When Vincent John Vincent and Francis McDougall invented video gesture control technology they had a strong mandate to both grow the company financially, and to also find purposes for the technology that would benefit the community as a whole.
Right from the early days forward GestureTek has donated its systems, services and time to help raise funds for numerous charities and non-profit causes.
In the mid 1990s they directed the company towards the use of the technology for bettering the lives of the disabled and for uses in rehabilitation. When countless studies showed the positive attributes of the technology in this area, and after having raised investment, the company directed its resources towards productizing the technology for these applications and created a health division to further the investigation.
Over the years some systems and services have been donated to select centres for disabilities.
Vincent has also served on many boards of non-profits, and industry organizations of all kinds. Vincent has served as an Advisor on numerous Boards including The Art Institute of Toronto (2004) and The Design Exchange VR Centre & Content Creators Group (1999), Mobile Innovation Experience Centre, (2009 onward), Sheridan University Multi-media PAC, and a Centennial College PAC. He has played a role in promoting the multimedia industry as co-creator, co-producer, and co-executive director of the IDMA (International Digital Media Awards). He and GestureTek have also donated their time to produced many hi-tech events and shows highlighting VR Technology, including the Virtual Visionary Speaker & Performance Series (1993). In 2003 Vincent received the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ at the Canadian New Media Awards. In 2011 Vincent was inducted as a Virtual Pioneer in the DigiFest Hall of Fame.
