Upland, a Web3 Metaverse SuperApp, recently announced a partnership with KABOOM!, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending inequality in the gaming space. The alliance was inspired by UCC Dak, a Highland player and host of “Perpetual Good in the Metaverse” on Twitter. UCC Dak advocates the use of Web3 technology and user-generated content to have a positive impact on the physical world.
These efforts are aimed at generating new revenue sources, opening up markets and introducing new generations to organizations with a mission-driven focus. In line with UCC Dak’s approach to Web3, Upland and KABOOM! are teaming up to offer the sale of five NFT card items inspired by KABOOM! Playgrounds throughout the country.
Playground-inspired NFTs to generate social impact
The Toss-Shak, a 3D design studio within Upland, has designed unique user-generated 3D map assets inspired by KABOOM! playgrounds.
Comprised of three active Upland players – TossHed, Shaktikyn and Fadi04 – this collaborative effort has created unique playground-inspired items. The first asset, called KABOOM! Dino is designed as a versatile play structure that develops imaginative and physical development. Complete with climbing areas and slides, this structure is not only intended to entertain children, but also to promote social interaction between children.
Beyond the KABOOM! Dino, the design studio, has also revived other classic playground structures. This includes the KABOOM! Swings, an iconic playground feature that has delighted generations of children. Additionally, the Monkey Bars, another playground staple, have been redesigned in three varieties: the classic KABOOM! Monkey Bars, the KABOOM! Loop Monkey Bars offers a more challenging layout and the KABOOM! Crescent Monkey Bars also adds a new twist to this traditional play structure.
KABOOM! Senior Fellow James Siegal expressed his excitement about the collaboration: “We at KABOOM! are mission-driven builders… That’s why we’re so excited to partner with the Upland community.” He continued, “And what better way to start than by bringing virtual playgrounds to the world of Upland as a way to accelerate our work. Together we can literally put playgrounds on the map and build a better, more joyful world for every child.”
Real world impact
As part of the collaboration, KABOOM! will open an office at Upland’s Chicago location, modeled as a factory and showroom. The Upland Chicago addresses have a direct correlation to the real KABOOM! locations. The KABOOM! Showroom at 6727 South California Avenue in Upland, Chicago, shares an address with a real playground built 10 years ago in partnership with Catalyst Schools.
Upland Chief of Staff Danny Brown Wolf highlighted the two organizations’ aligned missions, saying, “Together we will leverage our collective expertise to create inclusive, cutting-edge play environments.”
UCC Dak, the person whose vision led to this partnership, emphasized his commitment to the partnership: “I am a big kid at heart and support the mission of KABOOM! to create play spaces for children where they can do the most good, well – it aligns with my core values and the child in me.”
The playground-inspired Map assets will be accessible via Google Play and App Stores, as well as on the web.
Upland and KABOOM!: two innovators in different areas
Based in Silicon Valley and with additional locations in Las Vegas, Ukraine and Brazil, Upland was recognized as one of Fast Company’s “Next Big Things in Tech” for 2021 and was included by Built among the “22 San Francisco Startups To Watch in 2022 ”. In SF. Upland operates as an open Web3 platform for a real-world mapped metaverse with the goal of creating a vibrant creator community. It is an “entrepreneurial economy” that enables players, creators, developers, and brands to create experiences, monetize assets, and provide utility and enjoyment to other users.
Since 1996, KABOOM! has worked with children and local communities to develop or renovate more than 17,000 playgrounds, enabling almost 12 million children to benefit from equal access to these crucial recreational areas. In 2022, KABOOM! has rolled out its 25 in 5 Initiative to End Playspace Inequity, which aims to accelerate the organization’s mission by focusing on 25 key locations over five years.