I speak not from anger, but from hope for a better community for players, studios, and the independent leaders who make these spaces possible.
Talk Title: Justice Weeps: A Community Leader’s Call to the Industry
Speaker: Leah Morris
Longtime Wizard101 community leader and founder of Ravynwood, a 50,000-member third space built on inclusive, human-centered community care.
Talk Summary: This talk is based on the widely shared article Justice Weeps and draws from over seven years of hands-on community leadership in gaming. As someone who built one of the largest unofficial Wizard101 fan communities, Leah offers firsthand insight into the risks that independent leaders face and why the industry must evolve to support, rather than silence, them. She speaks not from bitterness, but from hope for a better path forward, and to give voice to those who’ve held communities together in silence, often unseen and unsupported.
If we continue to overlook and burn out the people doing this work, we won’t just lose them, we’ll lose the spaces they fought to protect. And with them, we lose connection, safe havens, and the heart of what gaming communities are meant to be.
Key Themes:
Unofficial community leaders as invisible labor
The emotional toll of player care and volunteer moderation
The failure of studios to address harassment
The power of third spaces in gaming
A call for ethical, human-centered industry practices
Audience:
Community managers, studio reps, devs
Indie creators & fan community leaders
Players invested in safer, more welcoming spaces
Takeaways:
A clear picture of what independent community leadership really involves
Insight into how studios can better protect and collaborate with unofficial leaders
A reimagined vision for sustainable, compassionate game community ecosystems
Format: Lecture-style talk with slides (projector-compatible, no internet required)
Now accepting bookings for 2025 speaking engagements. For speaking inquiries, collaborations, or interviews, please contact Leah directly
Contact:
Leah Morris
ravynlea@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/ravynlea
Justice Weeps article