Podcasts Technology Outspoken with Shana Cosgrove From the Rafters: Cynthia P. Jenkins, CMO and Founder of Skillsgapp

From the Rafters: Cynthia P. Jenkins, CMO and Founder of Skillsgapp

Published: Nov. 15, 2022, 9 a.m.

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Collaborating, Gaming, and the STEM Talent Pipeline


In this episode of The Outspoken Podcast, host Shana Cosgrove talks to Cynthia Jenkins, founder and CMO of Skillsgapp, maker of Skillionaire Games. Cynthia describes how her company is developing video games that school districts and industry leaders can use to teach middle and high school students about STEM careers in their local communities. Cynthia describes her training in journalism and advertising as well as her mid-career transition\\u2014together with collaborator Tina Zwolenski\\u2014from marketing to the world of gaming. Shana and Cynthia talk about the need for soft skills in every field and the increasing recognition that reaching and teaching kids earlier about opportunities in STEM is crucial to filling an anticipated 700,000 new tech jobs with industry and government employers. Cynthia says that, yes, sometimes you actually should go to bed angry, and she tells Shana a surprising story about a chance meeting with The Rolling Stones\\u2019 Ronnie Wood.

QUOTES

  • \\u201cIt\\u2019s a testament to this generation. They want to advocate for their own future, and they don\\u2019t want you to hide it.\\u201d - Cynthia Jenkins [27:01]
  • \\u201cYou spend a lot of time looking at what\\u2019s behind you, what\\u2019s behind you, what\\u2019s behind you. And it\\u2019s that pivot, looking right next to you all the way to the front, and that runway ahead of you.\\u201d - Cynthia Jenkins [32:57]\\xa0
  • \\u201cYou shouldn\\u2019t have to rely on trust. Get everything in writing and legal [. . . ] Get it really buttoned up. And then you both are safe, you\\u2019ve already made the hard decisions, and then you just get to be partners.\\u201d - Cynthia Jenkins [36:45]

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TIMESTAMPS\\xa0

  • [00:04] Intro
  • [01:54] Meet Cynthia Jenkins
  • [04:19] Connecting Kids to Life-Changing Careers Though Game-Changing Play
  • [09:50] From Marketing to Making
  • [13:44] Bringing Games to Schools and Industry
  • [16:06] Getting Kids in the Game as Testers and as Players
  • [19:18] Long Hours and Steep Learning Curves
  • [24:14] Instructional Design for the Smartphone Generation
  • [28:17] Having Fun at Work, Being the Funniest in the Room
  • [32:11] Reaching and Teaching Kids Earlier
  • [34:36] Collaborating with Tina Zwolenski in Zwo and Beyond
  • [36:46] First, Get It in Writing
  • [39:54] Sleep on a Problem, Wake up with a Fresh Perspective
  • [41:06] Doing Hard Things and Inspiring a New Generation\\xa0
  • [46:39] On Kissing Ron Wood
  • [51:50] Outro

RELEVANT LINKS


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Live well, Shana

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