Another Dev Team update to share, fellow gamers! This week, we’re excited to welcome Christie St. Martin to the Gamers Outreach family!
The Dev Team is our (growing) advisory board, created to support directors and staff within Gamers Outreach. Each member helps lead development efforts which expand the impact of Gamers Outreach programs. Their involvement provides our team with valuable third-party perspective on internal discussions, and their passion for our cause helps rally community action.
Our intent is to cultivate this advisory board to be comprised of professionals from a wide range of disciplines (both within and outside the gaming industry). A few key qualities guide our consideration of candidates. Dev Team members must be/have…
- Senior-level professionals with experience working in gaming, medical, or corporate environments.
- Record of securing grants, sponsorship, or external resources for programs, corporate initiatives, or services.
- Demonstrated excellence in forming relationships that advanced a particular program, company, or cause.
- Exemplary leadership skills. Dev Team members must be able to foster a team environment and work collaboratively when necessary.
- Dev Team members are effective communicators, able to identify areas for improvement, and help advance the organization’s mission.
Christie is a former competitive Counter-Strike player who has over a decade and a half of marketing and strategy experience under her belt. Notably she has managed social media communities and produced content for companies like J.P. Morgan Chase, L’Oréal, and Viacom. She has built social and creative marketing strategies for clients like Twitch, Samsung, Microsoft, Epic Games, and PUBG. Christie is currently the gaming director at IMC, an experience studio that creates extraordinary audience engagements for the world’s best known brands. She is also on the advisory board for Hallid.ai AI Gaming, the developers of Fridai, an AI powered virtual gaming assistant.
Christie joins Gamers Outreach with a unique perspective, having experienced the healing power of games firsthand.
“I have been a passionate supporter of Gamers Outreach before being asked to join the team and I am thrilled to help support them from this side of the table now. One of the many reasons why their initiative speaks to me, other than being a mom of two, is because I spent a large portion of my life in my late teens and early adulthood being very ill. During that time, gaming gave me the building blocks that laid the foundation for reconstructing my confidence and passion for life. I was a lifelong gamer but the rest of my life felt like it was on pause for years. I think gaming often gets the bad rap of being just another form of escapism but for me it was a solitary window to the rest of the world. I was able to conquer complex challenges, complete achievements, and be with a community of people who didn’t treat me like I wasn’t different or sick. Games made me feel like I was capable of anything. Not only do I fondly remember that time of my life despite what I was going through, but without those years I am not sure I would have the career or opportunities I have today.
Gaming was a passion for my whole life and now I get to spend every day doing what I love. Unlocking achievements, solving puzzles, completing challenges and learning to lead and/or be a part of a team developed skills for me as a kid that were so important and powerful that I incorporate those learnings into my adult life and career every day. Whether I’m building a marketing strategy or assembling a team for a project, I utilize the skills that were honed in games. Whether your kid will be the next Ninja or not, gaming offers opportunities for children. It fuels entertainment born passion and helps inform their professional career choices later in life and that is a magical thing.”
When asked about the value of Gamers Outreach programs, Christie had this to say…
“Gamers Outreach gives kids much more than just a form of entertainment in a hospital setting. It gives them the ability to solve strategic puzzles, reach goals, and have a sense of community. These things are an enrichment to their life which right now might feel like it’s on pause. I will always continue to advocate for hitting the reset button on how mainstream culture perceives time spent on gaming. I know personally how important it was for my growth, education, confidence, and continues to give me opportunities as an adult. Now I get to take on the challenge to help change kids’ lives and I am so proud to be a part of this incredible team.”
We’re thrilled to have Christie on The Dev Team, and look forward to working with her to expand the impact of our programs. Please join us in welcoming her to the crew!