The Montreal-based Gameloft and Square Enix studios, in addition to Ludia Games, are joining forces to promote female leadership in a virtual conference.
Celebrating women who have broken barriers, Next Lev’Elles 3: Building and Fostering Women Leadership is taking place on April 1 2022 as a free event.
In partnership with Centraide of Greater Montreal, it will act as a fundraiser for community organisations with services that support vulnerable women.
Speakers from the studios
The three game studios will hail the success of women who have broken barriers and reached influential positions within the tech industry, in addition to those paving the way for the next generation of women.
Included in the event will be a talk by The Beauvoir Group founder Bibigo Haile on imposter syndrome and a panel of women in leadership roles within the games industry.
Said panel will include a representative from each of the three companies:
- Gameloft Montreal localisation coordinator Catherine Boudreault
- Square Enix Montreal customer support manager Jenn Cadieux
- Ludia Games lead narrative designer Juanita Cepero
During the event, there will be discussions held around the path to female leadership, how a woman can stake her claim as a leader, and the importance of mentorship.
Support for the community
Next Lev’Elles events have raised more than $15,000 for community organisations in the past, and while tickets are free, donations to Centraide of Greater Montreal are encouraged. Funds raised are to be invested in 17 women’s centres across Greater Montreal.
In an interview with PocketGamer.biz during our extended International Women’s Day coverage, Playable Factory CEO and co-founder Gökçe Nur Oğuz spoke with us about women in the Turkish games industry. Whilst the number of female designers is higher than ever before, Oğuz noted that “this doesn’t apply to developer and management roles”.
In a separate interview with PocketGamer.biz, Infinite Arcade product core contributor Ekin Eris stated that “the gaming scene in Turkey is more developed in gender equality” when compared to other, more traditional businesses.