Digital entrepreneur: Laura Fort, Studio PixMix
Femmes du Numérique: To begin with, what is your definition of “digital”?
Laura Fort:That’s a tough question, because digital technology has invaded every aspect of our professional and personal lives. For me, digital means any company, project or environment in which new information and communication technologies are predominant.
FDN: Women, an opportunity for digital. Digital, an opportunity for women. What do you think of it? Why did you choose this sector?
LF :I don’t feel that the digital sector is particularly geared towards women. But it’s a field that’s constantly innovating and looking to the future. Everything has yet to be created: new uses, new professions, new businessmodels… And France can boast a number of successstories: Deezer, Viadeo, Leetchi, and more recently Front App.
That’s what attracts women, along with others who suffer discrimination: this great freedom of action and the feeling that everyone has a chance.
For my part, I was also attracted by the prospect of breaking new ground, but it was above all out of passion and commitment that I took the plunge. Passion for the wonderful medium of video games and commitment to children and education, which for me is the key to societal change. “Today‘s children are tomorrow’s citizens” is the credo behind the Debout Ludo project.
FDN: Is being a woman entrepreneur a plus?
LF:The advantage of being your own boss is that you decide how you want to spend your time, how you want to work and with whom you want to work (or not). In that sense, you don’t have to suffer the gender inequalities that you unfortunately still too often encounter as an employee.
There are also grants, competitions andbusinessclubsaimedexclusivelyatwomen. We can debate the interest and impact of these positive discrimination schemes, but it would be a shame not to take advantage of them when they exist.
FDN: Did you have any doubts, hesitations or difficulties in setting up your own business?
LF:Like anyone setting up a business, I’ve had my moments of doubt. But I believe it’s necessary to question oneself in order to move forward. It’s an integral part of the entrepreneurial process.
One of our biggest difficulties is financing, which remains an obstacle course in France. Banks don’t want to take risks, investors are cautious and individuals are not used to investing their savings in companies (this is improving withdecrowdfunding platforms).
Despite the emotional rollercoaster that is creating and running a business, for me it remains an incredible adventure and a real source of fulfillment. The positives far outweigh the negatives.
FDN: Tell us about your project. How did the idea come about? What needs do you meet?
LF:The idea for Debout Ludo interactive fairy tales was born in 2009. At the time, my future partner (who is also my spouse) and I were fed up with our respective jobs. We wanted to pool our professional skills and passions, and work together.
The idea of combining video games with a caring pedagogy came quite quickly. At the time, there were hardly any digital early-learning games for children who couldn’t read (there was the famous Adibou!). Then theiPadcame along, and we immediately recognized the enormous educational potential of this new medium. The concept for Debout Ludo was born: an early-learning game for 3-5 year-olds that would keep them intelligently occupied anywhere, anytime.
So we entered the mobile edutainment market, targeting the kindergarten age group. Debout Ludo then evolved in line with technological advances and our own desires to become across-platform cognitive development app (i.e., the same game can be played on any platform). We also did a lot of training in our new profession as company directors.
Today, my partner and I run a fledgling video game studio with two permanent employees and a trainee. Over the next few years, we intend to expand our team to create new cognitive development games in-house, while maintaining a secondary subcontracting activity. We want Studio PixMix to position itself as an innovative, long-term video game studio in Alsace.
FDN: How do you defend gender equality in your professional and personal life?
LF:For me, equality between the sexes is part of a much broader egalitarian struggle: between ethnic groups, religions and ages; between humans and animals (I’m a vegetarian), between the “able-bodied” and the disabled… in short, between all living beings.
I’ve always deeply detested any form of injustice or inequality, so it’s quite natural that I live and behave according to these values of respect and equality. In a way, it’s my personal code of ethics.
The Debout Ludo project is also part of this approach. We apply the principles of caring and non-violent education to make them available to as many people as possible. We are currently working on integrating into the game levels of difficulty specifically designed for children with learning disabilities(dyslexia, dysphasia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorders with and without hyperactivity). Our aim is to create the first therapeutic aid that brings together a public with learning disabilities and a public of so-called “neuro-typical” children. We’re convinced that both can benefit from the set of pedagogical tools we’ll be putting in place. The aim is also to break down the “handicap-valid” boundary, to affirm the diversity of learning and personalities as a source of richness.
FDN: And personally, how have you managed to reconcile work and family life?
LF:My case is a bit special, since I work with my partner. So we’re together (almost) all day!
The difficulty for us is to keep our private and professional lives separate and not fall into a routine. At weekends, we try to make a real break and not talk about work.
Whether for myself or for our employees, I believe it’s vital to have an enriching private and social life. You can’t be a top performer if you’ve got your head in the game all the time. I do sport at least three times a week, and these are non-negotiable slots in my schedule, just like my professional appointments. In fact, it’s often during my free time that I come up with solutions and ideas for my work!
Friends and family are also important to me. I don’t always have a lot of time for them, but I let them know that I care about them through gestures and small tokens.
I don’t have any children yet, but I have to admit that being my own boss makes me feel much better about balancing my family life and my career.
FDN: What advice would you give to a young woman hesitating to work or start a business in the digital sector?
LF:This advice applies to both women and men. We are all individuals, unique and complex, before being women or men. We must always bear this in mind and deconstruct gender clichés, which vary greatly from one era, country and culture to another, proving that they are unfounded. Even if this message is sometimes hard to get across at the moment, there is no intrinsic difference between the sexes, apart from their reproductive functions.
As for digital technology, it’s a diverse, fast-changing sector that’s helping to renew society, not just through its uses, but also through the new forms of enterprise it’s creating: more egalitarian, more collaborative, more innovative.
Perhaps more than in any other field, the human aspect is taken into account and valued within the company. Digital technology is therefore a tremendous opportunity for those who want a fairer, more open society. If you’re one of these people, go for it!
Biography
Born in 1986, Laura Fort studied audiovisual engineering. She first worked for 5 years in Alsace as a sound and video manager on live shows (at the Opéra National du Rhin, the Théâtre National de Strasbourg and local companies). Already in this first job, she combines technical and artistic creation in the service of social and societal causes.
In 2009, with her partner Damien Dessagne, she set up the Debout Ludo project: interactive fairy tales for 3-5 year-olds. More than just entertainment, the aim is to create a genuine tool for cognitive development through play for kindergarten children, based on the latest research in neuroscience and educational science.
After several years of testing and prototyping, in June 2014 Laura and Damien created Studio PixMix, an independent mobile video game design studio, the only one in Alsace at that time. From its inception, Studio PixMix has two permanent employees and various subcontractors. Its activity is divided between two projects: the development and maintenance of Quiz Run, a general public quiz app sponsored by Studio Cadet (#9 in the Google Play Store France, entertainment category in October 2014); and the development of the mobileand crossplatformversionof thegame Debout Ludo.
The first version of Debout Ludo will be released on iOS and Android at the end of 2014; fundraising is underway to finance its commercial launch (€260,000).