Matt DuPlessie

• MIT: Product Design

  For 18 years, I've been on the MIT Faculty, as part of the teaching team for 2.009: The Product Design Process at the Massachuetts Institute of Technology (MIT), my alma mater. This is the capstone class of the mechanical engineering major, as students work in teams to conceptualize a consumer product and build a fully-functional alpha prototype in 3 short months.

  I've also helped teach 2.007, the famous robot competition class. Fun, fun.

• Act3

  Building LEVEL99, I've had the great fortune to work with Ron Shaich, founder and former CEO and Chair of Panera Bread and current Chairman and lead investor of Cava, Tatte Bakery, and Life Alive Organic Cafe.

  Ron's firm Act3 is a $1.5 billion investment vehicle that partners with consumer facing brands to build tomorrow’s market-leading restaurant and entertainment companies.

• Awards

  My teams have received three THEA Awards (the Oscars of themed entertainment) for work on Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, the International Spy Museum, and Level99

  I'm also pretty proud of Level99 winning "Best Pizza in Boston" from Boston Magazine!

• Patents

  I've been awarded several US patents relating to the configuration of digital avatars, game rooms that situationally adapt, and multiple specific game designs.

  Others pending, stay tuned.

• Talks

  A few public presentations of interest:

  TEDx Boston, "Go Analogue," 2013

  SATE: Storytelling, Architecture, Technology, Experience. 2015, with Cory Rouse

• Podcasts

  If you'd like to hear about some of our team's projects and design philosophy, here are a few interesting conversations:

  Where We Buy, 2025, hosted by James Cook

  Reality Escape Pod, 2023, hosted by David Spira

• Other Ventures

  There's been some hare-brained stuff over the years, too.

  I helped turn around an interactive/exhibit/video production company as COO for a year, owned & operated a mirror maze in a mall (great business actually), and even owned a frozen yogurt shop (ouch, not recommended).

  DuPlessie Creative LLC, my personal consultancy, that has helped a few companies create something amazing.

  Since 2003, in total I've started 13 separate entities and raised over $100M committed capital from investors, banks, and landlords.

• Family

  And at the top of the important list: my wife Beth and our three wonderful kids.

  Year after year, enjoying adventures together, active in service and worship in our church, part of the community in Foxboro MA, and homeschooling the whole way K-12 (Beth is a hero).

  It goes by very fast — put your focus on what is actually important.

  Here's a recent Family Christmas Photo.

Select / Recent Press

August 19 2025, Northern Virginia Magazine

Level99 Will Open Its First DMV Location in Tysons

Announcement of Level99 coming to Tyson Corner, VA.

July 18 2025

Where We Buy Podcast, hosted by James Cook.

A 48-minute podcast interview delving into the origins and design philosophy behind Level99.

May 19 2025, The Worcester Business Journal

2025 Power 100

The 100 most influential professionals in Central Massachusetts for 2025.

August 30 2023, The Boston Globe

"There is a hunger for this type of entertainment"

"Matt DuPlessie, the founder of Level99, has a solid claim to having created the first escape room in Boston in 2004. More recently, he has..."

More press coverage is available in the Media Archive