Charlie Fink writes the weekly Forbes column "This Week in XR" and co-hosts its companion podcast. He is the author of the critically acclaimed AR-enabled books Charlie Fink’s Metaverse (2017), and Convergence, How The World Will Be Painted With Data (2019). Fink teaches at Chapman University in Orange, CA and at ASU. 

Fink's forty year career at the intersection of popular culture and technology began at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1987 where he famously came up with the idea for “The Lion King" and subsequently became the studio’s youngest creative vice-president. Fink's work in technology began in 1992 when he joined Tim Disney’s pioneering location-based VR company, Virtual World Entertainment, as its COO. In 1995, AOL recruited Fink to be Senior Vice President & Chief Creative Officer of AOL Studios (1995-1999). He was also President of American Greetings Interactive and Blue Mountain (2000-2004). Fink’s other experience includes exits from several startups and running the New York Musical Festival.