OUR FOUNDING STORY

Social Cipher is led by a neurodiverse team of educators, autistic advocates, and game developers.

Motivated by personal experience, we believe in neurodiverse inclusion through representation, self-advocacy, and empowerment.

Our work has earned us recognition as LEGO Play for All Partners, MIT Solvers, and Camelback Education Fellows.

We believe in a future in which youth of all neurotypes can understand and embrace their differences to achieve magnificent things. Our team is going to make that future a reality.

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OUR MISSION

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Social Cipher’s mission is to represent and empower youth of all neurotypes, increase their self advocacy skills, and build their self confidence. 

Our social and emotional learning curriculum and game are not based around teaching kids how to emulate neurotypical behaviors or rewarding them for their ability to assimilate. Instead, we believe that developing social and emotional learning skills, such as the CASEL competencies, helps youth to foster a healthy sense of self as a neurodiverse individual and construct positive boundaries. 

We believe that it is important for neurodiverse youth to feel respected for who they are, while also learning techniques for recognizing and communicating their own needs, even when everyone’s communication style may be different. 

As a 40% autistic company with an autistic founder, our development processes center the autistic employees’ perspectives. It is important to us that we do not encourage masking or erasing of neurodiverse traits in our characters or players. We also utilize identity-first language in our game and written materials, and use the framework of the social model of disability to inform our intentions as a company. 

With these core goals, we are excited to have a curriculum and game that helps neurodiverse youth see themselves positively and find their place in the world.

To learn more about us, visit our FAQs

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OUR TEAM

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VANESSA CASTAÑEDA GILL

CEO

LUCY STEVENS

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

JOEL GROFF

LEAD DESIGNER / DEVELOPER

LOUISA TSAI

SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER

AVA S. CIPER I

ADVENTURER/MILLINER

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AVA S. CIPER II

TIME KEEPER

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CALEB CUTLER

ANIMATOR

DEIERA
BENNETT

DIGITAL MARKETING
CONSULTANT

MELINDA
LAYDEN

NARRATIVE WRITER

LUCAS HARRINGTON

Psy.D.

SEL CONSULTANT

JESSICA SCOTT

UX/UI DESIGNER

KRISTINE SPINDLER DENTON

EDUCATION
CONSULTANT

KATI
BAKER

PROGRAMMER

ANNELIESE PIXTON

SALES
CONSULTANT

BECKY
THAL

MARKETING