Exclusive Interview: Elizabeth Sarquis Talks Sidekick Cycle and the Global Gaming Initiative

The Global Gaming Initiative (GGI) recently released Sidekick Cycle (read our review here) for iOS devices. The amazing game allows fans to step into the shoes of an adventurous biker while helping a great cause in the process. For every 387 downloads, GGI purchases a bicycle for a kid in Africa. We recently got the chance to speak with GGI founder Elizabeth Sarquis about Sidekick Cycle, and how it came about. Read on to learn more.

AMANDA DYAR: Elizabeth, could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and how the idea for Global Gaming Initiative came about?

ELIZABETH SARQUIS: I was born in a rural region of Colombia, but I moved to the United States at a young age. That kind of culture shock definitely has a lasting effect on a child. You learn early on that there are whole worlds going on beyond your vision or reach – that it isn’t all about you. That experience made me a global citizen, and it informed the decades of work I put into philanthropy and social outreach.

Smartphones have been a game changer – literally, for the industry, in changing how we consume content, but also in the broader sense, of connecting us to people and ideas around the world with the touch of a finger. The Global Gaming Initiative was the product of a desire to create a community where the smartphone generation could come together, play together, and improve the world together. To find that intersection between mobile gaming and mobile giving, and tap into the change in your pocket.

AMANDA: Sidekick Cycle is the first mobile game from GGI. Tell us a little bit about the inspirations behind Sidekick Cycle and its connection with the World Bicycle Relief foundation.

ELIZABETH: When my youngest son, Alejandro, went abroad to build schools in the remote mountain villages of Ecuador, he met a boy named Javier. Javier told him that there was no point in going to school because he had to walk 3 hours each way just to get there - if he spent 6 hours walking to school every day, then what was the point? That was a sobering thing to recognize. That you can build a school or build a clinic or a well, but if no one can get there, then that great thing you’ve built is wasted. From that realization, rather serendipitously, we decided that our first mobile game would focus on mobility - a game in which users could play together to donate bikes that would help kids get to school. We found in World Bicycle Relief a great organization already doing the kind of work we wanted to foster, so we struck up a partnership, and Sidekick Cycle was born.

AMANDA:: How do you pick which charities to work with and what ones do you have in mind for future projects?

ELIZABETH: We select charities that donate tangible goods – things that benefit the recipient in a measurable, self-sustaining way that enables them to grow – and from there, it’s a matter of figuring out how we create a gameplay experience that reflects or reinforces that cause in some way. Both of these aspects are important – we want that link between action and consequence to be in the player’s mind throughout.

As for coming projects, Sidekick Cycle just recently launched, and we’re still very much focused on supporting it, so that’s not something we’re quite ready to discuss yet. But our relationship with World Bicycle Relief definitely provides a strong model for future partnerships and titles.

AMANDA: GGI is a great way to connect mobile users with charity organizations. Some users may want to give even more or volunteer their time. Is there a way for developers and other users to donate their services to GGI outside of purchasing the company's mobile games?

ELIZABETH: Yes, that’s a fantastic point, and it’s a topic very much on our minds moving forward. Like I said, the whole point of tying gameplay thematically with a charitable cause is to create that awareness, to spur that excitement, so you’ll be biking across Africa in-game, tracking how close the community is to its next donation, and think, “Hmm. I’ve never really thought about it before, but this is really important. I want to know more about what I can do to help.” That might mean spending additional money in-game, telling a friend about it, or just looking for ways to donate time volunteering in your own town.

Structurally, we have a number of engagement opportunities that we plan on rolling out in the near future. And we certainly hope it draws attention – both to GGI and our partners – from developers and organizations who feel inspired by our mission. That all starts with the game – it’s the place where we build that community. By teaming up with established developers and organizations, we get to tap into really vast networks of knowledge, passion, and influence – finding ways to bring them all together will be the real challenge.

AMANDA: How can users stay updated about Sidekick Cycle and its progress in helping kids receive new bikes in Africa?

ELIZABETH: Players can see in the game how many bikes we’ve given away. And we’ll keep our website updated and our community on social media constantly informed.

AMANDA: Thank you for your time. Do you have anything else you would like to mention or comment on?

ELIZABETH: Just that we hope players enjoy Sidekick Cycle! We put a lot of our attention on our global goals, but at the end of the day, we’re game makers, and we want to make things that people have a blast playing. 

To learn more, visit the official Global Gaming Initiative and Sidekick Cycle websites. 

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