The impact of games cannot be underestimated. Especially during the pandemic, games have become a social platform, connecting people and keeping them engaged. Not only are games now creating an impact socially, it’s starting to also show tremendous importance in various industries including education, healthcare, and so on.

Today’s guest is Susanna Pollack, a cross sector leader, public speaker, and a social entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in building successful initiatives to advance ambitious public goals throughout traditional and interactive media.

Currently, she is the president of Games For Change, the largest industry facing gaming company, based in New York, dubbed by the national media as “the Sundance for video games.” The company attracts industry leaders across game design, emerging technology, media, foundations, government agencies, academia and brands. Prior to that, Susanna held various senior level positions at BBC Worldwide Americas over a 14-year period.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

- Susanna’s pivotal reinvention moment from the movie industry to gaming

- Transferring your skills from one industry to another

- Building strong relationships with brands and organizations

- The role of games in our lives today

- The Games For Change Student Challenge

Episode Highlights:

Susanna’s Career Background

Susanna started pursuing  a career in theatre production, and eventually, worked at BBC for 14 years, holding various senior level positions. When her priorities changed and she felt she wasn’t learning anymore, she stumbled across an organization focused on impact through interactive engagement and storytelling.

Her story is proof that if you set the course to know what you want to create in your life and believe it's possible, then you've got a better chance of grabbing that and making it happen. Moreover, there are transferable skills and experiences that you can bring from one industry to another.

Building Strong Relationships to Bring Forth Growth

Susanna underlines the importance of building strong relationships with brands and organizations that are aligned with their specific focus for their corporate social responsibility, whether that's climate change, social justice, or education.

Now, they have non-endemic brands that are not in the games industry, but recognize the impact they have, spanning industries from telecommunications and automotive to entertainment and the games industry.

The Impact of Games on People’s Lives Today

Kids who identified as gamers prior to the pandemic were more resilient during this period because they had the skills and know how to connect with others. The education sector is also now seeing the impact of games on education. Teachers and students are struggling with online learning because hours of Zoom calls have resulted in kids feeling disengaged and exhausted by all this. And so, they've seen an accelerated interest from teachers in using games as a way to engage kids in the curriculum.

Games are now being used for relaxation and meditation and other health and awareness issues. More investments are going into devices and games being used for treatment. In fact, during the pandemic, the FDA approved the first video game that can be prescribed by doctors for treatment of ADHD.

Games For Change

www.SharpeAlliance.com

www.TheReinventionExchange.com

RE:INVENT YOUR LIFE! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

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