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Discovering Your Superpower, with Melissa Austin
Melissa Austin has spent her career opening doors in the gaming industry—not just as a technical artist and leader but as a force multiplier for others. In this conversation, she shares how mentorship, representation, and a deep passion for helping others have shaped her journey. From her early days in game development to leading a team at Niantic, Melissa opens up about the pivotal moments, the challenges of a male-dominated industry, and why empowering others is the ultimate superpower.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women.
Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more.
TRANSCRIPT:
https://www.shelightstheway.com/melissaaustin-interview-transcript
EPISODE LINKS:
Melissa’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-a-austin/
KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Melissa’s journey as a first-generation, mixed-race woman in gaming
04:15 How Melissa’s passion for helping people shaped her path in technical art
07:45 The key turning points that defined Melissa’s career
12:30 The challenge of representation, and why visibility matters
16:10 Finding the right allies, even when female mentors were scarce
19:50 How Melissa transitioned from individual contributor to manager and lessons learned
24:05 Why advocating for her team’s needs has been Melissa’s most rewarding part of leadership
28:40 How going “off script” during a Girls Who Code event created an unforgettable impact
32:15 Melissa’s hopes for the gaming industry and how she’s shaping its evolution
36:40 What She Lights the Way means to Melissa
38:30 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up
FOLLOW:
Website: shelightstheway.com/
Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/
STORIES:
https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories
PODCAST:
Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/
RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N
Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m
BLOG:
https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way
https://shelightstheway.substack.com/
CONNECT:
Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact
Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story
View all episodes
By Nicole HuesmanMelissa Austin has spent her career opening doors in the gaming industry—not just as a technical artist and leader but as a force multiplier for others. In this conversation, she shares how mentorship, representation, and a deep passion for helping others have shaped her journey. From her early days in game development to leading a team at Niantic, Melissa opens up about the pivotal moments, the challenges of a male-dominated industry, and why empowering others is the ultimate superpower.
Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women.
Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more.
TRANSCRIPT:
https://www.shelightstheway.com/melissaaustin-interview-transcript
EPISODE LINKS:
Melissa’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-a-austin/
KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 Introduction
01:20 Melissa’s journey as a first-generation, mixed-race woman in gaming
04:15 How Melissa’s passion for helping people shaped her path in technical art
07:45 The key turning points that defined Melissa’s career
12:30 The challenge of representation, and why visibility matters
16:10 Finding the right allies, even when female mentors were scarce
19:50 How Melissa transitioned from individual contributor to manager and lessons learned
24:05 Why advocating for her team’s needs has been Melissa’s most rewarding part of leadership
28:40 How going “off script” during a Girls Who Code event created an unforgettable impact
32:15 Melissa’s hopes for the gaming industry and how she’s shaping its evolution
36:40 What She Lights the Way means to Melissa
38:30 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up
FOLLOW:
Website: shelightstheway.com/
Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/
STORIES:
https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories
PODCAST:
Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/
RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N
Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m
BLOG:
https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way
https://shelightstheway.substack.com/
CONNECT:
Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact
Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story