I’m Joining Women in Games as an Ambassador
I am honored to announce that I have officially joined Women in Games as an Ambassador in their July cohort. As many of you know, I have been a long-standing advocate for diversity, belonging, and inclusion. Being selected as an official ambassador for Women in Games is a meaningful milestone for me both personally and professionally.
My career began in 2004 as a freelance web and graphic designer. At that time, being a woman in development in the Midwest presented significant challenges. I frequently faced underpayment, undervaluation, and inappropriate comments. Opportunities for mentorship were scarce, making it difficult to develop my skills and advance professionally.
In 2011, a chance encounter while volunteering at an International Game Developers Association conference in Seattle led to my transition into the video game industry as a Community Manager for EverQuest II at Sony Online Entertainment. What was initially intended as a temporary role during a colleague’s maternity leave evolved into a multi-year position and ultimately propelled my career into content marketing.
Despite these advancements, I continued to face substantial barriers within the video game industry. Entering the field during the GamerGate era (a topic I plan to address in a future post), I encountered significant resistance solely because of my gender. Some colleagues questioned my professional credentials because I lacked a formal degree, while others were unsupportive of my ambitions. Although I worked for renowned companies such as NCSoft, Bandai Namco, and Microsoft, opportunities for advancement remained limited, and I remained in the role of Community Manager for a decade. When I was ultimately promoted to Senior Community Manager, the project I was assigned to was canceled prior to launch.
I knew I wanted to change the industry but felt powerless to do so. And I know it’s not just the gaming industry that still suffers from unconscious bias and outright hostility to minorities in some cases, but games are absolutely where my heart is.
In 2021, shortly after joining Crunchyroll (then under Sony ownership), I was invited by Human Resources to establish a disability-focused employee resource group as part of a broader initiative to support a diverse workforce. Following my diagnoses of ADHD and autism in 2020, I became a key resource for fostering neurodiversity and began critically evaluating existing workplace practices. Although I departed the company prior to the group’s official launch, I carried this commitment to Integrated DNA Technologies in 2022, where I served as a member of the LGBTQIA+ employee resource group and later joined the Danaher-level ERG in 2025 as Communications Lead. My goal has remained to advocate for the creation of more inclusive and supportive environments.
As a newly minted ambassador for Women in Games, I hope to share insights into the industry through additional blogging and speaking engagements, host workshops to help others, and do whatever I can to improve prospects for women in the gaming industry.
About Women in Games
Women in Games is a non-profit dedicated to building a fair and equitable playing field for women and girls in games and esports through partnerships, advocacy, research, and community action – ensuring diverse representation becomes the norm, not the exception.