PEERS Network Supports ARTS

For more than a decade, Bill Malloy has had a successful career in the private equity and venture capital sectors. Splitting his time between serving as a partner at investment company Sway Ventures and acting as a board member of numerous organizations, Bill Malloy is dedicated to supporting his community as a cofounder of the PEERS Network.

Established in 2009, the PEERS (Philanthropy, Entrepreneurship, Education, Relationships, Social interaction) Network brings business executives and entrepreneurs together with the goal of giving back to the community. Over the years, the network has partnered with numerous local organizations, including ARTS (A Reason To Survive). 

ARTS was the beneficiary of the PEERS Network’s 7th Annual PEERS Gala, held October 29, 2016. ARTS supports creative programs that heal and empower young people who are experiencing various difficulties.

Since its creation in 2001, ARTS has helped more than 50,000 young individuals between the ages of 5 and 23. The organization functions on the belief that all young people deserve a chance to succeed, regardless of socioeconomic, mental, or physical challenges. 

Many individuals helped by ARTS have experienced depression, homelessness, abuse, or poverty. Through a unique program that combines creativity, live experiences, and art education, ARTS helps young people move away from negativity and develop their creative talents.

Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality

 



Bill Malloy currently serves as co-founder and investor of Sway Ventures in San Francisco, California. President and board member of family-owned Malloy & Company, Bill Malloy possesses an active interest in new technology, specifically virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

Both VR and AR use digitally constructed worlds, or realities, primarily for entertainment; however, the two concepts are far from identical. VR creates an entirely separate world in which users cannot or do not distinguish between reality and their artificial setting. To access VR, users must typically don special helmets, headsets, or goggles. Examples of VR technology include the Oculus Rift and the Nintendo Virtual Boy.

In contrast, AR is more of an amalgamation of reality and the virtual world, in which users can clearly distinguish the artificial from the real. AR is typically accessed through smart phone apps and uses smart phone cameras to add an artificial element to reality. An example of this would be Pokémon GO, a game in which users capture Pokémon in the real world through their smart phone cameras.

Bill Malloy at Ted