Today, in another episode from the Esports Next Conference, Bubba had the pleasure of interviewing Joanie Kraut, CEO at Women In Games International (WIGI).

Joanie has over 15 years in the gaming space, serving several smaller studios, startups, and nonprofits as a consultant in the process. She is an expert in business development, financial strategy, operational process development and execution, and DEI efforts. She is also an advocate for equality; she received the 2019 CalCPA Women to Watch in Finance & Accounting, Experienced Leader Award for her significant contributions to the profession and her community. 

In this episode, we delve into the evolution of the gaming community regarding equality and the inclusion of relegated minorities. Joanie also talks about her work at WIGI and how the organization serves and helps improve the gaming community and society as a whole. In addition, Joanie talks about her sensations from participating in the Conference and the major takeaways she took from the experience. 

Resources:

Visit WIGI website: https://www.getwigi.com/ 

or connect with Joanie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-joanie-kraut/

Full Episode Breakdown:

1:31 – Joanie talks a bit about herself, WIGI, and their work in the gaming community.

2:34 – Joanie talks about WIGI’s initiatives, workshops, and future projects. 

4:32 – Bubba and Joanie talk about tabletop games and normalizing women playing them.

6:54 – Joanie shares WIGI’s experiences with tabletop games on Twitch.

8:31 – Joanie talks about her participation in the Conference and her takeaways from it.

10:52 – Bubba and Joanie talk about normalizing the use of pronouns in gaming, how far we’ve come in the subject, and how much further we can still go.