“Even if your hands are shaking, move forward.”
When Tiffany reached out to me ahead of the POSSIBLE conference in Miami, her email stood out. She had read my story, and wanted to introduce me to someone she believed would resonate deeply with the She.Work community.
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That someone was Aimee Baller.
As the first female leader in Overwolf’s Brand Partnerships team and a former executive at Epic Games, Aimee was set to speak on a topic that couldn’t have been more timely: “The Next Creator Economy Isn’t on TikTok. It’s in Gaming.” Her work sits at the intersection of innovation, community, and brand storytelling inside one of the most engaged ecosystems on the planet – gaming.
I had the privilege of attending POSSIBLE with a press pass for She.Work, so we arranged to meet in the press room. What began as a brief conversation turned into something far more meaningful, an expansive dialogue about leadership, allyship, motherhood, and the quiet, determined courage it takes to walk into rooms not built for you… and then build a longer table.
Aimee doesn’t just lead in gaming, she leads with heart, clarity, and vision. She’s not chasing trends; she’s creating space.
Overwolf Ads empower brands to connect with over 100 million gamers across 1,500+ top titles, including Fortnite and League of Legends, through moment-triggered, in-game ads that enhance rather than interrupt the player experience.
(See the Monster Energy campaign for a real-world example of how this comes to life in gameplay.)
It’s a far cry from where her career began. Eight years ago, Aimee Baller was navigating the corporate halls of CNN International. Today, she’s a driving force in one of the fastest-growing frontiers of tech, an industry where culture, commerce, and creativity now collide in real time.
As a senior executive at Overwolf, Aimee isn’t just part of the creator economy, she’s actively shaping the future of it. But not the influencer kind. Overwolf is home to a different kind of creator: the in-game creator. With over 178,000 creators, Overwolf is the all-in-one platform that enables in-game creators to build, distribute, and monetize in-game apps, mods, and private game servers, which enhance gameplay inside some of the world’s biggest titles like Minecraft and Fortnite.
“In a sea of sameness, Overwolf stood out,” Aimee says. “We’re different. We let creators build tools that sit adjacent to the game or overlay it entirely – offering tips, enhancements, even food delivery integrations. And players love it.”
Yes, you read that right. There are apps that let gamers order snacks mid-battle without ever leaving the game.
A Career Built on Being “Early”
Aimee’s road to gaming wasn’t traditional. Before Overwolf, she spent over five years at SuperAwesome, a trailblazing adtech company focused on helping brands engage with youth audiences in a safe, regulation-compliant way. “Kids know what they want,” she laughs. “At least mine do. And they know how to ask for it.”
When Epic Games (yes, the Fortnite creators) acquired SuperAwesome, Aimee found herself deep in the gaming ecosystem, and completely energized by it.
But being early isn’t new to her. In the early 2010s, Aimee was working at Mobile Theory, one of the first mobile ad networks. “I used to walk into boardrooms and say mobile was the future,” she recalls. “People would laugh me out of the room.”
“But I built a reputation on talking about what’s next. And the gaming creator economy? It’s absolutely what’s next.”
Gaming as Culture, Connection, and Community
If you picture a headset-wearing, Mountain Dew-chugging teen when you think of gaming, Aimee will change that perspective in five minutes flat.
“Gaming is a universal language,” she says. “It erases borders. It brings people together across generations and cultures.”
Even her own gameplay reflects that diversity. “I’m terrible at Fall Guys,” she laughs. “But I love Fortnite. It’s not about being the best, it’s about the escape. The fun. The community.”
Gaming also provides a powerful platform for brands, particularly those that show up authentically. Overwolf’s real-time data capabilities allow for pinpoint targeting. “We’ve found that PC gamers tend to get hungry around minute 75,” Aimee explains. “So we can time an ad for DoorDash at minute 76. That’s powerful.”
Still, she stresses that it’s not just about timing, it’s about respecting the player. “Gamers won’t tolerate being interrupted,” she says. “But if you enhance their experience, if you help them level up, they’ll notice. And they’ll remember you.”
Advice to Women Entering the Industry: “Even if your hands are shaking, move forward.”
Aimee didn’t set out to work in gaming. Like many great pivots, hers wasn’t perfectly planned, it was born from following her passion and staying open to what came next.
“I kind of fell backwards into gaming,” she says. “SuperAwesome was acquired by Epic Games, and that’s when I really got immersed in the space.”
But entering a new industry, especially one as complex and male-dominated as gaming, required more than curiosity. It required support.
“I had to find a mentor who could help me understand the landscape and connect it with all the experience I already had,” Aimee shares. “I was lucky to find advocates and allies within my company who believed that women deserve a seat at the table.”
One of those allies is her colleague Nathan (Lindberg), who not only helped her learn the language of the industry but also gave her room to evolve. “He’s been a huge advocate and ally for me,” she says, “always offering feedback on how I can make an impact when I speak about gaming.”
Her advice to women coming up behind her is clear and actionable:
“Find your advocates. Find your allies. Make sure they understand your goals and your values so you can align on those, so you can continue to thrive in your career.”
But she’s also honest about the internal barriers women face, especially in rooms that weren’t built with them in mind.
“A lot of times, I feel like the space I’m in wasn’t designed for women. And that means we also have to overcome our own self-doubt. Our own fears. You just have to keep moving forward.”
And then, she offers the line that lingers long after the interview ends:
“It’s not about being sure of who you are. It’s about being sure of who you want to be.
Even if your hands are shaking, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.”
Today, Aimee makes it a point to do the same for other women.
“It’s not enough to have a seat at the table,” she says. “You have to kick back a chair for someone else. The table is better when more women are there. Period.”
A Vision for the Future – And a Nod to Real Estate
With such powerful data and community insight, I couldn’t help but wonder: Could this technology ever apply to real estate?
She lit up. “Real estate advertising inside gaming? That could be fascinating. Especially because our audience tends to skew more affluent, PC gamers are often professionals. It’s a space with potential.”
It’s more than hypothetical. The lines between virtual and physical spaces are already blurring. We talked about ARKUP, a floating home that sails Miami waters with no property taxes. Could in-game experiences help showcase properties like this to global audiences?
“Maybe,” she says. “That’s the beauty of gaming – it’s a space of imagination.”
Leadership That Reflects, Recalibrates, and Resonates
So what fuels Aimee’s clarity, especially in such a fast-evolving space?
Books. Podcasts. And a deep love of learning.
“I’m always drawn to content that sharpens leadership, builds resilience, and reminds me to trust my own voice,” she says.
Recent reads include The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins – a powerful reframing on boundaries and where to focus your energy. She also finished Who Better Than You? by Will Packer, a call to lead with vision and ownership. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink & Leif Babin is a permanent fixture on her bookshelf.
On the podcast front, Aimee was recently a guest on the Women of Influence podcast, a platform she calls “still so needed.” She’s also a fan of The Diary of a CEO and WorkLife with Adam Grant – “both great for reframing leadership through a human lens.”
“I’m drawn to content that makes you pause, reflect, and walk back into the room a little taller,” she says. “And if you have any recommendations, I’m always listening.”
Motherhood, Magic, and the Moments that Matter
Outside of her work in gaming and tech, Aimee is a mother to two daughters, and it’s through motherhood that some of her most profound insights on leadership, presence, and letting go have come to life.
“I tell my daughter that parenting is such a tough job,” she shares.
“Because you’re raising someone to leave you. To be successful without you. And it’s so fulfilling, and so sad.”
That tension, the joy of seeing your children grow, and the ache of knowing they’ll one day no longer need you, is something every parent knows. And sometimes, it’s the smallest moments that bring it all into focus.
“My one-year-old was splashing in the sink the other day,” Aimee says.
“And it’s exactly what I thought. She’s just learning about how to splash. Magic behind all.”
These quiet, fleeting experiences remind her of what’s easy to forget in the rush of adult life: to pause, to notice, to feel wonder again. Whether leading teams or raising daughters, Aimee carries a powerful lesson at her core: the most transformative moments often come when we give ourselves permission to be fully present.
Whether she’s mentoring women in tech, guiding brand strategy inside the metaverse, or watching her daughter discover the joy of water – Aimee Baller leads with intention, presence, and a willingness to imagine what’s next.
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