Getting immersive with A.C. Meyer

The crazy journey of a disabled veteran who never gave up.

Published on: December 13, 2023 at 4:38:58 PM

Featuring: A.C. Meyer, Founder of Interactive Entertainment Company

Thank you for taking the time to sit with us and share your story. Can you share a little bit about you and your company?

I am a 100% disabled Veteran who founded Interactive Entertainment Company. IEC is working to cement itself in the newer immersive entertainment vacation space. We currently have in development 2 unique franchises consisting of multi-product, deep story universes, extensive merchandising arms, and multi-day large-scale park and facility vacation experiences set in their own thematic "universes".

A question so many people are interested in, is how you got started. Can you share a little bit about what you were doing before this, and what that moment was like for you when you decided to start this new journey?

Thank you for allowing me a space to tell my story, I hope it can help or motivate someone, who might need it. For the last 12 years, I have been on the path to healing my PTSD from the Iraq war. I was a heavy gunner in the Army and was part of the first wave, in 2003. I used these ideas to help redirect my thoughts and energies while in the process of healing, and as I grew, so did this business idea. I participated in the Bunker Labs Veterans in Residence program (Cohorts 22B and 23A), which has helped me tremendously to see how to move all this forward. I then went on to become the Captain of the 23B Cohort. I also was accepted into the Texas A&M Renolds and Renolds Entrepreneur Boot Camp for Veterans program, where I took everything to the next level. I have an interesting story and want to bring more awareness to the complications resulting from serving our country, mental health, and acquiring new skills to rejoin the economy. I also would like to share this journey with other vets who may be struggling, to show you can get through it, and realize new goals and dreams. We need to break down this mental health stigma surrounding asking for help. I truly love what I do, and I see the value in not only the entertainment, but the jobs it can bring, as well as resources to give back to the community and just being a great story to entertain, inspire, and be proud of.

Let's take a little bit of a detour, and rewind the clock a little bit. What did you want to be as a kid? And how did that influence the person you are today?

I have always wanted to be a soldier. I grew up in a military family and was proud to carry on the tradition (although my dad was pissed at first because I joined the Army and he was a light colonel in the Airforce..haha). I think because of my background and service, integrity, truth, and selfless service mean something to me, and something I want to carry forward into my business...READ MORE