Kevin Cornish, the visionary behind Moth + Flame, is revolutionizing industries like healthcare, the military, and beyond by using virtual reality to tackle difficult conversations and shape a better future. From his early days in filmmaking to leading a company focused on innovative VR training, Kevin shares his journey, lessons, and motivations in our Catalyst Founder Feature series. 
Q: What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made while starting or running your business?
Wow, that’s a big question. I think you sacrifice a lot of time—time that could be spent with friends, developing friendships. For me, it’s also been delaying having kids until things are in a stable place. That’s probably the biggest one.
Q: What does success mean to you?
My favorite thing about running the company is when I see the team running really smoothly. When I see people working together, having aligned goals—it tells me something’s going right.
Q: Can you share a mistake you’ve made and what you learned from it?
The biggest mistake I made was delegating too early, especially with sales. There was one year I handed over sales leadership, and it was a disaster. I learned there’s a balance between empowering people and knowing the right time to delegate. Timing is everything.
Q: How do you handle difficult moments or self-doubt?
A woman I met once told me something that stuck with me ‘I have enough. I’ve done enough. I am enough.’ It’s a simple mantra, but it brings me relief and helps me move forward during tough times.
Q: What’s a moment of success that stands out to you?
Three years ago, after a tough year where the company nearly imploded, we turned it around. Watching the team grow and thrive during that next year was incredibly satisfying. It’s moments like that that make me proud.
Q: What makes Moth + Flame unique?
It’s the people. There’s a shared mission among our team and customers—they see the power of virtual reality to help people and make themselves better. One of our most impactful programs is around suicide prevention.
Just recently, someone in the Army shared that after completing our training, they were able to identify risk factors and intervene to save a life. Knowing that all the work our team put into that training made that moment possible—it’s incredibly powerful and inspiring.
Q: How did Moth + Flame begin?
I was making movies and got connected with Taylor Swift to shoot a few music videos. On one project, we used a 360-degree camera. Watching the footage in VR was a game-changer. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a story on screen—it felt like the person was there with me. I thought, if we could bottle this and use it for something impactful, great things could come from it. That moment became my life vision to define the future of virtual reality and use it to make a difference.
Q :What motivates you daily?
Seeing people take off the VR headset for the first time. There’s this moment where they re-acclimate to the real world, and you can see it in their eyes—they’ve seen the future. That spark of opportunity is incredibly powerful. It’s about helping people realize they can do more than they ever thought possible.
Attendees of HLTH 2023 could stop by the Catalyst by Wellstar booth and experience this ground-breaking training or two other modules available in the Moth+Flame learning library.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs?
Believe in yourself. One of my team members once said to me during a tough time, ‘I’m not worried because I know you’re not capable of failure.’ That stuck with me, and it’s a reminder that sometimes others see your potential more clearly than you do. Surround yourself with people who lift you up.
Kevin’s journey from filmmaker to CEO of a transformative VR company shows the power of resilience, vision, and staying true to a mission that makes a difference. As he says, “If you listen to the world, it’ll tell you where to go.”
