Megan Van Beveren graduated from Regent’s MA Management course in 2018. For Megan, it was the way in which Regent’s encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone that led her to launch a business in a sector she’d previously known very little about – virtual reality.
‘The key skill I learnt from Regent’s was confidence. Those who knew me before Regent’s said I completely changed after my MA. I had so much more assurance to go out and try new things. The projects I worked on during my MA were so wide ranging – often in areas completely unknown to me – and this gave me the confidence to co-found a business in gaming.’
Megan and her partner Robert, a UAL graduate, co-founded Magnetic Arcade, a studio creating innovative Virtual Reality games. Regent’s provided a launchpad for their business when it sponsored both founders with a graduate entrepreneur visa. This allowed Magnetic Arcade to launch in one of Virtual Reality and gaming’s leading cities – London.
‘Coming from California, living, studying and working in London was very different. I was initially so attracted to the city, and to Regent’s, for how diverse the population is – giving me the opportunity to meet the whole world in one place. After graduation, London was the perfect place for us to set up the business as the UK provides certain incentives for people starting businesses in the gaming industry. The London gaming network has been incredibly supportive.’
Despite building a business through a pandemic, Magnetic Arcade’s principal game, Driftlander, is attracting a lot of attention. Megan and Robert have received two rounds of UK Games Fund funding and their game has been recognised as particularly innovative in the VR space. Megan is becoming a recognised voice in the VR community, speaking on panels such as ‘The Future of Virtual Reality’.
‘The one thing I’ve learnt from my experience is that you really can do anything you want if you set your mind to it, you’re passionate and you're prepared to work hard. Challenge yourself and have the confidence to try something new – you never know where it might take you!’