Melissa Austin has spent her career opening doors in the gaming industry—not just as a technical artist and leader but as a force multiplier for others. In this conversation, she shares how mentorship, representation, and a deep passion for helping others have shaped her journey. From her early days in game development to leading a team at Niantic, Melissa opens up about the pivotal moments, the challenges of a male-dominated industry, and why empowering others is the ultimate superpower. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more empowering stories from remarkable women. Thank you for listening ❤ See below for transcript, timestamps, to get in touch, and more. TRANSCRIPT: https://www.shelightstheway.com/melissaaustin-interview-transcript EPISODE LINKS: Melissa’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-a-austin/ KEY MOMENTS: 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Melissa’s journey as a first-generation, mixed-race woman in gaming 04:15 How Melissa’s passion for helping people shaped her path in technical art 07:45 The key turning points that defined Melissa’s career 12:30 The challenge of representation, and why visibility matters 16:10 Finding the right allies, even when female mentors were scarce 19:50 How Melissa transitioned from individual contributor to manager and lessons learned 24:05 Why advocating for her team’s needs has been Melissa’s most rewarding part of leadership 28:40 How going “off script” during a Girls Who Code event created an unforgettable impact 32:15 Melissa’s hopes for the gaming industry and how she’s shaping its evolution 36:40 What She Lights the Way means to Melissa 38:30 Final Thoughts & Wrap-Up FOLLOW: Website: shelightstheway.com/ Newsletter: www.shelightstheway.com/newsletter LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/she-lights-the-way/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/shelightstheway/ STORIES: https://www.shelightstheway.com/stories PODCAST: Podbean: https://shelightstheway.podbean.com/ RSS: https://bit.ly/SheLightsTheWayRSS Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/4091de0 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4h8Kq0N Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3YeCt1m BLOG: https://medium.com/@she_lights_the_way https://shelightstheway.substack.com/ CONNECT: Contact us: www.shelightstheway.com/contact Share a story: www.shelightstheway.com/story