About the Team
Graham Gaylor developed an early fascination with computer science and virtual reality. Driven by his fascination with VR and communication products, Graham backed the Oculus Kickstarter and was one of the first to receive an Oculus headset in 2013. That year the early-adopter Oculus community formed on Reddit. Graham saw a need for the Oculus community to be able to connect in the metaverse. He created the first prototype called VRChatroom and recruited the first testers from the community on Reddit.
Jesse Joudrey, with a robust background in software development and an entrepreneurial mindset, had already established himself in the tech industry. Jesse founded his company Jespinage in 2013, specializing in VR Unity development.
Graham and Jesse’s paths converged when Graham heard Jesse’s ideas for VRChat features on a podcast. Graham reached out to Jesse, and they quickly bonded over their shared enthusiasm for virtual reality. Both Graham and Jesse envisioned a platform that would transcend the traditional uses of VR and create a new social space where users could interact, create, and explore without the constraints of the physical world.
With this shared vision, they officially co-founded VRChat in 2015. They were driven by the goal of creating an immersive platform where users could build and share their own virtual worlds and avatars, offering unprecedented levels of freedom and creativity.
