Co-founder of Beam, James Boehm, announced his departure from Microsoft earlier this week and detailed his plan to serve on the board of GamerGoo—a company that designs antiperspirant lotions created specifically for gamers.
Boehm won TechCrunch Disrupt NY in 2016. Shortly after, Beam was acquired by Microsoft, and Boehm’s team went on to develop the platform that would become Mixer. Working for Microsoft, Boehm helped bring the platform to a global scale. Hundreds of millions of Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles now use the platform.
Recently, Mixer has continued its ascent to mainstream notoriety with their acquisition of Ninja and announcement that Project Scarlett will come with a 4K Camera. Even though Mixer is just starting to scratch the surface, Boehm has had enough.
After five years leading the Mixer project, Boehm decided that it was time to move on to other business ventures. His new goal is to empower and engage communities and creators through a series of investments and new business undertakings.
“I’m proud of my achievements with the Mixer team and my time at Microsoft. I’ve learned so much from so many talented engineers and designers; it’s such an amazing team and I’m so humbled to have been a part of it,” said Boehm.
He followed up by stating, “I’m excited about the future of the mixer platform, but now I’m giving my focus to new projects I’m involved in, with the aim of continuing to develop the industry and its communities.”
GamerGoo, if you haven’t already heard, is hand lotion for gamers that improves your grip for up to four hours. Founder Justin Clark was fed up with his sweaty palms undermining his paying ability and developed the hand cream with the help of a biomedical engineer at Florida Tech. while working on his MBA.
While Boehm’s connection to GamerGoo is his first step out from under Microsoft’s wing, it certainly won’t be his last. He plans to work with companies in every corner of the gaming industry—creating as much of an impact as possible.
What exactly is in store for Boehm is hard to say. But, if he brings his demonstrated technological ingenuity and passion for the gaming community to his new projects, it’s hard to imagine anything less than success.