In between stints with Aruze Gaming and Konami, Cynthia Gonzalez was a realtor in Las Vegas. But it wasn’t an ordinary time to sell houses – it was during the pandemic.
“Real estate – whew! – especially during COVID, my goodness, it was difficult performing,” Gonzalez says during an interview with CDC Gaming. “But houses were (being sold). It’s all about making those connections.”
Gonzalez was named GGW’s Education and Programs Manager in April. One of the reasons she sought the job was because as a member of the organization, she understood how GGW can provide support to women in the gaming industry.
“When there was a position open, I wanted it to be able to provide that support to others,” she said. “I’ve always thought this is such an amazing organization and it’s come full circle for me: getting the support and now helping provide the support.”
Gonzalez, who has a background in accounting, admits she wanted to find work outside of that discipline. At GGW, she will focus on multiple job challenges, from disseminating the organization’s messages to promoting its educational programs.
“Rather than focusing on one thing, I get to focus on many things. And for me, that’s exciting because I love challenges,” she says. “It lets me experiment on what I can or cannot do.”
One of the things that Gonzalez will emphasize is the availability of GGW programs and how to get that information to members. Noting that the organization is free to join, Gonzalez will leverage social media outlets and other forms of media to advance GGW’s programming.
“There’s so much that Global Gaming Women can offer, especially because it is a free membership,” she says. “I believe that if you hear about it, whether it’s just a casual conversation like this, or going into a conference or going into one of the shows, individuals will also take the onus and accountability and then want to further grow themselves.”
Gonzalez recently attended an event in Mississippi, her first conference outside of Nevada. On the ground, she got to see and hear first-hand the stories of GGW members, the hardships and battles and accomplishment of follow members.
She hopes that GGW will continue to provide a safe environment for such conversations.
“There may be someone else out there that is also in the same boat, and it’s just getting them to be in one room together, and then just having that openness, right?” Gonzalez says. “Because if you’re not engaging, then really, you’re only doing a disservice to yourself.”
