We’re happy to launch a series of profiles highlighting the people behind Xogo. In this post, we’re proud to introduce Dalton Banks, our Chief of Product, who is responsible for software development and product research.
Dalton’s inspiration to work in the accessibility world is personal. Growing up close to someone with a disability, he saw everything a person with disabilities can do - and the struggles they may encounter on a daily basis. “I grew up close to someone with a disability, observing what that was like and some of the challenges they faced,” Dalton said.
Dalton said they often tried to play video games together. He recalled the socialization of being able to play certain games together. “We had positive experiences, like playing Mario Kart,” he said, explaining the game controller setup was easy for them to use, especially when playing together. “But I also saw the frustrations of certain games where if just one button had been in a different place on the controller, he could’ve done it by himself,” Dalton said.
That’s what Dalton had in mind when he started his work with Xogo - our platform that allows people to connect to devices that are best suited for their own individual needs. “It allows you to take non-standard input devices and mix and match them for an individual person. We wanted to make this platform that would make it easier for people with disabilities to control their tech,” he explained, noting that each individual can use Xogo to fit their own unique needs.
The Xogo device actually originated as a final project for a class Dalton was taking while pursuing his Master’s degree in Robotics. But he quickly realized Xogo could make a real impact. “The protype went really well and we got a lot of feedback about how we were solving an actual problem,” Dalton said. “If the product was on the market, there were people who would use it.”
Though Dalton said he had never imagined a life of entrepreneurship, he dove into his startup to launch Xogo. “We’ve been able to hit milestones and make things work,” he said.
Despite the challenges of entrepreneurial work, Dalton is proud of what he and his company have accomplished with Xogo. For Dalton, helping people with disabilities is always rewarding. “If you’re thinking about video games in particular, it might seem a little trivial,” Dalton said. “But it’s about letting people participate socially, having that normalizing experience.”
