Play isn’t just for kids. Increasingly, it’s being recognized as a powerful strategy for creating healthier, happier, and more productive workplaces. Research shows that companies embracing play see a 20% boost in employee engagement and are 30% more likely to be highly innovative. Those numbers are compelling, but what’s even more striking is the human impact behind them.
Few understand this better than Erika Sinner. She is the CEO of Directorie, a $15 million healthcare company, and the Chief Empathy Officer of TinySuperheroes, a nonprofit organization on a mission to help children battling illness or disability see themselves as strong, resilient, and brave. Across both organizations, she’s proving that play is far more than a nice-to-have, but rather, an important business strategy.
“If you can laugh at work and can feel like you’re being yourself, you’ll operate more as a team,” she explains. “That creates psychological safety. And when you feel safe, you’re more innovative, which is good for business.”
Directing Play Into Workplace Culture
At Directorie, Sinner focuses on fostering a culture where employees feel passionate about their work while also feeling fully human. Her leadership spans overseeing a fully virtual team, shaping workplace culture, driving innovation, and creating systems that prioritize both performance and well-being.
To keep her team connected, she infuses play directly into the workday. There are themed virtual parties, surprise gifts for holidays like Cinco de Mayo, and even lighthearted moments that bring everyone together (and their pets) despite being spread across the country. “Play isn’t a perk,” she emphasizes. “It’s a necessary part of the job, especially as employee burnout rates continue to rise.”
This approach has delivered measurable results for Sinner and her team. Directorie has experienced a significant boost in engagement, collaboration, and innovation, reinforcing the link between joy and productivity.
“When leaders model playfulness, it signals to the team that it’s safe to do the same, and it’s safe to show up as your full self,” she says. “That’s how you build trust, connection, and a culture that breaks through isolation and fosters belonging, no matter the setting.”
By treating employees like humans rather than mere workers, Sinner has built a culture so engaged, collaborative, and resilient that it earned her company a spot on the Inc. 5000, America’s list of fastest-growing companies.
Healing Through Play
Sinner’s belief in the power of play extends beyond the workplace. Through her nonprofit, TinySuperheroes, she helps critically ill children reframe their medical journeys as heroic adventures. Each child receives a superhero cape and earns patches for milestones like MRI scans or chemotherapy treatments.
This approach allows children to see themselves not as patients with limitations, but as courageous heroes on important missions. “Play is medicine,” Sinner says. “It helps us process trauma, uncertainty, and fear, something adults often forget.”
The nonprofit’s work creates moments of joy in the most unlikely settings, like hospitals and treatment centers. It transforms what could be overwhelming experiences into empowering ones. “When you give a child a cape, you’re not just giving them fabric,” she explains. “You’re giving them a new way to see themselves and that changes everything.”
A Vision for the Future of Work
Sinner’s dual roles at Directorie and TinySuperheroes reveal a shared truth: whether it’s an employee facing burnout or a child battling illness, play is not optional, it’s essential.
Looking ahead, she envisions a future where more workplaces embrace play as a core strategy, not just for improved performance, but for creating cultures where people feel seen, valued, and supported. At the same time, she hopes to expand TinySuperheroes’ reach, bringing the same joy and reframing of challenges to even more children around the world.
Because whether in a boardroom or a hospital room, the power of play reminds us of our shared humanity. “If you create a culture where people can laugh, trust, and bring their whole selves,” Sinner says, “they’ll not only deliver — they’ll thrive.”
