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HyperX, the gaming accessories brand now owned by HP, has teamed up with 1,000 Dreams Fund‘s BroadcastHER Academy to support women in gaming.
HyperX said it is committed to empowering women in gaming and inspiring all gamers to achieve their best. With a focus on increasing access and representation for the next gen of talent in the gaming industry, HyperX will support the group’s latest class of 10 women selected for the 2021 Academy Fellowship Program. 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF) is a national scholarship fund for American girls in high school and college.
We’ll be having a Women in Gaming Breakfast at our GamesBeat Summit 2021 event on April 28-29. HP acquired the HyperX brand from Kingston Technology for $425 million last month. Alex Cho, president of HP Personal Systems, said in an interview with GamesBeat that the price paid for the HyperX brand showed how important gaming has become in the world of computers. That deal helped HP participate in the $12 billion gaming peripherals market for keyboards, mice, and headsets.
This partnership is an interesting because HyperX is all about creating a brand impression with gamers. And most of the time in the past, that kind of image has been associated with young males. But now the brand is reaching out beyond its roots to embrace women and diversity. It’s a sign of how gaming is changing, Cho said.
“The ecosystem of gaming is just massive,” Cho said. “You also have a lot of new types of gamers coming in and the types of games that they’re playing are changing. Gaming is far more social. It’s intersecting with the world of important, and so gaming is very important to us. It’s a secular growth area.”
Wendy Lecot, head of HyperX strategic alliances, said in a statement that the partnership will enable the latest women fellows to grow in their gaming and esports journeys. The idea is to offer mainstream support to encourage females to break the mold and positively change the perception of a “typical gamer” and allow them to fulfill their dreams in gaming.
Above: Streamer Pokimane is a brand ambassador for HyperX.
Image Credit: HyperX
Sharing dreams of being competitive esports players, creators, storytellers, broadcasters, and more, 10 women were chosen to join the BroadcastHER Academy Fellowship Program for 2021 where they will receive valuable work experience and networking opportunities with leaders in the industry.
Powered by HyperX and Allied Esports, the BroadcastHER Academy is a year-long fellowship program that includes a $1,000 microgrant to help further the winners’ education along with HyperX gear and an all-expense paid trip to the HyperX Arena Las Vegas to shadow the Allied Esports team and receive a behind-the-scenes look at the esports industry.
This year’s BroadcastHER Academy Fellowship winners are:
- Topaz Bess @TopazTvee — She dreams of being an esports athlete and host.
- Kayla Thomas @kaylamarietea — Dreams of utilizing her story-telling skills and passion for gaming combined with broadcasting to accomplish BIG things.
- Gisselle Benitez @laplios — Dreams of continuing her path in competitive esports as both a player and creator. She is currently a part of Stephens College’s all women team (the first college in the U.S. to have an all-female roster).
- Jennifer Stanley @deviantdreamers — Dreams of working in game design/3D animation.
- Devan Tozzo @thehotdish — Dreams of becoming a community manager to be the connection between gamers and their communities and brands/charities/etc.
- Clairene Hunt @KallistaKaines — Dreams of becoming a writer for a gaming company/story writing.
- Adrianna Alfe @maidendere — Dreams of becoming a UX designer for video games or gaming applications; Current thesis is a product aimed to keep women safe at offline gaming/esports events.
- Shakeema Hill @keekeexbabyy — Has big dreams in competitive esports as a competitor and host, specifically fighting games which is extremely lacking women of color.
- Allison Sachs @digitalli — Wants to tackle games journalism and documentaries with her own unique perspective as a woman.
- Tyler Oswald @pierogee — Dreams of winning the fellowship to level up her esports event management skills.
“We created the BroadcastHER Academy Fellowship program for women in esports and gaming to help advance careers in the industry, especially as the pathway forward is still unclear with few formal training programs and educational options,” said 1,000 Dreams Fund Founder and CEO Christie Garton. “Now in its third year, we’ve seen great success for program participants both in front and behind the camera, including opportunities with our valued partners Allied Esports and HyperX, and we only expect more of this as the program grows and expands.”
HyperX’s inspirational team members and ambassadors include popular figures such as Aerial Powers, Pokimane, and Valkyrae. 1,000 Dreams Fund has awarded more than $300,000 to young women since 2016.
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