We were lucky to catch up with Jaye Watts recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jaye, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
It’s really funny that I never really thought of being a risk-taker, as a defining characteristic until it became the central most fulfilling part of my life. I actually received an award, called the “risk taker of the year” award, and it meant a lot to me because of the lives, my risks had affected. In 2019, I started hosting a monthly inclusive gaming party that enabled me to build community. I took my three bedroom duplex with a backyard in Brooklyn New York, and opened it up to anyone who wanted to lounge, play in a tournament or perform, or simply be included in an environment that was designed to foster meaningful and significant connections. That one risk became the vital beginning of what is now the largest community on the East Coast with a co-working membership based space in Times Square. That risk became the home of thousands of gamers and creator’s and I am very excited that by taking that risk go, and I’ll be scaling our locations to other parts of the country.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
A proud Afro-Latina from the Dominican Republic and raised in Dallas, TX, Jaye’s drive to succeed has always been a defining characteristic. A modern-day renaissance woman, Jaye is a world traveled international recording Artist, published songwriter and has serviced thousands of patrons in the 3-Star Michelin world as a culinary expert and Wine Sommelier. She has been highlighted on global platforms as a keynote speaker, an award winning artist and a notable panelist on tech stages from Silicon Valley to Japan.
She has built company models, lead corporate initiatives by partnering with and curating sponsored activations with Fortune 500 companies and has dedicated her life to empowering and motivating marginalized communities through education and activism. Searching for a way to merge her creative and her technical self, she founded a video game startup that became the first subscription-based membership gaming society with a co-working video game bar & lounge in the world, called Coexist Gaming. Showcasing how video game development, media and content creation are as creative as they are technical, she builds ecosystem organizations that bridge the gap between entertainment, esports and development. Her grassroots community building strategies, ensure inclusion and representation are at an infrastructural level from nutrition and wellness to programs designed to create pipelines of opportunity for the brilliant minds of a future generation.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
It’s a very interesting thing how funding my current business was very cumulative effort. My first company was a wine education company where we hosted several events that helped transform the perception of food and beverage experiences. Are the series of events and we having a wine studio where the beginning of would help to be better cultivate in person experiences and connect with people on a meeting for Level. That business of mine, after my record deal, was pivotal toward me, knowing how to not only generate revenue, but also leverage existing platforms in order to create experiences and make money. Airbnb was a really big part of my journey because I had a really cool place and the ability to decorate very well and I had several gaming systems. I essentially gamified my air bnb rooms and placed one of them which led to them being booked pretty much 100% of the time. It was a big part of this revenue as well as money. I had generated as a recording, artist, and events that I would host with my wine company that provided me with some of the start of capital that was necessary to outfit. My home with the Decour and hardware needed in order to cultivate a really unique gaming experience.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I have always had to choose. I began singing and playing instruments at age 5, video games by 6, competing in math olympiads by 8 & as I got older, I was told I wouldn’t be successful unless I could chose one path. But, I was wildly creative, inherently logistical & fascinated by tech. I lived my life trying to focus on one of those loves & found myself empty & devoid of purpose. While playing a video game after I left the music studio with some friends, I realized how diverse we were age-wise & culturally. We identified as many things but we all loved one thing in particular, video games & it became the grand equalizer for me. Providing a place where gamers can connect, are accepted, are valued and can be acknowledged in a positive way is as necessary as the games that influenced our childhood and cultivated some of the world’s most enterprising minds. Gamers are often misunderstood and presumed exclusively anti-social and lacking interest in networking opportunities that ignite development. So, I built an inclusive world where all things creative, social, gaming & tech could coexist. It is a dream world that highlights collaboration, incubates talent and augments development. When I am sad, I can coexist because our ecosystem fosters positivity, promotes inclusion and features representation for all gamers & every lover of the gaming & geek cultures. I found fulfillment. I learned to coexist with myself & while I knew it wouldn’t be easy, I knew it would be worth it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coexistgaming.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/coexistgaming | www.instagram.com/lettajmusic
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/coexistgaming
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayewatts/ | https://www.linkedin.com/in/coexistgaming/
- Twitter: @coexistgaminggg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzyRGoHCuOUcu4O0r8MfYLQ
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/coexist-gaming-new-york-2
Image Credits
AdWeek Nicole Roberiro Ilir Rizaj