Wealth Actually

I see the concept of locating wealth and assets at the state level all the time for a variety of reasons . . . There has been only occasional talk of U.S. citizens exploring other citizenships. At the federal level, US citizens are taxed on worldwide income no matter where they live. However, with a new regime in Washington (and wealth tax initiatives) , there seems to be more interest in foreign citizenship options. To help make sense of the myths and the current climate, I spoke with David Lesperance. He is a top International Tax and Immigration Advisor with his Gadanz, Poland based firm, LESPERANCE AND ASSOCIATES. Citizenship Diversification -Who should be interested in this and why? -How prevalent is it?  6045 in 2020 (How many estate tax returns were there?) Jurisdictional Arbitrage -Why would you do it?  Taxes, ideology, other reasons? -If you are a US citizen, what’s the process?  -How much does it cost? (Including the calculation of exit tax of 40 pc of net worth) -What are the usual places to “go”? -What are the rules of engagement once you’re “out”? -What is the concept of “back-up citizenship?” Future legislation- -Are you putting yourself on “Bad Lists”? -The Dangers of a Wealth Tax for wealthy people . . . -Step Up in basis removal? -The increasing cost of “Citizenship Insurance” https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

The 75th “Wealth Actually” Podcast . . . Wow . . . it seems like I just started this project a few months ago. It has been 4 and a half years since the first one . . . it’s alarming how fast time flies. Hopefully, I have improved over time! This 75th recording is an industry specific interview, but it has wide ramifications. In getting up to speed on a different project, I stumbled across the book “Ethics for Trustees 2.0” by MARGUERITE LORENZ. Based in California, Marguerite is a Master Trustee and the Managing Partner of LORENZ PRIVATE TRUSTEES. https://www.amazon.com/Ethics-Trustees-2-0-Guide-Trustee/dp/172837278X/ Ethic for Trustees 2.0 is a quick and extremely informative read on the roles and responsibilities of a trustee and the establishment of good practices around decision-making that involves judgment and discretion. It also went into some detail about the California licensing component of individual trustees- something I knew little about. So in typical “me” fashion, I called up Marguerite to find out more about the book and her firm’s unique practice. That led to her gracious appearance on the latest “Wealth, Actually” podcast. We covered: -Her unique background and the formation of her private trustee business. (It has its own unique succession story too!) -Marguerite’s rationale and experience in writing the book -The Definitions of a Trust, their uses and some of the nomenclature -The Duties of a Trustee/Fiduciary- (many of which trustees aren’t aware of)! -What makes a good trustee?  How does one deal with arguing beneficiaries? Tricky assets? -The Origin of CALIFORNIA LICENSING FOR PROFESSIONAL TRUSTEES (and why it may be important for normally exempted attorneys and CPAs to get licensed. -When does advice graduate from being to transactional to ongoing and how does it relate to administration of structures and discretionary decision-making? -Traps for the unwary trustee  -What functions or areas of trustee responsibility are good to ask for help? When do you bring in outside experts? -Useful Resources and Groups: INDEPENDENT TRUSTEE ALLIANCE ESTATE PLANNING GROUP NETWORK -How do we stay in touch? MARGUERITE LORENZ LINKEDIN LORENZ PRIVATE TRUSTEES (WEBSITE) MARGUERITE LORENZ TWITTER https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

EUAN RELLIE is on the podcast today. We went around the world in half an hour and probably could have solved the worlds problems over drinks if we had the time. Alas, we only get a taste of Euan’s informed worldview and his story of building a business and advising clients as they solve the puzzle of doing business in Asia and around the world successfully. We do get a hear a bit about of his love for Arsenal Football at the end. For those who want to hear more from Euan, he is an excellent twitter follow . . . @EUANRELLIE. He is quoted often on matters of finance, fashion and culture- recently in the New York Times and the South China Morning Post. In his day job, Euan is an investment banker with the firm he founded, BDA Partners. Since founding BDA in 1996, he has lived in New York and London, and Singapore, and has worked in China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, India and across the Middle East. 1990-1996, he worked for Schroders, the UK investment bank now part of Citigroup, in New York, London and Singapore. He was Head of SE Asia Execution for Schroders Asia-Pacific Regional Advisory Group. Our discussion covered a wide range of topics- I wish we had longer! Economic Outlook What are some of the good and difficult data points that you are focussing on? Background- How did you get into the world? How did your London background prepare you for New York? BDA’s Function Focus on Asia and helping firms on the sell side. Helping firms access the capital and expertise in Asia and around the world Prospects for Asia- What does the U.S./China dynamic look like long term? What do American businesses get wrong doing business far from home? United States Politics- What should we take away from this tumultuous last few months? What can we expect in the post-Trump world? What should we feel optimistic about? Arsenal Football How do the prospects for this season look? What does the future look like? BDA Partners Website: https://www.bdapartners.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Occasionally, I get to speak with someone in the industry that both affirms my experiences, but also pushes my thinking and worldview. DAVID C WELLS JR, CEO of Family Capital Strategy, fits that bill on the topic of advising families. I met him in Nashville early in 2020 and stayed in touch. When I heard he was writing a book, I knew we were kindred spirits having gone through that process myself. That book, “When Anything is Possible”, just came out and I couldn’t be happier for him. I think it is a terrific companion to those looking to forestall the “Shirtsleeves to Shirtsleeves” phenomenon and help business owners and their families structure and build lives of purpose. In this podcast, we discuss some of his insights and the book-writing process itself. https://www.amazon.com/When-Anything-Possible-Wealth-Strategic/dp/173568130X/ Introduction Chapter 1 Wealth Strategy: Defining the Terms Section One: Wealth Structure Chapter 2 Wealth and What It Is Chapter 3 Level of Wealth Chapter 4 Psychology: Money’s War on Our Brains Chapter 5 Coming Into Wealth Section Two: Wealth Identity Chapter 6 How You Feel About Yourself Affects How You Feel About Wealth Chapter 7 Defining Your Wealth Identity Section Three: Wealth Strategy Chapter 8 How to Spend It Chapter 9 How to Invest Chapter 10 Giving to the Next Generation Chapter 11 Philanthropy Chapter 12 Building a Life of Intention Here are a few recent blog posts which introduce concepts from the book: The Challenge and Complexity of Entitlement Adjusting to Life After The Liquidity Event Creating a Wealth Surplus to Pass to Future Generations What You Should Know Before Marrying Rich You can find David here: Book – whenanythingispossible.com Website: www.familycapitalstrategy.com Newsletter – FIFTEEN ON FRIDAY – Twitter: @DavidCWellsJr https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Here is the first video foray for the “Wealth Actually” podcast (a bit by accident! We had to switch formats midstream . . . so I decided to experiment with the video format). I interviewed Christopher Ott on #Cybersecurity for the Ultra High Net Worth, High Net Worth and Family Office space. We talk about how one should view their own digital risks, how to protect yourself, and what to do when you have been compromised. We kept it to 40 minutes and probably could have discussed issues for more than three hours. Chris is a partner at Rothwell Figg, the litigation firm based in Washington, D.C. Successfully litigating complex data security matters, conducting hundreds of investigations, and winning dozens of appeals, Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Ott held various influential positions at DOJ including Supervisory Cyber Counsel to the National Security Division of the DOJ, In these roles, he investigated and charged the largest known computer hacking and securities fraud scheme and the hack of Yahoo by Russian intelligence operatives, the largest data breach in history, https://youtu.be/XzYwkjA1qiA BASICS   Cybersecurity- the main concerns are around the ability to control access and use of information. Everybody has at least three types of information PREDICTIVE DATA This is data that will help predict what you are going to do. This is especially useful for hackers and other criminals as they figure out how to access your data. CONTROLLING DATA This is data that regulates the access to a client’s information. This can include: Passwords (and the need for two factor control, Phones (with automatic password access that can be migrated), and “Deep Fake” video and voice that can trick the gatekeepers into relinquishing access INFLUENCE This can include social, political, or economic influence. THREE TYPES OF ADVERSARIES Criminals Spies Hybrid hackers -Russian Type -Chinese Type SPECIAL CONCERNS FOR HNW INDIVIDUALS More data More control Much more influence ·         Direct socio-political ·         Indirect socio-political WHAT IS IMPORTANT? §  Control ·         Analog passwords ·         Never take shortcuts ·         Device security §  Two Factor INFORMATIONAL AUDITS (DATA MAPPING) §  What do I have? §  How do I control it? §  Who else has access to it? CONVENIENCE VS. SECURITY §  BEC §  Sim Jacking §  Deep fake audio and video WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED Understand What You Have and What Your Risks Are Have Advisors In Place Don’t Panic- Assess the Situation Implement Action Plan Some Quick Ideas to Protect Yourself and Your Business . . . Establish an action plan in case of a breach or other compromise. Emphasize personal relationships with all business transactions. Make sure that you have personal relationships with your advisors and transactors so that there is layer of common sense behind communications. Audit what you and your family put out in the world of social media both from a cybersecurity AND from a PERSONAL security standpoint. Consider having a policy- even if informal- to prevent predators having access to physical information. Use multi-factor authentication procedure to confirm and verify instructions (ESPECIALLY for wire transfers or money transactions). Encrypt emails that include private information such as bank details, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.  Back up all data off-site on a regular basis. Regularly change passwords and use different passwords for platforms so that one breach doesn’t turn into a cascading data breach on other systems. Perform regular cyber audits to make sure confidential information is secure and that accessible information to the public is properly scrutinized. Avoid clicking on links and being suspicious of attachments. Run drills to make sure employees have well-ingrained good habits. Don’t conduct personal business using work email. This may seem obvious, but don’t store sensitive company information on personal devices or share it on social media. Avoid public Wi-Fi connections for work purposes. Run “fire drills” to test the effectiveness of your response plan in the event of a cyber attack. Review the state of your Cyber-insurance in case something goes wrong. https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

After a slew of podcasts about structuring, estate planning, investment themes and politics, I thought it would be fun to dive into a sport with a long, regal. and unusual history- COURT TENNIS (or “Real Tennis”). Descended from handball, and equal parts tennis (players face each other unlike squash and racquetball), platform tennis (where the walls are part of the court), the sport has all sorts of peculiar rules. It has strange looking racquets, arcane rules and courts with unusual and idiosyncratic dimensions. There are less than 50 courts in the world and roughly 10,000 players. Longtime friend of the podcast, Haven Pell, joins us to talk about its interesting origins, where the sport is now and where it’s going. He is part of a team that is building a new court in Washington and has written about that process in his blog, THE PUNDIFICATOR. He even shares the story of how Court Tennis gave us the Left and Right side of the aisle in American politics! https://pundificator.com/around-the-world-in-50-courts-a-brief-detour/ We cover . . . the equipment The “Off-Center” Racquet The Rules The Crazy Dimensions of the Courts The History of the Sport Some of the Best and Most Famous Players in the World And here is a little sample of some high level play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RK9fuGZgI https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

For a few years, the wealth advisory and asset management worlds have been captivated by three letters . . . ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance. ESG has been an exploding trend as investors want to align their personal values with their investments. The principle is that one’s investments can do well by “doing good.” Against that backdrop, asset managers are looking for new criteria to evaluate investment opportunities in the context of ever increasing difficulties in beating indexes over time. To some, ESG is a marketing gambit. To others, it is a framework to unlock greater returns and create positive social impact while doing it. To many, it is somewhere in between. To help make sense of this phenomenon, I spoke with John Rosenberg who has direct experience in asset management and the ESG world. John worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and has had a long career in banking and now works as an investment manager at a single family office and manages the LOUGHLIN WATER PARTNERS LP – an investment fund focused on technologies and assets that provide clean water and alternative energy. (Early on, John worked as a ski bum which he declares to be the most honest job on the resume!) Outline Could you give me some background on ESG Investing? We hear a lot of different terms bandied about such as Sustainable, Impact, ESG, or even SRI. Where did the term come from and how has it evolved? Are ESG stocks different from other stocks? Is there some particular differentiation? Are the letters all equal? A few weeks ago marked the 50th Anniversary of the Milton Friedman’s essay on Shareholder Theory where he states that the corporation’s social responsibility should be focused on profits. (The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits). Do you agree with that? Milton Friedman thought corporations should be focused on profits, not other social responsibility initiatives. What is the driving theory behind ESG investing? Do you believe it actually promotes virtuous behavior? How do you parse the difference between a company that does many things well, but has a problem underpinning it’s ESG score (i.e. tobacco bonds that fund good causes, but have dubious sources of revenue or a top notch company with an executive with a checkered record?) Are there data services to evaluate whether or not companies are engaging in responsible behavior? How does one deal with one data service vs another? How much of the analysis is qualitative? How do you get past the “check the box” or “greenwashing” phenomenon? You have been doing this, in one form, for a while now. What do you think of new entrants to the space? Jeff Uben, formerly of Value Act, made some comments critical of ESG investors awhile back. What do you think about that?  https://www.barrons.com/articles/activist-investor-jeff-ubben-departs-valueact-to-focus-on-esg-51592936937 Do you think we are entering our could enter an ESG Bubble much like every other style of investing that catches on? Are the ESG criteria factorable and therefore quickly assimilated into indexes? ESG- Fad, Trend, or Is It Here to Stay? Fun Question. Additional reading on the pros and cons of ESG in investment performance and the role of corporations and the assimilation of ESG principles. Morningstar indicates that ESG Funds Outperform Their Indexes How Strong are the Links between ESG factors and Outperformance? Wharton: Why ESG Investors are Happy to Settle for Lower Returns https://frazerrice.com/blog/january-2014-book-review-lynn-stouts-the-shareholder-value-myth/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007PIZ8IO/ https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

It’s important to speak to people who are having success exploiting other asymmetries. Many opportunities come when the world devolves into chaos. (Bill Ackman recently made gigantic money by buying insurance against corporate defaults related to COVID.) Sometimes there are opportunities when economies start to recover. Enter PHILIP READE. He is the Co-Manager of HELM INVESTMENT PARTNERS, an investment firm that focuses on emerging markets that collapsed and have developed a narrative for recovery. What made Philip’s story interesting to me was not only his half Brazilian / half British geopolitical bent, but his application of recovery narratives into usable investment themes. Philip’s Background Co-Manager the Partnership (Helm Investment Partners). Investor and board member of Cultura Inglesa Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s leading English as a second language school networks, backed by 3G founder Jorge Paulo Lemann. For 7 years, until February 2016, Philip was a Partner, Co-Portfolio Manager and Co-Head of the Investment Team at Tarpon Investimentos, Brazil´s largest independent equities fund with over USD 3 billion (21.7% US$ net annual return, May/2002-April/2017). At Tarpon Philip served as: Chairman of the Board of Omega, Tarpon´s renewable energy platform / Chairman of the Board of Cremer, a publicly traded company and Brazil´s leader in the disposable health care sector / Chairman of the Board of Somos Educação, a publicly traded company and Brazil´s leader in the K12 educational market / Board Member of Tarpon Investimentos, the publicly traded GP / Board Member of Metalúrgica Gerdau, a publicly traded company and the largest long steel producer in the Americas and the second largest globally / Board member of Tempo Participações, a publicly traded company and Brazil´s leader in the Roadside and Home assistance businesses Prior to Tarpon, Philip was the Head of the Brazilian operations of a NY-based hedge fund, Marathon Asset Management, focused on private and public equities as well as structured credit. Prior to Marathon, Philip worked for Goldman Sachs in Sao Paulo, as part of the Investment Banking division, participating in over 20 M&A and capital market transactions in Financial Services, Real Estate, Telecom, Power Generation and Consumer. Before that, Philip founded and ran Brasilis Seafood, a company that financed seafood processing plants in Brazil and raised US$ 2 million in venture capital from one of Brazil’s larger institutional investors. Philip started his career at Brazilian Banco Garantia, founded by Brazilian entrepreneur and 3G founder Jorge Paulo Lemann and then at McKinsey & Co. He went to Sevenoaks School in England, holds an Economics Degree from the University of Sao Paulo (top ranked student in the history of the University, as of 1996 graduation, award for the best graduation thesis and class representative) and an MBA from Stanford. Helm Investment Partners Tell us about the firm and where did you see the opportunity? What does a typical EM manager do?  How do you differ? You look for Crisis conditions . . . what does a crisis look like to you?  How do you quantify “trouble”? When screening for good or bad governments, what do you look for?  What are the countries you are focused on? Ex. Argentina, Greece, et al . . . The Concept of Going from “horrible” to “bad” Process Down 50% “Country-wide”  What does this actually mean?  How do you account for currency?  If a currency devalues, how do you stay away from the trap that it will rarely recover? Looking for Narratives that Change Perception- what do those look like? Finding ways to invest in that narrative- what is the “bottoms-up approach” to finding companies?  Why do you focus on Utilities, Telco, Retail, Consumers, and Banks? Trying to avoid being too early – how do you prevent tactical “short term downward swings” from battering your longer term positions? It feels like there aren’t many people doing this – benchmarking must be a problematic discussion.  How should investors evaluate your success? What is the best way to stay in touch? PHILIP READE HELM INVESTMENT PARTNERS https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

The election is finally past us and for wealth advisors the work and the uncertainty is probably just beginning. JORY BARD ZIMMERMAN joins us to discuss some of the tools to help wealthy clients take advantage of the tools available in 2020, incorporate philanthropy in in one’s planning and get a rolling head start into an interesting looking 2021. Jory is an attorney with expertise in trusts, estates and wealth planning. She has deep experience in advising high net-worth clients on their personal, tax savings and philanthropic goals. Here is the outline of our discussion: —> Year-end gift planning: eg. using exemptions now, if possible, before they change: Applicable Federal estate and gift tax exemption for persons dying or gifts made in 2020 is $11.58 Million per individual, or @$23MM per couple (no claw-back).  For transfers made after December 31, 2025, Federal exemption will revert to $5M, adjusted for inflation (@ $6MM in 2026), or maybe back to $3.5MM Current thinking: exemptions may be reduced as early as next year to provide funds needed for stimulus and due to COVID. Interest Rates plus lower Asset Valuations: Pandemic volatility in the financial markets plus low interest rates may be an opportunity to consider transferring depressed-value investments to family members through a GRAT, where little or no exemption may be required to effect the gift; remainder at end of GRAT term may go to family or a continuing trust. Will unused exemptions be lost? It’s not exactly 2012 again: Most clients made gifts outright back in 2012; Now more clients are using a trust to receive gifts (control + access) Don’t forget about the Annual Exclusion! $15K or $30K per couple per beneficiary  (that can add up quickly) – using the Educational / Medical exemptions are also a powerful tool. For New York: $5.85MM estate tax exemption with an ESTATE TAX CLIFF, tax over @$6.2MM in assets (no gift tax but 3 year add-back until 12/2025). See more about how that works HERE: —> Charitable planning and COVID: In these uncertain times, charitable organizations need assistance more than ever plus clients may be seeking an income tax advantage (deduction). This is the time when charities need you the most. For 2020 (CARES Act), $300 per individual above the line deduction ($600 married couple, no itemizers, no AGI % limitation, must be to public charity, not a Donor Advised Fund. Also, 100% of cash contributions, no AGI % limitation (consider contributions of Long Term Capital Gain property subject to 30% of AGI), must be to public charity, not Donor Advised Fund. For 2020 (SECURE Act), no more â€œstretch IRA’s” (limited to 10 years + certain eligible beneficiaries), may name CRUT as an IRA beneficiary to mimic the “stretch”. This is the time to review and revise IRA beneficiary designations. Biden is talking about eliminating capital gains and taxing them as ordinary income (proposed rate of 39%), may be better to donate appreciated assets to charity (proposals from the Obama Green Book, e.g.., carryover basis, cap gains at death, like a sale, roll-back exclusion, GST’s limited to 50 years so no dynasty trusts). Time will tell what this looks like with a divided government. For New Yorkers, consider giving a dollar amount of the estate over â€œcliff” to charity, so that you don’t fall off the cliff and create an additional NYS estate tax burden. —> Diversifying trusts by situs + Directed Trusts:  Trust friendly jurisdictions with no income tax, e.g.. Delaware (basically) and Tennessee appeal to greater NY-area grantors, South Dakota and Nevada are used more by California clients. For example, creating SLAT’s (Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts), each spouse create a trust for the other. There is a need to diversify by different states to enhance creditor protection and to use different terms, jurisdictions assets and trustees to avoid the IRS’s reciprocal trust doctrine. The reciprocal trust doctrine can defeat SLAT planning. Consider self-settled jurisdictions, eg. Connecticut & Delaware; distinguish from â€˜asset protection’ trusts which have specific rules in DE, FLA, NH, WY, etc. Many states have a Directed Trust statute (DE, Tenn, NJ, CT, etc., not NYS). They are used  most commonly to give a third-party advisor the ability to direct the investment management decisions or to hire a professional money manager for the trust assets. Then the appointed trustee only performs the administrative functions of the trust and may have other fiduciary oversight responsibility depending on the nature of the drafting.   Trend: Increasing utilization of Trust Protectors:  Trust Protectors are an independent, third-party or other person (not the named trustee or beneficiaries) with authority over the trust for designated decisions, eg.: directing investments, modifying +/or terminating a trust, changing tax situs, changing trustees, etc.   The powers of a Trust Protector (which is based on the British concept) may be narrow or broad depending on the terms of the trust agreement, as circumstances warrant.   The Trust Protector often a family member (e.g.. an uncle), but may be an independent individual (e.g.., a friend or advisor) to provide an objective voice in the mix. Directed Trusts work well for clients who want to appoint a corporate trustee for a trust but also want to have someone other than the corporate trustee control certain decisions with respect to the management of the trust, for example: A family with a long-standing relationship with a successful money manager might want that manager (not the corporate trustee) to make investment management decisions for trust assets. If a client funds an inter vivos trust with stock in the family company, he or she might want to continue to make decisions regarding the purchase, sale, and voting of such stock. A client might want someone other than the corporate trustee to decide when to make income or principal distributions to beneficiaries. Final Remarks: Careful review of client’s facts and circumstances (where they reside, own property, types of assets, etc.) together with local law is critical before selecting situs/ jurisdictions. Fun Question: Jory- when things start opening up again, what is the first thing you’re going to do for yourself? https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

https://thegamehers.com/ Video games were a formative part of my upbringing, but I have gotten away from them since my Atari 2600 and Nintendo/Sega habits. I was surprised to learn that the video game industry earned approximately $160B in 2019. It has out-earned the movie and music industries COMBINED for the last 10 years. It is estimated that there are over 2B gamers worldwide. Most telling, and maybe the most surprising to the uninitiated, women represent almost 50% of the gaming community. (The industry is made up of Publishers, Distributors, Retailers, Hardware Manufacturers, the Gamers themselves, and many other constituencies. Here is the Entertainment Software Association’s deeper dive into the emerging demographics of the Video Game Industry Data. And Newzoo’s is Here.) And if you weren’t sure if the female gaming community was ready to “cross-over”, Congresswomen, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, played the video game “Among Us” on Twitch. With 12 hours notice, the event drew 440,000 concurrent viewers and represents one of the high-water marks in female gaming so far. Superstars like Pokimane (24yrs old) have gigantic followings (Twitter 2.5mm, IG 5.3mm, YouTube 5.8mm, Twitch 6.6mm). The major talent agencies like CAA, WME and UTA have divisions to represent these people. I wanted to find out more about this phenomenon, so I spoke with REBECCA DIXON one of the Co-Founders and Chief Marketing Officer at TheGAMEHERS. They can also be found on other social media platforms at @thegamehers (facebook, twitter, linkedin, twitch, youtube). Her company, TheGAMEHERs, is “a women-led community dedicated to amplifying and centering the voices of women, femme-identifying gamers and non-binary gamers who are comfortable in spaces that center women. This is a sexist-free space for the casual players, the hardcore gamers, the techies, the streamers, the designers, the cosplayers, the developers, and programmers. Their mission is to advance the role, voice, image, and power of all the*gameHERs in the gaming world.” Enjoy the discussion- I’m sure it will open your eyes! Rebecca and TheGameHers are a group to watch in the female gaming space. Introduction Rebecca, tell us a bit about your background . . . How did you get into the gaming world? What Does the Gaming World Look Like Now?   How do you break down the various gaming communities / size of the market? Women habitually underrepresented in the space- describe what the demographics in the space look like and what they look like for women? Intersection with Social Media- what are the relevant platforms? How are the platforms used?  And how does GameHers intersect with them? What is GameHers Intersection with the Gaming Companies? Whom do you get involved with in video game development?  What are they looking for? Talent Agencies? UTA, CAA, WME Who is big in female video-game field? @Pokimane @annhandLA @br The @Pokimane example ESports Twitch, Twitter, and the “Power Users” of Discord With open source coding and other tools, what are the avenues for women to get involved? What Are Some of GameHers’ Initiatives? Community, and Awards, Podcasts, Advocacy: combatting exclusion, bullying, and hypersexualization Advertising as their start to revenue and talent development. What is your path to revenue/profit? What is the next step for GameHers?   And how do we keep track of your Progress? @thegamehers (facebook, twitter, linkedin, twitch, youtube) Fun Question: What was your favorite video game growing up? The GAMEHER’s Co-Founders Laura Deutsch, Rebecca Dixon, Verta Maloney, and Heather Ouida https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/