George M Dean
George M Dean

Engineer & Builder | Systems-Focused Technical Leader | Bridging Startup Agility & Scalable Solutions in Emerging Tech

George “Mac” Dean

(For up to date info about me, check out my Linkedin.)

About Me

I’m a hands-on technical cofounder with experience in game design, AR/VR development, and full-stack product engineering. My path in tech started early, building and repairing computers, and hobby-rockets, and dissecting the games I play to design my own. Well before I ever knew what “systems thinking” was, the instinct to understand how things work and how people interact with them shaped my path forward.

I grew from a lone AR/VR engineer into a technical cofounder, leading development across Unity and Unreal Engine for spatial visualization tools used in architecture and planning. I’ve worn many hats in small teams; shipping releases solo, mentoring interns, and collaborating directly with hardware partners or clients to ensure the program best matches both the device and user needs.

Over the years I have built a wide and adaptable toolkit of skills, and just as importantly, I learned how to ship under constraints, pivot according to feedback, and communicate clearly with technical and nontechnical collaborators.

Profile Picture of George M Dean

Current Work - GEOPOGO

Technical Cofounder & CTO

Geopogo is an Architectural Visualization company transforming the construction industry by leveraging AR/VR and desktop visualization to enhance design communication, reduce rework, and streamline project timelines. As the Technical Cofounder, I led the development of a multi-platform visualization suite that bridges traditional architectural design software with cutting-edge tools for Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) like Magic Leap, mobile applications, and desktop. I spearheaded a cross-functional startup team to build a versatile, interactive platform enabling seamless model visualization across HMDs, mobile, and desktop multiplayer, bringing new possibilities to architectural and construction collaboration.

 

Geopogo Creator

As Technical Cofounder, I led, and implemented development on the Geopogo desktop app, built on Unity with connections to AWS. This application enables users to import 3D design files from a wide range of modeling software or create quick mock-ups, making it a versatile choice for architects and designers. Users can then export their designs to be viewed in AR or share them in a dynamic multiplayer environment, expanding collaborative possibilities in architectural visualization.

GEOPOGO AR for the Magic Leap

As the first project I fully owned from start to finish at Geopogo, I led the development of an augmented reality app for the Magic Leap One (ML1), built on Unity. This AR tool connects seamlessly with the Geopogo desktop app, allowing architects and clients to visualize designs at real-life scale, table-top models, or even tour interiors before construction begins. It has been successfully used to showcase planned developments to the public and improve construction site walkthroughs, once identifying $250,000 in potential rework costs through enhanced visualization. This project required both innovative AR development and close collaboration with headset manufacturers to optimize performance and deliver an industry-tailored solution.

GEOPOGO CreatorPro for the ML2

Building on the original ML1 app, I led the upgrade and enhancement of our AR application for the Magic Leap 2 (ML2), ensuring a seamless adaptation for the device's launch. This upgrade leveraged the ML2’s advanced capabilities, including segmented dimming for improved model visibility and support for multiple models, allowing users to switch between design options effortlessly. Working closely with Magic Leap, I guided the engineering team to enhance visual fidelity and optimize performance to meet new standards.

Geopogo for Magic Leap 2 has been featured in high-profile showcases, including CES and the World Economic Forum in Davos, where it demonstrated the potential of AR for architectural visualization to a global audience of industry leaders and potential clients.

 

A More Personal Note

Interests

  • Game Development (PC + AR/VR)

  • Creative Writing & Worldbuilding

  • WoW Mythic Raiding (4x Cutting Edge)

  • Eve Online Nullsec Industry

  • Visual Art & Graphic Design

  • Space Exploration & Astrophysics

Outside of work, I’m a systems geek and lifelong gamer. I tank Mythic raids in World of Warcraft where I help lead complex team efforts under pressure as a guild officer, I dive headfirst into the spreadsheets and intricate economic simulations of Eve Online, and I love designing my own weird little games around simple mechanics. I’m deeply curious about the future of technology, especially at the intersection of systems and people, and am always looking for new ways to stretch my skills into new domains.

Indie Game Development

While much of my work at Geopogo involves using Unity for architectural visualization, I also apply my skills to indie game development, using Unity and other engines to create gameplay experiences. My design philosophy focuses on refining and highlighting core mechanics, resulting in minimalist games centered on polished, singular gameplay loops that offer both depth and replayability.

Delta Vee

Unity Engine

Built for the Ludum Dare 40 game jam under the theme "the more you have the worse it is", Delta Vee tasks the player with maneuvering in a zero-friction environment, using the mouse to direct thrust and quick boosts of force, collecting stars and avoiding the missiles that emerge for each point claimed. I wanted to create an extremely simple game that helps teach a sense of inertia and motion in a frictionless environment. This understanding could form the basis of further understandings of maneuvering in microgravity, or orbital mechanics.

 

Download on Itch.io

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A Nightmare For Gluttons

GameMaker Studio

A simple, yet addicting browser game, A Nightmare For Gluttons can be compared to PacMan on a map entirely filled with pellets, no walls, and ghosts that don't chase you but just move around. However the difficulty quickly ramps up, as the ghosts will begin to multiply exponentially, clogging the entire screen. Half luck and half skill, this battle to collect as many pellets as possible and survive longest was one of my first games I ever made, and emphasized quick restarts and a short reward cycle.

Download on Itch.io

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POND

Physical Board Game

Pond is a three-player asymmetric educational board game designed to teach players about ecosystem balancing and trophic levels. Each player has their own abilities and style of playing, who while competing to consume each other and overpopulate will over time balance and create a sustainable ecosystem between the three of them. This balance mimics how populations of creatures in the wild balance each out, and with purposeful adjustments to the rules can be used to show how environmental changes can unbalance and collapse an ecosystem such as in eutrophication, the unstable populations of moose and wolves on Isle Royale, or what happened to Yellowstone National Park without wolves. Pond was developed in a small team of myself, Taylor Groeschen and Nick Hinton.

View PDF

 

 

Contact ME