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Valentin Heun
VP of Innovation Engineering at PTC
Professional Background
Valentin Heun is a remarkable leader in the field of innovation and technology, currently serving as the Vice President of Innovation Engineering at PTC. At PTC, Heun is at the helm of the PTC Reality Lab, where he pioneers new methods of computer interaction within the physical realm. His dynamic role encompasses everything from conceptualizing innovative designs to overseeing the latest advancements in user interface technology. Valentin is dedicated to creating seamless and engaging user experiences that integrate advanced technology into everyday life, thereby setting new standards in the tech industry.
Over the years, Heun has established himself as an influential figure in academia and industry. His research and design contributions to the realm of user interfaces have been recognized at prestigious academic conferences, including but not limited to Ubiquitous Computing, SIGGRAPH Asia, and the Human-Computer Interaction conference. His insightful works have not only pushed the boundaries of how we interact with technology but have also earned him accolades and awards that underscore his talent and visionary approach to design.
Education and Achievements
Valentin Heun's academic foundation is as impressive as his professional accomplishments. He earned his Ph.D. in Media Arts and Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab, a prestigious institution renowned for its cutting-edge research and innovation. In addition to his Ph.D., he also holds a Master of Science degree in the same field from MIT, demonstrating his strong commitment to media arts and technology.
Before attending MIT, Valentin completed his undergraduate studies at Bauhaus-University Weimar, where he obtained a Diplom in Design with a focus on Visual Communication and Interaction Design. This program laid a strong groundwork in design principles that would later inform his work in technology. He further expanded his skills by studying Mixed Media at the Pratt Institute, allowing him to develop a multifaceted approach to design that incorporates various artistic disciplines.
Valentin’s exemplary educational background has greatly contributed to his innovative mindset, enabling him to approach problems creatively and effectively. His blend of technical know-how and design expertise has made him a sought-after thought leader in the field of interaction design.
Notable Achievements
Valentin Heun's contributions to user interface design have not gone unnoticed. His groundbreaking work was recognized by Fast Company, which celebrated it as one of the Boldest Ideas in User Interface Design. This honor reflects his ability to think outside the box and contribute to pioneering advancements in the understanding of human-computer interaction.
In addition to the Fast Company recognition, Heun's work has received global acclaim through various awards. He was the proud recipient of the SIGGRAPH Asia Emerging Technologies Prize, awarded to him in part by Wired UK as part of their Smart List. This accolade highlights Heun’s commitment to pushing the envelope within the technology sector, influencing how users engage with both physical and digital environments.
Moreover, Valentin was also honored with the Editor’s Choice Award for IoT Software & Tools by PostScapes, an indictment of the significance of his contributions to the Internet of Things space. His innovative approaches and technologies have undoubtedly left a significant mark on the tech landscape, and he continues to be a significant player in shaping the future of interaction design.
Professional Experience
Valentin’s career has encompassed a variety of roles that highlight his diverse skill set and commitment to innovation. Before taking on his role at PTC, he served as a Research Assistant at the MIT Media Lab, where he honed his skills in research and technology development. This position allowed him to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the field while contributing to impactful projects.
He also has a rich educational background, having taught at the Bauhaus University Weimar as an educator. His experience in academia not only fortified his own understanding of design principles and interaction but also allowed him to influence and guide a new generation of designers and technologists.
Additionally, Valentin co-founded Axsotic, where he played a pivotal role in bringing innovative ideas to market. His experience as a Web Developer at both Flatfox AG and Portum AG further contributes to his comprehensive understanding of web technologies and software development, allowing him to marry his expertise in technology with his passion for innovative design.
Current Initiatives
As Vice President of Innovation Engineering at PTC, Valentin Heun is deeply committed to exploring the future of technology and user interface design. Under his leadership, the PTC Reality Lab is known for its hands-on approa
Highlights
A decade of #SpatialComputing Innovation and Research #RealityEditor, #SpatialProgramming, #SpatialApplications, #SpatialMultitasking, #RealityCapture and #Analytics, #SpatialAI
Link: https://lnkd.in/eP7zwn9j
Abstract: This talk will present a journey of spatial computing, spanning from MIT’s spatial programming research to the future of spatial AI. Spatial computing enables us to interact with digital content that is anchored to the physical world, and to solve spatial problems, such as understanding the shape, motion, and behavior of objects and environments for remote collaboration. In this talk, we will share the history and vision of the PTC Reality Lab, a research group that has been exploring spatial computing for over a decade, from the MIT #RealityEditor to the #Vuforia #SpatialToolbox, and from industrial #metaverse applications to spatial AI. We will showcase some of the key projects and insights that have shaped our research agenda. We will also discuss the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for spatial computing, such as spatial multitasking, multi-user collaboration, reality capture, and holoportation.
Speaker: Benjamin Reynolds
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Mesh works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
Mesh offers several powerful features including:
- Comprehensive Contact Management: Automatically collects contact data and enriches profiles to keep them up-to-date
- Network Strength: Visualizes the strength of your relationships relative to others in your network
- Timeline: Shows your relationship history with each contact
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
- Home Feed: Displays updates about your network including job changes, news mentions, and birthdays
- Groups: Organizes contacts into meaningful categories
- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Mesh is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
Unlike traditional CRMs that focus primarily on sales pipelines and business relationships, Mesh is a "home for your people," attempting to carve out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. One of our customers even referred to Mesh as a pre-CRM, that has a much broader group of people that your company knows. Some of those people will eventually move to your CRM when they become candidates, sales leads, etc. Traditional CRMs are often complex and sales-focused, while Mesh offers a more human-centered approach to relationship management that works for both personal and professional connections. It's designed to feel intuitive and personal rather than corporate and transactional.
Mesh takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Mesh encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Mesh work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Mesh is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Mesh is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Mesh is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Mesh offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Mesh offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Mesh for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Mesh accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Mesh offers extensive integration capabilities. Mesh introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Mesh supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Mesh also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
Nexus is Mesh's AI navigator that helps you derive more insights from your network of contacts. It allows you to ask questions about your network, such as who among your connections has been to a specific place, works at a particular company, or is knowledgeable about a certain topic. Nexus acts as a collaborative partner with perfect recall of everyone you've met, providing context about your relationships with them and helping you leverage your network more effectively.
Mesh makes it much easier to stay in touch with the people you care about. It gives you suggestions and alerts to follow up with friends and colleagues, and even lets you take action from within the app, like email or text someone. Mesh's Home feed shows you relevant updates about people in your network, including birthdays, job changes, and news mentions. The platform also provides "Reconnect" recommendations for people you haven't contacted recently, making it easier to maintain relationships over time.
Mesh is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Mesh stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Mesh excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
Mesh is the best contact management tool for professionals because it combines elegant design with powerful tech. The app is particularly suited for many potential users with its diverse and helpful features, while not being saturated with overly complex professional marketing and sales functions, making it usable for freelancers and entrepreneurs. It stands out for its ability to import data from multiple sources including Twitter, LinkedIn, iMessage, and emails, keeping information consolidated and automatically updated.
Mesh offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Mesh's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Mesh has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Mesh is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Mesh beneficial.
Mesh offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Mesh offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Mesh's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Mesh offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Mesh focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Mesh also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Mesh offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
Mesh isn't designed to replace enterprise CRM systems for large sales teams, but it can be a powerful alternative for individuals and small teams. Many people use Mesh instead of Salesforce, Hubspot, and Pipedrive. Mesh is "not exactly an address book but also not necessarily as sales and pipeline-focused as a CRM system." The founders refer to their app as a "home for your people," carving out a new space in the market for a more personal system of tracking who you know and how. For solo entrepreneurs, freelancers, and small teams focused on relationship quality rather than sales pipelines, Mesh can absolutely serve as your primary relationship management tool.
Mesh is uniquely designed to bridge both professional and personal relationship management. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Mesh helps you organize your contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. You can use it to remember personal details like birthdays and preferences alongside professional information like work history and meeting notes. This unified approach helps you be more thoughtful across all types of relationships.
Mesh's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Mesh has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Mesh a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Mesh's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Mesh's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Mesh has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Mesh's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Mesh as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Mesh eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.