1,000 Dreams Fund helps give women resources to chase their dreams

Since 2018, the 1,000 Dreams Fund has had a singular goal: to support the dreams of young women.

“1DF aims to help young women reach their dreams through funding, resources and mentorship,” project manager Kayla Cooper said.

The national nonprofit has done that through a variety of measures, including the BroadcastHER academy, which provides all-expense-paid trips to the HyperX Esports Arena at the Luxor for mentorships.

1DF is in the midst of its Summer Streams fundraising event, which began Tuesday and runs through Thursday. The nonprofit runs fundraiser streams four times a year in the spring, summer, fall and winter. A total of 18 streamers will participate over the three days.

“They are all kind of banding together to make a difference,” Cooper said. “We think art and music is so important and it’s one of the untapped parts on Twitch. People see Twitch as only for video games, but it’s really not. It’s for everyone, and our Summer Streams bring together 18 artists from different aspects for one event.”

The money raised from the event goes to the BroadcastHER initiative, including a grant program that provides funds to cover equipment, traveling to gaming conferences, educational conferences, artistic pursuits and more. The BroadcastHER Academy, which partners with Allied Esports and HyperX, is a yearlong fellowship that includes a trip to the HyperX Esports Arena. This year, they also are offering virtual mentorship.

“They are able to meet people in their professional fields and get an insight into what they need to do to prepare themselves to take that first step,” Cooper said.

The BroadcastHER academy welcomes women in all aspects of production from streaming to those interested in working in a production room.

1DF also will offer a workshop on July 30 aimed at helping women prepare for searching for a job.

“Hitmarker is a jobs board for esports and gaming,” Cooper said. “We are launching a workshop that gives a look at how you can prepare yourself for the interview, cover letter and resume templates. I know in the gaming space, a lot of folks don’t know where to begin. This will help them get what they need to chase their dreams.”

Chasing dreams may seem like a daunting task, but 1DF hopes to help spark a change that brings more gender equality into the industry.

“We truly believe there is this gender gap, especially in broadcasting,” Cooper said. “This money is to help close that gender gap by providing funding to help women get the things you need to make you stand out amongst the crowd so they can focus on the type of content they want to provide.”

Contact Lukas Eggen at leggen@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0261. Follow @LukasEggen on Twitter.