Jennifer Lastra started deep in the U.S. Navy, an electrician working on warships. Inside cramped, high-voltage guts of a ship, she learned discipline and how to solve problems before they exploded. After the Navy, she dove into shipbuilding, then defense manufacturing. She worked on projects like the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier. Loud, dirty, unforgiving. That work taught her the consequences as much as the rules. Then came a turning point: virtual reality.

“When you can emotionally connect with a learner, you’ve got them. That’s where you start to build memory.”

Jennifer didn’t chase tech for the bells and whistles. She saw it as a bridge, a tool that could take rote safety training and make it unforgettable. Today, her company crafts fully immersive simulations that show, don’t just tell. It puts workers in real scenarios where their choices matter. One misstep = Game Over. Push start. Try again. Try better. Try smarter.

Her goal is massive: impact a million lives each year, but she’s adamant this isn’t a numbers game. Rather, it’s a redefinition of learning on the job site.