Talofa Games: A Gaming Platform Invigorating Entertainment, Fitness, and Mental Health With Jenny Xu

Jenny Xu is the Founder and CEO of Talofa, a video game platform inspired by her interests in running, fitness, and gaming. She hopes Talofa can help gamers improve their mental and physical health through play. Jenny is also the Founder and former CEO of JCSoft Inc., an independent game company that creates experimental horror-comedy mobile games. While at JCSoft, she collaborated with Niantic — the developer of Pokemon GO — to design new augmented reality and location-based gaming experiences for their platform. In addition to being named a 30 Under 30 Honoree by Forbes in 2018, Jenny is a member of Persistence, a professional women's group for executives and founders in tech.

In this episode…

There are several myths about video games, including their adverse effects on sleep, relationships, and mental and physical health. However, many games defy this negative stereotype. In fact, many game developers create games that promote fitness and mental health.

At the age of 12, Jenny Xu created her first video game, a feat she would continue throughout high school. Despite being recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, there was a time when she felt she had peaked too early. However, when Jenny experienced bouts of melancholy, she knew she could always turn to fitness to improve her mental state. Her most recent game production, Talofa Games, is an homage to fitness and mental health. Unlike traditional games controlled with joysticks and buttons, Talofa is activated by body movement and speed, which is scientifically proven to release dopamine and produce feelings of euphoria similar to a runner’s high.

In this episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast, Lizzie Mintus interviews Jenny Xu, Founder and CEO of Talofa Games, to discuss how gaming can encourage fitness and mental health. Jenny shares case studies, how she turned her passion for gaming into an entrepreneurial journey, and Niantic’s role in securing funding for her startup.