Building the Next Generation of Innovators Through Tech, Gaming, and Purpose

In this inspiring episode of Mission Matters Business Podcast, host Adam Torres sits down with Shireen Leoraz-Solemnia, founder and CEO of Playworks and WizGirls Academy, to explore her journey of building the next generation of innovators through tech, gaming, and purpose-driven education. Shireen recounts her early passion for coding and gaming in elementary school, sparked by a pioneering female computer science teacher in 1980s L.A., and her relentless pursuit of a career in toy research despite widespread skepticism. Her persistence—culminating in a nine-month campaign to land an informational interview with a Mattel executive—led to a career at Mattel and MGA, where she helped launch Bratz and build research departments from the ground up. After an existential crisis in her late 20s, she pivoted to create WizGirls Academy, a STEM-focused initiative that blends coding, entrepreneurship, and wellness through gamified learning. Her innovative hackathons, which include meditation, fitness, and celebrity-led workshops with figures like Michael Jordan and Lady Gaga, emphasize a 'healthy balanced tech lifestyle'—a holistic model that addresses the physical and mental well-being of young innovators. Shireen’s mission is rooted in empowering girls and underrepresented youth through purpose-driven tech education, using her own story as proof that resistance can fuel transformation. She also hints at future media projects, including a potential second season of her NASA-backed podcast on Women in STEM. Key takeaways include: 1) Persistence is a superpower—Shireen’s nine-month follow-up campaign to secure a job is a masterclass in resilience; 2) Purpose-driven innovation requires more than just skills—it must include wellness, creativity, and emotional intelligence; 3) The future of tech education lies in gamification and storytelling that make learning engaging and inclusive; 4) True innovation often starts with a 'weird' idea that others dismiss—Shireen’s dream to 'play with toys' was once laughed at, but became a movement; 5) Holistic development—combining coding with meditation, fitness, and healthy eating—creates sustainable, high-performing innovators. The episode radiates optimism and empowerment, celebrating the power of mission-driven entrepreneurship.