Start mentors are experienced community leaders with deep expertise in VR/MR development and education. They’re here to help both new and seasoned developers level up across all aspects of building immersive apps and experiences.
You can connect with mentors through our community forums, the Meta Horizon Start Discord server, live workshops, written resource guides, and on-demand videos.
Don’t miss our weekly live Performance Clinics and 1:1 mentor sessions—get direct support on app optimization, troubleshooting, and more.
Meet your Start mentors—Shane, Quentin, Sidney, and Tevfik—in their Meet the Mentor posts below!
Hi everyone! I'm Quentin, but many of you might know me online as Valem.
I've been an XR developer since 2017, but my real adventure in this space kicked off in 2019 when I joined the Meta Start program and got my hands on my very first headset! That was a game-changer for me. Since then, I've been excited to share what I'm learning, which led me to launch my own YouTube channel, Valem Tutorials, where I publish tutorials to help other developers dive into XR development.
I'm also the founder of Valem Studio, an indie game studio. We recently celebrated a huge milestone: releasing our first XR title, Detective VR (which I co-developed with Studio Chipo y Juan), on the Meta Horizon Store!
What excites me about the Meta ecosystem?
It’s the constant stream of innovation! Every day seems to bring new tools, features, and creative possibilities that really push the boundaries of what’s possible in XR. I absolutely love making these cutting-edge innovations more accessible for fellow developers and helping you bring your unique visions to life.
How I hope to support you as a Start Mentor:
I’m here to support developers through clear guidance and by sharing my personal experiences from the trenches of XR development. Whether you're just taking your first steps in XR or you're looking to scale an existing project, my goal is to help you overcome any technical challenges you might face and keep you motivated and inspired along your journey.
Outside of XR...
I’m a proud new dad, a corgi enthusiast, a lifelong gamer, a guitarist, and a runner. I truly believe that great games and experiences come from people who stay curious, keep learning, and remain connected with others. I’m really looking forward to connecting with all of you in the Start Program!
My Specialties:
Here are some of the areas where I have expertise
Unity XR Development
UX/UI Design
Optimization
Multiplayer
Visual Effects, Shaders
Game Mathematics & Physics
Social Media Growth and Distribution
Looking forward to helping you build amazing things!
I’m Sidney F. (@Angelsin). I've been a developer in Start since 2025, but more generally since 2015. I am really excited to help other developers come up with interesting ways to solve problems.
What's been your journey in XR?
My passion for mixed reality has driven my career path. I started out at an indie studio making games for the original Vive, then moved on to making AR Visualizations for NASA JPL's Mars program (OnSight). Later, I did VR prototyping for a marketing firm and also moved into helping others with their spatial computing applications for Magic Leap.
What excites you most about XR?
What excites me about XR is that it allows new ways to interact with the world, as well as unlocks more of the world for people that cannot experience it naturally. VR has allowed me to hang out with my friends that live in other states, see people during the COVID lock downs, and has let my disabled mother go out and do things that her body wouldn't let her.
What other passions influence your approach?
People describe me as a woman with a thousand hobbies, but my real hobby is learning about other hobbies. Above all else though, I am a tinkerer and a maker, whether that is in the digital, like making prototypes for game systems, or in the analog, like hand making a longbow. My recent projects have included building a cyberdeck (which I fully modeled and 3D printed), hand building a dactyl keyboard, and building lora messaging devices.
How can you help Start developers?
One of my biggest strengths is bringing the knowledge from all of my diverse interests together and seeing where lessons learned from one thing are applicable to another.
Many years ago I was told, "that when you go to the store to buy a drill, what you are really doing is buying a hole, so if you can't get a drill, what other ways could you get a hole?" This really stuck with me. So, as a mentor, I like to help people think outside the box, really investigate the problem they are working on, and try to come up with creative solutions.
I've been a developer in Start since the inception of the program and it's been an incredible journey watching the XR ecosystem grow from scrappy prototypes to polished, expressive experiences. Being a mentor lets me give back to a community that shaped my career, and I'm honored to support the next wave of developers.
What's been your journey in XR?
In 2014, as a Cognitive Science and Philosophy student, I started experimenting with early VR through game jams and hackathons. After winning a few game jams and seeing early success, I co-founded Coal Car Studio with my brother. Beyond my own company, I've managed an emerging media lab at a post-secondary institution, developed XR content for medical and aerospace education, and taught XR design at several schools over the past five years. Today, I lead a team focused on crafting playful and social XR experiences across games, education, and enterprise, pushing the boundaries of immersive technology.
What excites you most about the Meta platform?
What excites me about the Meta platform is how it combines emerging technology with human-centered design to create experiences that feel impossible in other mediums but intuitive in XR, enabling meaningful social presence that makes people feel like they're truly together, no matter the distance.
What other passions influence your approach?
Outside of work, I enjoy road trips to destinations unknown in my Eurovan, playing tabletop games with my friends, and going on adventures with my dog Finnegan.
How can you help Start developers?
As a mentor, I want to help developers build confidence in their creative vision and technical execution by offering practical advice, honest feedback, and connections that help unblock their path forward.
I have been a developer at Start since 2023, and being a mentor feels like a natural continuation of everything I’ve learned — sharing my journey, mistakes, and wins with new creators who are building the future of immersive worlds.
My journey began as an aerospace engineering student curious about how technology could shape human experience. I pivoted into XR development in 2017, then I founded IRONHEAD Games and bootstrapped my path forward through Udemy, teaching over 47,000 students worldwide. I re-invested my teaching revenue into building multiple social VR titles that reached 500K+ installs, turning passion into real impact.
Today, I’m proud to stand as both a builder and mentor in the Meta Quest ecosystem — helping creators push the boundaries of what’s possible in virtual worlds. What excites me about the Meta Quest platform is how it empowers indie creators to reach millions — giving small teams the tools to turn imagination into real presence.
As a mentor, I want to help creators ship faster, think bigger, and stay mentally resilient. My approach focuses on practical guidance, community support, and helping developers navigate the most challenging moments of entrepreneurship and emerge stronger in this incredible space.
Outside of development, I love exploring symbolic storytelling and the science of consciousness.
Expertise & Specialties:
Unity3D & C# Development
Photon Fusion / Multiplayer Networking
VR Prototyping & Locomotion Systems
Product Ownership & Game Design
XR Startups & Fundraising Strategy
Social VR Community Building
PlayFab / Backend Integration
Rapid Iteration & Mentorship in Early Stage Teams
Let's build together!
→ Find helpful resources to begin your development journey in Getting Started
