Virtual Apothecary creates gamified workspaces for groups to gather intentionally and safely
Nationwide — When Jerrica T. Mills, the Founder and CEO of Virtual Apothecary, found herself grounded in 2020 and unable to do all the work travel she had planned, she fell headfirst into her favorite pastime – video games. At the start of the pandemic, she became so enthralled with the comfort of video games and the connections she was building that she wanted to know more about the process. She started learning video game design and dove headfirst into building out whole worlds on various platforms, and created a few standalone projects on her own.
She comments, “I started wondering what it is that makes this medium so compelling, and how do I translate the things I like to do into the work that I have to do?” When it came time for the world to open back up, she was on a mission- to make her work environment as lively as the one she lived in the digital sphere. She founded Virtual Apothecary to support other organizations and businesses by designing and hosting their events.
Jerrica continues, “As someone who was primarily working with a team based all over the US, I thought, why can’t there be better ways for us to collaborate than on Zoom or Teams? So, I started learning more about gameified platforms like WorkAdventure, SoWork, Zep, and Gather, and once that happened, I found myself hosting meetings, conferences, lectures, and performance events in a way that felt fun, 100% digital, but with the virtual audience experience as the major focal point.”
Making video game-like worlds where colleagues can meet, conference attendees are able to easily splinter off to network, and facilitators can use a full range of embeddable tools to create a curriculum tailored to all learning styles, isn’t solely about productivity – it’s about the longevity of our communities.
Jerrica adds, “We’re in this time where DEI budgets are shrinking, our folks are under more surveillance than ever before, and we need ways to meet safely. Having spent the last few years learning how to make privacy-focused spaces that feel like living inside a video game, it has been important that we don’t repeat the sins of the pandemic, where we were dragged online kicking and screaming and stopped innovating. Now is the time to be colorful, to be inventive, and to create the digital worlds we need to ensure that our organizations, our communities, and our precious minds can move through this moment in time still filled with joy and reverence. Accessible virtual spaces that are intentionally inclusive of our colleagues across identity and ability are more vital now than ever before.”
For more information, visit Virtual Apothecary’s official website at
VirtualApothecary.space
For more information, press and general inquiries, contact 760-856-0568 or info@virtualapothecary.space
