Evan Spiegel, Snap Inc.'s co-founder and CEO, has been at the forefront of AR innovation. Launching Snapchat in 2011 with Bobby Murphy, Spiegel transformed digital communication with ephemeral messaging, pioneering the use of AR Lenses, and starting a worldwide trend of camera-first mobile apps.

In 2015, Snapchat was the first platform to popularize AR face Lenses, and later world Lenses, landmarkers, and a wide range of AR experiences. As such, Spiegel can be credited with introducing AR to hundreds of millions of teenagers (both Millenials and Gen Z alike).

Under Spiegel’s leadership, Snapchat has grown into a platform where millions of global users share moments daily. By integrating augmented reality Lenses, Snapchat not only helped to introduce a new form of digital expression, but also paved the way for AR's adoption in everyday communication (and memes, such as the Dancing Hot Dog). Snap has also made its AR technology available to AR creators and developers through Lens Studio, the company's AR authoring platform. Through Lens Studio, more than 350,000 AR creators and developers have built and published millions of Lenses to Snapchat, other apps and websites through its Camera Kit SDK, and to its AR glasses, Spectacles.

Spiegel’s vision has therefore not only enhanced user engagement but also demonstrated AR's potential beyond gaming, contributing to its evolution as a key component of the digital experience.