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Vanessa Castañeda Gill, CEO and Co-Founder of Social Cipher and Lucy Stevens, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Social Cipher, lead a majority-neurodivergent team creating social-emotional learning video games that help neurodivergent youth build self-understanding and connections; inspired by Vanessa’s experiences as an autistic/ADHD Latina, their games and curriculum are now used in 200+ schools and therapy centers across 8 countries, earning recognition from Forbes 30 Under 30, MIT Solve, and the LEGO Foundation.

💡 5 Things You’ll Learn in This Episode

1. Using games to build belonging and self-advocacy for neurodivergent students
2. Authentic representation and storytelling in SEL game design
3. Insights teachers and therapists gain from playtesting
4. The impact of a majority-neurodivergent team on product and mission
5. Connecting SEL games to IEP goals and today’s mental health needs

✨ Episode Highlights
[00:03:08] Vanessa on founding Social Cipher from her autistic & ADHD experience
[00:06:05] Lucy on designing nuanced neurodivergent characters
[00:12:37] Feedback from students and educators that changed the game
[00:18:21] Lessons from managing a majority-neurodivergent team
[00:26:25] Pairing the game with SEL curriculum in schools
[00:33:52] Why schools adopt games to solve urgent SEL challenges
[00:41:55] Tackling youth anxiety through meaning and belonging
[00:47:15] How Social Cipher views AI in education and gaming
[00:48:50] Using SEL games to support IEP goals 

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