I attended my first Engage Expo this past February and was thrilled to see that one of the keynote speakers was Lane Merrifield. Lane co-founded Club Penguin and now serves as the executive Vice President for Disney's Interactive Media Group. He oversees the Disney virtual worlds, including Toon Town, Pixie Hollow, Pirates of the Caribbean, the new Cars Online and, of course, Club Penguin.
If I was excited to hear Lane speak, imagine my enthusiasm when I had a chance to talk with him one-on-one. And, indeed, he was fun to chat with. We talked about his childhood and his youthful plans for his future, the craziness of launching a virtual world with limited funding and staff, and a vision for virtual worlds to come.
My favorite moments of the interview came at the end. I asked Lane to share some words of wisdom with my readers. Here's what he had to say, "I grew up not being that great in school, not having that great of an experience and feeling like I was somehow going to be missing out on life. because I wasn't able to jump in to the mainstream of the education system. It wasn't until I got older that I realized, well I wasn't deficient; I just saw the world a different way. And I think that's something that I want my kids to learn." Lane encourages kids to stretch themselves and be confident. What a wonderful role-model for kids who aren't comfortable in a traditional school environment!
I hope you enjoy my interview with Lane and that you share it with your kids as they think about their own futures. This is just the first in a series of interviews I have planned with those who are finding success in non-traditional computer-related jobs.
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Image credit: Christy Matte