Podcasts about sugar gamers

This week, prominent writers and game designers discuss crafting game narrative and representation within gaming communities. Featured panelists are Keith Ammann, Derek Tyler Attico, Keisha Howard, and Samantha Ortiz. Moderated by Carly A. Kocurek. Learn more about them below.This episode is presented in conjunction with our special exhibit Level Up: Writers & Gamers, on display now through May 2025 at the American Writers Museum. Level Up explores the role of narrative and storytelling in gaming, from the 1970s to today. Timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of fantasy tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, Level Up enriches visitors' understanding of writing through fun and interactive formats, inspires young people to try a new form of writing, and encourages exploration of the worlds created through games. Join the adventure today!This conversation originally took place May 19, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Festival.AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOMEAbout the panelists:KEITH AMMANN is an ENNIE Award–winning writer based in Chicago. He's the author of several books of advice for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons players, including The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters, MOAR! Monsters Know What They're Doing, and most recently How to Defend Your Lair, all published by Saga Press, and has written the blog The Monsters Know What They're Doing since 2016. He's been a role-playing gamer and game master for more than thirty years. He likes to play outwardly abrasive helpers, out-of-their-element helpers, and genuinely nice, helpful helpers. Mostly, though, he plays non-player characters. And monsters.DEREK TYLER ATTICO is a science fiction author, essayist, and photographer. He won the Excellence in Playwriting Award from the Dramatist Guild of America. Derek is also a two-time winner of the Star Trek Strange New Worlds short story contest, published by Simon and Schuster. He is the author of the bestselling, critically acclaimed Star Trek Autobiography of Benjamin Sisko from Titan Books. With a degree in English and History, Derek is an advocate of the arts, human rights, and inclusion. He can be found at DerekAttico.com and on social media platforms under the handle @Dattico.KEISHA HOWARD is best known as the creator of Sugar Gamers, the world's longest-running gaming & tech community geared toward inclusivity. What began as a multicultural gamer group is now an award-winning organization that supports it's inclusive membership in finding their place in the rapidly growing industry, facilitating Sugar Gamers' evolution from video game enthusiasts to game developers, writers, testers, voice and mo-cap actors, artists and designers. A consummate futurist, Keisha recognizes the potential for video games to transcend their role as entertainment and become a mechanism for inspiration and social change. As a true “geek of all trades” and first-wave gaming and esports influencer, Keisha's experience spans from introducing game design/media literacy to underprivileged youth, such as her partnership with Adidas and the NBA on tech advocacy activations, to consulting Microsoft's XBOX division as well as Logitech, Google, and Meta on Inclusive Game Strategy. A two-time TEDx Speaker, she is infectiously passionate and authentically plugged-in to the worlds of video games, AI, VR and geek culture. Keisha Howard identifies compelling ways for games & tech to intersect with any industry and inspires others around the infinite possibilities.CARLY A. KOCUREK is a cultural historian specializing in the study of new media technologies and video gaming. She is the author of two books, Coin-Operated Americans: Rebooting Boyhood at the Video Game Arcade, which covers the early rise of video game arcades in the U.S., and Brenda Laurel: Pioneering Games for Girls, a consideration of Laurel's career as researcher and game designer. With Jennifer deWinter, she co-founded and co-edits the Influential Game Designers book series for Bloomsbury. She is also a game designer specializing in experimental and serious games. Paste Magazine called her game Choice: Texas “one of the best games of 2014.” She served as lead writer and producer for The Spider's Web, an alternate reality game embedded in a peer-reviewed journal article. In 2020, her print-and-play card game, Happy Ecosystems, was awarded the positive impact award for the Indiecade Climate Jam. At Illinois Tech, she teaches courses on digital culture, interactive storytelling, game design, and media history at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. She also works with both undergraduate and graduate students on collaborative research and design projects.SAMANTHA ORTIZ is a writer and Narrative Designer at Bad Robot Games. Over her five year career in the independent games space, she has worked on award-winning titles including Neon White, Tamales: Con Familia, and the 2021 Latinx in Gaming Unidos Jam winner, Comunicacion. She has also appeared on NPR and exhibited at ICIDS Hops Ahead. In her spare time, she volunteers as a program coordinator and mentor for the IGDA Foundation.

This week, we present a panel discussion with a range of scholars exploring religion through narrative games. This is a special episode in conjunction with our new exhibit Level Up: Writers & Gamers, on display now at the American Writers Museum. This conversation originally took place April 11, 2024 and was recorded live at the American Writers Museum. Featured panelists: Emily Crews, Executive Director of the Marty Center at University of Chicago Divinity School; Keisha Howard, creator of Sugar Gamers; Ghnewa Hayek, Assoicate Professor of Modern Arabic Literature at University of Chicago; and Alireza Doostdar, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and the Anthropology of Religion at University of Chicago. AWM PODCAST NETWORK HOME

Join us for an inspiring episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour where we talked with Keisha Howard about understanding the future of working in games. Keisha Howard, founder of Sugar Gamers, serves as a bridge linking under-resourced communities with major tech and game companies. Through thoughtfully crafted gaming programs and alliances with industry leaders, she has illuminated pathways for communities, instilling digital skills and forging real connections to life-changing opportunities. Her unwavering commitment to expanding technology's reach breathes life into her vision of an inclusive, ethical gaming landscape.Nominated experts for Sugar Gamers LabsLearn more about KeishaLearn more about Sugar Gamers Learn more about Sugar Gamers LabsLearn more about usJoin the next episode of the Indie Game Lunch Hour LIVE every Wednesday at 12pm EST on our Discord channel to answer your own burning questions and be immortalized in the recordings.

On this week's Career Therapy Podcast, we welcome a long-time friend, Keisha Howard, to the show. Keisha is a futurist, award-winning entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and founder of the amazing Sugar Gamers community. In our conversation we talk about the human side of gaming, the secret power of introverts, aging gracefully throughout our careers, and how she continues to fight for career freedom in the gaming industry.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/careertherapy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our little break behind us, we're so happy to be back! This week Spencer and Jamie kick things off with a deep dive into the mysterious island of Die Gute Fabrik's Mutazione -- a breathtaking game about friendly mutants, small-town gossip, chosen family, and redefining our relationship to the earth. Omg, just typing this has me in my feels all over again. Then we're joined by the hilarious and effortlessly awesome Esha Todd, a writer and artist drawing on her experiences working with Apple, Makerbot, and Oculus to imagine the future of gaming and help people embrace emerging technology. Esha currently works for Sugar Gamers, a content creation hub and community founded in 2009 by Keisha Howard as a platform for women gamers that has since evolved into a diverse group of trendsetters and aficionados within the worlds of technology, gaming, and the arts. We chat about the power of immersion, how living in VR isn't THAT far off from how we operate today, and how Grand Theft Auto V helped Esha process and move through her trauma with driving! Plus: That time Spencer became a tree, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, mixed martial arts, and more! Follow Esha: https://twitter.com/eshaknows_ Side Quest https://www.gofundme.com/f/rebuild-gazas-samir-mansour-book-store "Gaza's largest and most beloved book shop and library was destroyed by air strikes. The two-story Samir Mansour book store was built 21 years ago and served as a community centre and book shop for the local Gaza community and Palestinian school children. Tens of thousands of books were destroyed. All of the heart, creativity and talent poured into this magical place is gone. As a result of the complete siege on Gaza Strip, construction supplies are in extreme short supply and heavily inflated. Please donate generously and help Palestinians get books back. All funds will be given directly to Samir Mansour to rent new space and rebuild a new library and book shop. This fundraiser is managed by human rights lawyers Mahvish Rukhsana and Clive Stafford Smith." About Pixel Therapy New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Learn more at pixeltherapypod.com or follow us on social media @pixeltherapypod. We're proud members of the But Why Tho? Podcast Network: visit ButWhyThoPodcast.com for everything pop culture in an inclusive geek community! If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate us, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (or your listening app of choice) & subscribe! Want more? Unlock monthly bonus episodes for $2/mo and help us save up for streaming equipment at patreon.com/pixeltherapypod ! Support this podcast

Special guest: Keisha Howard, Founder of SUGAR GAMERS and The BlazeBreakers, LLC Keisha is a CHAMPION at using esports and gaming to raise awareness for underrepresented groups of people. She is also an expert with digital media, knowing the ins and outs of how to engage people and your desired audiences. Engagement is so critical in the esports industry. The entire ecosystem thrives on easily consumable content and direct fan-to-organization communication. Knowing how to reach your target audience and how to engage with them effectively are factors that directly influence your success in the gaming world. Be sure to tune in EVERY TUESDAY (on my LinkedIn page) at 9am CST to catch my podcast and learn everything that is esports! https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyrmartin/

Keisha Howard, founder of Sugar Gamers joins Jeannie to talk all about GAMING. Keisha breaks down the gate-keeping element of the game and tech industries and why she wanted to create Sugar Gamers as a way to be more accessible and inclusive. Jeannie's curious about what it takes to be defined as a gamer and why Keisha took on the goal to make gaming available to more people. Plus Keisha lets Jeannie know why she (as well as everyone listening) might just be a gamer too! https://sugargamers.com twitch.com/sugargamers Follow Keisha: http://twitter.com/sugargamer http://www.gokeisha.com/ For a free 30-day Audible trial, go to audible.com/hunnay or text hunnay to 500 500 Go to Feals.com/jeannie and you'll get 50% off your first order with free shipping As a listener, you’ll get 10% off your first month by visiting BetterHelp.com/hunnay  Go to FunctionofBeauty.com/LISTEN to take your four part hair profile quiz and save 20% on your first order. Get 10% off during your first three months at ritual.com/MAI For 20% off an EverlyWell at-home lab test, visit EVERLYWELL.com/jeannie and enter code jeannie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cathy talks with Keisha Howard from Sugar Gamers about the future of gaming and of virtual presence. This interview was originally recorded on LinkedIn Live.

On this episode of the STEM Read Podcast, we’ve got three perspectives on technology, empathy and e-sports. Host Gillian King-Cargile (@gkingcargile) and Kristin Brynteson (@kbrynteson) interview George Couros, author of The Innovator’s Mindset about creating a positive atmosphere for students by using technology to bring people together. Next, Gillian talks to NFL-kicker-turned-sci-fi-author Chris Kluwe about sports, e-sports, empathy in gaming, and how all of that informed his first novel Otaku . Finally, Gillian talks to Keisha Howard, co-founder of Sugar Gamers, about representation in the video game industry and ways to support girls and women in all aspects of gaming. All of these experts share great advice to help you teach, shelter, and stay positive during these unprecedented times. We interviewed Chris Kluwe at C2E2 . Special thanks to C2E2 and Tor for making the interview possible! Northern Illinois University’s STEM Read is part of the NIU STEAM family of programs that

Cyberpunk was cool. Steampunk was hip. Get ready for Solarpunk. This new emerging genre of art and fiction imagines a future where DIY environmental sustainability dictates the design of everything from skyscraper farms to homemade fashion. The writer Adam Flynn, magazine editors Scot and Jane Noel, writer Sarena Ulibarri, and game designer Keisha Howard discuss how we can create the future we want by inspiring people with science fiction, and why being anti-dystopia doesn’t mean they believe in utopias. Featuring readings by Vanessa Bellow. DreamForge magazine: https://dreamforge.mywebportal.app/ Glass and Gardens Summers and Winters: http://www.sarenaulibarri.com/editing.html Notes Towards a Solarpunk Manifesto: https://hieroglyph.asu.edu/2014/09/solarpunk-notes-toward-a-manifesto/ Sugar Gamers: https://sugargamers.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In less than 20 years, workflows won't just be more streamlined, they'll be thrilling. This episode will do a deep dive on the gamification of productivity, as teams will collaborate on projects the same way they join together to play Fortnite. Special Guest: Keisha Howard, Founder of Sugar Gamers

A geek of all trades, our guest, Keisha Howard, has been a video game enthusiast since childhood. Growing up "geeky" resulted in her developing interests that were very different from her peers on Chicago's South Side. With a degree in psychology and communications at DePaul University, Keisha acquired an understanding of consumer motivations that ultimately led her to real estate. After a successful decade long career, Keisha's communications background and passion for business innovation led her to the Information Technology Industry, specifically social media, the video game industry and geek culture. She quickly discovered that a considerable part of the industry's consumer and professional demographics were not being represented, so Keisha created Sugar Gamers – the new face of geek culture. It began as a women's advocacy and networking group for consumers and professionals, but eventually blossomed into an organization that advocates for all demographics who are under served or not being represented at all.Through Sugar Gamers, Keisha was able to monetize her interests in technology and connect people in the IT Community with other like-minded individuals, raising awareness of the under-representation of women in the Gaming Industry, and lobby to make sure corporations factor the needs of female consumers in their new offerings. I found Keisha on Instagram and immediately vibed with her deep advocacy for women and minorities in tech and the gaming industries. She is the ultimate She-ro role model for geek goddesses.Keisha shares:•How the recession pushed her into entrepreneurship•Her response when the SyFy channel told her “you’re not good enough.”•Why she launched SugarGamers (it began with a post on Craig’s List!) •Her advice for introverts to manage social media engagement•The complex demographics found in the gaming industry•Her deep knowledge of Virtual and Augmented Reality and how this medium is ideal for businesses to tell their story•A new co-ed game called Tachyon – the first hybrid live-and-augmented arena sport •Project VIOLACEA, a cyberpunk game where we all can imagine ourselves in a future where we can solve problems.•Why tech and the gaming industry need to represent more women and minorities•The BEST advice for managing the entrepreneurship roller coaster rideHere are some of my favorite quotes from our delicious conversation:"It's astounding to me that it's 2019, but I've met young women who come up to me and have said, "I never knew that there were black women in gaming." It's shocking.""With visibility comes responsibility to people who are watching you because you're inspiring people. There's not that many of me in the video game industry. I realized that I really have to see this through and I can't give up because it gets hard sometimes.""Even though Sugar Gamers started off as the all-female organization advocating for our representation in video games, it since evolved for everyone who has the mission to see diversity and inclusion and accessibility in the industry. So now, our team is comprised of all types of people from all walks of life who understand that this is a space and opportunity for all of us.""That has been such a gratifying experience for me because I've always wanted to work in the video game industry and not only was I able to start my own company, but now I'm working with people on actual products. So it's not just me advocating, but it's me creating things or helping to create things as well. That's really exciting.""One of the interesting things I've learned especially being immersed and engaged actively with gamers of all walks of life is that kids will find me, and they are so happy when I can validate their interest and their passion in gaming as an adult because back in the day when I was younger, adults would play Chutes and Ladders or Monopoly or play outside or go to the park or throw some balls, something a little bit more tacked out and tangible, but video games, what they mean to people has evolved so rapidly that it kind of missed the parents of today's gamers. So a lot of young kids don't have parents to game with and their parents aren't necessarily aware of how important video games can be as far as development goes, so they're more inclined to tell their child to not play than to sort of foster a conversation that would lend itself to that child being motivated to learn more about how that might be a career choice for them.""It's fascinating times and it's something that we kind of -- I believe all of us really need to be paying attention to this space because the changes that are occurring are just so rapid and they're affecting Generation Z like no other because they live in the information age. They have grown up within the connectivity like being online. That is part of how they learn how to communicate, to connect now, and gaming is a huge part of how we learn. So to not pay more attention to what the video game industry is doing to our society both positive and negative is not in our best interest right now, which is why again, I'm so passionate about this space and I'm even more passionate about VR and AR because that's them to be the next evolution of how we engage with content. There's just so much here. There's so much to do and no matter what you're interested in whether it's music or storytelling or character design or fashion or whatever it is that you're interested in has a place in the tech industry and nowhere is that more apparent than video games.""AR and VR are tools that could potentially solve huge problems in training, in healthcare, in learning. There's so much there and there's so much to discuss and that makes me excited because in a world where you know that you're going to have to deal with the challenge of what it means to navigate business as a woman or a person of color or from whatever marginalized demographic you might come from, if you're sitting on something good, you have a chance. Not all industries, in my opinion, give people that opportunity.""Being an entrepreneur is also understanding teamwork and understanding how to ask for help because you don't know everything and sometimes you need that extra push for other people to see and value what you're doing.""What social media did was offer a tool I could afford, and it allowed me access to all these people that had common interests. With a little bit of time and effort on a daily basis, I would reach out to people, and I would have little heartfelt notes about what I may have observed on their profile. It's astounding how much people appreciate when you're genuinely interested in their lives. It's not just shallow or superficial like, "I noticed that you like this. I think that's cool. I like this too," and building these authentic relationships using a digital medium.""It's really compelling to me as a person from the demographic that is usually not represented. I can see the voids. I can see the gaps in what video game companies are missing, so it's like if this featured a woman or used different language or had this particular play option or came in this color, whatever, that would appeal to so many more people. How do I know this? Because I'm constantly talking to people about what they like in the video game industry.""A lot of the developers and the creators in this space are brilliant, but it's sort of still a homogenous space. However, I see an opportunity in AR and VR as a medium to tell stories. Right now, more than ever as a society, we're interested in stories. We're interested in engaging in this deeper level. That leaves an opportunity for all of us, any of us that has a really good idea to think about how we can tell a story in a different way. It really allows a person to be empathetic to another because now, you're literally able to view the world through the lens of someone else's views."Please follow Keisha everywhere she glows:Twitter (Keisha): https://twitter.com/sugargamerTwitter: https://twitter.com/SugarGamersA Geek of All Trades: http://www.gokeisha.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugargamer/Sugar Gamers: https://sugargamers.com/BlazeBreakers (digital marketing agency: http://www.theblazebreakers.com/LiveCGI: https://livecgi.com/TachyonLeague: https://tachyonleague.com/Here’s a link to the WBENC Certificate information I mentioned:https://andelyons.com/work-with-ande/women-business-owners-get-wbenc-certified-now/If you’d like to receive an alert whenever I post a new episode, please follow the Startup Life Show wherever you listen to podcasts, including: Stitcher, Spotify or Apple/Google Podcasts… and let’s connect on social media!Do you have a startup story you’d like to share on the Startup Life Show podcast? Please reach out to me via email – ande@andelyons.com. You'll find tons of curated DIY startup advice on my YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/user/AndeliciousAdvice and my Pinterest Boards: https://www.pinterest.com/andelyons/boards/.Are you ready for 1 on 1 founder coaching? Please schedule a free convo with me here: https://andelyons.as.me/Listeners - thank you so much for tuning in - I am genuinely grateful for your time and presence. Stay strong, stay focused – and please remember – you’ve got this – Cheers!Ande ♥

https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Axon-Punk-Shenanigans.mp3 Welcome to the Trial of Axon Punk Overdrive, a brand new cyberpunk game that is on Kickstarter right now! In this short bonus episode, listen our pre-game warm ups and some post-game bloopers. Axon Punk: Overdrive is a tabletop roleplaying game, made by Wrong Brothers Gaming in collaboration with the Sugar Gamers, that combines classic cyberpunk and hip hop to produce an experience like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if they were set in the megacities of 2085. Visit the game's website for a free download of the quick start rules packet. Our GM for this Trial is game creator Colin Kyle (@AxonPunk). Our players are Caleb (@TheCalebG), Scott (@Geowtf), and Matthew (@MattParody). enjoy! Comments and Feedback are always welcome. Thanks!! ~Michael E-mail us at Podcast@TheRpgAcademy Follow us on twitter @TheRpgAcademy Visit our Facebook Page Join our Google+ Community Page at: The RPG Academy Support our show by becoming a Patron at www.Patreon.Com/TheRpgAcademy Sound FX used were from TabletopAudio.com and used under Creative Commons -NC-ND 4.0 license.

https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Trial-of-Axon-Punk-Recap-Review.mp3 Welcome to the Trial of Axon Punk Overdrive, a brand new cyberpunk game that is on Kickstarter right now! In this episode, the players get back together to share their thoughts and opinions about the game. Axon Punk: Overdrive is a tabletop roleplaying game, made by Wrong Brothers Gaming in collaboration with the Sugar Gamers, that combines classic cyberpunk and hip hop to produce an experience like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if they were set in the megacities of 2085. Visit the game's website for a free download of the quick start rules packet. Our GM for this Trial is game creator Colin Kyle (@AxonPunk). Our players are Caleb (@TheCalebG), Scott (@Geowtf), and Matthew (@MattParody). enjoy! Comments and Feedback are always welcome. Thanks!! ~Michael E-mail us at Podcast@TheRpgAcademy Follow us on twitter @TheRpgAcademy Visit our Facebook Page Join our Google+ Community Page at: The RPG Academy Support our show by becoming a Patron at www.Patreon.Com/TheRpgAcademy Sound FX used were from TabletopAudio.com and used under Creative Commons -NC-ND 4.0 license.

https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/axon-punk-trial-part-2.mp3 Welcome to the Trial of Axon Punk Overdrive, a brand new cyberpunk game that is on Kickstarter right now! Axon Punk: Overdrive is a tabletop roleplaying game, made by Wrong Brothers Gaming in collaboration with the Sugar Gamers, that combines classic cyberpunk and hip hop to produce an experience like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if they were set in the megacities of 2085. Visit the game's website for a free download of the quick start rules packet. Our GM for this Trial is game creator Colin Kyle (@AxonPunk). Our players are Caleb (@TheCalebG), Scott (@Geowtf), and Matthew (@MattParody). enjoy! Comments and Feedback are always welcome. Thanks!! ~Michael E-mail us at Podcast@TheRpgAcademy Follow us on twitter @TheRpgAcademy Visit our Facebook Page Join our Google+ Community Page at: The RPG Academy Support our show by becoming a Patron at www.Patreon.Com/TheRpgAcademy Sound FX used were from TabletopAudio.com and used under Creative Commons -NC-ND 4.0 license.

https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/axon-punk-trial-part-1.mp3 Welcome to the Trial of Axon Punk Overdrive, a brand new cyberpunk game that is on Kickstarter right now! Axon Punk: Overdrive is a tabletop roleplaying game, made by Wrong Brothers Gaming in collaboration with the Sugar Gamers, that combines classic cyberpunk and hip hop to produce an experience like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if they were set in the megacities of 2085. Visit the game's website for a free download of the quick start rules packet. Our GM for this Trial is game creator Colin Kyle (@AxonPunk). Our players are Caleb (@TheCalebG), Scott (@Geowtf), and Matthew (@MattParody). enjoy! Comments and Feedback are always welcome. Thanks!! ~Michael E-mail us at Podcast@TheRpgAcademy Follow us on twitter @TheRpgAcademy Visit our Facebook Page Join our Google+ Community Page at: The RPG Academy Support our show by becoming a Patron at www.Patreon.Com/TheRpgAcademy Sound FX used were from TabletopAudio.com and used under Creative Commons -NC-ND 4.0 license.

https://therpgacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Axon-Punk-Overdrive-Interview.mp3 Welcome to the Trial of Axon Punk Overdrive, a brand new cyberpunk game that is on Kickstarter right now! Axon Punk: Overdrive is a tabletop roleplaying game, made by Wrong Brothers Gaming in collaboration with the Sugar Gamers, that combines classic cyberpunk and hip hop to produce an experience like Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo if they were set in the megacities of 2085. Visit the game's website for a free download of the quick start rules packet. In this episode, Caleb talks to Colin about the game and its development. Tune in tomorrow for our Actual Play experience with this awesome game! enjoy! Comments and Feedback are always welcome. Thanks!! ~Michael E-mail us at Podcast@TheRpgAcademy Follow us on twitter @TheRpgAcademy Visit our Facebook Page Join our Google+ Community Page at: The RPG Academy Support our show by becoming a Patron at www.Patreon.Com/TheRpgAcademy Sound FX used were from TabletopAudio.com and used under Creative Commons -NC-ND 4.0 license.

Keisha Howard joins us as our 12th guest. Keisha Howard is a multi-faceted entrepreneur who has taken her passion for technology and video games and translated that into the Sugar Gamers online community, and other creative projects. Sugar Gamers, under Keisha’s leadership and dedication, strives to break down many of the barriers that people of color, women and LGBTQIA* individuals may experience in gaming and tech industries. Sugar Gamers facilitates after school programs, networking events, gaming get togethers, and geek events, and gives Keisha the opportunity to be a frequent speaker at comic book conventions and entertainment expos. Keisha’s work with Sugar Gamers has offered her some minor celebrity, affording her national television appearances on shows like SyFy Channel’s Robot Combat League, and allowing her to interface with pop culture creators such as George Lucas and Stan Lee.  In this episode, Keisha discusses with hosts Blaire Knight-Graves and Mark Beers how she accidentally became an entrepreneur, how she actively sought opportunities to be the diverse voice in the room, and the insight she’s received as an entrepreneur from the random odd jobs she’s chosen to take on over the years. Visit www.professionalgeekpodcast.com for more information.

Keisha Howard joins me for laughs and discussion of games, tech and comics. Banter about Stan Lee and elitism are thrown in for good measure. E-mail: jeneseegrey@yahoo.com Twitter: @TheGreyArea Web: https://greyareapodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greyareapodcast