Tech Archive - Womenize! Action Program

Articles Tagged with: Tech

18. December 2024

Anna Baumann – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we collaborated with ESBD – eSport-Bund Deutschland e.V. and talked to Anna Baumann Esports Executive & Attorney at Law. She speaks about how she builds legal frameworks, sustainable brands, and strong communities while leading in the fast-evolving esports industry. Read more about Anna here:

Hi Anna! As an attorney specializing in esports, you navigate a complex landscape of contracts, governance, and intellectual property. How does your legal work contribute to the growth and stability of esports organizations, and what unique challenges do you face compared to traditional legal fields?

As an esports attorney, my work focuses on creating robust legal frameworks that enable growth while ensuring long-term stability for both teams and players. Esports is a dynamic, rapidly evolving industry where governance structures are still maturing, and traditional legal concepts often require adaptation. For example, contracts must account for unique issues like streaming rights, competitive restrictions, and revenue sharing from content or sponsorship deals.By ensuring contracts are clear, equitable, and enforceable, I help organizations and talent build trust—a foundation that’s essential in such a fast-paced, high-stakes environment. This stability attracts investors, sponsors, and skilled professionals, fostering sustainable growth for the entire ecosystem.

Compared to traditional fields, esports presents unique challenges. Governance is fragmented across publishers, leagues, and tournament operators, which can create inconsistencies in rules or arbitration processes. Intellectual property adds another layer of complexity, as game publishers retain significant control over their titles, meaning teams and players operate within IP ecosystems they don’t own. Additionally, the global nature of esports requires navigating cross-border legal and jurisdictional issues far more often than in other industries.

You also cannot underestimate how fast paced esports is. Having a decade of M&A experience in this industry under my belt, I cannot stress enough how crucial it is to have intimate esports knowledge to help close landmark deals in a much shorter time frame than in entertainment or sports, no matter if we are talking about the best players, mergers or sponsorship deals. As esports moves at lightspeed with the ever changing landscape of tournaments and its media distribution, it is important to enable your clients to quickly seize opportunities in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Ultimately, my role is to align the interests of stakeholders—whether that’s players, organizations, or publishers—so we can reduce conflict and unlock opportunities. By addressing these challenges head-on, I help esports organizations move beyond short-term successes to establish lasting legacies.

Under your leadership, Rogue became an internationally recognized esports brand, blending competitive success with community-driven initiatives. What key strategies did you implement to create a brand that resonates with fans, and how can newcomers contribute to shaping the future of esports communities?

Elevating the brand from a challenger to an internationally recognized level, we focused on three key areas which played to the strength of our staff and investors: Talent Development, entertainment and community. We developed a successful path to pro model where we scouted and developed outstanding talent on the regional level to then either transition to the international stage in our LEC team at a reasonable cost or monetize the investment via transfers. This area of sports monetization is still wildly underdeveloped as it requires specific expertise and agility in the transfer market and turned out to be a successful commercial model for us, which also allowed us to tell an inspiring story setting us apart from competitors with ultimately winning the LEC in 2022 and performing as best Western team at Worlds. With music legends investing in Rogue like Steve Aoki and Imagine Dragons, it was logical to focus on music entertainment crossovers where we offered brand partners quality and fans entertainment beyond the competitive aspect. However, none of these areas would have mattered if we hadn’t found a way to connect to the community with a unique and authentic voice. Esports is a socio-cultural phenomenon deeply entrenched in society and organizations are in a great position to offer a place of belonging to everybody who feels passionate about competitive gaming. At Rogue, we offered everybody a place to belong to, to become a Rogue and experience this passion through the lens of an underdog hero while embracing our own messaging internally as well: We were the only organization with a 50/50 split in female/ male employees, embracing a diverse work environment.

From a strategic point of view, I believe it is now key to think about relevancy plays in the community and beyond and to scale your organizational platform while offering scalable products and services around it. This has been the driving force behind the acquisition of KOI and making one of the biggest influencers on Twitch, Ibai Lllanos, the face of the club. Building a media platform and ideally having your own successful model of distribution via influencers seems to be the most promising model now to grow a meaningful community which other clubs like Karmine Corp, Eintracht Spandau and Los Ratones are pursuing.

As a newcomer, I would recommend finding your own voice and building a community on the back of it, very much like Caedrel, Kammeto or Hand of Blood. Fans are ready to engage locally and in person, to share and benefit from their joint passion.

Esports thrives on innovation and rapid growth, but it also requires strong leadership to navigate its challenges. What qualities do you believe are essential for leading in esports, and what advice would you offer to those aspiring to build a career in this field?

Leadership in esports requires a unique blend of vision, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. The fast-paced, innovative nature of the industry demands leaders who can navigate constant change while maintaining a clear sense of direction. At the heart of effective leadership is strategic vision—the ability to see beyond immediate trends and create sustainable structures that align with long-term goals. Resilience and adaptability are equally crucial, as the unpredictable nature of esports, from fluctuating revenues to evolving games, requires leaders to pivot quickly and remain composed under pressure. First and foremost, it is expected that you will develop a sustainable commercial model which is a puzzle not many have solved up until now. As a leader, the top priority has to be to quickly reach profitability while forming and developing the core into a scalable model.

Emotional intelligence is another cornerstone of successful leadership in esports. At its core, the industry is about people—players, fans, and colleagues—and leaders must foster trust and collaboration through empathy and clear communication. A strong foundation in business acumen is also essential, as running an esports organization involves mastering sponsorships, media rights, and financial planning. Lastly, passion for the industry is indispensable. Authenticity resonates with the esports community, and a genuine connection to gaming can distinguish a great leader. For example, I have played League of Legends for over 12 years now fighting to finally make it into Platinum, attend every Worlds Finals and even met my husband while playing!

For aspiring leaders, the best way to understand esports is to immerse yourself. Gaining hands-on experience by volunteering with organizations, managing amateur teams, or working in different roles is invaluable. Developing cross-functional skills that blend knowledge in marketing, legal, finance, and talent management equips you to navigate the complexities of the industry. Building strategic relationships through networking and engaging with the esports community is essential, as the industry thrives on personal connections. Remaining humble and open to learning from others ensures relevance in this ever-evolving field. Finally, prioritizing ethics and integrity is non-negotiable. Esports leaders have a responsibility to act transparently and fairly, fostering trust and setting a positive example for a global audience. This industry deals with kids who have big dreams and other kids watching them. It is mandatory to be a role model and prioritize safety over other aspects.

Ultimately, leading in esports is about balancing competitive success with business sustainability while staying deeply connected to the community. Passion and persistence are key to standing out in this field, and the young, dynamic nature of esports offers unparalleled opportunities for impactful leadership to those who are ready to embrace its challenges.

Thanks for this interview, Anna!

Anna’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

4. December 2024

Ashley Blake – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Ashley Blake, XR Evangelist & Founder. She speaks about how using VR for her own recovery led her to champion XR in healthcare, education, and inclusivity, aiming to empower marginalized voices in tech. Read more about Ashley here:

Hi Ashley! Your journey from using VR for personal recovery to becoming a leading XR evangelist and co-founding multiple ventures is truly inspiring. How did this transformative experience shape your vision for the future of technology in healthcare and education, and what are your next big goals in this space?

I often describe my experience as “seeing the future” because that’s exactly how it felt. Gaming and writing were always my passions, but I was encouraged to pursue a “stable career,” and before 2018, I spent over a decade in pharmacy, and loved helping people.

Then, after a spinal injury left me reliant on a walker and facing a challenging recovery, I struggled with traditional physiotherapy. Seeking an alternative, I asked my surgeon if I could use VR as part of my rehabilitation. They agreed, saying that any activity where I was standing and moving would be beneficial since I was currently doing nothing.

The moment I started using VR, everything shifted. Rehabilitation transformed from a dreaded chore into something I genuinely looked forward to. The gamification motivated me to push myself further, and I spent more time on therapy than I ever thought I would. In that instant, I realized that VR was more than just entertainment—it was the next monumental step in technology, like the personal computer or the internet. A new medium with the potential to profoundly impact society.

I remember telling my partner, “I went into pharmacy to help people, but this is how I’m truly going to do that. This is what I was put on the planet to do.”

This transformative experience reshaped my vision for the future of technology in everything from gaming to healthcare to education. I saw firsthand how immersive technologies could revolutionize not just individual experiences but entire systems of interaction. Immersive technology has incredible potential to make all kinds of experiences engaging, effective, and accessible to people everywhere.

As for my next big goals in this space, I’m currently focusing on passing my last classes and finishing my degree at UPenn. This journey is equipping me with the knowledge and skills to bridge the gap between technology and those who need it most. I believe we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible in XR and with AI, and I’m eager to be part of the future where emergent technology is transforming lives on a global scale.

As a student and the CEO of elsewhereNFP as well as a prior Co-Founder, Owner, & COO, you’re deeply invested in leadership and digital strategies. How do your current studies influence your approach to leadership, and what advice would you give to aspiring leaders striving to balance education and career?

Balancing my roles has been challenging but incredibly rewarding. My studies have profoundly influenced my approach to leadership and vice versa, and I’m constantly being shown that learning is a lifelong journey. I’m continually weaving insights from my coursework into my professional life, and the experiences from work enrich my academic understanding. This synergy keeps me energized and passionate in a way I don’t think I’d be able to maintain if my degree and career were unrelated.

One of the most impactful lessons I’ve learned is the importance of being intentional with my time—managing my “attention economy.” There’s a vast world of intellectual, professional, social, and recreational pursuits I’d love to explore, but time is finite, so I try to be super deliberate about where I focus my energy. Knowing how to set boundaries is also essential, not just with others but with yourself. To make a meaningful impact without burning out, I’ve learned to allocate specific times for work, studies, and personal life, and I respect those boundaries.

These boundaries aren’t limitations; they’re commitments to myself to preserve what matters most. When I’m raiding in Final Fantasy, I’m not Ashley Blake, the founder or CEO or publisher you’re pitching a game to; I’m Ashley Riott, the Astrologian, a throughput healer trying to keep my pals safe, and that is so important in so many ways.

It’s easy to get caught up in work, especially when your work is deeply personal or something you’re passionate about, and so many folks stop having fun, stop playing games, or taking walks, or… doing anything that isn’t work. So my advice to aspiring leaders balancing education and career is to prioritize what fuels you and set boundaries that honor all aspects of your life. Be deliberate with your time, and don’t neglect the activities that recharge your spirit. In doing this, I have found both serendipitous success and profound personal fulfillment.

Your work with elsewhereNFP focuses on bridging gaps for marginalized leaders in the industry. Can you share some of the specific challenges these leaders face in the XR/VR space, and how your organization is addressing these obstacles? What advice would you offer marginalized individuals who are aspiring to make their mark in the industry?

That’s a big question that I’ve thought a lot about how to answer succinctly. Individuals from marginalized backgrounds face significant challenges in emergent technologies like XR and AI—challenges that often mirror those they encounter elsewhere. Underrepresentation, limited access to resources, and systemic biases make it difficult for their voices to be heard and their contributions recognized—simply existing can be a challenge.

When technology is developed predominantly by homogenous groups, there’s a real risk of embedding inherent biases into the very fabric of our technological advancements. This doesn’t just perpetuate existing inequalities; it leads to products and solutions that fail to serve the diverse needs of all users. In fields as transformative as XR and AI, diversity isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. Diverse perspectives fuel innovation, challenge assumptions and drive the creation of technologies that are inclusive and equitable. Without a multitude of voices at the table, we risk building a future that doesn’t reflect or serve the richness of our global community.

My nonprofit, elsewhereNFP, was born out of my work at UPenn and my experiences in the gaming space. We’re dedicated to innovating inclusivity in the gaming industry through data-driven insights, responsive research, and resources. We collaborate with event organizers to gather data on attendees’ experiences, focusing on culture, comfort, and inclusivity. By analyzing this data, we provide actionable recommendations to improve events and create more welcoming environments. Our goal is to facilitate conversation, collaboration, education, and positive change within the industry.

For marginalized individuals aspiring to make their mark in the industry, I’d say: Your presence and perspectives are incredibly important. Don’t hesitate to take up space, share your ideas, and collaborate with others who are passionate about making a difference. The technology we’re building today shapes the society of tomorrow, and it’s crucial that it reflects the diversity of the people it serves.

Thanks for this interview, Ashley!

Ashley’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

13. November 2024

Julia Zhytska – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we collaborated with ESBD – eSport-Bund Deutschland e.V. and talked to Julia Zhytska, Director Social Media at ESL FACEIT Group. She speaks about empathetic leadership, the evolution of social media in esports, and balancing strategy with hands-on work during major esports events. Read more about Julia in this interview:

Hi Julia! As Director Social Media at ESL Faceit Group, what core leadership principles guide your approach? How do you foster an environment where your team stays both creatively driven and aligned with the strategic goals of the company, while meeting the high expectations of the esports community?

I am an empathetic, people-oriented leader, my team is always my priority. I focus a lot on listening and supporting the team, using my diverse experience in marketing and esports to provide strategic advice and tactical direction where needed, as well as soft leadership skills to make sure people in the team feel supported, motivated and empowered to do their best work.

On the other hand, I set a pretty high quality bar for myself and my team. I’d rather do less, but better and with more impact. At the same time, if someone makes a mistake, for me it’s a learning experience, both wins and failures help us improve and evolve together. I organise regular retrospective sessions and workshops to encourage identifying improvements and brainstorming innovative ideas.

Working in esports means always focusing on serving a passionate, but also demanding and diverse community. This can be both rewarding and challenging.
At EFG we are bringing our passion for gaming culture into the content we produce for gamers and esports fans around the world.

In my role, it’s also important to navigate a very dynamic environment where tasks and project priorities can change relatively quickly. As a manager, I focus on helping my team members adapt to change, build resilience, and find effective solutions to help us achieve our goals.

With your extensive experience across various esports organisations, how have you seen the role of social media in esports evolve over the years, and where do you think it’s heading next??

When I started my career in esports, the industry was not that big, many esports clubs and companies were startups. I remember the first esports job interview I had was in an apartment that doubled as a temporary office for the company. I like to say that I started in esports before it was cool.
Being a social media manager back then basically meant doing 4-5 jobs in one: I did everything from channel and content strategy to photographing esports players, creating basic social media assets, shooting videos, managing sponsor commitments, hiring and training new social media freelancers, and more. We never had big marketing and social media budgets back then, so everything I did was pretty much DIY or very low-cost.

I loved it all because I was able to live the dream of combining my hobby with my job. Looking back now, I have no regrets, but I do realise how hard I was working – hardly any free weekends, working until midnight almost every day, skipping vacation to travel to esports events… I think nowadays the role of the social media manager seems to be evolving overall, as more and more companies take social media more seriously and start to invest more budget and human resources.

My personal perception is that in esports specifically, social media roles are still very much undervalued, I know many people who are still working the same insane schedule with responsibilities of 5 roles combined into one. I hope that this will change in the future, as social media managers, especially in gaming and esports, have one of the most challenging jobs that deserves more recognition.

With major global events and campaigns under your leadership, how do you structure your day to balance high-level strategy with the tactical demands of social media? What does a typical day look like for you when working on large-scale esports activations?

During the so-called “offseason”, when I am not working at esports events, my day usually starts with a cup of coffee and a quick review of the previous day’s social media content – I always try to see how our posts are doing after 24 hours, read comments and check what other brands are posting. Then I usually answer my emails and Slack messages.

I work from home, so I save time on my commute, which allows me to have a cup of coffee on my couch before diving into meetings.
My calendar is usually pretty busy with online calls almost every day: I have regular meetings with the social team, cross-functional weekly meetings with broader marketing teams, broadcast, media production, product and player management. I also manage the relationship with a client on the current project I am working on, so there are also external meetings with them 1-2 times a week.
On Mondays and Tuesdays I have 1:1s with my team members and close colleagues.

At the end of the day, I try to set aside some time for focused work, which can be anything from content planning to strategy, reporting, presentations or workshops.

During the event season, we usually travel with the team to offline event locations, prepare content during media days, and do a lot of “live coverage” work on the ground. Events are usually one of the most rewarding parts of the job, as we get to soak up some of the esports atmosphere, get inspired by meeting players and fans, and also see “live” reactions to the content we put out on our channels.

Thanks for this interview, Julia!

Julia’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

6. November 2024

Kristen Quinn – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Kristen Quinn, Audio Director at Bonfire Studios. She speaks about the importance of balancing innovation with practicality, continuous learning, and advocating for sustainable work practices in game audio. Read more about Kristen here:

Hi Kristen! Throughout your career, you’ve worked on a variety of high-profile projects across different platforms and genres. What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about the creative process in game audio, and how do you stay inspired?

It doesn’t have to be cutting edge to be good. At different points in my career there have been different focuses. Sometimes it was about innovation and cutting edge systems and other times it was about being lean and efficient but just focusing on making it good. The more games I’ve worked on the more I’ve come to think of audio just needing to be good at every stage. Audio for games is the sum of it’s parts. It can fall down at any stage. I think its’ about staying in service of what you are trying to achieve. Maybe sometimes that is cutting edge innovation, but sometimes its’ just thinking about the story or experience you are trying to provide players. That’s how I think about sound and how to craft immersion. There are so may different ways to break this down. Who’s perspective are you trying to share? What feelings are you trying to sell? I might craft a scene completely different based on the answers to these questions. I might focus on new systems or I might use the tools I have come to use time and time again through out the years. I think at the end of the day it just needs to be what’s right for the project and players.

I keep myself inspired by experiencing other people’s work, by working on projects that matter to me, and with people who matter to me. I believe in community and sharing, and also find being in a community that does this very inspiring. I try and go to conferences when I’m able to be around the game audio community. I get inspired by seeing others succeed. I’ve made it a big part of my career to focus on trying to clear paths for others to do their best work with the least amount of friction and in a sustainable way.

I love recording. I try as much as I am able to participate in a Field Recording Slack group that does crowd sourced sound libraries. I take Udemy classes in my spare time to learn more about game engines that I’m excited to work in and to learn more about game development outside of my discipline.

As someone who has worked with a range of audio tools and technologies, both third-party and custom, what are some of the most exciting advancements in audio technology you’ve encountered, and how do you see these shaping the future of game audio?

I have always been most excited about the game audio community itself. Tools have started to come around too that bring that community together and allow for more sharing. Things like Reaper which allows the use of custom scripts and tools to be built within it and expand on it’s already powerful functionality.
I will say 32bit has been really nice and saved many of my recordings in the past few years.
I know that AI is often a dirty word in the creative community but I see it as just another tool in the tool belt to help aid in our crafting. I think there are always new technologies in audio and game development and I think evolution can be healthy. Continued learning is healthy. I think when I look at AI and tools like Reaper, they are just more ways to speed up my workflows and help us focus on the heart of what’s important, crafting amazing content, and creating immersive player experiences.
I’m excited about new mix techniques that people have been using for the past few years. Mix in games has always been a challenge because games have a hard time being predictive. We rely on the game to build up our soundscapes and we have to use dynamic mixing tools to help us craft focus where we want it.

Your journey from a Sound Designer at Monolith Productions to your current role as Audio Director at Bonfire Studios is truly inspiring. Can you share some key moments and decisions in your career that helped shape your path and what advice would you give to women and underrepresented people aspiring to lead in the gaming industry, particularly in game audio?

Be authentic, share your voice, set healthy boundaries for yourself. Try and seek out what matters to you.

There have been a few moments in my career where I have decided to make big changes to how I was working. One of the more notable ones was when I ruptured a disc in my back and tore the disc above it while working on a Kinect title at Microsoft. It really made me think about how I show up and how I needed to work differently. I realized that I had to bring solutions to my problems. In this instance it was how do I work on a movement based game when I can’t move very well. I’ve learned that if I communicate and collaborate with the people around me, they have the potential to help solve them with me. In this instance I had to request a tester that could come into my office and play the game for me while I tested my audio content and mix.

There are solutions to every problem, even ones that seem impossible. It also made me realize that I needed to carve out more time to take care of myself. This was a big change for me and I was nervous. My entire career I had put in tons of hours and thought that mattered, but what I really learned is that by setting boundaries on my time and work life balance, it actually made me better at my job. I could think about what it really takes to make audio for a game. How many people do we really need, and then I ask for those resources. If I can’t get hires, can I get more money for outsourcing, and if I can’t get either of those can we scope the game in a way that will allow us to build it in a sustainable way. What I found is that by telling people what I was capable of and what the team was capable of with the budget that we had, people around me respected me more for it, and I respected myself more. I love being a manager and getting to be in a position to care for and advocate for audio teams health and well being means a lot to me.

Thanks for this interview, Kristen!

Kristen’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

16. October 2024

Vera Velichko – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Vera Velichko, CEO of Owl Studio. She speaks about her journey of founding “Owl Studio,” the challenges of balancing her creative work with business responsibilities, and emphasizes the importance of passion, happiness, and effective management in achieving success.Read more about Vera here:

Hi Vera! Founding “Owl Studio”, a game studio as well as publisher, without any investments is truly remarkable. Could you share the hurdles you encountered during the initial phases and the tactics you used to expand the studio to its current size (more than 50 team members)?

There were five of us in the beginning, all friends who was interested in trying to do something together. I believe first and most important power is the power of will. If you’d like to do something – you just do, and in process you’ll find all opportunities you need. In four months, after starting the studio, we have found our strategical partner, very experienced in business, who helped us to establish all the processes. It was my teacher and guide in business world.

I guess there are three parts of success: courage, fortune and experience. Money doesn’t have any significant meaning in this equation, it’s just the field you would play in. There are types of business you can’t open without investments, and other types you can just start with your own hands, and IT industry gives us plenty of opportunities for free start.

Since 2016 you’ve been a speaker at various conferences. What are some topics or messages you feel passionate about sharing with the game development community, and why are they important to you?

I’ve calculated all the speeches I gave since 2016, it’s around 50. Some of them are quite standard: some work cases, art pipelines and so one. But there are themes I like the most, and it’s always my most popular speeches: business processes, management and psychology. I believe it’s the most specific skills I have. There are a lot of artists and topics about “how to do art”, and I’ve been talking about it too much. Sometimes I felt useless and bored preparing another “how to create a character” talk. My last speech calls “Art production: budget and business plan”. I was happy to see how many colleagues was interested in it, and there was so many questions at the end. People doesn’t have questions about characters anymore

As an artist and entrepreneur, how do you balance your creative work with the responsibilities of running a successful game studio? Any tips for people aspiring to follow a similar path?

I’ve never liked being game artist. At my second degree I had this idea to join Game industry, but it wasn’t my passion or something like this. It was just better than creating some advertising illustrations or become a traditional artist with no perspectives. But game art itself, it doesn’t have any personal meaning for me. There are artists who are constantly drawing some orcs, elves, robots, cartoony characters, game items, they just do it for fun and for years I tried to do the same and it never worked for me. I’m an artist of emotions and nature, and doesn’t like drawing by technical descriptions. Actually, I hate it J I love than my art is free and just follows my inner strings, in can be portraits, or clouds (I love clouds), or some allegoric illustrations.

But, I love management, challenges, working with people, leading, mentoring, trying to figure out how the market works. And I love than my team creates beautiful projects exceeding my highest expectation and I don’t do a single brushstroke there.

Wherefore, art/business balance is an actual issue for me. My true passion is psychology, I’m taking a second education as a clinical psychologist, and my schedule is actually creasy. Last few years was super hard for me, and one day I found myself on the brink of burning out. My way out was to free myself from my own expectations. Everything I do is, at the end, just a search for happiness, but I gave it away choosing the work every day, without weekends, it always was like “first I mast finish this job and then (…)”. And this “then” hewer happened. So it’s the most important balance: be happy at first place, and then choose your career path. It could be unique, you can construct it the way you’d like it to be.

There are some helpers, like schedule, time management and personal assistant, which can help you to organize everything in accordance with your desire. But first of all it’s important to ask yourself which balance of art and business will make you happy, and then just follow it. And fight the time killers. But, it’s another topic… 🙂

Thanks for this interview, Vera!

Vera’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

25. September 2024

Clara Dietrich – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we collaborated with ESBD – eSport-Bund Deutschland e.V. and talked to Clara Dietrich, Team Lead Marketing & Communication at esports player foundation. She speaks about her role in marketing and communications, her transition from performance marketing to esports, and her passion for creating equal opportunities in the esports industry through initiatives like the Equal eSports Initiative. Read more about Clara in this interview:

Hi Clara! What’s a typical day like for you in your role as Team Lead Marketing & Communication, and how do you balance the different aspects of marketing, communication, and team leadership?

A typical day is fast-paced and varied. It usually starts with a team sync by checking all upcoming tasks for the day and distributing them to all team members. I also look at partner activations and see where improvements can be made. Simultaneously, I try to fulfil the needs of each partner by sending out regular updates. Managing relationships with our partners, and stakeholders is key, as well as driving the creative direction for content marketing. Balancing leadership with hands-on work means allocating time for strategic planning, mentoring team members, and ensuring open lines of communication. It’s about knowing when to delegate versus when to step in directly to ensure smooth execution.

What unique skills and experiences from your previous roles have you found most valuable in navigating and succeeding within the esports industry?

Before I joined the esports player foundation, I worked in a performance marketing agency. My biggest client was Sephora, a French cosmetics chain that has now also become very popular in Germany. Of course, cosmetics is a completely different field to esports. Starting with the target group, but also with the goal of achieving the highest possible sales with the products. Of course, we at the esports player foundation have a completely different goal and that is to develop esports talents to become the worlds best players and to act as role model for the community.

With the experience from the agency, performance marketing taught me how to be data-driven and results-oriented, which has been invaluable in esports. Understanding the mechanics of paid media, audience segmentation, and conversion optimization is crucial when working on partner activations, which are to be played out to a target group that is as large as possible, but above all young, in order to create added value there. The subtle difference is that I don’t want to sell products here, but rather tell the stories of our talents and inspire the community.

Also, agency work honed my ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously while delivering on tight deadlines. This has been crucial for managing campaigns across various platforms in a fast-moving industry like esports.

I am very grateful that I can accompany and tell the stories of our talents today and thus help shape the future of esports. It feels like the beginning of something really big and special.

Can you share a pivotal moment or project during your time at the esports player foundation that highlighted your passion for the industry and solidified your commitment to making an impact in this field?

A pivotal moment was developing together with Deutsche Telekom and SK Gaming the Equal eSports Initiative, which aims to create equal opportunities for underrepresented groups in esports. Seeing the tangible impact of that work—whether it’s a new scholarship for women or non-binary persons in esports or community events like the Equal eSports Cup that spotlight marginalized voices within a League of Legends tournament—has been incredibly rewarding. One project of the Equal eSports Initiative involved organizing a mentorship program that connected our young aspiring female and non-binary talents with our established and representative Equal eSports Council, and the feedback from participants solidified my belief in the transformative power of inclusivity in this industry.

Thanks for this interview, Clara!

Clara’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

18. September 2024

Melanie Hauser – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Melanie Hauser, Game Developer at . She speaks about how persistence, continuous learning, and authentic communication helped her overcome early career rejections and thrive in game development, while her work has deepened her appreciation for games. Read more about Melanie here:

Hi Melanie! You mentioned that after graduating from your Master of Science (M.S.) in Media Informatics, you faced multiple rejections from game development studios before landing your current position at Aesir Interactive. Can you share how you stayed motivated during this challenging period and what personal or professional growth you experienced as a result of these early setbacks? Additionally, if you could give one piece of advice to yourself at the beginning of your career, what would it be?

I had just graduated and only had very little to show off, so I expected my application process to be rather tough. And it was. I can’t remember how many applications I sent out. Most of the time I was happy if I actually received an answer, even if it was a rejection, because more often than not I didn’t even get any response at all. After a while I gave up and started working as a programmer in a different industry. Not due to a lack of motivation, rather for pragmatic reasons. But every now and then I was still sending out applications when I found new vacancies at game studios – and finally was granted a chance to prove myself.

For me, the wish to make games evolved to be something I just knew I really really wanted in life. I felt that it will be my thing. A bit like when you fall in love with someone – you’ll just know that they are the right one. And if you feel this way, you won’t need any other motivation.

During all this time I tried to familiarize myself with tools and practices that are common for game development. That’s the most important advice I could give to myself back then – and it’s just as important when you have a job in the industry. Learning more, trying out the newest tech developments or finding those gems that were always there but which most people don’t know of – all of this can be very beneficial when making games. Even if the tools you try out are not what your future employer uses, gaining an understanding for core concepts and principles will help in any kind of project.

What I would also do differently if I got the chance: I would change the style and wording of my early applications. I had the impression that they would need to be rather formalized and overly polite, that it otherwise would look like I don’t take the job offer seriously. But eventually my applications became less formal, less strict, more playful – just more me. Of course you shouldn’t start off with “Yo duuude” but authenticity is so important. Especially when you don’t have a lot of hard facts to speak for themselves yet.

Can you describe your individual development process when working on a game project? How do you balance creativity with technical execution, and what personal methodologies or tools do you rely on to bring ideas to life?

This may sound very cliché but: communication. As simple as that. Most of the time I was working with a rather large team and additionally, we don’t publish the games ourselves. So there are a lot of opinions coming together and some points will just be set in stone. But with a good feedback process there still is room for creative input on the bigger picture.

And when it comes to specific features I am working on, I always try stay in touch with the rest of the team, especially people from other departments. An artist or game designer will often have a very different perspective and also the way each of us sees that element of the game as a player will differ. When you take all these thoughts, talk them through and try things out, you will find a common ground that feels good for everyone. Or not, and then you start anew.

But also it’s not even a question of creativity or tech – coding can be as much of a creative process as anything else. There are always multiple ways of achieving a certain outcome and for finding out what works best in your situation, creativity will be just as helpful as good technical knowledge.

But no matter if we are talking about the game as a whole or all the little details, in the end you need to work together as a team. I feel really lucky to be working with people I know I can rely on, that always have my back. With mutual admiration for what everybody is contributing, you will be able to create something great.

As someone who has a deep personal passion for gaming and now works in game development, how do you maintain a balance between your professional work in the industry and your personal gaming hobbies? Has your perspective on gaming changed since you started developing games professionally?

Interestingly I don’t feel like a lot has changed regarding how often I play games. Finding the time for gaming can be challenging with all the other things you have (or want!) to do. But I think that is true for my job as much as for any other.

But what has definitely changed is the way I observe things while I play. I have always been open for almost any genre of game and been paying attention to many things others probably wouldn’t notice. But that was more like just a hunch or maybe analogies I would draw to e.g. board games I was playing (which I also love!).

But nowadays I see things a lot more concrete. Like when I look at a great animation and understand how much time, effort and soul must have been put into those maybe just few seconds. Or when I spot a bug and feel sorry for that poor dev that obviously made the same mistakes I did. I also tend to watch the credits of any game I play through because I’m curious how many people were involved in making it; maybe I recognize a name or two or just imagine how someone playing a game I contributed to would do the same and see my name scrolling by.

Thanks for this interview, Melanie!

Melanie’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

11. September 2024

Rongfang Zhao – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we talked to Rongfang Zhao, Lead Game Designer at Kolibri Games. She speaks about balancing her role as Lead Game Designer with her personal life, the importance of cultural diversity in game design, and key skills like collaboration, creativity, and self-reflection for aspiring game designers. Read more about Rongfang here:

Hi Rongfang! Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you as Lead Game Designer at Kolibri Games, especially as you navigate your return from maternity leave and balance the demands of leadership with your personal commitments?

Usually I start my work at 7 a.m. and have 2 hours of precious focus time before daily meetings. I use this time to do my own design tasks or think about next topics on the roadmap.

Before lunch, most of the time I’m in meetings, checking release status and current sprint progress, reviewing my team’s work, giving them directions or feedback, and having 1 on 1s.

After lunch break, I may need to support other departments, have workshops with other designers for big tasks, or test new features.

At 4pm, I finish work as Lead Game Designer and start my other job … parent! Finding a good work-life balance has been very manageable for me at Kolibri Games: I can work from home most of the time, which spares time from commuting. Additionally, my colleagues are very accommodating and understanding of why I need to leave work early. Finally, my manager is a great help with answering urgent questions when I am already out for the day.

With your extensive experience in creating and optimizing games for both global and specific markets, what are the key elements you focus on to ensure a game’s success across different cultural contexts?

All players want the same thing, a fun game, but the definition of fun is highly subjective, especially in different cultural contexts, so I believe diversity in the team is very important. At Kolibri Games, we have colleagues from 41 countries, so our daily interactions involve cultural exchanges. This ensures that our games cover as many cultural contexts as possible.At the practical level, in addition to an excellent localization team, close cooperation with the community management team is also a key. Communicating with them in the early stages of game design can largely avoid problems. And if they notice something in the community, they will provide feedback to the design team promptly.

As someone who has led projects from pitch to live across multiple companies, what key skills and qualities do you believe are essential for aspiring game designers to develop in order to succeed in the industry?

I think the most important one is collaboration. In most game projects, you need to work with many people; it’s not enough to just have an idea, you need to convince others to buy into your idea and work together to make it in the game.
Creativity is almost as important as collaboration. It’s not just about the creativity of the game design, but also about not limiting yourself to the usual ideas when solving problems.Last but not least, learning and reflection. Not just learning new techniques or learning from other games, but also learning from yourself by constantly reflecting on what you’ve done well and where there is room for improvement. Try asking yourself, could you have done something differently?

Thanks for this interview, Rongfang!

Rongfang’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

4. September 2024

Audrey Gravier – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Audrey Gravier, Co-Founder at Outsiders. She speaks about how her varied education and volunteer work have shaped her game development and leadership skills, her approach to incorporating Cairo’s culture into “Lost in Cairo,” and offers advice for young women entering the gaming industry. Read more about Audrey here:

Hi Audrey! Your educational journey has taken you from HEC Montréal to NEOMA Business School and even fashion studies at ESMOD. How has this diverse educational background contributed to your unique perspective and skills in game development?

I’ve always known that one day I would want to start my own business, and these various experiences have allowed me to develop my artistic mindset without neglecting the financial and commercial management skills that I would need to build my studio. I believe that as a woman stepping into entrepreneurship, it’s important to be independent and have a 360-degree understanding of the challenges a business must face on a daily basis.

A game isn’t just about art and technique; to run a studio, you have to be comfortable with managing a business. Business school pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was a girl from the countryside, not used to meeting new people every day, but it made me more comfortable with networking, which has proven very useful to me today. After studying at HEC Montreal, I completed my financial degree with a communication/marketing degree at NEOMA, because viral communication is central to my strategy for getting noticed as an indie studio.

Your volunteer work with organizations like NOVA and AIESEC showcases your commitment to social causes and community engagement. What aspects of these experiences have most significantly shaped your approach to leadership and teamwork at Outsiders?

My volunteer work with organizations like NOVA and AIESEC helped me grow and taught me responsibility, problem-solving, and leadership at a very young age. HEC Montreal took its associations very seriously, which is why I developed so much during that time. My involvement boosted my confidence and planted the seed that one day I might be capable of running a business and leading projects.

As VP of Communication and Marketing at NOVA, I learned the importance of empathy and understanding diverse perspectives, which has been crucial in leading a creative team where collaboration and open communication are key.

AIESEC, on the other hand, taught me the value of global thinking and cultural sensitivity, which has shaped the way I build and manage teams, ensuring that we remain inclusive and innovative. These experiences have also reinforced my belief in purpose-driven leadership, where aligning the team with a shared vision not only drives results but also fosters a sense of community and belonging within the studio.

How do you incorporate elements of Cairo’s rich cultural and historical heritage into “Lost in Cairo,” and what steps do you take to ensure authenticity and respect for the culture? What message would you like to share with young women who aspire to break into the gaming industry, and how can they overcome the challenges they might face along the way?

Incorporating elements of Cairo’s rich cultural and historical heritage into Lost in Cairo was a significant challenge, given that the game is set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic version of Egypt. Our goal was to integrate the greatness of ancient Egyptian civilization and the vibrancy of modern Cairo into a reimagined, futuristic world. This required creatively blending traditional elements with a vision of Egypt transformed by time and technological evolution, crafting a poetic and immersive experience that pays tribute to Cairo’s diverse heritage.

To achieve this, we studied key aspects of ancient Egyptian architecture, art, and mythology, as well as the urban landscape and cultural dynamics of modern Cairo. Our efforts to communicate our development process effectively led to connections with individuals we might not have otherwise met. We’re now fortunate to collaborate with egyptologists and Egyptians who help ensure that our depiction of futuristic Cairo respects and accurately reflects these influences.

This way, Lost in Cairo not only offers players an exciting and imaginative experience but also pays homage to the rich heritage of Cairo, blending past and future in a thoughtful and engaging manner.

I would give very concrete advice: Start learning as soon as you can if you want to contribute to technical development or artistic areas and don’t have formal training yet. Begin with small game projects and experiment with launching them as quickly as possible to fail fast and improve for your next projects. If you encounter sexism from a freelancer or male colleague, try to distance yourself from them as soon as possible. Try not to doubt yourself too much or be held back by imposter syndrome, and consider joining programs like Women Making Games to make your voice and vision heard.

Thanks for this interview, Audrey!

Audrey’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

28. August 2024

Marilena Cassetta – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition we talked to Marilena Cassetta, Producer at Crytek. She speaks about the importance of team success and trust for motivation, the minimal impact of her early experiences on her current role, and the value of networking, volunteering, and continuous learning for aspiring game producers. Read more about Marilena here:

Hi Marilena! What aspects of your current role excite you the most, and how do you maintain motivation and creativity when facing the high demands and complexities of game production?

It excites me to see my team succeed and grow through development processes. Seeing a satisfied, efficient and motivated team means I’m doing my job correctly and that fuels me with more energy.

Maintaining motivation is a huge topic and different methods apply for each individual on my teams, however the most simple and yet powerful method is to let your actions you do for them speak for yourself in order to build trust. Unbroken trust and being a safety net for devs is what I witnessed to be very effective to keep motivation going. Additionally, I don’t make promises I can’t keep, but I try to get back to individuals with an outcome and try to make things work out according to the situation at hand. Other sources of motivation are retrospectives, as well as opportunities to show off work and recap the progress made in our team.

Retrospectives should not only be about addressing issues but to help forging plans to follow up on, in order to keep ourselves accountable and take action. Doing a Project recap on a regular basis helps everybody to get a glimpse of what other teams are working on and how every puzzle piece of the project comes together, which is an additional motivation spike. Other times, reminding people of natural consequences in terms of personal organization and reliability (for example reminding them that other developers could get bottlenecked) helps giving a little motivation as well.

How did your early experiences in 3D art and VR projects and educational background in economic sciences influence your approach to game production, and how do you integrate these skills into your current projects?

To be very blunt, almost all of it is very different from what I’m working in right now. 3D Art certainly helped me understand the basic pipelines to get me started on my first job in an Art Producer role, but everything else were student projects, where a lot of things run like a game jam, meaning the organisation could get a little messy and spontaneous. If anything, I have learned on the job, what not to do on the previous projects I worked on. I mostly took away soft skills, as I was working under high pressure with the dev teams and especially addressing feature creeps.

In what ways do you think your role as a jury member for the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis enriches your perspective as a producer, and what advice do you have for aspiring game producers who are just starting their careers?

I have been part of the innovation award for some years and in many ways it helps me a lot to think outside the box. Looking at new concepts and executions of innovative games make me reflect a lot on how they were developed, what pipelines they went through, how many people worked on what. The exchange with industry professionals is also very insightful and that has always helped to work on new ways of approaching certain problems during production.

I recommend to every aspiring dev to get connected with the industry and take every opportunity you can get to volunteer at conferences and events. You will get more access to people and a supporting community. Equally important is a portfolio for new starters. It doesn’t matter how small the projects, or how little you contributed. There are always insights and learnings to share that recruiters like to see. Put enough effort into your CV, polish it, get second or third opinions and make it shine. These materials were essential for me to get noticed and got me my first production job. And as the technology progresses, so do skillsets, whoch is why I recommend to build a technical understanding for game development processes. I’m still in the progress of learning more myself, as it can be tricky, however it’s full of benefits.

Thanks for this interview, Marilena!

Marilena’s links: LinkedIn

Womenize! – Inspiring Stories Feature by Madeleine Egger

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Esports thrives on innovation and rapid growth, but it also requires strong leadership to navigate its challenges. What qualities do you believe are essential for leading in esports, and what advice would you offer to those aspiring to build a career in this field?

Thanks for this interview, Anna!

Anna’s links: LinkedIn

Thanks for this interview, Ashley!

With your extensive experience across various esports organisations, how have you seen the role of social media in esports evolve over the years, and where do you think it’s heading next??

With major global events and campaigns under your leadership, how do you structure your day to balance high-level strategy with the tactical demands of social media? What does a typical day look like for you when working on large-scale esports activations?

Thanks for this interview, Julia!

Hi Kristen! Throughout your career, you’ve worked on a variety of high-profile projects across different platforms and genres. What are some of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned about the creative process in game audio, and how do you stay inspired?

As someone who has worked with a range of audio tools and technologies, both third-party and custom, what are some of the most exciting advancements in audio technology you’ve encountered, and how do you see these shaping the future of game audio?

Thanks for this interview, Kristen!

Hi Vera! Founding “Owl Studio”, a game studio as well as publisher, without any investments is truly remarkable. Could you share the hurdles you encountered during the initial phases and the tactics you used to expand the studio to its current size (more than 50 team members)?

Since 2016 you’ve been a speaker at various conferences. What are some topics or messages you feel passionate about sharing with the game development community, and why are they important to you?

As an artist and entrepreneur, how do you balance your creative work with the responsibilities of running a successful game studio? Any tips for people aspiring to follow a similar path?

Thanks for this interview, Vera!

Hi Clara! What’s a typical day like for you in your role as Team Lead Marketing & Communication, and how do you balance the different aspects of marketing, communication, and team leadership?

What unique skills and experiences from your previous roles have you found most valuable in navigating and succeeding within the esports industry?

Can you share a pivotal moment or project during your time at the esports player foundation that highlighted your passion for the industry and solidified your commitment to making an impact in this field?

Thanks for this interview, Clara!

Can you describe your individual development process when working on a game project? How do you balance creativity with technical execution, and what personal methodologies or tools do you rely on to bring ideas to life?

As someone who has a deep personal passion for gaming and now works in game development, how do you maintain a balance between your professional work in the industry and your personal gaming hobbies? Has your perspective on gaming changed since you started developing games professionally?

Thanks for this interview, Melanie!

Hi Rongfang! Can you describe what a typical day looks like for you as Lead Game Designer at Kolibri Games, especially as you navigate your return from maternity leave and balance the demands of leadership with your personal commitments?

With your extensive experience in creating and optimizing games for both global and specific markets, what are the key elements you focus on to ensure a game’s success across different cultural contexts?

As someone who has led projects from pitch to live across multiple companies, what key skills and qualities do you believe are essential for aspiring game designers to develop in order to succeed in the industry?

Thanks for this interview, Rongfang!

Hi Audrey! Your educational journey has taken you from HEC Montréal to NEOMA Business School and even fashion studies at ESMOD. How has this diverse educational background contributed to your unique perspective and skills in game development?

Your volunteer work with organizations like NOVA and AIESEC showcases your commitment to social causes and community engagement. What aspects of these experiences have most significantly shaped your approach to leadership and teamwork at Outsiders?

Thanks for this interview, Audrey!

Hi Marilena! What aspects of your current role excite you the most, and how do you maintain motivation and creativity when facing the high demands and complexities of game production?

How did your early experiences in 3D art and VR projects and educational background in economic sciences influence your approach to game production, and how do you integrate these skills into your current projects?

In what ways do you think your role as a jury member for the Deutscher Entwicklerpreis enriches your perspective as a producer, and what advice do you have for aspiring game producers who are just starting their careers?

Thanks for this interview, Marilena!

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