Hi ,If you hadn't noticed last week, yes I'm back with the Ice Cream Sundae newsletter! The format here isn't changing all that much, though now I've introduced the idea of Playful Strategy I will be focusing more of the news and updates around the themes I am studying and exploring around play, games, creativity, and strategy.On the topic of creativity, I published a couple of posts in a second branch of Ice Cream for Everyone services: Creative Expeditions. These are either small group ethnographic explorations, or one-on-one discovery sessions designed to gain valuable business insights and deliver breakthrough ideas.For now there is one example of each to give you a sense of what they can be: 

• Exploring Fast Food in America's Heartland

• Winter Wanderlust in Telluride, Colorado

The podcast is getting back up to speed with an exciting episode coming next week and another the following. I'm actively looking for new clients and freelance projects in Chicago and beyond, so keep in touch if I can help you with brand & marketing strategy. And please forward the newsletter to a friend if you enjoy it!Otherwise, it's Spring time, lovely weather in Chicago the past couple of days! In addition to making contacts looking for work, I went to an excellent Pecha Kucha evening at the Chicago Architecture Center, played a tabletop roleplaying game of Starfinder at my local Bonus Round Game Café, and was invited to a Reddit networking event organized for Publicis Groupe agencies.Enough about me, on to the weekly combo!CheersWillem

 Weekly Combo Two or three flavours, interesting separately, fascinating together 

The Makers of Magic: The Gathering Say They're Trying to Make it Less of a Boys Club (Kotaku, 12 min read) In many of the areas of gaming I'm interested in, female and nonbinary people tend to be seriously underrepresented and in addition to that, sadly too often, attacked and/or bullied by nasty trolls out there. Fortunately though, some people are at least interested in talking about those issues and tackling them, as is laid out in this piece talking about the challenges and efforts to bring more female and nonbinary people to participate and be involved with playing the popular collectable card game Magic: The Gathering on a competitive and tournament level.Women of Warhammer Show Us Their Finest Work (Vice, 5 min read)

The Google Stadia Backlash Has Begun (Kotaku, 14 min read)