Talks & Workshops
Game Theory (Panel)
2021 NAACP Arts, Culture, & Entertainment Festival (Presented by TEC Leimert)
April 2021, Virtual Event
Watch here:
Abstract:
Video game spectating has become big business!! Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook game streaming all experienced major jumps in viewership traffic in 2020 with most Xennials preferring this type of content over traditional TV or film. There are now professional video game players, teams, artists who design characters, engineers -- all earning six figure salaries. This is a multi-billion dollar industry and this panel will focus on giving you the critical information you need to understand the space and if interested get involved yourself.
Links:
Who Runs the World (Panel)
2021 BCGA Women Got Game Summit
March 2021, Virtual Event
Abstract:
A two-day Women of Color summit consisting of competitions, conversations, and connections; introducing Women College students of color to corporate parterns & leaders in the gaming/esports industry.
Links:
No More Heroes:
How Game Dev Heroics is Killing Us
2020 Game Devs of Color Expo
September 2020, Virtual Event
Watch here:
Abstract:
Games are big. Like reaaaally big. Modern games are some of the most complex applications on the market today. But as these game experiences continue to push the limits of the technology, they also push the limits of developers and development teams. Our passions pull us in & burn us out. Most devs leave in under 5 years. For marginalized devs, the numbers are even more dire. Enough of that. No more heroes. Let's take back our passions & learn to create games in ways that are safe & sustainable.
Links:
Perfect Pitch: How to Pitch Your Game to Publishers (Talk + Panel)
2018 Game Developers Conference, Xbox Women in Gaming Rally
February 2018, San Francisco, CA
Watch here:
CareerQuest: Choice, Consequence, and Compromise in Your (Games) Career
(90-min Talk + Workshop)
2017-2020 Game Developers Conference, IGDA Next Generation Leaders Summit
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, San Francisco, CA
Track: Career, Post-Mortem
Type: Workshop
Abstract:
In CareerQuest: Choice, Consequence, and Compromise in Your (Games) Career, attendees will be presented with a series of simple thought exercises, aimed at examining the experiences of underrepresented people in the videogame/tech industry. Attendees will leave empowered with new career management tools to navigate a tech industry that remains "overwhelmingly white and overwhelmingly male."
The workshop includes testimonials from industry veterans as well as several real-life examples of choices, consequences, and compromises made and presented as part of a partial product retrospective/post-mortem. People of all identities/backgrounds will benefit from exposure to the discussion. The workshop will also echo the importance of representation in media and discuss the impact of representation that is incomplete or flawed.
Links & Attendee Testimonials:
Session hashtag: #KnowMeIncludeMe
Testing Your Workplace Allyship
(90-min Workshop + Roundtable)
2019-2020 Game Developers Conference, IGDA Next Generation Leaders Summit
2019, 2020 San Francisco, CA
Track: Career, Activism
Type: Roundtable, Workshop
Abstract:
In Testing Your Workplace Allyship, attendees will discuss real-world scenarios in which a person from an underrepresented group faced margnalization in the workplace.
The workshop includes frank discussions around racism, sexism, homophobia, and other prejudice. Attendees will leave empowered with new ways to move toward action, to confront prejudice in the moment, and to support marginalized persons in meaningful and powerful ways. This workshop will make you uncomfortable, but that discomfort is key to becoming a better ally.
A Few Things Your Publisher Wishes You Knew (90-min Talk + Q&A)
2018 IGDA Leadership Summit
June 2018, Austin, TX
Watch here:
One Bad Pitch: How to Successfully Fail when Pitching Your Game (10-min Talk)
2018 Game Developers of Color Expo
June 2018, New York City, NY
Watch here:
Creating Natural User Interactions for Emerging Technology
2016 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
October 19-21, 2016 - Houston, TX
Track: Human-Computer Interaction, Technical, Inclusive Design
Contribution Type: Workshop
Abstract:
Links & Press Coverage:
Media:
Technology is evolving. Computers have moved from the desktop to the laptop to our pockets and onto our own bodies. We expect more personal interactions from our devices, but we understand them less. As this new era of personal computing becomes more ubiquitous, diversity and empathy across design teams is even more crucial.
Through each stage of technology, the way in which we interact with our devices has changed. We have gone from the impersonal "mouse & keyboard" to "touch & gesture" and now "voice & gaze." With each new input method, development teams are faced with new challenges, seeking to define intuitive interfaces and interaction schemes that cater to the majority of users without alienating the minority.
This workshop uses simple design/thought exercises to demonstrate how emerging technology systems benefit from thoughtful discretion and diversified teams. Attendees will leave with knowledge of basic design methodology, do's and don't's, accessibility considerations, and more.