Celebrating the Women of British Esports: International Women’s Day

Mimi Craig

12 min read | 4 Mar 2024

International Women’s Day provides an excellent opportunity to highlight and celebrate the incredible women contributing to the esports industry. Leading up to the 8th of March, we shine a spotlight on some of the remarkable women at British Esports who are breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes and making significant strides in the esports industry.

Alice Whorley: Head of Operations and Co-founder of Women in Esports

Alice Whorley, the Head of Operations at British Esports, started as a volunteer in the Champs pilot in 2018. Her journey reflects a gradual progression through different roles, culminating in her current position.

Journey into Esports

Alice’s interest in esports blossomed during her year abroad in the United States, where she attended a gaming and esports club. Upon returning, she delved into volunteering with British Esports, initially balancing it with hospitality work to assess her fit within the industry.

Challenges Faced

Alice struggled with imposter syndrome and understanding what roles were available for her skillset when she first looked into trying to get into the esports industry. This experience, alongside the lack of female representation in Student Champs and being one of the few girls in the esports and gaming club during her year abroad, fueled her determination to start the Women in Esports initiative, aiming to guide other girls into the industry sooner.

Career Milestones

Alice has achieved recognition, being listed in MCV’s 30 under 30 and receiving an Educational Impact award for MCV Women in Games. Her dedication to developing and growing the Student Champs has left a lasting impact on British Esports.

Advice for Aspiring Women in Esports

Alice’s advice is straightforward – know your worth and always give it a go. Her journey from a volunteer to Head of Operations demonstrates the transformative power of perseverance.

Mimi Craig: Bridging Business and Creativity

Mimi Craig, the Marketing Manager at British Esports, has blended her creativity and sales skills to transition into the esports space. With an educational background of Fashion Retail and Enterprise FdA, Creative Enterprise BA and Creative and Professional Practice MA, her journey into esports showcases the diverse paths one can take within the industry.

Journey into Esports

Mimi’s early love for gaming and creative expression prompted her to self-learn digital illustration, design and animation. After university, she further expanded her skills in Sales and Marketing roles. Demonstrating her skills with a visual CV, it helped her stand out when being recruited for her current position at British Esports.

Challenges Faced

Mimi, recognising challenges as a woman in esports in male-dominated gaming spaces, also navigates hurdles due to her mixed-race identity and hidden disabilities. Despite these, her journey fosters unapologetic confidence, empowering her to champion diversity in the industry.

Career Milestones

While Mimi’s esports career is still in its early stages, her participation in her first panel at Bett UK 2024 stands out as a significant milestone. Speaking openly about her esports journey and neurodivergence, Mimi encourages others to see esports and gaming as inclusive spaces for everyone.

Advice for Aspiring Women in Esports

Mimi advises aspiring women in esports to follow their passions and explore diverse industry roles beyond playing professionally. She emphasises the value of taking initiative, overcoming insecurities, picking yourself back up and trying again if you fail. She highlights the positive outcomes that result from hard work and dedication.

Billie Purdie: From Women in Esports Manager to Project Development Lead

Billie Purdie, the Project Development Lead at British Esports, initially joined as the Women in Esports Manager. Her journey into esports began with a sports background, competing regionally in basketball and netball while also enjoying gaming as a hobby.

Journey into Esports

Billie’s transition into esports occurred in 2021, after working with grassroots organisations and gaining experience in tournament operations, events and community management. Attending and working at LAN events in 2021 opened her eyes to the viable career options in esports.

Challenges Faced

Acknowledging her privilege as a white, able-bodied woman, Billie highlights two major challenges – being doubted due to her age and gender and struggling with imposter syndrome. Despite these challenges, Billie’s resilience and choice to show up for herself every day have propelled her career.

Career Milestones

Billie’s list of career milestones is both impressive and extensive, including leading and managing Be the Change Summit and Lioness Cup, winning awards for the Women in Esports initiative and being involved in various VCT Game Changers events as broadcast talent.

Advice for Aspiring Women in Esports

Billie emphasises the importance of persistence and resilience in the competitive and cutthroat esports industry, allowing the opportunity to overcome barriers and learn from mistakes. She urges women to stay informed, be authentic and remember that they belong in the industry as much as anyone else.

Emma Rose: Championing Diversity and Inclusion

Emma Rose, known as Emzii in the gaming space, is a proud transgender woman from Northern Ireland. As a competitive gamer, she has represented Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Esports Championships. She won gold in eFootball and brought home a silver for Team GB at the European Games.

Journey into Esports

Emma’s love for competitive gaming began with Counterstrike and COD at a young age. A chance application led her to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Esports Championships, marking the beginning of her esports journey.

Challenges Faced

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Emma has faced various forms of toxicity, including transphobia, homophobia, misogyny and sexism. Despite these challenges, she has found support from her network of friends, family and the Women in Esports community.

Career Milestones

Emma’s career is marked by international trophies, an award-winning film on her esports journey and becoming the Community Manager at British Esports. Her biggest milestone is the opportunity to make a positive difference in the esports community.

Advice for Aspiring Women in Esports

Emma emphasises the importance of realising you’re not alone in the esports and gaming community. She encourages aspiring women to give their all, have fun and find their community within the industry.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Alice Whorley, Mimi Craig, Billie Purdie and Emma Rose illustrate the diversity of paths and experiences within the esports industry. They serve as examples of women paving the way for aspiring individuals to make their mark in esports. On International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate and acknowledge the strides they are making towards a more inclusive esports future.

In honour of International Women’s Day, we’ll be hosting a Coffee Morning at the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland on the 8th of March. To find out more, please visit the event page to register your attendance for the event. We can’t wait to see you there!

To meet other women in the space, please join our Women in Esports Discord here.