Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anahita Dalmia. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Anahita, thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

The journey of starting Agents of Influence (AoI) began during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought an influx of misinformation to the forefront. As the world grappled with a deluge of conflicting information, I received messages on different platforms, each presenting opposing claims about the virus. It became evident that misinformation was rampant, and people were struggling to discern fact from fiction. In response to this challenge, I founded Agents of Influence to combat misinformation by empowering individuals with the tools and knowledge to make informed decisions. The development of AoI was a rigorous four-month endeavor, involving over 30 volunteers who collectively contributed 5000 hours to bring the vision to life. The experience drew around 300 players and through cold-emailing, we established 17 distribution partnerships, ranging from Disney to Carnegie Mellon University. In this journey, I gained valuable skills in writing press releases, creating pitch decks, and marketing.
A remarkable number of participants said they wanted to see the game developed for school audiences – thats how it turned into the educational videogame it is now. The following two years were dedicated to rigorous research, connecting with experts, building a strong reputation in the field and iterating on the game. During this time, I contributed to international workshops on games and learning, and became actively involved in non-profit organizations related to our cause. These efforts were recognized through awards, including the Aspen Institute’s Information Disorder competition and SBIR. With the support of a network of advisors and strong product, we are now well-positioned to make a lasting impact in the realms of digital literacy and education.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Anahita, the founder of Alterea, which I established in 2020 during my senior year in college. We started Alterea to create immersive theater experiences, what we like to call “storyliving” experiences. In these, participants explore carefully designed spaces, interact with live actors, play games, and embark on quests and missions. However, our journey was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing us to completely reimagine our business model to adapt and thrive. One of our prominent initiatives is Agents of Influence (AoI), a media literacy video game tailored for middle schoolers, primarily in the 8th grade, but suitable for those aged 11-16. (www.agentsofinfluencegame.com) The name “Agents of Influence” draws from the Cold War-era term that described spies who influenced foreign policy through misinformation. This game is designed for classroom use, library programs, after-school activities, or simply for fun.
In today’s world, misinformation and disinformation have become significant factors in exacerbating our societal challenges. It affects hundreds of millions of people daily, distorting the reality we live in. One crucial area for improvement is “civic empowerment,” and expanding media literacy education solutions to enhance individuals’ resilience to misinformation is part of the solution. Our target audience, in particular, is vulnerable, with extensive screen time, and studies have shown a high level of trust in partisan news sites.
Agents of Influence (AoI) addresses this challenge effectively. Through gaming, we provide transferable contexts to real-life situations, immediate feedback on decisions, and emotional connections with characters and stories that enhance learning retention. This generation of digital natives is accustomed to learning through gaming, and we’re leveraging this approach to combat misinformation effectively.
At Alterea Inc., we’re a creative studio that harnesses the power of stories, games, and history to inspire a world of explorers and change-makers who boldly live their stories. Each of our projects aims to reshape the narratives individuals tell about themselves, their relationships with others, and their perception of the world. Our goal with AoI is to transform students’ perspectives on how they interact with information and empower them to be responsible, engaged citizens.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Absolutely, let me share a recent experience that truly highlights our team’s resilience. We were in the midst of the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grant application process from the Department of Education, and it turned into a rollercoaster of challenges. A week before the anticipated announcement of grant recipients, we received a call informing us that our Sam.gov government registration was inactive. It was made clear that without an active registration, we wouldn’t be eligible for the award, with no extensions or exceptions.
Typically, reactivating this registration would take around a month. To add to the challenge, we had already spent over 10 hours in March trying to ensure our registration was in order, being assured that everything was fine.
In a bid to address the issue, we reached out to the experts who handled our registration two years prior, as this was the second time we were applying for the grant. They shared that sometimes, the government loses registrations during system updates, and ours might have been one of those cases.
To reclaim our registration and apply for renewal, we needed to submit a notarized letter, a process that typically takes about a month and a half.
To expedite the process, my co-founder took time off work to obtain and submit the notarized letter. We called numerous times on Thursday and Friday to seek help from the registration desk, but it seemed there was a disconnect between the people at the help desk and those reviewing the application.
On Saturday, I took to LinkedIn and reached out to every one of the 800 employees working in that government department to see if anyone could assist us. It was a long shot, but we were running out of options.
Eventually, we were directed to the director of the program. At 7:30 AM on Monday, we received a notification that our letter had been rejected due to a change in our address.
Miraculously, at 9 AM, we received a call from the director, who had taken charge of our case and committed to approving the paperwork within 2 hours.
However, we soon discovered that in addition to the government registration, we needed approval from the IRS and DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) within three days.
I reached out to the IRS directly but received only one response from the CFO, indicating they couldn’t authorize our request. It seemed like another dead end.
In a last-ditch effort, the director made a personal request on our behalf, and incredibly, the paperwork was approved with just 24 hours to spare!
Even after these intense challenges, we weren’t guaranteed to win the grant. They informed us that they would need an additional week to decide on the winners.
But the story has a happy ending – we emerged as winners, receiving $250,000 with the promise of an additional $1 million for the next phase of the grant!
This journey was a testament to our resilience, determination, and the power of perseverance. It demonstrated our commitment to overcoming obstacles and making the best out of challenging situations.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Certainly. The pivotal moment I’d like to share revolves around the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. It disrupted life as we knew it, forcing many of us to reevaluate our plans. Personally, I was in the process of founding Alterea, a company specializing in live entertainment experiences. Our philosophy was centered on the idea that in extraordinary circumstances, people could discover the extraordinary within themselves. Our experiences emphasized historic turning points, demonstrating that each person contributes to creating the collective future and has the potential to be a hero. However, when COVID-19 struck, I found myself in a situation that shook my core belief in control. My graduation ceremony was canceled, opportunities like exhibiting at SxSW vanished, and job prospects disappeared. It was a time of uncertainty and an overwhelming sense of helplessness. It was precisely during this moment that I realized the opportunity embedded within such challenging times.
I began to embrace the founding philosophy of my company. Even though it didn’t seem like it, our actions mattered more than ever. Whether it was the decision to wear a mask, support the Black Lives Matter movement, or any other choice, we were all making a significant difference. I understood that this was the kind of moment I had always spoken of—a moment where our individual actions would shape the collective impact we had for generations.
My primary focus became helping people regain their sense of self, empowering them to make informed decisions and be secure in the knowledge that those decisions mattered. While I had never built digital experiences before, I had experience with transmedia elements, which prepared me to tackle the root problem of our time: misinformation.
From this realization, Agents of Influence (AoI) was born. AoI is an online spy experience that capitalizes on the parallels between our lives and the lives of spies. Its mission is to equip players with the knowledge and tools to identify and combat digital misinformation, including online tools like media bias charts and skills to recognize logical fallacies.
Creating AoI was a four-month journey that required tremendous effort. We had never worked on media literacy, misinformation, educational games or even digital games. Yet, 4 months of hard work allowed us to create the first iteration of Agents of Influence, which has now become an educational videogame being used by thousands of students and in schools across the country.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.agentsofinfluencegame.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anahitadalmia/