Mark Diaz Truman
CEO and Co-Owner of Magpie Games in Albuquerque, New Mexico
What does creative success look like? Some creators dream of a blockbuster hit, complete creative control, or maybe a few million dollars sitting in the bank. As CEO and Co-owner of Magpie Games, Mark Diaz Truman has experienced all three. But the success he’ll always remember is getting to write dialogue for one of his favorite characters of all time — Uncle Iro, a central character from the Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
That same joy Mark felt breathing life into Uncle Iro is exactly what tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) do for tens of millions of players worldwide. “Role playing games are an opportunity for you as a player to jump in, make your own character and have adventures with your friends, just as if you were making episodes of a TV show at your table,” Mark explains.
RPGs have traditionally stayed within the realms of the fantasy-adventure genre (think Dungeons & Dragons). But rather than tell just one kind of story, Magpie is intentional about centering diverse voices. Their original titles include tales of teenage superheroes and feminine horror, reflecting the diversity of Magpie’s in-house creative staff.
“It's a part of our core identity to nurture and sustain diverse voices, both in our work and also in the way we do our work,” says Mark. "We want to bring in people from a lot of different communities and make the space to work together.”
Over the last several years, the company has also experienced a huge amount of success by using Kickstarter to fundraise licensing deals for popular brands including Avatar. In 2023, Target even carried Magpie's Avatar Legends starter set.
Magpie has soared to amazing heights, but Mark is all too aware of the feast-and-famine cycles that many creative businesses in low-volume, low-margin industries face. He and his partners started looking beyond the next Kickstarter campaign and at their small business’ future.
“It's a part of our core identity to nurture and sustain diverse voices, both in our work and also in the way we do our work,” says Mark. "We want to bring in people from a lot of different communities and make the space to work together.”
Over the last several years, the company has also experienced a huge amount of success by using Kickstarter to fundraise licensing deals for popular brands including Avatar. In 2023, Target even carried Magpie's Avatar Legends starter set.
Magpie has soared to amazing heights, but Mark is all too aware of the feast-and-famine cycles that many creative businesses in low-volume, low-margin industries face. He and his partners started looking beyond the next Kickstarter campaign and at their small business’ future.
“There are lots of people making great games, but there are very few people who are building infrastructure and institutions that will sustain making great games for 50 years,” says Mark.
They wanted to have financial contingency plans, nourish the careers of their 12 employees, and build a legacy in the tabletop gaming industry. They needed relationships with financial institutions to do that.
They wanted to have financial contingency plans, nourish the careers of their 12 employees, and build a legacy in the tabletop gaming industry. They needed relationships with financial institutions to do that.
Mark remembered working with DreamSpring years ago for another small business he started. He appreciated its community focus and that, like Magpie, it’s founded and headquartered in New Mexico.
“Working with DreamSpring felt like a partnership to me from minute one,” he says. “It was about the power we build together, not the power one institution has over another.”
A $202,500 Small Business Administration (SBA) loan from DreamSpring is helping Magpie transition into a more forward-looking business model. Having working capital means Mark and his team can take time to explore new audiences and projects. It also means they can implement the tools that will expand Magpie’s creative horizons and make a lasting contribution to the industry.
“There's nothing that makes me prouder than knowing that New Mexico can be a home for Magpie for a long, long time — and to work with partners like DreamSpring makes that possible.”
“There's nothing that makes me prouder than knowing that New Mexico can be a home for Magpie for a long, long time — and to work with partners like DreamSpring makes that possible.”
