Chanel Summers joined VRstudios in 2017 as its first Vice President of Creative Development, in which capacity she was responsible for delivering the kind of breakthrough content experiences the industry has come to expect from the leading provider of VR-enabled attractions for location-based entertainment operators. In 2021, Chanel was appointed Vice President of Product Development, leading all development initiatives at the company.

A pioneer in the fields of video game and interactive audio development, Chanel has been a respected game producer and designer, Microsoft’s first audio technical evangelist, and a member of the original Xbox team, having helped to design and support the audio system for that groundbreaking console and creating the first ever support team for content creators. Prior to joining VRstudios, Chanel was an accomplished touring drummer and founder of the highly regarded audio production and design company Syndicate 17, specializing in sound design, music production, and audio implementation for location-based attractions and virtual, augmented, and mixed reality products.

Chanel has consulted for a number of organizations and innovative technology companies and lectured and educated around the world on subjects as diverse as the aesthetics of video game audio, world-building, and secondary-level STEM education for young women. Chanel has also been a lecturer and director of the Experimental Audio Design Lab at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

In 2016, Chanel contributed “Making the Most of Audio in Characterization, Narrative Structure, and Level Design” to the CRC Press book Level Design: Processes and Experiences. In 2018, Chanel contributed “Creating Immersive and Aesthetic Auditory Spaces for Location-Based VR Experiences” to the CRC Press book, New Realities in Audio: A practical Guide for VR, AR, MR, and 360 Video. In 2019, Chanel was interviewed for and contributed to “VR and Location-Based Entertainment” for “Digital Storytelling: A Creator’s Guide to Interactive Entertainment, 4th Edition”.