Pathfinding: Celebrating Black History Month

This month we join Xbox in celebrating Black and African American game creators, and the insights, expertise, and creativity they bring to the game industry. It can be challenging to pursue a career in a field where you are a minority – and with that in mind, we aim to inspire and encourage careers in gaming by showcasing the real experiences of people that are currently on this journey. Their stories highlight the variety of jobs available and the diversity of people that fill them. We hope you recognize yourself in their stories and are inspired to pursue your own dreams in gaming. Diverse perspectives lead to more inclusive games that reach a broader audience, and there is a place in gaming for everyone.

Tune in later this month for additional Pathfinding stories featuring:

• Kim Belair, Co-Founder of Sweet Baby Inc., a narrative development and consultation studio that is committed to diversifying and enriching the video games industry.
  
• Evë Maquelin, Data Engineer in Xbox Studios Quality for Age of Empires.
• Katrina Green, Senior Business Manager in the Gaming Ecosystems Organization.
• Venessa Nyarko, Senior Narrative Realization Producer at The Coalition.

As we celebrate the beginning of Black History Month, here is a look back at the 2022 stories from our Black/African American employees and partners.

How Decoy Games inspired this series

Meet Decoy Games founders Ahmed and Khalil Abdullah and learn how they inspired a new series called Pathfinding, which highlights a diverse set of people across many disciplines. Read article

From drums to Director of Licensing at Turn 10

Discover how Kim Williams-Osborne transitioned from professional drummer to licensing for the Forza franchises. Read article

Chasing a love for gaming to Xbox from Retail

Albert Dankwa III on the importance of taking every opportunity to grow your network and share your passions. Read article

Changing lives with Xbox Game Studios Game Camp

Chris Douglas shares his path to becoming a Business Program Manager and how he helps campers realize their dreams. Read article

Using business skills to find great games

Gricelda Hernandez explains how her love of helping small businesses grow eventually led to a role in ID@Xbox. Read article

Applying Marine Corps discipline to Xbox Game Studios data processes

Eric Richardson, Program Manager on the Xbox Studios Services team, tells us how the Microsoft Software and Systems Academy helped him transition from the Marines to data and analytics. Read article