Mark Rushton Email & Phone Number

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States

I lead a global cross-functional group of 30+ engineers and championed the effort to port our proprietary OS to a standard Android OS with light-touch integrations for augmented reality (AR). I evangelized this change across the organization and mentored the software teams on how to adopt it. This ambitious project was delivered within 18 months and launched alongside our new hardware device, Magic Leap 2.I also led cost-cutting improvements by replacing our proprietary engine, Lumin Runtime, with off-the-shelf software solutions such as Godot and Unity/MRTK, resulting in significant savings. As part of these efforts, I managed Magic Leap’s role on the technical committee for MRTK3. I also served as the Product Owner for Leap Brush, leading the initiative to open-source the application. My teams were responsible for the development of Spaces, an app that enabled the export of digital twins and space meshes.Additionally, I organized and ran company-wide hackathons, encouraging novel uses of our device with integrations of AI, driving creativity and innovation across the company.Key Achievements:• Lead global cross-functional teams of 30+ engineers, overseeing the development of core software components and AR platforms.• Successfully led the transition from a proprietary OS to a standard Android OS with AR integrations, delivering the Magic Leap 2 hardware device within an aggressive 18-month timeline while contributing to the architecture of numerous system components.• Replaced our use of Lumin Runtime engine with off-the-shelf software solutions like Godot and Unity/MRTK, driving cost savings.• Managed Magic Leap’s side of the technical committee for MRTK3.• Product Owner of Leap Brush and led efforts to open-source it.• Led development of Spaces, an app for exporting digital twins and space meshes.• Organized and ran company-wide hackathons focused on AI integrations with Magic Leap devices.

Plantation, Florida, United States

I transitioned into the newly created Director of Software Engineering role to consolidate efforts in transitioning Magic Leap's OS from a consumer-focused platform to one tailored for enterprise use. This role encompassed overseeing the development of key system components, including System Applications, System UI, the Core OS UX, Middleware Services (such as Input and Package Management), and Spatial Mapping plus Colocation services.My primary objective was to streamline and align these core components to meet the demanding requirements of enterprise clients while ensuring the platform remained flexible, scalable, and intuitive.Key Achievements:• Led the transition of Magic Leap’s OS from consumer to enterprise, integrating essential system services and middleware to support enterprise use cases.• Oversaw the development of System Applications, Core OS UX, and Middleware Services, ensuring seamless interaction across the platform.• Successfully integrated Spatial Mapping and Colocation services, which became pivotal for enterprise applications requiring real-world spatial awareness.• Played a crucial role in refocusing the company’s software development processes to cater to enterprise demands, optimizing system performance and scalability.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I was responsible for creating and growing the engineering team from inception to ~15 members. I led the transition from proofs of concept to a productionized version of our AR Desktop platform, which enabled concurrent applications to run in real-time using an in-house rendering engine. I oversaw the development of the Application Launcher within this platform, while also working on Magicverse, a Digital Twin technology that allowed applications to stream when users visited parts of the twin aligned to the real world. The Magicverse prototype was delivered as a proof of concept and patented.I implemented Agile processes to enhance team collaboration and worked closely with hardware teams to optimize the platform for the consumer launch of Magic Leap 1, focusing on achieving a smooth 60 Hz frame rate and hologram stability for a seamless AR experience.Key Achievements:• Led the transition to a production-ready AR Desktop platform, enabling concurrent applications to run in real-time.• Developed the Application Launcher and optimized the platform for a 60 Hz frame rate and stable hologram performance.• Delivered the Magicverse Digital Twin technology prototype, released as a proof of concept and patented.• Played a pivotal role in the successful consumer launch of Magic Leap 1.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I was hired into Magic Leap’s Applications & SDK team as the first individual contributor for the newly formed OS team. My role was instrumental in shaping the early development of Magic Leap’s prototype OS, which was Android-derived, and in building a team around these foundational efforts. I was responsible for creating key proofs of concept for critical system components, including an Application Launcher, System UI, and integrating multiple human-computer interaction (HCI) platforms.The apps were developed in both Godot and Unity, and I focused heavily on high-stakes demos designed for key investors such as Google and Ali Baba. These demos were critical in showcasing the potential of Magic Leap’s AR platform, driving further investment and advancing product development.Key Achievements:• Developed the Application Launcher and System UI, key components of the early Magic Leap OS prototype, setting the foundation for future product iterations.• Integrated multiple HCI platforms (Gaze, Hand Tracking, Head Pose, etc) into the Android-derived OS, demonstrating the flexibility and capability of Magic Leap’s AR technology.• Played a pivotal role in delivering high-stakes demos for major investors such as Google, Ali Baba, and notable person(s) from the entertainment industry, helping secure significant investment to further develop the platform.

Sunrise, Fl

At BlackBerry, I was part of the system applications team during a pivotal time in the company’s history as it transitioned from BBOS to QNX BB10 and eventually Android, to compete in the consumer phone market. My focus was on developing and optimizing system applications, including the Settings and Out-of-Box Experience applications, to ensure a seamless user experience as the underlying platform evolved.I worked closely with platform and hardware teams to adapt system applications across different device models and operating systems. This included redesigning user interfaces, optimizing application performance, and ensuring smooth transitions between operating systems while maintaining compatibility with BlackBerry's unique hardware features, such as the physical keyboard.Key Achievements:• Played an instrumental role in the successful transition from BBOS to QNX BB10 and eventually Android, meeting aggressive timelines while maintaining high system performance.• Developed the Settings and Out-of-Box Experience applications, which were key components of BlackBerry's operating system, ensuring consistency across various platforms and device models.

Computer Science

Computer Science