Two decades ago, Tlee Cooper was unemployed and struggling to fit in anywhere.

Her only respite: playing the life simulation game called Sims, which her friend Riquel gave her before Riquel left Los Angeles for Atlanta. Little did Cooper know that this game had just planted the seeds.

Fast-forward to 2022: Cooper has launched ZROverse, a metaverse company that creates virtual worlds where real-world companies can operate. Launched in 2019 and self-proclaimed as Metaverse-as-a-Service (MaaS), the company aims to help governments, businesses, and residents…