Burberry partners with Gen.G to champion women and inclusivity within gaming

Burberry and global esports organisation, Gen.G, announce the launch of a four-part educational content series to champion women and the importance of inclusivity within gaming as part of Gen.G’s “NetWORK: Inspire” program.

The partnership marks Burberry’s first foray into the world of esports and builds on both Burberry and Gen.G’s commitment to helping underrepresented communities gain valuable skills and insights that will empower them to go beyond.

Hosted by entrepreneur and content creator, Emily Ghoul, the series features women in gaming, content creators and influencers from across the industry, alongside members of the Burberry team. Each episode features an open discussion about the common challenges facing women within gaming, including toxic online environments, stereotyping and underrepresentation.

According to a Global Gaming Gender Balance Scorecard released by Forbes in 2020, almost half of all gamers are women, however the vast majority of executive positions in the gaming industry are held by men. With the hope of highlighting the underrepresentation of women in leadership within the industry, the series aims to reframe the ‘play to win’ narrative of esports into one that is actively promoting inclusion and change within the gaming community. 

With the first episode launching tomorrow, and the remainder being released every two weeks following, the series will be available on Burberry’s website, TikTok, YouTube, and livestreaming platform, Twitch, to the following schedule:

• Episode 1 – My Platform is My Power – featuring Gen.G influencer and variety streamer, Krysta “Krystalogy” Eason, Founder of @Enlightgg, Eunice Chen, and Burberry’s Vice President of Brand Protection, Melissa Roth Mendez, this episode unpacks the idea that platforms have unmatched power in creating real change for the future and discussed the women that are already driving this change.
• Episode 2 – The I in Imagination – featuring Gen. G and Logitech content creator, Jessica Kim, singer and Twitch streamer, Stephanie Poetri, and Burberry Senior CAD Manager, Lucy Goodyear, this episode will explore how we can use our creativity as a force for good, to inspire women online and to encourage self- expression.
• Episode 3 – Voices and Choices for Change – featuring Netflix TV personality and Twitch streamer, Jacki Jing, YouTuber and esports commentator, Evan “Raynday” Raynr, and voice actor, gaming creator and former KPop singer, Shannon Williams, this episode turns up the volume on the importance of championing women within all spaces and discusses how they use their voice to inspire advocacy as well as the role men can play in allyship.
• Episode 4 – Supercharging Self-Care – featuring Gen.G content creator, Gloria “Ploo” Shin, Founder and President of Latinx in Gaming, Cristina Amaya, and Burberry Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion, Geoffrey Williams, the final episode will focus on the importance of self-care, mental health and how to evade the pitfall of burnout.

In addition to the series, Burberry will be donating to the Gen.G Foundation Scholarship. The Gen.G Foundation aims to develop talented young gamers with the potential to lead the industry’s next generation, whilst promoting a culture of diversity and inclusion. Burberry will select a scholarship recipient that champions these values through their work and demonstrates a commitment to empowering underrepresented communities within the gaming industry and beyond. The chosen recipient will be notified in September 2022, with the scholarship funds being shared directly with their selected college or university.

Rachel Waller, Global VP of Channel Innovation at Burberry said: ‘We are so proud to partner with Gen.G and to support the next generation of women within gaming to go beyond. Through our programming and scholarship, we hope to equip young leaders with the skills they need to succeed and achieve their aspirations.’

‘It’s an honour to collaborate with an iconic brand like Burberry on NetWORK: Inspire. They share Gen.G’s vision of celebrating and empowering underrepresented voices in the gaming space and beyond,’ said Gina Chung Lee, Chief Marketing Officer at Gen.G. ‘We envision a community of creatives that is inclusive and diverse; we hopethis content series inspires fans in gaming, fashion, and music alike.’

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Gen.G
Established in 2017, Gen.G is the leading esports organization connecting the United States and Asia. Ranked no. 6 in the inaugural Forbes list of the “World’s Most Valuable Esports Companies,” Gen.G is the only major organization that owns and operates top teams in the world’s leading esports markets — China, South Korea and the United States. Its unique portfolio of teams, winners of seven global championships to date, includes the Seoul Dynasty franchise of the Overwatch League; 2014 and 2017 League of Legends world champion team in South Korea; the world’s top all-female Fortnite team, based in Los Angeles; and the NBA 2K League’s historic expansion franchise in Shanghai.

United under #TigerNation, Gen.G’s core mission is to help fans and athletes use the power of gaming and esports to get ahead in and beyond the competition. The company has quickly become a commercial and thought leader, building a global, inclusive and cross-cultural future for sports entertainment. Its widely acclaimed initiatives include: #TeamBumble, the leading team platform for the empowerment of women in gaming; and Gen.G Elite Esports Academy, the world’s first fully integrated academic esports program. Gen.G’s teams, content creators and corporate staff work out of their offices in Los Angeles, Seoul and Shanghai. More information about Gen.G esports and its teams can be found at this link. 

About Burberry’s Commitment to Supporting Communities 

• Burberry has been dedicated to helping communities through many programmes, from enabling access to the creative industries to championing organisations making a difference around the world.
• Through The Burberry Foundation, we have maintained initiatives including Burberry Inspire, giving young people a deep and varied experience of arts and culture while studying the impact on their development. In addition, Burberry is continuing to support students through creative arts scholarships.
• Burberry’s newest partnerships continue to focus on supporting and empowering youth. In 2020, Burberry first partnered with Marcus Rashford MBE, providing vital funding to youth centres across the UK and charities championing the voices of tomorrow. Burberry and Marcus Rashford MBE partnered once more in 2021, providing support for organisations in the UK committed to helping disadvantaged children develop their literacy skills. Honouring the house’s founder Thomas Burberry’s legacy of using creativity to open spaces, Burberry also provided funding to transform school libraries and donate books, ensuring children have access to safe environments and resources to develop their potential across the UK, United States and Asia. 

About Burberry

• Burberry is a global luxury brand headquartered in London, UK.
• Founded in 1856, Burberry is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BRBY.L) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index.
• BURBERRY, the Equestrian Knight Device, the Burberry Check and the Thomas Burberry Monogram and Print are trademarks belonging to Burberry.
• For more news: www.burberryplc.com