Rob McCarty

Helping music, cannabis, and retail marketers drive customer engagement through augmented reality and web3. Former AR consulting at Meta. CEO @Illust

Rob McCarty is a seasoned professional with a background in entrepreneurship and media, known for his innovative approach to business as a form of art.

Having started with a pedicab service selling out-of-home ads, Trojan Chariots, Rob gained early experience working with brands and media planners, which eventually led him to co-found PopShorts in 2013.

Transitioning into the realm of 360° media, Rob produced numerous successful VR pieces and ventured into augmented reality, challenging traditional communication and entertainment formats with first-to-market social AR experiences for various clients.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and a minor in Mathematical Finance from the USC Marshall School of Business.

Throughout his career, Rob has held key positions such as CEO at illust, Co-Founder at Team Building | VR, Director & Artist Liaison at FortressTV, Co-Founder & CMO at PopShorts, Director of Business Development at DormStormer, President & CEO at Trojan Chariots, and Summer Analyst at McGladrey Capital Markets.