Let's explore the background of Lilly, an important symbol to women of SteelSeries, especially during Women's History Month, but beyond as well.
Many of you know Lars, our official SteelSeries mascot. However, what if Lars had a sassy niece from the north, in the vein of Vikings?
Our Creative Lead, Angi Ho, describes the vibe of Lilly just like that. Let's introduce her.
While her personality is still shaping, Angi describes Lilly primarily as a gamer, just like Lars. Unlike Lars, Lilly loves cozy games, such as Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley. But she's a multi-genre gamer, too. She's going to tear it up in Valorant or Counter-Strike 2, as well.
"What we imagine Lilly to be is that she is the reflection of us," Angi said. "Maybe we like our desk look like a greenhouse or black and pink themed. Maybe we get sarcastic when someone is being rude in game and maybe we give those who needs it a lil love and encouragement. I want Lilly to bring a bit more color and softness to our company."
Lilly actually originated from Lille, in France, where other Steelheads participated in the MUDGIRL run, where they've committed to run difficult obstacle courses in rigorous physical tests to raise money to battle breast cancer. The participants contribute to the global fight against the disease, and they've raised an incredible $300,000 since 2017 (USA & Canada).
"Lilly is strong, independent, and passionate. She is kind, thoughtful and protective. She is supportive of others and speaks her mind because her voice is valued," said Cécile Chiron, HR Manager at our Lille branch. "She makes mistakes sometimes, but that’s ok. Most importantly, she is equal to Lars."
While Lilly originally came into existence back in 2023, she has been continuously fleshed out by Angi and women from around the world. For them, she represents strength, independence, passion, speaks for many identities and interests for our people across the globe, departments, and functions. She supports others.
"It was amazing to see how all the women of SteelSeries were aligned: SteelSeries is a safe place for women, and we never felt a difference between men or women; as HR, we hire Talent people (it’s absolutely not a question of gender, or anything else, we are looking for passionate people who want to have an impact, and work in a place to express themselves)," said Cécile.
"The new Lilly was an opportunity to seek out to connect with women and discover inspiring stories of women in technology, particularly in gaming. From my side, SteelSeries is an inclusive company that has all the potential to become an ideal workplace for talented and passionate people."
Lilly is a symbol which brings the women of SteelSeries together, but the impact goes beyond. March is an opportunity to champion the power of women's voices and bring about positive change, but also to recognize their power and wisdom across generations, highlighting sectors where women make an impact, especially in gaming.
"We can be proud, women are represented in all positions — Board, technical, creative, support functions, management — and we can do more and better, demonstrate and affirm that it is possible, to push the lines and break the bias — even externally," Cécile said.
Most importantly, as Lilly keeps evolving, so will we.