@yessycake, 32 – Funded
Puerto Rican content creator and tournament host @YessyCakee has a passion for art, gaming, streaming, and promoting awareness and positivity. This JBL Quantum Grant winner is currently transitioning from being a full-time Apex creator to a variety streamer, where she does art and sometimes play other games.
However, her tournaments are only for the Apex Legends community and range from competitive to scrims. She also hosts a lot of charity tournaments to bring awareness to the public.
What is your dream in gaming and/or esports?
I strive to create a positive and equal environment for all (18+). Creating content and bringing people together as a community and in a competitive scene is what I hope to achieve.
How will this award from the 1,000 Dreams Fund help you reach your goals?
This award will help start me off with upgrades for both my streams and tournament organization.
What does being a 1,000 Dreams Fund – JBL Quantum Grant recipient mean to you?
This means so much to me. To be selected among the hundreds of participants is honestly such an honor and I couldn’t be more thankful. It also motivates me to grind even harder and shows me how far I have come as an individual and content creator.
Women are underrepresented in gaming and esports. What can we do to change this?
Creating events that represent and highlight women is always a great way to feature women in gaming and esports. For example, I would love to be a part of an ALGS-themed tournament for the women of Apex Legends where they have a LAN and interviews highlighting women in esports.
Another example could be a yearly or quarterly tournament for women, where the participants gather to raise money for a cause such as women’s health, domestic violence, and more.
What are some of the challenges you have faced along the way?
As a woman, it’s sometimes hard to be seen as a competitive gamer — or simply more than just a woman. Often, I have been told by men to show my body; they don’t understand how hard it is to be seen as more than my gender.
To name a few more… I lost support from men when I announced I was in a relationship. I’ve also had men want more from me just because they supported me, gifted me subs, money, etc.
I also have struggled with not taking mental breaks. Without these breaks, it’s hard to avoid becoming overwhelmed while trying to balance content creation and life. I also am managing being a full-time student and content creator with no financial help outside of creating content.
Despite my challenges, I will continue to move forward and work on my dreams!
What advice do you have for women who want to work in the gaming or esports industry?
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Not everyone will like you or support you for the right reasons. But, despite that, you have to keep pushing forward step by step. It won’t be easy, but we are strong and can do anything we put our minds to.
How do you stay motivated and focused on your goals?
I remind myself that I’m doing the best I can. Even if it’s not enough for someone else, it is enough for me. I like to look back from time to time to see how far I’ve come and look at what I can continue to do to better myself. I also like to set small goals for my personal growth and mental health.