
Whitney Risner Uses the Power of Gaming For Good
03/23/21 • 44 min
What do you do when a game that is core to your life is unexpectedly ripped away from you? Today’s guest chose to fight the forces that took it from her. By day, Whitney Risner works in tech. By night, she serves as Board President of Super Heroines, Etc., a nonprofit that’s using the power of fandom to fight for equality and representation. Tune in to hear how Whitney is using games to create social change and transform her community.
01:15 -- Meet Whitney!
06:00 -- The Magic marriage
12:15 -- Why we need gaming safe spaces
21:19 -- How to transform your community
28:28 -- Gaming for social change
33:55 -- The community levels up
39:36 -- Find others like you
Games
Mortal Kombat -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat
Shaq Fu -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaq_Fu
Magic the Gathering -- https://magic.wizards.com/en
More Resources
Super Heroines, Etc. -- https://superheroinesetc.org/
Friday Night Magic -- https://rb.gy/csvmso
Credits
Guest -- Whitney Risner, [email protected]
Production by Victor Media Group, Inc. -- https://victormediagroup.co/
Original Music by Byson -- https://spoti.fi/3eoC47l
Creator / Host -- Clara Mount
Executive Producer -- J.B. Adams
Sound Editing -- Aaron Trnka
What do you do when a game that is core to your life is unexpectedly ripped away from you? Today’s guest chose to fight the forces that took it from her. By day, Whitney Risner works in tech. By night, she serves as Board President of Super Heroines, Etc., a nonprofit that’s using the power of fandom to fight for equality and representation. Tune in to hear how Whitney is using games to create social change and transform her community.
01:15 -- Meet Whitney!
06:00 -- The Magic marriage
12:15 -- Why we need gaming safe spaces
21:19 -- How to transform your community
28:28 -- Gaming for social change
33:55 -- The community levels up
39:36 -- Find others like you
Games
Mortal Kombat -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat
Shaq Fu -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaq_Fu
Magic the Gathering -- https://magic.wizards.com/en
More Resources
Super Heroines, Etc. -- https://superheroinesetc.org/
Friday Night Magic -- https://rb.gy/csvmso
Credits
Guest -- Whitney Risner, [email protected]
Production by Victor Media Group, Inc. -- https://victormediagroup.co/
Original Music by Byson -- https://spoti.fi/3eoC47l
Creator / Host -- Clara Mount
Executive Producer -- J.B. Adams
Sound Editing -- Aaron Trnka
Previous Episode

Anna Stavropoulos Validates your Hobby
From illicitly trading Pokemon cards on the school playground, to a winning streak in Mortal Kombat chess, to working as Art Lead for EA’s Madden Mobile -- Anna Stavropoulos has some stories to tell. Hear Anna’s thoughts on why RPGs are actually the best games, why representation matters, and where the videogame industry is going from here.
01:15 -- Meet Anna!
07:15 -- Why your Mortal Kombat skills are valuable
13:10 -- Welcome to your new favorite genre of games
20:00 -- Playing guilt-free and why representation matters
26:57 -- Prioritizing representation
31:45 -- Making moves -- your niche audience is out there
As an affiliate, Victor Media Group may earn from qualifying purchases.
Games
Mortal Kombat: Deception -- https://amzn.to/2OtvuBy
The Witcher 3 -- https://amzn.to/3sXDE4e
Horizon: Zero Dawn -- https://amzn.to/3rD9FOR
Dragon Age: Inquisition -- https://amzn.to/3sPSwS6
Mass Effect series -- https://amzn.to/3bn7poU
Fallout series -- https://bit.ly/3qr4EHq
Demon’s Souls -- https://amzn.to/3qlrakZ
Undertale -- https://amzn.to/2PKpODV
2064: Read Only Memories -- https://bit.ly/3t2VNO5
Resources
Unity Free Download -- https://store.unity.com/#plans-individual
Steam -- https://store.steampowered.com/
Credits
Guest -- Anna Stavropoulos
Production by Victor Media Group, Inc. -- https://victormediagroup.co/
Original Music by Byson -- https://spoti.fi/3eoC47l
Creator / Host -- Clara Mount
Executive Producer -- J.B. Adams
Sound Editing -- Aaron Trnka
Next Episode

Vivien Grimm is Gay for LARPing
How can playing games help us better understand the people we interact with every day? Tune in to hear Vivien Grimm, an avid LARPer, cosplayer, and model, give us the rundown on LARP basics, provide tips for how we can best enjoy this unique type of play, and describe why play is an essential part of being human.
01:20 -- Meet Vivien! 06:40 -- The power of unconditional acceptance 13:50 -- What is LARP? 23:20 -- The LARP renaissance 33:50 -- Vivien’s LARP journey 44:30 -- What LARP teaches you about empathy
Games
Detroit: Become Human -- https://amzn.to/3fipfvC
The Witcher 3 -- https://amzn.to/3rlSvnT
New World Magischola -- https://magischola.com/
Vampire: The Masquerade -- https://www.oneworldofdarkness.com/explore-vampire-the-masquerade
Dystopia Rising -- http://www.dystopiarisinglarp.com/
More Resources
Be-Con -- https://2019.beconlarp.com/
Intercon -- https://u.interconlarp.org/
Make A Scene -- https://makeascenemn.org/en/
Gen Con -- https://www.gencon.com/
Credits
Guest -- Vivien Grimm, https://linktr.ee/Vivienxgrimm
Production by Victor Media Group, Inc. -- https://victormediagroup.co/
Original Music by Byson -- https://spoti.fi/3eoC47l
Creator / Host -- Clara Mount
Executive Producer -- J.B. Adams
Sound Editing -- Aaron Trnka
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