Lifting As She Climbs in the Video Gaming Industry and Beyond

If Not You, Who?

Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world.

- Archimedes

For more information, visit: https://www.socialchangeleaders.net/episode/026

On today’s episode we speak with Jules Porter, Esq and MBA, and learn how and why she is leading the way toward a more diverse video gaming industry.  In this episode, we discuss: 

• Jules’ diverse background and how her commitment to learning led her to careers in the military, engineering, the legal system as well as launching the first Black woman-owned company to launch a console video game, Seraph 7 Studios.
• How the $164 billion gaming industry is larger than the world-wide sports industry.  
• How the development of video games is impacted by the fact that 3% of gaming programers represent people of color and about 5% of the industry is women
• The influences of media conditioning and how that informs our perception of race, especially in rural and more segregated communities. 
• Some of the barriers faced by women and people of color entering the gaming industry and by those participating in gaming 
• How Jules managed to launch a video gaming company and why she is doing a kick-starter campaign to support artists and other professionals to fill diversity gaps in the gaming industry.  Across all industries, Black women receive less than 1 % of the funding provided by venture capitalists, thus using alternate avenues to acquire funding, such as Kickstarter, is imperative.  
• The cool concept behind her fist game, Ultimate Elder Battle Royale.
• The way that Seraph 7 Studios is also a social enterprise.  Seraph 7 Studios, LLC, portrays people of color in a positive light, provides positive heroes for young girls and kids of color, and improves the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) competence and confidence of local high school students.
• Jules’ philosophy of ‘lifting as we climb’ and how her work supports students to build skills and confidence for a future in the gaming industry by learning art, storyboarding, animation, gaming physics, gaming architecture, C++, etc.

In this episode:

Seraph 7 Studios Kickstarter Page

Serph 7 Studios Website

Connect with Jules and Seraph 7 Studios on - 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seraph7studios

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/seraph7studios

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7XMO17aoXLYebeeBf-gJQ

More about Seraph 7 Studios

Founded by JD/MBA student Jules Porter in her parent's basement (like all other tech companies), Seraph 7 Studios, LLC is a console video game development company that empowers compelling change through diverse storytelling and empowering local youth. Seraph 7 believes in powering social change by bringing unique and meaningful diverse story-lines to the video game medium and teaching local students how to code for console platforms (Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox One, and Sony PlayStation.