About Us
About
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nicholas McGinnis grew up immersed in two worlds—athletics and street art. A promising baseball player with dreams of going pro, he balanced the structure of sports with the creative freedom of graffiti. That duality—discipline and imagination—would go on to define his career.
Nicholas began his creative journey interning at Obey Giant, working under renowned artists Phillip Lumbang and Shepard Fairey, and receiving early mentorship from the legendary Mark Bradford. He soon joined Studio Number One as an Art Director, where he helped launch high-impact brand campaigns and boosted design workflow efficiency.
Pursuing his curiosity for technology and design, Nicholas enrolled in the Academy of Art University in San Francisco to study New Media and Computer Science. But real-world opportunity came calling, and he left in his third year to jump headfirst into the creative industry. That leap led him to Cutwater SF, where he contributed to campaign art direction for brands like American Giant, Hoka, and Ariat, driving market execution and visual storytelling that resonated with consumers.
Nicholas’s ability to merge aesthetics with strategic thinking opened doors into tech. He joined Alibaba’s 11 Main as a Visual Designer and quickly rose to Head of User Experience Design, leading UX for iOS and Android applications. His design leadership played a key role in the platform’s improved engagement and successful exit.
He later brought his user-first approach to brands and platforms such as Uproxx, CBS Interactive, Swagbucks, Saatchi & Saatchi, and Second Spectrum. At Second Spectrum, Nicholas scoped the UX for Clippers CourtVision, designing immersive fan experiences using real-time data, AR, and machine learning to redefine how basketball is watched and understood.
Fueled by a passion for scalable, human-centered solutions, Nicholas founded Phazur Labs—a multidisciplinary platform built to accelerate innovation across industries.
Phazur Labs is structured around three core pillars:
- An R&D and UX-to-Commercialization Studio – Specializing in product discovery, UX strategy, and technical design, the studio transforms early ideas into market-ready experiences through agile research and human-centered development.
- An Applied Innovation Academy – A training ground for the next generation of creators, the academy offers hands-on education in UX, information architecture, R&D, and rapid prototyping, empowering talent with tools to build, test, and scale.
- A Ventures Arm – Through strategic partnerships with VNTR, Geekdom, Maven Technologies, and Eromo Investments, Phazur Ventures scouts and funds early-stage technologies, helping founders scale with capital and advisory support.
As a syndicate partner at VNTR Texas, Nicholas now actively invests in emerging tech ventures while continuing to mentor and collaborate with platforms like Geekdom, Launch SA, and the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology. He works at the crossroads of culture and innovation—bringing his expertise to founders, communities, and the future of accessible technology.
Outside of his professional pursuits, Nicholas remains deeply rooted in his artistic origins, creating mixed media works and advising fellow artists and collectors—staying true to the creative spirit that launched his journey.
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