Tobi Saulnier started her career in 1986 at General Electric as a lab assistant in computer networks. It was a time before email and handheld devices changed the world.

As she looks back, she can see the transformations new technology has made possible. Email is now indispensable. The iPhone changed the gaming industry with the app store and tools that democratised the industry, Saulnier said.

She knew when she launched 1st Playable in 2005 that games were important for education. What surprises her is the application for health and wellness - for example a game that helps people with cognitive impairment, a game that assists with breathing exercises. The games were made possible by integration, the technology that brought us the cellphone.

The founder and CEO of 1st Playable Productions is being honoured by the Women's Business Council of the Capital Region Chamber for excellence in business.

This Q&A has been edited for space and clarity.

Service is tied closely with doing business at 1st Playable. Becoming a B corporation (a certification that recognises a company's commitment to stakeholders, not just shareholders) was a big first for game companies in the country. You also emphasise service and mentoring with your employees. 1st Playable could have been a success without the service focus. What drives you in this regard?

We need to show companies can follow ideals and still succeed. In big corporations, those ideals of social justice and equity can be considered naive and impractical, but if one company does it, others will follow. In gaming we often use the image of the first penguin to jump into the water from the edge of an ice floe. They all go in afterward, but someone has to step forward. I was inspired by It's a Wonderful Life. I wanted to be Jimmy Stewart, not Mr Potter. As an adult, I was inspired by Richard Zandri. Here was this highly successful person, the leader of Zandri Construction, but he was always humble and his clients were schools and churches.

You have made doing business in New York and promoting your industry in New York a priority. Why?

If you look at our tri-city area - Troy, Albany, Schenectady - there are so many inventors, start-ups and patents that come from here. It's part of our DNA. I thought, "Why not gaming?" I like to support local places and it's exciting to see an area come back with some care put into it. When I moved 1st Playable into downtown Troy, there weren't a lot of businesses there. But we expanded and moved into Harmony Hall and now we're in a beautiful former bank across the street. I wanted other businesses to come so there would be restaurants and things to do and now there's all of that.

How did you move on from mistakes or failures at the beginning of your career to get to success and where you are today?

Most of the time I don't feel like I'm succeeding. I'm one of those people with imposter syndrome. But upon reflection, especially because of the nomination process for Women of Excellence, I'm learning ways I made an impact even though I didn't know it at the time. I'm usually too focused on how I'm falling short - and I think a lot of people do this - as I'm trying to live up to my ideals. I've been hearing from people who were influenced by me and it has reinforced my worldview that small things can make a difference. They can be a catalyst, a spark.

Game production has a reputation for being not only male-dominated but unfriendly to women. What advice do you have for women starting out in the gaming field?

First, we need you. If you're in a bad environment, leave. Change is possible, but it takes a lot of energy. If you don't feel you have the energy for it, find a better place. Wherever you are, connect with other women - peers and mentors - who you can share with and be inspired by. Gaming needs more diversity in general, not just gender. We need those skill sets and perspectives.

 - TNS