he would love to make you a nerdy cup of coffee, which is super cliché, but he roasts the beans himself so he thinks that makes it OK. He types on Kailh Thick Golds and Gateron Browns, lead climbs 5.8 rocks, and is willing to spend far too much time baking the perfect sourdough.
Grant Brotan is the 3D Generalist at Big Banzai specializing in modeling, texturing and optimizing 3D assets for VR and AR applications. Grant went to school for Multimedia and Game Development at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. There he learned a broad range of skills including 3D Modeling, Video Production, Game Design and Graphic Design. A native of Chicago, you can find him either watching the Chicago Blackhawks, or playing hockey in a local men’s league.