February, 2022 – Sam Lumetta takes on the CTO role for the revolutionary virtual reality fitness company.
After years of research and development, Black Box VR is ready to scale their VR fitness experience to gym locations around the USA and then the world. To meet that demand, Black Box VR will need an experienced leader that will be able to efficiently and effectively manufacture and deploy the 2.0 version of their VR-tracked exercise machine, as well as future versions for home use.
Today the company is announcing the hiring of Sam Lumetta as their first Chief Technology Officer.
Sam is a results-oriented executive with a proven track record of success in increasing revenue and profitability through leadership, collaboration, and innovation. He’s been recognized for having an entrepreneurial approach that takes into account the “big picture” while translating vision into reality. Sam has proven himself to be highly effective leading across global regions and cultures, driving results, and improving organizational capability.
Sam spent nearly 20 years at General Motors leading teams and projects. During his last four years there, he was the Global Program Engineering Manager for the Crossover SUV and Compact Car division. In that role, he led a team of eight managers and 40 engineers with program budgets of up to $340M.
Most recently, Sam was the Vice President of Engineering and Research and Development for Oregon Tool. Oregon Tool is a 3000+ person global company that specializes in professional grade precision cutting tools for forestry, lawn and garden, farming, ranching, agriculture, and concrete cutting and finishing.
As CTO of Black Box VR, Sam will lead the hardware engineering group, focusing on:
- Product Innovation Pipelines
- Technology Roadmap Development
- Short-Term and Long-Term Vision and Planning
- Team Leadership and Development
- R&D
- Manufacturing
- Project Management
- QA/QC
- Supply Chain
- Procurement
- Field Support
“The gamified VR fitness experience that our team has created has been life-changing for members in our current locations. It’s time to bring that experience to the thousands and then millions of people that need us,” said Ryan DeLuca, CEO of Black Box VR. “Sam is the perfect person to help lead us through the next phase of our growth plans. His vast experience, effective leadership abilities, and passion for quality will make it possible for us to lead the next fitness paradigm shift.”
“We are so proud to add an amazing talent like Sam to the team. We are confident that with his passion, leadership and vast expertise in the hardware space, we will be able to rapidly scale our life-changing products to meet demand,” said Preston Lewis, President & Chief Design Officer of Black Box VR. “Sam will supercharge our ability to innovate and bring our world-changing Black Box VR experience to hundreds of thousands of people looking to level up their lives.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be joining Black Box VR,” said Sam Lumetta. “Besides joining a truly innovative and extraordinary team, I am inspired by the unique intersection of the Metaverse, VR, and Health & Wellness. Each space has shown a profound impact on how we experience the world, so you can imagine the value that will be unlocked with them converging. As CTO, I look forward to helping Black Box VR continue their journey of innovation and bringing this revolutionary fitness experience to millions around the world.”
Sam lives in the Portland, Oregon area with his wife, and has two daughters who reside in California and Florida. When he’s not exploring in VR, he enjoys competitive tennis, boating, hiking, and spending quality time with family.
Black Box VR is the world’s first virtual reality esport that combines resistance training, HIIT cardio, and intense gaming to deliver a science-backed workout experience. With gym locations open in San Francisco, Phoenix, Oceanside, and Boise, members are able to build muscle, lose fat, and get fit while playing an addictive game.
