Please note, preferably register only one person per company for best possible networking.
The Augmented Reality industry is no longer asking if – but how and when. The answer lies in photonics. As we stand at a critical crossroads, the future of AR will be shaped by the technical and strategic decisions made today. Hosted by EssilorLuxottica, this edition of EPIC’s AR series goes beyond the hype, diving deep into the real-world challenges and opportunities driving industrial and wider adoption by the consumer market.
This meeting will convene C-level executives, R&D leaders, and systems engineers from across the AR value chain – from photonics and component manufacturers to integrators, device makers, and end users. Together, we’ll confront the technical barriers, business needs, and regulatory demands that define the path to scalable, high-performance AR.
Edgar Auslander is a senior technology executive and entrepreneur with 35+ years of experience across strategic partnerships, venture capital, M&A, and general management in AI, XR, semiconductors, and wearables. As Senior Director at Meta’s Reality Labs, he originated the landmark EssilorLuxottica partnership and drove the original product definition of the Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses, reshaping Meta’s AR roadmap. Earlier in his career he co-founded Texas Instruments’ Wireless Business Unit - which grew to $5B+ in annual revenue - served as a Kauffman Fellow and Vice President at VantagePoint Venture Partners, and held senior roles at Qualcomm, Intel, and ST-Ericsson driving billions in M&A and licensing activity. He has served on the boards of QuickLogic (NASDAQ: QUIK) and The AR Alliance, served as SVP at IXI Mobile (SPAC exit), and founded Menlo Business Partners (menlobp.com), an active consulting firm operating across Silicon Valley and Europe. Co-author of a Wiley textbook, he is the creator of a personal AI learning platform. Edgar authored and taoguht Management of Change and Business Negotiating at UC Berkeley Extension, lectured at Haas School of Business and Stanford’s School of Engineering, and holds an MBA from Columbia, an MEEng from Cornell, and an engineering degree from ESME Paris.
T.J. Won is a senior technology executive with experience spanning investment banking, media, and consumer technology. His career has been defined by understanding how consumers engage with technology across devices and platforms, and by building the partnerships that shape those experiences.
Today, T.J. serves as Senior Director of Wearables & AI Glasses Partnerships at Meta, where he leads Meta's strategic collaboration with EssilorLuxottica — the partnership behind Ray-Ban Meta AI smart glasses and one of the most significant bets in consumer AI hardware. In 2026, T.J. relocated to Milan, Italy to deepen this partnership on the ground, working directly with the EssilorLuxottica team to drive the next chapter of AI-powered wearables.
