The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming metaverse and subsidiary of Animoca Brands, will collaborate with newly launched People of Crypto Lab (POC) on the Valley of Belonging, the first-ever diversity, equity and inclusivity hub in the metaverse. The new hub will launch 24 June 2022 during a special Belonging Week event where The Sandbox will open ahead of its Alpha Season 3 to celebrate differences, boldy reaffirming the importance of an equitable Web3, the company said. POC aims to build a “cultureverse” while investing in and amplifying creators and communities with diverse stories, teams and projects that represent Black and brown women, people of color and LGBTQIA+ creators, developers and brands.
POC will onboard brands to build metaverse projects and movements driving cultural awareness and education. In a metaverse first, global cosmetics powerhouse, NYX Professional Makeup, will be the first cosmetics brand to integrate into The Sandbox and kick off a new wave of consumer onboarding and education in Web3 via #MetaPride. NYX Cosmetics and POC Lab will celebrate Pride Month, highlighting that makeup has no gender via a non-binary NFT avatar collection featuring voxelized makeup looks for each group represented in the Progress Pride flag. The 8,430 avatar NFT drop is representative of the estimated 84.3% global majority population of communities of color and LGBTQIA+. In one of the most diverse collections available, avatar traits will incorporate over 36 skin shades, every ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identification, celebrating our differences ranging from different abilities like prosthetic limbs to cultural identifiers like the hijab. NYX Professional Makeup is donating 100% of its proceeds from the sale of the avatar NFTs to the Los Angeles LGBT Center, amounting to $50,000.
“Given the current climate of rising discrimination against LGBTQIA+ and other minorities, there has never been a more important time to build a safe space that welcomes all,” said gay and South Asian POC Lab co-founder, Akbar Hamid. “As someone who has had to hide my real identity, I want to help build Web3 to allow marginalized communities to feel represented and not left behind. We are proud to have NYX Cosmetics as a partner that shares our mission.”
Designed by top game developer Hermit Crab Studio, POC brings imagination, wonder, creativity and freedom of self expression to its magical reinterpretation of a diversity, equity and inclusivity center as a colorful “Valley of Belonging,” the company said. Visitors are free to be whomever they choose, access a safe space, and celebrate pride 365 days a year, no matter where they may be located in the world. POC Lab will feature Drag Queen non-player characters (NPCs) as well as NPCs in wheelchairs guiding players through the game experience.
“We believe that Web3 can only scale if diversity and inclusion are rooted in the foundation of what is being built. Black and brown women, people of color and LGBTQIA+ have an immense combined spending power and unprecedented cultural influence,” said black and neurodiverse co-founder of POC Lab, Simone Berry. “Culture drives commerce, which is why we need to actively educate and onboard these communities in order to ensure an equitable, profitable future for Web3.”
“Our vision for The Sandbox metaverse is to create a continuous shared digital space where worlds and brands collide to make rainbow-colored magic in which everyone is invited to participate, engage, create, and play,” said Sebastien Borget, COO and co-founder of The Sandbox. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential in a truly open metaverse. We’re proud to work with POC Lab to bring #MetaPride to life. Rather than replicating the biases and inequality of the real world, the metaverse must break barriers and forge an inclusive, welcoming global community.”
The Sandbox “Belonging Week” includes additional communities celebrating pride including MetaPride Land, World of Women (WoW), Blond:ish and more.
