Sixth Edition | 2023
International Women’s Day
Digital Toolkit

Published internally in 2023, revised for external publication in March 2024.
Content/references may change without warning and Sony Interactive
Entertainment is not responsible for the accuracy of third-party sites.

CONTENTS
Click the article title to jump to thedesired section

Section 1 | Contents
1.1

Editor’s lettert1.2	#EmbracingEquity and thriving
together — International Women’s Day
Section 2 | Making connections andfinding allies around you
2.1	Focus on the person behind the
profile: Tips for engaging with yourteam in a fully remote environment
2.2	What to consider as an ally
managing women
2.3	The power of making connections
with other women
2.4	How I survived an online MBAduring the pandemic, while working
full-time and parenting 3 kids

Section 4 | A ctionable tips andworking life advice
4.1	Self-promotion as seen througha cultural lens
4.2	Pivoting to a career in gaming:
How I managed impostor
syndrome and trusted myself
Section 5 | Mentorship5.1	Mentorship matters, butsponsorship and advocacy
open doors
5.2	How to be the kind of mentor
that lifts as they rise
5.3	On mentorship as a mentee
Section 6 | Credits

Section 3 | Sitting down with Liz Arredondo
on TV writing and AI

02

1.1 | EDITOR’S LETTER
Welcome to the International Women’s Day edition of the Women@PlayStation
Digital Toolkit. This issue is a special one, as it not only celebrates the women ofSony Interactive Entertainment but provides an opportunity for us to learn from eachother and ultimately thrive together.
The topic of this issue follows the trend of professional development, but instead of looking
at another industry to take inspiration and advice from, we’ve looked to ourselves.
Our contributors from across Women@Playstation EMEA and NA have provided insights into
their experiences as women working in tech. With them we explore the importance of making
connections with other women and allies, the power of good mentorship and how we can all
be a bit better at celebrating our own wins. We also sit down with Liz Arredondo to learn more
about her experiences as a woman writing for both TV and AI.
But first, we explore this year’s International Women’s Day theme — #EmbracingEquity. Read on
to learn a bit more about what equity is, how it differs from equality and what #EmbracingEquity
means to Sony Interactive.
We hope you enjoy this issue and find some useful actionable takeaways. Its purpose is to help
provide you with a moment of pause to think about ways in which you might want to develop
professionally, and equip you with some ideas and tools to get started.
To our readers — thank you for spending your valuable time with us. And to our contributors,
this wouldn’t be possible without you!
Thanks,The Women@PlayStation Team03

1.2 | EMBRACING EQUITY — INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023
2023’s International Women’s Day theme is “Embrace Equity.” Its goal is to create an inclusive world by encouraging
everyone to support and “embrace” equity within their own spheres of influence. Challenging our stereotypes and bias,
calling out discrimination, and fostering inclusion are all ways we can encourage equity.
What is Equity?
The words equity and equality are often used interchangeably but have key differences.
To quote the International Women’s Day organizers directly:

Equality means each individual or group of people is given thesame resources or opportunities.
Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances,
and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed toreach an equal outcome.

04

Women and other underrepresented groups need us to improve equity for meaningful progress, as often
an equality approach doesn’t provide enough support to those who are marginalized to begin with. The
image on the right gives an illustration of the differences between equality and equity.
Equality assumes the same measures will allow everyone equal opportunities — which isn’t always thecase. Equity provides equal access by adjusting the tools to be more suitable to specific circumstances.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme aims to educate and encourage embracing equity, so we canall have clear view of the opportunities ahead.

Embracing Equity atSony Interactive Entertainment
Equity is about removing barriers and obstacles forunderrepresented groups, so we level the playing
field and create equal access for everyone. Our focus
now is to define and measure what it really means
to have “equity.” We cannot simply state that it
implies having a particular number of people from agiven demographic represented equally at all levels,
because the gaming industry does not necessarily have the pipeline of talent forevery demographic group in that way. As a result, we must better understandand define what it means to have equity for all groups within the gaming
industry. So that is where we are beginning our journey towards improving
equity at Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Tiffany Johnson — Global Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Social Justice Initiative,
Sony Interactive Entertainment05

SECTION 2.

MAKING CONNECTIONSAND FINDING ALLIESAROUND YOU
It’s intrinsically human to need a support network to succeed.
The same applies to our professional lives but can be quitedifficult when we’re all across different continents and behind
screens. For women, this comes in the form of other womenand male allies. This next section explores the importanceof engaging others and working with allies to thrive.

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2.1 | FOCUS ON THE PERSON BEHIND THE PROFILE: TIPS FOR ENGAGING
WITH YOUR TEAM IN A FULLY REMOTE ENVIRONMENT
BY: JESSICA LONG – SENIOR ENVIRONMENT OUTSOURCE REVIEW ARTIST

Starting a new job in the tech field in April 2020 was a new adventure for me in many ways. At the start of the
COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced a complete industry shift to convert offices and studios to a remote setup;
this completely dismantled and separated teams of all sizes into thousands of individual pieces in different settings.
While the shift to remote work has become a permanent change for many teams, making setup, onboarding, andtraining a nearly seamless process, the stark difference from the “old way” continues to be a challenge in terms ofteam member relationships and morale. Making personal connections that matter to people is no longer as simple
as meeting folks in a break room who happen to share one’s interests or hobbies.
While working in office or on location, workplace connections often form organically, the result of shared physicalspace and conversations. In the absence of physical proximity, the non-work-related chat opportunities disappear.
I personally felt incredibly isolated for a long time, unsure of how to forge meaningful connections, feeling adrift
without social support or engagement.
I have worked to find new ways to create connections in a remote work environment, and though the process isever-evolving, I have noticed some themes that we as leaders and future leaders must keep in mind to help build
our teams’ morale and success.

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1. PROACTIVELY SUPPORTNew team members, especially in junior or associate roles, often face a steep learning
curve in our industry. They may struggle with self doubt, uncertainty, or fear of being
wrong — perhaps normal feelings for a new job, but in a remote environment, seniorpersonnel and leadership aren’t afforded the usual opportunities for spontaneous
support or temperature checks with new team members. It becomes critical to vocallysupport our teams much more than feels “normal” — calling out their successes loudly,
especially on calls with other members of the team. Don’t hesitate to single a person out
for positive reinforcement — especially if you pick up on them putting themselves down.

2. INTENTIONALLY ENGAGE
Though it can be uncomfortable at first, we have to purposefully reach out to others andinitiate dialogue. Generally we use industry news or updates to start conversations, but
the key is to not let them fizzle out; asking for opinions or thoughts is a great approach
for igniting engagement. Actively following up with someone works wonders for making
teammates feel involved, appreciated, and needed.

3. CREATE A FUN AND SAFE SPACE.
Perhaps one of the most important ways to engage with your team in a remoteenvironment, is creating a “just for fun” or “non-work-related” space where teammembers can chat informally. For my team, this started as a Teams Meeting (sigh!)every other Friday where a few people had virtual lunch together; it has grown into
a department-wide monthly gathering with games, personal portfolio shows, petbiographies, and even an “advice corner.” Every one of these is full of laughter, smiles,

Connecting with ourteams on a personallevel, in an intentionalway, is absolutely critical
for this new world ofwork we exist in. As
they say, a little goesa long way, and trying
some of these ideas willalmost certainly show
noticeable positive
returns immediately!

and fast paced interactions.

082.2 | WHAT TO CONSIDER AS AN ALLY MANAGING WOMEN
BY: CHRISTOPHER HORNER – PROJECT MANAGEMENT, PLAYSTATION STUDIOS BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

In researching this article, I began by asking female colleagues, family and friends how a male manager
can, as an ally, encourage a ‘perfect’ (male) manager to (female) employee relationship. Many spoke
highly of their managers, but it was difficult to pin down exactly what worked, when the positive
examples they had were simply that of a harmonious employer and employee relationship, regardless ofgender. So I altered my approach, and instead requested instances where the relationship had not lived
up to that ideal, and I hope that sharing these will provide opportunity for male managers to reflect.
Consider the tasks you are assigning your employees
A friend describes one manager who admitted allocating tasks based on gender: “anything that
required detail and more time he gave to us females but when he ‘just wants to get something done’
he’ll give it to the male colleagues”. Certainly an extreme example but one that can be learnt from;when assigning work, try to be mindful of exhibiting unconscious bias and evaluate colleagues on
an individual basis. Other accounts describe women disproportionately being asked to get involvedin coaching, change management and administration (organising birthday cards, booking meetingrooms etc.). Clearly these activities are found within many job descriptions, but in the context of an ad
hoc task, be mindful if there is some avoidable trend to who you ask to do what.
Consider the behaviours some women might be more likely to exhibit
Underplaying seniority. One example I received was of a friend, having found herself in a more senior
position, introduced herself as ‘Interim Director’ in a meeting; it was only later that she realised that
this both undermined her authority, and was not an action taken by male colleagues.
Failing to self-promote. A colleague, who was significantly outperforming her peers, became
frustrated that her efforts were not recognised by management. Soon she realised that she simply
was not on their radar and needed to speak up.

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Apologising. It is unfortunate but true that the perception of those in leadership positions is not linked with a tendency
to apologise. The ultimate goal for society is for this not to be the case, but until then, consider the habits of your female
employees; why are they saying sorry, is it for a misdeed or is it a learned trait in uncomfortable situations? As an ally andmanager, you can encourage those women to be proud of the roles they have earnt and deserve.
Consider the environment you are creating in your team
What is the culture of your team? Every team is different, but some (primarily male-heavy) teams harbour a ‘laddy’
environment, exaggerated in The Wolf of Wall Street and other sales-orientated dramatisations. Nicknames, in-jokes, banter.
The perception may be that this has a cohesive effect, and generates a bond between team members, but invariably it also
excludes people, not just the women on your team. When encouraging team bonding, look for activities that are as engaging
for women as they might be for men.
More directly, be aware of affinity bias when dealing with members of your team. This is a tendency “to connect with others
who share similar interests, experiences and backgrounds” and, in the context of a male manager, can manifest itself in an
aura of favouritism. A colleague shared an example where someone she worked with felt like her de facto manager becauseof this, even though he was the same seniority level as her.
Research shows that women are 20% less likely to receive actionable feedback at work; an account from a male colleague
admits that he was “scared to say where she… needed to improve as I was concerned about the response I may get”. As amanager, be specific with your feedback — vague comments may give your employee the impression that she is generally
performing well / on the ‘right track’, but without tangible, documented business accomplishments or goals, women are at a
subtle disadvantage for promotion.
Consider the attendees of your meeting
This is a point for allyship in general but, as a manager, you may be more likely to initiate meetings / projects / working
groups. What is the representation like in these groups — will there be a varied range of voices? This can apply when in thediscussions also — are female voices being heard, is there a way that you can make space for them? Use the agenda and therole of chair to bring everyone in.

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Consider pay
There is a pay gap. Women are paid less than men. To say that this issue completely falls outside
the purview of a manager smacks of relinquished responsibility. When filling an open role, a job
is advertised, the best candidate selected and then they may be asked their salary history andexpectations. According to The Fawcett Society, a UK women’s rights charity, “over a third of peoplelie” when asked about their previous salary, with men more likely to do so than women (60% vs 25%)”.
Putting the onus on the candidate to negotiate salary has the potential of keeping those who are
currently underpaid to remain as such; advertising the salary range of an open role removes that risk.
While I acknowledge that a lot of the mentioned steps are owned by recruitment, as a manager you
can push for a better approach.
Consider mentoring a woman
We tend to lean naturally towards helping those that remind us of a younger version of ourselves,
which, in an industry whose leadership positions are dominated by men, contributes to why we arestill not seeing enough women advancing into leadership positions. Consciously choosing to mentor
a woman is a great way to start to break this cycle; there are some tips on LinkedIn Learning aroundhow to approach this in a way so that all parties feel comfortable and safe.
In conclusion, the office environment is
improving, and thankfully, ‘overt’ discrimination
is becoming less common. What can befocussed on is being mindful of the dynamics
you are promoting in your team. As a male

REFERENCES
Unconscious Bias: 16 Examples and How to
Avoid Them in the Workplace

manager of women, there is an authoritative

Women in the Workplace

set-up that has the potential to compound

Research: Vague Feedback Is Holding

gender inequality; consider your approach.

Women Back
End Salary History
Show The Salary011

2.3 | THE POWER OF MAKING CONNECTIONS WITH OTHER WOMEN
BY: ELLEN JAMES – PRODUCT OWNER, CUSTOMER AND CONTENT ENGINEERING

Research by Harvard Business Review shows that women who have a network of close female colleagues are more likely
to experience professional success. A Forbes article on this topic concludes the research perfectly: “Women trying to rise up
into leadership face cultural and systemic hurdles that make it harder for them to advance, such as unconscious bias. The
study suggests that a way to overcome some of these hurdles is to form close connections with other women, who can shareexperiences from women who have been there, done that — from how to ask for what you’re worth to bringing your uniquetalents to leadership.”
The pandemic has changed the ways we work – in both positive and negative ways. A UK work study found that less than halfof women have managed to make friends at work during the pandemic, “the data showed that 43% of women are missing
socialising over lunch the most, compared to just 26% of men.” Furthermore, women are “54% more likely to talk about mental
health” with their work colleagues than their male counterparts. However, with women generally favouring flexible working –due to the numerous benefits, this means it’s important that we explore other avenues of connecting with each other.
Lean In published an insightful article on how women can champion other women in the workplace. Including celebratingeach other’s successes — call each other out and make sure our efforts are known. Encouraging each other to go for that
promotion, take that new opportunity. And mentoring other women and sharing experiences.
Having spent my whole career in male-dominated industries, I often overlooked and even negated the impact of connections
with other women. However, when I started to work alongside a new female manager my perspective completely changed. I
gained both a mentor and a friend. She advocated for me in situations where I didn’t feel comfortable doing it myself. One
particular instance always stays in my mind; during an important presentation a colleague started to speak over me and takeover the conversation — she called this out. That small gesture meant a lot — professionally, I was able to finish presenting the
key information and personally, I had found an ally.
Having recently joined Sony Interactive Entertainment I was thrilled to see the Women@PlayStation network and how wellestablished it is, adding true value and insight. I’m really excited to be on board and get involved going forwards.

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2.4 | HOW I SURVIVED AN ONLINE MBA DURING PANDEMIC,
WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME AND PARENTING 3 KIDS
BY: PJ CAMP MALIK – SENIOR MANAGER OF PRODUCT DATA SCIENCE, GAME PF ENGAGEMENT

I had an illogical desire to get an MBA during the pandemic. When my kids started doing at-homeschooling, I figured ‘mom can do it too’. It seemed absurd to me at the time because I was a grayhaired professional with focus issues, who hadn’t been in a classroom for what seemed like 100 years.
I talked to colleagues at Sony Interactive Entertainment, and rather than kindly tap me on theshoulder with a ‘that’s nice’, they offered to write recommendation letters. I figured it was a shot in
the dark to get admitted, having less than stellar performance as an undergraduate student. (I was
too busy socializing to focus on organic chemistry). Surprisingly to me, the University of Illinois wasdelighted to welcome me to its Summer 2020 cohort.
Since I’m 103 years old (according to my kids, and don’t I look amazing for my age?), I had to seek
advice from my brilliant Sony Interactive 2020 Summer intern about how to be a student. “Go get
involved. Make friends. Find people like you so you can share the journey together. Don’t try to bea hero and do it alone. Business school is a group project.” I gotta say, that was absolutely the best
advice I got hands down.
I found my people at school. We formed a Discord group. They became my asynchronouscohort, that I affectionately call my "Discord bros”. To which it’s still delightful to hear “YOU’RE on
Discord??!!”. It’s also become the primary place I speak to my thirteen-year-old — “Please come todinner now…”
After spending probably too long in a camp of ‘I can do this by myself, asking for help is weak’,
I was delightfully proven wrong. Business school is all about collaboration, negotiation, andintentionally working together. My cohort all rose together with new skills, new tools, and new
ways to work. Never in a million years would I have figured people really do want you to succeed.
Your colleagues and leadership are equally delighted to see you champion new adventures.

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My kids watched mom take live lectures, do homework, record video presentations, and show
up for her classes when she promised. I negotiated with my eldest that ‘if I can pass accounting,you can do your homework’. Of course, they thanked me with a joke from the movie Napoleon
Dynamite… “your MOM goes to college”. Yes. I did.
I love challenging stereotypes. It’s a hobby of mine. So this MBA is for the parents and for anyone
else who is 103 years old and thinks they might be too old to learn new things. Sony Interactive
has taught me to get involved, ask for help and encourage others. If this mom of 3 can passaccounting, so can you. Me and Sony Interactive Entertainment will be right here to cheer you on.

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SECTION 3.

SITTING DOWN WITH
LIZ ARREDONDO ON
TV WRITING AND AI

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3 | SITTING DOWN WITH LIZ ARREDONDO ON TV WRITING AND AIINTERVIEWED BY KATIE MONTGOMERY – SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER, GLOBAL MARKETING

Elizabeth Arredondo, a writer focused on creating compelling characters for television and interactive mediums covers her
real-world experiences developing and user-testing the personality and conversations for a robot wellness coach, including
how she leverages her background as a television writer. We sat down with her to talk about her experiences as a woman
in tech.
1. Please tell us a little bit about your background and how you got involved with Sony Interactive Entertainment.
My background is primarily in TV writing. I have an MFA from USC’s Writing for Screen and TV program and have worked
on network and streaming shows, along with original pilots. But when I moved to the Bay area for my husband’s startup
company, I discovered a robotics startup looking for a screenwriter to create the personality and conversation style for
their new healthcare robot, Mabu. I spent the next three years developing Mabu’s personality and user interactions. I wasout of my comfort zone but I found the work fascinating. I was invited to join mediaX at Stanford as a Visiting Scholar.
I developed a seminar series called Creating AI Conversations that brought professionals working to create personality
and voice in AI together with academic researchers at Stanford. Martha Russell, the Director of mediaX, introduced me tosomeone from the Future Technology Group within Engineering at Sony Interactive Entertainment, who then invited me
to give a talk called Giving Robots a Life, Designing Personality, Backstory, and Interactions for AI Assistants.
2. What are the differences in writing for a robot vs the screen?
It’s always exciting to see characters come to life, but watching Mabu interact with people in the real world was wild.
To be able to actually ask people how they felt about her was creatively exciting. Watching Mabu help people was very
rewarding. Creating character and dialogue for a “real world” agent that is meant to interact with people in real life
raised unique design challenges, including creating trust, balancing engagement with getting work done, and keeping
people interested in interactions over a longer term.

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3. What are your thoughts on how AI can be used in or benefit our daily lives (personally and/or professionally)?
I think AI has the potential to bring a lot of benefit. Mabu has a very specific job: to talk to chronically ill people about taking
their medications and inspire positive behavior change. We use AI in these targeted, specific ways in our personal lives all thetime — getting driving directions, asking home speakers about the weather or for song recommendations, nutritional coachingapps, and so on. I think we are just starting to see how AI can be used in creative professions. It will be interesting to see howthat evolves, especially with the advent of large language models like chatGPT.
4. There are a lot of protests going on in the creative world against AI-generated content with some websites banning
it altogether. Do you have any thoughts on how AI-generated content can affect people in the industry?
I believe AI can assist, but not replace human creativity. Creating art, characters and narratives is at the core of what makes us
human. We need to be careful to preserve this. I do think there are exciting partnerships that we can form with AI technology that
may let us achieve creative heights that were not possible before. A question that inspires me is, how can we use AI to create
richer worlds than we could before? What did I once only dream of doing that now might be possible by leveraging AI technology?
5. What has your experience as a woman in both creative and technical fields been like? What challenges did you faceand how did you overcome them?
In both the TV and tech worlds, I’ve had the experience of looking around the room and noticing I was one of the only women
there. One challenge can be finding yourself with a different point of view from the rest of a team. I’ve found that times
when I’ve listened, and taken the time to understand how my point of view is different and why, then spoken from a place ofhonesty and authenticity, people have generally been receptive. Sometimes these conversations lead to important pivots instrategy. When I started to have more confidence and embraced what made me different, especially as a creative person intech, I found it was actually an asset. If you find yourself in a similar situation, my advice would be to look at what makes you
feel vulnerable or insecure… is that actually something that you can lean into? Can you look at this as something that makes
your point of view more valuable? Chances are that you can use your experience to offer important insights and make yourwork and position stronger.

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SECTION 4.

ACTIONABLE
TIPS AND
WORKING LIFE
ADVICE
Our contributors shared a bit about theirown personal experiences, providing advice
and guidance on how they manage certain
challenges of working life.

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4.1 | SELF-PROMOTION AS SEEN THROUGH A CULTURAL LENS
BY: RITU GUPTA – PRINCIPLE HARDWARE ARCHITECT, HARDWARE AND SYSTEMS ENGINEERINGMy brother and I grew up in India in a family of academics. Both of us were everything that a parent could ask in theirkids. We were good at our studies, in sports and extra-curricular activities. Despite this success, as is common in Asian
countries, “downplaying your skills and talents” is a way to appear humble. My mom was always very involved in our school
activities — especially the extra curriculars — and would always say “results speak for themselves, you don’t need to brag
about those”.
I was a good student academically, a state-level table tennis player, and I have stacks of winning certificates from my school
years from pretty much every extra-curricular activity I took part in. But talking about these successes is difficult.
Both my brother and I went to one of the best engineering colleges in India, moved to the US for our graduate degrees and
now work here. Understanding the corporate culture of the US has been a learning experience, especially as it is perhaps themost bullish nation when it comes to personal branding and self-promotion. Despite my success up until moving to the US,
adjusting to the culture required some work. Self-promotion still always triggers the voice in my head — “you are bragging andbeing a jerk” — but I have learnt and used the following tools to better navigate the cultural differences:
First Impressions: In my last company, most of senior leaders I worked with had been with the company for decade(s). In myfirst 1:1 with a new key stakeholder, as a part of introducing myself, I would briefly go over my work experience. This helped
me build credibility.

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FIRST IMPRESSIONSSHARE LEARNINGSSHARE SUCCESSBE ASSERTIVE

In my last company, most of senior leaders

Self-Promotion works when it is natural and

Be very generous with giving credit to

One of my former managers emphasized on

I worked with had been with the company

unforced. Sharing learnings from a past orcolleagues wherever due. This helps build‘being assertive’. Assertiveness means being

for decade(s). In my first 1:1 with a new key

present assignment at a relevant point in

a sense of camaraderie which always

able to express effectively and standing up for

stakeholder, as a part of introducing myself,

a discussion or using a blog/documentation

comes back.

my point of view as well as respecting views

I would briefly go over my work experience.

is a great tool. If these learnings can beof others. In technical discussions, by being

This helped me build credibility. It helped

weaved in as stories, they will stick withassertive, I have been able to successfully

the other person understand my strengths,

audience for a long time!

establish my technical competence andcapabilities which I bring to the assignment

leadership abilities.

and areas where I might need help – andprovides a personal confidence boost

Working through cultural differences is an exercise not just for women but also for men. I see my brother working on the samechallenges, making efforts to understand the cultural difference of self-promotion (American) vs humility (Asian) as well.
I feel that it is certainly much easier for men compared to women, given the additional pressures we face and the prevalenceof imposter syndrome making it even more difficult to talk about our personal successes.
When it comes to navigating work culture I am constantly learning. However, even after spending many years in US work
culture developing and applying these learnings, the voice in my head is always a critique. While I write this, the voice isberating me — “you have bragged so much about your life to write this article. You didn’t need to write this article”. I would
like to befriend this voice and I would advise anyone reading this to befriend their inner critic too — shout about yoursuccesses, you worked hard to achieve them and deserve to be celebrated.
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4.2 | P
 IVOTING TO A CAREER IN GAMING: HOW I MANAGED IMPOSTERSYNDROME AND TRUSTED MYSELF
BY: BRIANNA KREJCI – FINANCE AND PLANNING ANALYST, PLAYSTATION STUDIOS PRODUCT PORTFOLIO

Despite having played games for years, I never considered myself a “gamer”. Gamers, to me, were people who played “serious”
games where you killed zombies and shot the enemy team. I thought that my love of Animal Crossing, The Sims, and Candy
Crush didn’t count — those were children’s games. More insidiously, those were “girl games”. Embedded in me was the belief
that to be a gamer, you had to love shooters and fighting games. You had to be a boy. I wouldn’t have said it out loud, but
over the last year I came to realize that I held this as a subconscious truth.
I didn’t own a non-Nintendo console until I bought a PS5 in 2021. I had begun my career pivot through my MBA programand saw that the opportunities in film and television that I came to school for were stagnant, but that gaming was electricand evolving. I started to read, listen, and ask questions about the gaming industry whenever I could. I learned about cloud
gaming, what AAA means, and which games changed the industry. I learned about the major publishers and studios. Whenrecruiting started, I decided to unconfidently throw my name in the ring. I mean, who was I?
When I got an interview at Sony Interactive Entertainment, I was sure they made a mistake. I was in way over my head forthat first interview. Getting rejected would crush my spirits and confirm my belief that I don’t belong to this community. But
then, by some miracle, I was asked to interview for another role. I was determined. I was inspired by my interview experienceand looked into more PlayStation titles. I was drawn to Aloy as a protagonist. So, I started playing Horizon: Zero Dawn on easy
(while embarrassed to admit the difficulty I was playing on). I loved it. I loved Aloy.
Something in that second interview clicked, and I knew I had found my home. Despite still facing imposter syndrome, I try toremind myself that the gaming industry cannot only employ people who have been playing “hardcore” games their entire
lives. It needs fresh perspectives to continue growing for diverse audiences and creating inclusive shared experiences.

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Now, I openly talk about playing games on Easy. I don’t have the innate reaction times that many do, or the love of failing
100 times to finally get it on the 101st I know I am not alone. I talk to many women about gaming, and many say the samething: “I want to play games, but they’re just too hard.” I firmly believe that unless difficulty is the feature, this should never
happen. Games, even those with combat, are so much more than their combat. They’re immersive worlds with deep stories
to tell and secrets to explore. No one should be barred because they can’t shoot arrows fast enough. It was shortly before my
Sony Interactive interviews that I learned about the existence of difficulty adjustments, and I make sure I share this news withas many women as I can.
I know I have a lot to learn. I’ll forget who published Borderlands, and ask “wait, remind me what Warren Spector made again?”
But I’m not afraid to ask. In fact, I’m excited to ask. I’m thrilled that I can see so many games for the first time and share mythoughts as a newcomer. I openly talk about how the combat mechanics in Marvel’s Spider-Man are too difficult for me
but how I put 85 hours into Horizon Zero Dawn. I talk about what I love in mobile games, which support I main in Wild Rift,
the brilliant storytelling sandbox of The Sims, and where beloved games lose me (it’s almost always too much combat). Most
importantly, I don’t shy away from my commitment to bringing more women and people like me to embrace their role in thegaming community, even if they “only” play Stardew Valley.

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SECTION 5.

MENTORSHIP
Mentorship is incredibly valuable both professionallyand personally. The following articles share personal
experiences of mentorship — both from a mentor andmentee perspective — and provide advice on how tomake the most of your relationships.

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5.1 | M
 ENTORSHIP MATTERS, BUT SPONSORSHIP AND ADVOCACYOPEN DOORSBY: ELLA FORTUNA – DIRECTOR PRODUCT MARKETING, PLATFORM INNOVATION AND BRAND STRATEGY

Some time ago I found myself working with a new-to-me team. And not just new to working together, but NEW-NEW,
as in I didn’t know a single person in this business organization.
Looking back, I remember feeling so excited about the opportunity to forge a new working partnership, but I struggledwith looming deadlines. At first, things were just slow. We were still feeling each other out and trying to learn eachother’s expectations. It was going well, but we weren’t efficient. That kind of working relationship comes with trust
and rapport built over time. Then, a month or so into things, things just sped up overnight. All of the sudden our work
together felt faster and more in sync.
So, what happened? Was it my sparkling personality, deep product marketing knowledge, and endless optimistic Star
Trek quotes?! All that may have helped, but it wasn’t the catalyst. What I didn’t realize was that someone was working
on my behalf… my mentor.
Hopefully, we all know of and participate in one of Sony Interactive’s many mentorship programs, whether through
Women@PlayStation or your business unit, so I won’t utilize my limited character count with a lengthy definition.
Typically, mentorship is about advice, guidance, and support, but Advocacy and Sponsorship are different types ofbusiness relationship, ones that we should all know more about.
Though I didn’t fully grasp this at the time, but my Mentor was going beyond. Way beyond. He was advocating forme. Advocacy and Sponsorship are when someone goes out of their way to invest in you, to share about your work, toadvertise your passion. Advocates and Sponsors say your name to their peers and colleagues.
Author Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career, writes, “Women on
average have three times as many mentors as men — but men have twice as many sponsors.” She goes on to explainthat women make a “huge mistake” in assuming mentorship and sponsorship are the same thing.
So, what did my mentor do for me? Well, he talked about me to my partner team. He emphasized my passion for our
product, and he highlighted the steps I was taking to deepen my knowledge outside of my role’s scope, such as arecent certification I was working. Honestly, he just shared about me.
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You might be asking, “Ellana…did he tell you he was going to do this?” Yes, yes he did. But it wasn’t formal, he just asked
if he could tell some colleagues about what we were covering in our mentorship meetings. I’m not sure either one ofus really grasped at the time that we had moved into Sponsorship and Advocacy vs. pure Mentorship, but we did. That

FOR FURTHER READING ON ADVOCACYAND SPONSORSHIP:

shift in our mentorship-mentee relationship fundamentally changed the trajectory of my work, and I will never, ever stop
being grateful to him.

https://hbr.org/2021/06/dont-just-mentor-women-and-people-of-colorsponsor-themSo, how does one find an Advocate or a Sponsor? You can start by examining your business relationships and reachingout to that person with whom you already have a positive, established relationship and has a history of supporting yourhttps://www.mckinsey.com/about-us/new-at-mckinsey-blog/putting-women-

work or your business perspectives. Frame your request and set a clear outcome. “Hey there colleague, I’m working on

at-the-forefront-of-technology

something amazing that will benefit the company. I’d like you to advise me through the process, but I’m also looking foryour sponsorship with our partner team to see this greenlit. Would you be willing to tell them about my work?”

https://money.cnn.com/2017/10/24/pf/women-sponsor-mentor/index.html

I know, I know, scary, right? This isn’t just meeting for coffee and sharing after a difficult day. This is asking someone toForget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor: The New Way to Fast-Track Your Career

do something big. And you must be prepared for someone to say “no.” In Mentorship, someone isn’t necessarily putting

by Sylvia Ann Hewlett

themselves on the line for you, but in Advocacy and Sponsorship, they will. Even if someone does like and support you,they may not have the time or bandwidth that Advocacy and Sponsorship necessitate. Don’t ask for an Advocate or aSponsor unless you’re comfortable having them decline.
Advocacy and Sponsorship doesn’t have to be big and formal though. We can all advocate and sponsor others and theirwork. Did someone create an amazing program/feature/model? Say their name in a meeting, share their name on Slackin #recognize, send an email to their manager (with permission) and call them out big and loud. Celebrate others often
and frequently.
If you are reading this and you know just one colleague for whom you’d be willing to go out on a limb, do it. Reach out,
find a project, lift them up and say their name.

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5.2 | HOW TO BE THE KIND OF MENTOR THAT LIFTS AS THEY RISE
BY: MERILLY RUGLAS – SENIOR GAME DESIGNER, PLAYSTATION STUDIOS VISUAL ARTS

From the perspective of someone who had a hard time finding the right career mentor. Personally, I believe thatto be a good mentor means to be someone who believes in the potential of others, who simply believes that they
are capable even when they themselves don't believe it. This is the most valuable lesson I have learned from my
own mentor in my Nichiren Buddhist Practice, Dr. Daisaku Ikeda. With this lesson in mind, I want to share about how
I became a mentor that lifts as she rises.
Empathy was my starting point. I always try to remember how hard it was for me to not only find someone willing tomentor me, but also, how difficult it was to come up with the right questions to ask as to not waste that person’s time.
Therefore, now, when I meet with mentees, as the mentor, I do my best to be the one to ask questions as well. I try to
get to the root cause of why this person is struggling in their career or to dig deep into what it is that they are looking
to achieve. After all, someone who is looking for a mentor is doing so they can be pointed in the right direction. But
most of the time, that mentee may not even know what that direction is. So as the mentor, I do my best to help them
uncover that as we dialogue about their career goals and aspirations.
Giving them actionable advice is my second directive as a mentor. When I was a mentee, I remember feeling a bit ata loss whenever the feedback I received did not contain any clear actionable items that I could work on in order toimprove myself and grow. Thus, I do my best now to work with the mentee to come with actionable things that they
can work to contribute to either their overall goal or to prepare for our next session. For instance, I recently supporteda young woman who is getting her Master’s as a Game Designer and who was struggling to get hired as an intern. In
spite of her having an awesome repertoire of projects in her portfolio, she was not even getting invites to interviewsat all. After several dialogues about the situation, I shared with her things that she could change and improve on
her resume, portfolio and her LinkedIn profile. I asked her to try to have those changes made by the next time we
meet. During our next meeting, we reviewed the changes she had made and after agreeing that things looked good,I encouraged to submit three applications while I was on the call with her, and she did. I am happy to report that she
was invited to interview for a top company after submitting those applications!

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Lastly, following up with them is super important. I keep in touch with my mentees and I provide resources (Books,
Podcasts, Job Posts) and encouragement when needed. Again, as I put myself in their shoes, I not only try to be thecareer mentor I wish I had, but I also try to be the person who mentions their name “in a room full of opportunities!”
Whenever an opportunity comes into my radar that I think one of my mentees might be a good fit for, I always make ita point to either tag them, send them information or to drop their name on a message to the poster of the opportunity.
And the more I advance in my career myself, the more I make it a point to support those around me. Because I remember
what is what like to be where they are. That’s how I became a mentor who lifts others as she rises — through empathy
and by believing in the potential of others. I am where I am because someone believed in mine.

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5.3 | ON MENTORSHIP AS A MENTEE
BY: OLIVIA VÍŤAZKOVÁ – PROGRAM MANAGER, ONLINE SUPPORTI first came across the concept of mentorship while helping my flatmate with her university assignment — watchingan episode of 30 Rock.
Up until then I thought the best way to succeed is to do everything by yourself, even if it’s difficult. However,seeing Liz Lemon’s excitement over having a mentor at work gave me a pause.
Surely it’s better to navigate the wilderness of work with a map or a guide rather than hacking your way throughthe jungle with a butter knife?
My attitude towards mentorship has changed and I was actively on the lookout for people I could learn from,the success would still be my own even if I did have help on the way.
Why find a mentor?
Finding a mentor can be beneficial for everyone, whether you’re a new starter or have been in the workplace fora while. You can get advice from someone more experienced in the world of work or someone who is in a position
you’re aiming towards. Chances are your mentor would have had similar experiences when starting out and you
can learn from their insight or past mistakes.
Another thing a mentor can help you with is accountability. For example, if you want to speak up more inmeetings you might realise it will be much easier to take action rather than to come up with excuses foryour next mentorship meeting.
Where to find a mentor
While your manager and your peers can be excellent sources of advice, often it’s useful to have a mentor outside
your immediate team as they can provide an outsider's perspective or a unique insight.
Check whether your office or department is running a mentorship or a buddy scheme, chances are there will be
one you can take part in.
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You can also look outside of your department or company to find your mentor within your industry. Look for industry
wide schemes for women in technology or gaming and you may be able to find one who is perfect for you.
Leverage your network at work or industry events. The word networking seems to be both overused and underdefined. Just think of it as making a connection, rather than being on a sales call. Maybe the next conversation you
start over a plate of nachos or in line for coffee will lead to meeting a great person who can also provide insight into
excelling at your job.
What does mentorship look like?
It’s always good to introduce yourself to your mentor (even though they might already know who you are) by walking
them through your career and any aspirations and introduce any issues or workplace dilemmas you’re experiencing.
Your mentor may ask you questions and often the act of thinking about the question or discussing a problem will lead
you towards an answer. It’s not an easy process but it can be very rewarding.
A good place to start your mentorship journey is the “Being a Good Mentee” LinkedIn course, which answers somecommon questions and will help you get started and make the most of your mentorship.
The mentor within
While going through the mentorship process it’s important to keep your expectations in check. Think of your mentor
as the wise Yoda or Obi-wan to your Luke Skywalker — while they can offer you advice, you are the one steering theship into a Death Star, asking for a raise or dealing with a challenging co-worker, so make sure any decisions you’remaking are ones that work for you.
Another intriguing idea I’ve read about in Playing Big by Tara Mohr is to find a mentor within yourself. Whatever
approach you take, learning from others while staying true to yourself is a great way to continue on your path
towards success.

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CREDITSCONTENT CONTRIBUTORSIMAGE CREDITSThank you to everyone who contributed to this edition of theTable of Contents

Women@PlayStation Digital Toolkit.

https://stock.adobe.com/ph/507263544
https://stock.adobe.com/ph/565741058

Editorial Team:https://stock.adobe.com/ph/352400762

Katie Montgomery
Olga Rudi

Section 2 | Making connections and finding allies around you

Lucinda Vaughan-Steelhttps://stock.adobe.com/ph/524215868
https://stock.adobe.com/ph/530119558

Content Contributors:
PJ Camp Malik

Section 3 | Sitting down with Liz Arredondo on TV writing and AI

Ellana Fortuna

https://stock.adobe.com/ph/524215868

Ritu Gupta
Christopher Horner

Section 4 | Actionable tips and working life advice

Ellen Jameshttps://stock.adobe.com/ph/392272861

Sarah Karp
Brianna Krejci
Jessica Long

Section 5 | Mentorshiphttps://stock.adobe.com/ph/466480152

Katie Montgomery
Merilly Ruglas
Lucinda Vaughan-Steel
Olivia Víťazková
Thanks to:
Able@PlayStation
Male Allyship Group
Wellbeing@PlayStation
Represent@PlayStation
Pride@PlayStation

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THANK YOU