Erin begins by introducing herself and her company before giving insight on a metaverse workplace and what she thinks the future looks like in this space. Ryan and Erin then have a high-level discussion around the importance of IoT in the workplace and how accepting people are of digital transformation. They wrap up the podcast with a conversation about challenges in the industry and how new tech fits into the work environment.

Erin McDannald, CEO and Co-Owner of Lighting Environments and its sister company, Environments, has guided clients throughout the lighting design and construction process for over two decades. Trained as an interior designer, McDannald joined Baltimore's New Design Light firm in the sales department in 2003 before becoming co-owner in 2009. Under her leadership, the company was rebranded to Lighting Environments to reflect the company's expansion into lighting technology offerings for all built environments. Now, McDannald is leading the company to meet the rapidly changing connected device market head-on with the launch of its new IoT company, Environments.

Environments offer full-scale, adaptable solutions that holistically support businesses from end to end, from energy management to health monitoring. Further, Environments is elevating physical spaces to allow cutting-edge interaction with a digital twin in the metaverse. With every development and service, Environments aims to create healthy, inclusive, and accessible spaces for all users and occupants. Environments' mission is to improve the lives of humankind by connecting people to places and things. Using intelligent IoT endpoints, Environments integrates innovative, scalable solutions that meet every space's present and future needs. The firm recently launched the Elevated Environments app, which offers a virtual world beyond the "digital twin" by creating a workspace that combines the physical building with community-centric features and a hybrid workforce.