Shelby Moledina, a seasoned Game and Film Director, chats with Ayla Derric, founder of the all-volunteer Cave Bear Games. They dive into the inspiring story of turning a portfolio project into a viral success while navigating the apocalyptic challenges of the game industry. Ayla emphasizes the power of networking with genuine passion and fostering a positive studio culture for junior devs. Through her journey, they highlight the importance of trusting instincts and the strength found in taking control of one's creative fate.

In this inspiring episode, we switch roles with Shelby Moledina, as our new co-host on the show who interviews Sophie Vo to share her journey of breaking barriers within the gaming industry, focusing on building inclusive and conscious game companies and studios.Sophie discusses her experiences in establishing key projects like Rise and Play, her role as CEO and co-founder of Kylan, a new game studio in Vietnam, and transitioning from corporate structures to startup environments. She highlights the importance of leadership, pitching, fundraising, and above all alignment within co-founder teams.Shelby and Sophie discuss the challenges and learnings from their entrepreneurial ventures (Shelby was the co-founder of the studio Double Loop Games which closed in 2023), underscoring the significance of personal growth, connections, and embracing changes in the pursuit of their missions. Sophie also introduces her upcoming project, Olivya, aimed at innovating at the intersection of coaching, technology, and games.01:30 Special Co-host: Shelby Moledina02:26 The Birth of the Podcast Rise and Play04:30 Navigating Leadership and Consciousness In Business08:19 Fundraising and Building a New Studio in 2024 (Kylan)14:07 Personal Growth and Overcoming Fears16:11 Lessons from the Co-Founders Journey25:37 Discovering Sophie’s ‘Why’ out of games33:09 Continuing the leadership journey with Olivya💡 Get more leadership resources on: riseandplay.io⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

Share your opinion on the future of game monetization in their market research survey with a chance to win Gamesforum tickets!In this episode of Rise and Play, new cohost Tiffany Keller joins the podcast. Tiffany has spent the past decade in product management across several billion dollars plus earning franchises at three of Gaming’s top five acquisitions and the most downloaded games of the decade. She sits down with Joanne Lacey, COO and Board Director at Adinmo, a privacy-first in-game monetization platform working with free-to-play mobile game publishers and developers.They dive into her path to the executive suite in multiple ad ecosystem roles that span Board Director of the trade body shaping GDPR for mobile, senior roles in multiple start-ups that have gone on to be acquired by larger companies and a Board Trustee for a cancer charity. Jo shares her leadership philosophy as a “Defender” to foster team cohesion in remote working, even during instability such as the Ukraine conflict. Jo shares how Adinmo is shaping the evolving relationship between the gaming and advertising industries- highlighting the importance of understanding the intersection of player behavior and brand values to create valuable ad experiences in games.For those experiencing layoffs or wanting a change, Jo advises how your career could branch out into adjacent game ecosystem roles.Take their survey now for a chance to win Gamesforum tickets: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RGKZDK302:46 Introducing Joanne and Adinmo07:21 Jo's Career Journey17:58 Leadership and Company Culture22:04 Navigating the Gaming and Advertising Ecosystem26:15 Product Market Fit and Industry Trends34:31 Career Insights and Opportunities37:51 Conclusion- Take their market research survey now!💡 Get more leadership resources on:https://www.riseandplay.io/⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it and leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Thanks for listening to Rise and Play! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

Crystin Cox, Director of Business Strategy for Xbox Game Studios Publishing, discusses leadership, LiveOps, and cultural differences in the gaming industry. Topics include giving feedback in corporate environments, management training, and navigating cultural influences in leadership. Crystin shares her passion for LiveOps, holistic strategy, and running 'The Art of LiveOps' podcast.

In this new episode, we interview Charlotte Lavergne, who shares her journey co-founding Supercosi Games in 2020, a mobile studio focused on evergreen games.Charlotte shares the context of bootstrapping the company in 2020 until they raised 2M€ in 2022. She also discusses the challenges of raising seed/Series A funding through VCs in 2024, despite having healthy financial results. She explains her strategic process focusing on evergreen games and the multiple iterations that led their team to find their 'hit' title in 2023: Word Search Puzzle Challenge, and how they keep scaling the game in 2024.This episode is an open-hearted testimonial about the ups and downs of being a game entrepreneur, reminding all founders that whatever you are going through this year, you are not alone. We do the best with what we have and can control, and try to survive the wave(s) 🌊01:55 Meet Charlotte Lavergne: From Gameloft to Supercosi Games03:58 Charlotte's Early Career and Transition to Gaming09:55 Founding Supercosi: The Journey Begins14:19 Building the Team and Early Prototypes20:14 Fundraising and Scaling Up29:14 Challenges and Learnings in 202434:43 Final Thoughts and Reflections💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

Emma Delage, CEO of Studio Camelia, shares her journey from Ubisoft to founding a JRPG-focused game studio. Topics include challenges of starting a company, fundraising, Kickstarter campaigns, and creating a unique studio culture. Insightful for aspiring game developers and entrepreneurs.

How to combine games and education, and is there a case for it?We interview Melissa Cash, co-founder and CEO of PokPok, a company creating educational and engaging digital content for children. They discuss the challenges and strategies of developing non-addictive, educational content for young children, focusing on the importance of designing tools that integrate seamlessly with a parent’s daily life. Melissa shares insights into her entrepreneurial journey, balancing professional and personal life, and highlights the critical role of networking as a CEO. We also touch on PokPok’s unique approach to early childhood education and the importance of community and collaboration in achieving success.Pok Pok, raised $3 million in seed funding in 2022. The company was founded in 2019 after it spun out of Snowman, the small studio behind award-winning iOS games Alto’s Adventure, Alto’s Odyssey, Skate City and others.Pok Pok is a great example of how games can be taken beyond the gaming industry to consumer and educational apps. Learn more about Pok Pok: https://playpokpok.com/03:02 Melissa's Journey to Pok Pok12:08 Building the Product16:09 Marketing and Business Model19:15 Challenges and Parental Concerns23:20 Balancing Toddler Activities and Screen Time24:03 The Healthy Screen Time Debate24:40 Understanding Pok Pok's Unique Value26:15 Challenges and Differentiation in the Market30:36 Team Composition and Educational Approach33:18 Reflections on Entrepreneurship39:02 Balancing Family and Business41:34 Future Plans and Excitement43:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

In this episode, we interview Olya Caliujnaia, the CEO and co-founder at Sanlo.io, on a mission to help game businesses thrive revenues. Olya shares her entrepreneurial journey, from growing up in a family of resilient entrepreneurs, to eventually founding her own company in the gaming industry. Before Sanlo, Olya managed product and growth at Playfish, EA, Getty Images, SigFig, Wells Fargo and worked with early-stage companies as an entrepreneur-in-residence at XYZ Venture Capital. Olya shares her process, trial and error of finding the right co-founder, the early stages of customer discovery, and the importance of building a committed and complementary co-founder team. Olya also talks about the products Sanlo offers, including web shops and capital financing for gaming companies, and emphasizes the importance of financial health and sustainable monetization, as vital components of a game business. More on Sanlo.io: https://www.sanlo.io/01:33 CEO Olya Caliujnaia's Journey: From Product Leader to Gaming Entrepreneur02:12 The Entrepreneurial Path: Olya's Journey to Founding Sanlo.io09:41 The Co-Founder Search: Lessons Learned and Finding the Right Match12:40 Customer Discovery and Product Development Insights, Pivoting to PMF18:01 Building a Team and Overcoming Challenges in the Gaming Startup World24:36 SanloToday: Products, Vision, and the Future29:08 Closing Thoughts and Future Directions💌 Don't forget to subscribe to Rise and Play for further news: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.riseandplay.io/blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ If you enjoyed today's episode make sure to rate it on Spotify, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, or simply share it with a friend. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit riseandplay.substack.com

Sophie Vo, Founder of Rise and Play and CEO of Kylan, shares valuable advice on fundraising: start by bootstrapping, have a strong founding team, and be critical about your business like an investor. Insights on mistakes to avoid before fundraising with VCs are provided. The episode also discusses empowering women in gaming, self-reflection on pitching, and future directions.

Three female founders share their VC fundraising experiences, highlighting the importance of pitch iteration, team building, and journey from concept to investment. They discuss feedback, FOMO, and offer advice for future fundraisers in 2024.