How Adam O'Neill left their lane.
Adam O’Neill moved from journalism into emerging technology – and has spent a decade introducing people to new forms of computing.
Adam O’Neill started out in sport and journalism.
At the University of North Florida, he studied multimedia journalism and production while competing as a student athlete and working on the university newspaper, where he became Sports Editor.
The career that followed took him somewhere very different.
Since joining Oculus and Meta in 2016, O’Neill has worked across product experiences for Reality Labs, helping people encounter emerging hardware for the first time – from early virtual reality headsets to newer mixed-reality devices. His work has supported around 100,000 first encounters with spatial computing across major global moments including Cannes Lions, Mobile World Congress and Davos.
It is an unusual vantage point on new technology.
Engineers see what a product was designed to do. O’Neill gets to see what happens when somebody meets it without the manual – what they understand instinctively, what surprises them and where the technology disappears enough for the experience to take over.
He started out observing people and telling stories. Now he watches what happens when the next interface arrives.
Adam O'Neill x future forum
Meta Partners & Supporters
A social technology company that keeps pushing connection into new forms.
Join the conversation with <Adam O'Neill>
Flagship Event 2026
Two days of focused discussion, cross-sector sessions, hands-on studios and unforgettable gatherings.
