Achievements

At Northern Arizona University’s Demo Day, student-led startups take the stage to pitch their ventures to a panel of judges from across the state. It’s a competitive, high-energy event designed to spotlight innovation, vision, and real-world impact.

 Among this year’s standout presentations was KOI: Kingdom of Influence, presented by Cathy Ly, cofounder of Unspecified Studios. KOI is a socially conscious game that blends immersive storytelling with the therapeutic framework of DIR Floortime, crafted with guidance from a professional therapist. It offers a supportive and judgment free space for neurodivergent young adults to build confidence and develop social skills through meaningful, reflective gameplay. From wellness-based minigames to personality-driven progression and favorability systems, KOI is designed with purpose at every level. Competing against a field of tech-forward startups including AI productivity tools and emerging apps, Unspecified Studios stood out for both innovation and emotional impact.

 By winning Demo Day, they’ve earned the honor of representing NAU at the Inferno Invitational Startup Cup at ASU on May 19, where top student founders from Arizona will pitch for up to $100,000 in funding and the title of Inferno Cup champions. 

Future Business Women of America reached out to KOI: Kingdom of Influence to learn more about our journey and future goals. 

Our Co-Founder, Cathy Ly, speaks about balancing work and school as an indie company and what drives her and her team to work on such a large undertaking. Cathy emphasizes the idea of passion-driven development, and how the design philosophy, along with core mechanics of the game, were influenced by her team's respective personal experiences with challenges surrounding social situations.

In parallel with other student entrepreneurs, Unspecified Studios creates a profound impact on the Northern Arizona University campus. Inspiring students to work towards their dreams, and stay creative in times when the going gets tough. The team's dedication to building meaningful and accessible gaming experiences exemplifies how indie developers can address social needs.

A 3-Day Lean Start-Up Event, Cathy Ly, co-founder of Unspecified Studios, presented their game KOI: Kingdom of Influence which integrates DIR/Floor time principles prove more than just entertainment for their community.

With a fully immersive and supportive space for people to develop their social skills, this project provides a place for neurodivergent young adults to learn and practice social interactions without the pressures and consequences of the real world. The delivery of the concept transforms traditional therapeutic ideas into enjoyable and engaging gameplay, which helps those who typically struggle to learn social skills through conventional methods.

Competing with other start-up ideas like AI project management bot, Unspecified Studio showed incredible progress in a short time frame and beautifully presented their story to their judges.