From a pop-up concept that never quite got off the ground to a second chance inside 3rd Street Market Hall, True Echo VR is proof that good ideas always have a way of finding their audience.
Founded in 2024 by mechanical engineer-turned-entrepreneur Mitchell Schweda, True Echo VR was born from a simple realization: as virtual reality technology became more affordable and accessible, interest in immersive VR experiences was only growing.
Seeing an opportunity to bring something new and interactive to Milwaukee, Mitchell turned that insight into a business that’s now helping locals step into entirely different worlds—without ever leaving downtown.
How did True Echo VR get its start? What is your background?
I am a mechanical engineer by trade. I went to UW-Platteville and got a degree in Engineering Physics, and worked for a company called Konecranes in New Berlin, where I designed cranes for nuclear power plants. I’ve always wanted to own my own business, and tried a lot of different things.
Initially, I wanted to build a better omnidirectional treadmill for VR gaming, but I decided not to pursue it. After a while, I kept coming back to the VR gaming idea, and thought that actually walking around a room would be the most real way to experience VR. The tech got so good in the meantime that it was much cheaper to setup, so I bought the equipment and went for it!
How long have you been in business? Have you faced any major challenges with growing your business or any triumph stories?
I bought the equipment and incorporated in July of 2024, so I’m coming up on 2 years now. Getting started was hard, I had the equipment and was trying to do all mobile events. I eventually did a demo for Bars and Rec, trying to do a pop-up event at one of their locations, but they liked it so much they decided to help me do a test location last summer.
That didn’t really take off, and eventually, I met the group at 3rd St Market Hall and moved my location there in December of 2025. I’m still learning that indoor entertainment in Milwaukee during the summer is a bit quiet, so we’re also getting into some development for AR troubleshooting support for manufacturers.
What is True Echo VR, and why did you feel it would be a good fit in Milwaukee?
True Echo VR offers group virtual reality entertainment. Up to 6 players all play the same game together, in the same space. Everyone has a headset on, can see each other in the game, and works together as a team. I grew up just outside of Milwaukee, and I’ve always wanted to own a business.
Milwaukee hasn’t had this type of entertainment before, so I really wanted to bring it here first. Before, anyone wanting this type of shared experience would have to drive to Chicago, so it’s nice to be able to offer it here.
What’s the mission behind True Echo VR?
To connect people through immersive experiences — whether they’re playing together, learning together, or solving problems together.
What is it like being a small business in MKE? If you’re a woman, minority, or LGBTQ+ owned business, please feel free to touch on your experiences as an entrepreneur in that space as well.
Being a small business in MKE does seem to be a bit more challenging, but the longer I’ve been open, the more resources I’ve found. From the Midwest Founders Community, to the MKE Tech Hub, to the SBOC, WEDC, Lubar center etc, there are actually a lot of great resources here for small businesses.
What do you like about being in Milwaukee?
There’s so much to like! The startup community is more vibrant than I thought, with plenty of great resources. Being located in the 3rd St Market Hall is ideal, as it’s such a vibrant space with visitors from all over the country.
I’m also extremely proud to have brought this type of entertainment to Milwaukee first, and hope to grow the company as a Milwaukee-Based company no matter where we expand to. We’re also getting into some VR development for manufacturing, and Milwaukee and Wisconsin are a great environment for that as well.
What’s your favorite part about what you’re doing?
Right now, with the group entertainment location, I just love watching people experience VR for the first time – together. Their reactions are hilarious, and it’s very rewarding to see a group of people laughing/screaming, and having a blast playing the games at our location. I think community is important, and while playing VR at home is cool, it doesn’t compare to playing with people in the same room, and grabbing a drink together after!
What can people expect when going to True Echo VR?
When booked online, we offer hour-long sessions for up to 6 players. We have different games to choose from, including a zombie game, a kitchen challenge, a bow & arrow game, a PVP game, and an escape room. They’ll come, sign the waiver, get to practice for a while, then go into the games together as a group. We also offer custom longer events for larger groups, like corporate outings and birthday parties. For those, games are 10-15 minutes, and we switch off groups. Anyone not playing can see the game on the TV, so they can laugh along with the players.
Anything else we should know about your business or anything you’d like to mention? Any favorite stories?
We also do mobile events! We can bring the equipment right to customers for corporate parties or to add any entertainment to indoor events. We did an event at The Coast, which was a blast.