Meet Colin Helm | Founder and CEO of Bldng Blck Studios and CaesarVerse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colin Helm and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colin, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
We set out to not only create an enjoyable and fun gaming experience, but an educational one as well. I’ve loved history since an early age, and much of this can be attributed to games such as Age of Empires and the Total War series. Media is often one’s first exposure to a topic and can make a lasting impression. By making education fun, we can reach a new generation that is over exposed to content through a variety of platforms. Similar to learning a language, immersion is the best way to increase information retention and to maintain the attention of the student. Our goal is to provide a new method of historical education by providing educators with the tools to create engaging, immersive, and captivating lessons through gaming.

Education hasn’t changed significantly in the last 50 years. While we have seen remote learning and computers introduced, much of the format is outdated. We are looking at new ways to engage students through VR and AR environments, both in the classroom and remotely. These technologies provide us with an opportunity to take a substantial leap forward as students will be able to not only learn about the past, but interact as well. Whether with other students or with historical figures, these moments will be far more memorable than a traditional lecture or reading assignment.

Our focus is currently on Roman education, as classical antiquity is often overlooked and Rome set the foundation for much of western society. Roman society, government, and culture has a massive impact on the world we live in today. Similar to learning a language, we believe that immersion is the greatest way to learn. By creating open worlds that can be explored by students we are able to provide experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible and impossible to replicate.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Bldng Blck Studios is a historical educational gaming studio that builds immersive environments for classroom and remote learning. We use blockchain to create a grading system that utilizes digital tokens as proof of completion of homework assignments. We are building a system where educators can create homework assignments within the open world in the form of missions. When missions are completed, the student mints a non-transferable digital collectible with their grade into a wallet tied to their student ID number. This way the student has proof of completion of all homework assignments and it discourages academic dishonesty. We believe that everyone truly enjoys learning, just the methods of learning are unappealing to some. With the recent surge in global gaming, we have a new way of encouraging student participating in an enjoyable and rewarding way.

I think the key differentiator between a tech entrepreneur and others is the willingness to take risk. Many businesses can create revenue in a matter of months. Tech involves long periods of building before going to market, and this period may not be immediately rewarding. It is important to understand the sacrifices that will be made while building the product. Personal time, salary, and comfort will often be traded for long hours and stress. I like to compare founding a tech company to the Tour de France. It is not just preparation, talent, or vision, but the dedication to push yourself and not give up. You will have to climb mountains and it won’t be fun, but persevering sets the leaders apart from the peloton. It is the ability to not just take the risk, but endure the building phase that will be crucial to success.

Through this journey I’ve not only learned about managing a business and various teams, but also about myself. As an independent studio in an expensive industry, creativity is key. Whether in hiring, pivoting, or marketing, we need to find creative solutions to problems. A large part of building a tech company is problem solving, as unforeseen issues will always arise. Whether it be miscommunications, product launches, or back end issues, you will constantly be fighting fires and making decisions. It is the ability to quickly evaluate a situation and take the best course of action that is crucial to success.

When we started, we knew that this would not be easy. Bringing vibrant open world, historical environments to the educational space is certainly a daunting task with a small team and budget. We are grateful for all the support and look forward to being part of the educational scene moving forward. Building an MMORPG with educational value is difficult in the gaming space, but we are confident in our team and abilities to bring it to fruition.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite local places are Rose Venice for breakfast/brunch, American Beauty for a chill place to catch up, and Crudo e Nudo for dinner. If they want to grab some drinks after, maybe Venice Beach Bar or Hinano Cafe. If it’s their first time, I think Pink’s and the Hollywood scene is a essential tourist experience along with Santa Monica. After, we could get dinner at Avra Beverly Hills. I think it’s important to throw some street food in the mix so Leo’s Taco Truck or another street vendor. I also love Lunasia Dim Sum in Pasadena.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Michael Stoner was an advertising professor at CU Boulder who always believed in me and encouraged my creative side. While I may not be in advertising at the moment, he definitely played a key role in my college experience and helped shape me into the person I am today. Thank you Professor Stoner!

Website: https://caesarverse.io/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colin-helm/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaesarVerse_io?s=20