From Navy SEAL to Virtual Training: Conor Donahue and the ACE VR Revolution

The Gun Experiment

"When you are struggling to take action, break big goals into small, actionable steps.

Persistence isn’t about giant leaps, but about steady, continual progress—however small."

Episode Summary

In this episode, Big Keith and I welcomed Conor Donahue, a former Navy SEAL and CEO/co-founder of Ace Virtual Shooting, to The Gun Experiment. We dove into Conor’s transition from military service to the tech-entrepreneurial world, exploring how his experiences shaped both his character and the innovative product he's helping bring to the firearm training community. Conor shared personal insights into the importance of mentorship, faith, adaptability, teamwork, and the drive behind Ace XR’s industry-leading virtual reality shooting simulator.

We discussed the benefits and practicalities of virtual gun training, the challenges (and surprising fun) of dry fire practice, and how community and technology are reshaping the shooting sports landscape. Plus, Conor joined us for a live review and behind-the-scenes look at the ongoing innovation happening at Ace Virtual Shooting—and yes, we also put him through our Run and Gun lightning round.

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Show Sponsors

Special thanks to OnSite Firearms Training—our longest-standing sponsor. They bring world-class firearms instruction in a safe, challenging environment, with incredible guest instructors like Jared Reston. Whether you're new or seeking to perfect your skills, check them out!

Shout-out to Ace Virtual Shooting for providing us with cutting-edge gear and an immersive, fun, and skill-building training tool.

Key Takeaways

• Mentorship shapes our trajectory: Conor credits mentors from Scouting, the military, and his faith community for guiding his career and values.
• Faith and adversity build character: Hurdles in Conor’s youth and experience in the SEALs forged grit, humility, and perseverance.
• The transition from service to entrepreneurship isn’t always easy: Identity and purpose beyond the uniform are topics every veteran (and leader) faces.
• Adaptability and teamwork are as essential in business as in the Teams.
• Supplement, don’t substitute: Tools like Ace VR are powerful supplements but no replacement for live fire training.
• Community matters: The Ace XR platform isn’t just a training tool—it’s a supportive, competitive, and fun international community.
• User feedback drives innovation: Many of Ace's features and updates are directly from user suggestions—your voice is heard, and it shapes the product!

Guest Information

Conor Donahue

• Former United States Navy SEAL
• MBA: Stanford University
• Cofounder & CEO: Ace Virtual Shooting
• Connect on Instagram: @acevirtualshooting
• Join their Discord and Facebook groups for community discussion, Q&As, and product updates.

Keywords

Navy SEAL, Conor Donahue, Ace Virtual Shooting, Ace XR, VR gun training, shooting simulator, virtual reality firearms training, dry fire practice, shooting community, firearms technology, shooting gear, competitive shooting, gun experiment podcast, gun training tools, firearms entrepreneur, gun safety, shooting innovation, supplemental firearms training, OnSite Firearms Training, shooting simulation, gun range alternative, shooting sports, shooter community, virtual competition, mental toughness, mentorship in military, firearms podcast, firearms industry, 2A community

I hope this episode inspires everyone to train more and helps connect everyone with a new passionate firearms community!