I have been an artist my whole life, and right now is the most fun I’ve ever had as a creator. As a designer and ergonomist, I feel like we are at the beginning of a renaissance. We are at the intersection where design and technology become one. This is where I've played for the last 30 years. I started designing technology, during the web 1.0 days, designing streaming audio and video software and creating novel user interfaces.

Then I switched to using technology to design. I closed my software company and moved to NYC for my dream job designing jewelry for David Yurman. I started 3d printing jewelry over 20 years ago. That and a portfolio of renderings, which everyone thought were photos back then, got me the interview. At Yurman, I went from their first full time CAD designer to their second ever Design Director. I designed watches, jewelry, fragrance bottles, eyewear, and the odd projects that didn't have a home. It was an amazing ride learning everything from creating and translating brand language to the full life cycle of jewelry.

After designing luxury goods for so long, I started searching for meaning. I started using technology to create community in Miami. My wife is a farmer and we're known for our weekend stand where we make things with what we grow. We have a weekly email (lnbgrovestand.com) where we interview someone who visits our stand, from the mayor to kids who have grown up visiting us. I archive them as an online resource to find local restaurants and help people discover each other.

Two years ago, I started playing with NFTs and creating content for the metaverse. When I sell a piece of my virtual jewelry, that customer remains connected to me and every other owner of my jewelry. And, for the first time ever, people can experience my designs the way I do. I design in CAD on a computer and until now, people only got to wear the ring that was a fabrication of my design. Now, with augmented sculptures I can email them the ring, and they can enlarge it so that they can walk through it and look at it and see the hidden details and experience my art the same way that I do.

Now my three worlds - design, technology, and community are coming together. In January, we started Virtewel. We create fine jewelry wearables and buildings for the metaverse. In July we acquired our first property in Decentraland and will be launching the first dedicated jewelry store in the world this October. The meaning of design has returned.