One of the sectors that has grown the quickest in recent years is technology. 90 percent of the world’s data has been created in the last few years, and during the past several decades, our consumption of data has surged by over 300 percent. As we have seen, technology can be used to both better and worsen our lives, making it a very important tool and a huge responsibility.
The goal of Humanoid Studios partner and chief operating officer, Cordy Rierson, is to employ technology to enhance narrative through images, sounds, and interactive elements. The purpose of fusing software and narrative is to give individuals the opportunity to experience something they would not have considered and to immerse themselves into a world where they become the hero.
Cordy has worked in the entertainment and tech industries for more than 20 years. Her work includes visual effects, feature animation, music videos, advertisements, interactive entertainment, and mixed reality. She says, “I love the intersection of technology and creativity and I look for ways to utilize both to deliver content that people love or get a positive experience from it.”
Below are highlights of the interview:
Tell us about yourself and your background.
I spent my childhood growing up on a farm in the small town of Ruidoso, New Mexico. My family eventually moved to Ocala, Florida, where I graduated from high school and then attended the University of Central Florida and Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. My studies were focused on communication in radio, television, and film.
I began working on the backlots of Universal Studios, Florida as a production assistant and then a production coordinator on everything from TV shows to infomercials and live performances. When I graduated, I headed to Los Angeles to pursue my career in the entertainment industry. My work in live action and digital visual effects for film earned me two awards: as the first female in the inaugural Full Sail Hall of Fame and a Congressional Recognition Award for dynamic visual effects in the film industry.
While my career has led me further away from being the farm girl I grew up as, I still stay close to those roots. I taught riding lessons to children in San Juan Capistrano, California when I moved to LA. I volunteered at the Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center in Redmond, Washington while I worked for Microsoft. Now that I am in Denver, I donate to the Blue River Horse Center in Silverthorne, Colorado. I am just as happy grooming a horse as I am behind my desk watching our projects come to life with great people.
My greatest achievement is my daughter, who is a beautiful, thriving college graduate getting ready to embark upon her own career!
Tell us more about Humanoid Studios?
Humanoid Studios was founded on the axiom that creative freedom and independence lead to better, more innovative games. Our vision is that the future of entertainment is interactive. The most engaging entertainment involves worlds, characters, and storytelling. Innovation with tools and technology unlocks interactivity that feels magical, and people do their best creative work when they feel safe and supported. Casey Hudson is our founder. I met Casey while working at Microsoft, and we worked on several initiatives together for Xbox and Microsoft Hololens. He has created franchises like Mass Effect, and when he was ready to set out on his own, it was a “no-brainer” to join him. We share a lot of the same values when it comes to building teams and projects. I’m very happy to be working with him again and building a whole new experience based on our shared beliefs.
What advice would you give someone who is just starting to build their career in tech sector?
Do your research, find places and projects that align with who you are, and go for it! Technology moves so fast, so you must be up for constantly learning and trying new things. Value your failures as great learning moments, as it is only through these that we get better and learn to look at things with a different perspective. Learn from your peers and mentors, and if you do not have any, seek them out. People are out there willing to help, you just need to find them. Set a pace for yourself. It is easy to overwork and burn out, especially on projects we love. Balance is important because if you are not okay, your work will not be either.
What gets you up in the morning? What are your responsibilities as the Partner & Chief Operations Officer of the company?
Usually it’s my Great Dane, Roxy! Once she is taken care of, it’s a nice cup of coffee and reviewing my to-do list for the day. We have daily team meetings, and it’s always something I look forward to. Seeing all the faces and listening to their progress and figuring out ways to unblock them or help them is my focus. My responsibilities vary greatly as a start-up. I take care of the people, the project, and the company. I provide process, strategy, mentorship, and direction to help those around me unlock their creativity to their fullest potential.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
I care, I try, and I do. I have been unafraid to walk through any door opened to me to try something new. The effort has produced a vast amount of learning and experience that I utilize every day, no matter what industry, project, or animal it came from. I value the relationships I have built in the industry, some of which are my nearest and dearest friends. I also value the collaboration of amazing people, feeding off each other’s ideas and problems to help each other build towards a single vision with passion. Above all, I value my family and loved ones.
What is the best way to build a great team?
Building a great team has been a lifelong learning experience. If you have great people who can work together, they will build something great. To challenge each other, you need people with different backgrounds and perspectives, as well as people with different levels of experience and diversity of thought. Everyone should have a voice and feel safe speaking up on matters of importance to them. It should be about learning, not punishing.
What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
Be assertive, not aggressive. Try not to let past experiences and conditioning impact your future success. Work on yourself to understand your biases and where and why habits form. Are they healthy? There is no one shoe that fits everyone, so be flexible with the needs of your team and hear them out. Make decisions today based on your goals and priorities, not yesterday, because things can and will change. Being able to pivot gracefully and with purpose is important.
What are your future plans to sustain your and the company’s success?
I was the pillar lead for innovation at Microsoft. I will always keep looking at new software and technologies that help us achieve our goals or do something that has not been done before. For me and the company, it is more than building a project, it is about building a franchise, so I will be working on ways for people to experience our creations within the formats they are most comfortable using.
Website: www.humanoidstudios.com
