How can games become spaces for safe exploration of failure, problem solving, and learning? In this episode of Bits of Signum Creator Stories, hosts Angela and Eliza welcome Sylvia Aguiñaga to discuss her journey into the gaming world and the development of Star Stuff. She shares how her childhood impacted the games she wanted to create, emphasizing the significance of creating environments where failure is part of the learning process. The conversation also touches on the influence of becoming a parent, potential future projects for Animo Games, and makes the case for integrating play, curiosity, and creativity into learning experiences.

Sylvia grew up playing NES games in the backroom of her family’s bodega. She remembers telling her brothers she’d make them lunch for a week if they would beat levels in Mario for her. As a kid, she lacked the confidence to beat those games by herself, but later discovered a world of games that encouraged her to keep trying and made her feel safe to fail. Throughout her career as Director of Curriculum & Creative Director at nonprofits committed to empowering youth in computer science and engineering, she recognized that the world needed more safe spaces to fail, learn, and grow. When Sylvia founded Ánimo Games, she knew she wanted to create lovable adventures that did just that. She is currently pursuing her love for games, coding, science, writing, and teaching with the development of Ánimo Games’ first title, Starstuff, a programming puzzler.

Play Star Stuff: Steam | Learn More

Follow Sylvia: LinkedIn

Chapters:

(00:00) How Sylvia Found Her Way to Game Design

(10:29) Star Stuff and Giving People the Agency to Solve Hard Problems

(19:58) The Game Launch and Future Game Plans

(25:10) Final Thoughts and Where to Find Sylvia

Signum Growth invests and advises at the intersection of mass market culture and new economies that are bubbling up in new digital communities. We believe that emerging technologies will continue to be born in video games and that ‘gaming’ will reach an increasingly broader swath of people, until it is simply known as entertainment. The firm focuses on creators and developers who are moving to the front of the line, where they will garner a greater slice of value creation. Areas of expertise include video games, entertainment, and emerging technologies like blockchain and AI. Most recently, the firm has focused on UGC (user generated content) platforms and creators. Signum Growth is comprised of Signum Growth Capital, a FINRA-registered broker dealer, and Signum Growth Advisors, an investment advisor.

Angela Dalton, Signum Growth’s Founder/CEO, served in Tech/Media leadership roles and as a Managing Director at three firms - Guggenheim Securities, Evercore Partners, and UBS. At Evercore Partners, Angela was an initial investor and Co-Founder of Evercore Equities. Signum Growth acts as the Lead Advisor to ARK Invest, and Angela serves as the Co-Founder of the Women in Gaming Zoom (WIGZ), and recently served on the corporate board of FaZe Clan. She earned an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. and B.S. from the University of Kansas, Phi Beta Kappa.

Follow Angela: LinkedIn | Twitter

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