Honoring and congratulating Nicodemus Madehdou, for the success and incredible work of his gaming businesses JumpButton Studio and JumpButton Animation, which seek to increase person-of-color representation in the gaming and media industries.

WHEREAS, JumpButton Studio is a black-owned, diverse and accessible gaming collective focused on increasing the diversity of the gaming industry in Philadelphia and the United States; and

WHEREAS, The global gaming industry has a pressing need for diversity as only 20 percent of video game developers are people-of-color; and

WHEREAS, Gaming and game development is one of the fastest growing industries in the country and is a highly financially viable application of technical and creative disciplines; and

WHEREAS, The global video game industry had a revenue of $319 billion in 2022 and is projected to surpass $400 billion by the end of 2024; and

WHEREAS, There is a need for leadership in the gaming industry in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, Video games have long been a valuable source of out of school time for youth; and

WHEREAS, Video games, coding and game development are excellent preventative measures to keep youth occupied in a productive and beneficial way; and

WHEREAS, Video games increase cognitive ability, problem solving ability, and self esteem, and are useful, accessible venues for social interaction amongst youth; and

WHEREAS, Organizations like JumpButton Studio are at the forefront of Philadelphia’s burgeoning gaming industry;now, therefore, be itRESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Honoring and congratulating Nicodemus Madehdou, for the success and incredible work of his gaming businesses JumpButton Studio and JumpButton Studio Animation, which seek to increase person-of-color representation in the gaming and media industries.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an engrossed copy be presented to Nicodemus Madehdou and JumpButton Studio, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body.

End