Lise (Goblin) Keeney (she/her)

Lise joined Momma on May 19, 2025 for a live Q&A via Twitch and YouTube to talk about Being Neurospicy, Video Games & Online Connections

About Lise

Lise is a seasoned brand strategist and PR powerhouse who’s helped turn scrappy startups into household names—from being Hinge’s first publicist when they spent their last $15K on PR, to co-creating viral Bill Nye videos for GE. With a career spanning lifestyle, gaming, and cutting-edge tech, she’s known for mixing bold creativity with sharp execution—and for always championing outsiders and underdogs. Now she’s building Goblins, a radically human social platform where people make real friends by voice chatting inside their favorite video games.  

Socials / Links for Guest Connection

• Website - https://www.likegoblins.com/date

• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@datelikegoblins

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/datelikegoblins/

• Discord Community - https://discord.com/invite/date-like-goblins

References / Things Mentioned During the Stream

• True Crime Fascination: The Great Feather Heist 

• Book Recommendations:

  • The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson 

  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho 

• Favorite Conspiracy: Avril Lavigne replaced by Melissa Vandella 

• ETFA Grief & Loss Conversation - the most recent one, at least! there have been others:

  • Trauma, Grief & Pivoting 

  • Prolonged Grief Disorder, Psychedelics and Psychiatric Service Dogs 

  • Grief Journey & Starting a Mental Health Charity 

  • How Belief in Life After Death Impacts Grieving 

  • Plus the ones on Death Positivity with Link Keller and Grief & Loss with VictoriaWaye, these are in the archive and will be re-released in the future!

• Favorite Poem: We are trying to find it!!! Crowdsourcing on: Reddit | Goodreads

• Momma's Favorite Poem: Hannah Dains - "Don't Kill Yourself Today" 

• Favorite Songs about Mental Health:

  • Em Beihold - Numb Little Bug 

  • Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life 

  • Noah Kahan - Call Your Mom 

  • Blue October - Hate Me 

  • NF - Happy 

• A wild ride of music, brought to you by the 30 day music challenge we did in the ETFA community discord: FoxFam Community Recommended Songs Playlist (YouTube)

• An even MORE wild ride of music, which is legit just Momma's only playlist that she regularly shuffles and then listens to all the way through: Not For the Children but Momma Likes It (Spotify) 

• Hyperbole and a Half (specifically, Lise mentioned the part about the dead goldfish and how people will ask - did you feed it? etc. as solutions that don't fit the situation)

• Nuggets: An illustration on addiction (Momma STARTED to talk about this, but then got distracted - no one was shocked by that)

• Games mentioned: Palia, Runescape, Animal Crossing, World of Warcraft, Keep Talking & No One Explodes, Overcooked, PalWorld...

Episode Summary

If you’re neurosparkly yourself, love gaming or have ever wondered how online friendships can be just as real as in-person ones, this episode is for you.

Key Takeaways

• Creating safe spaces online fosters genuine connections.

• Video games can provide therapeutic benefits for mental health.

• Neurodivergent individuals often face unique challenges in social interactions.

• Empathy and understanding are crucial in mental health discussions.

• Building community is essential for mental well-being.

• Humor can be a powerful tool in coping with mental health issues.

• Low-pressure social interactions can lead to meaningful relationships.

• Navigating mental health requires patience and understanding from others.

In this episode, MommaFoxFire sat down with Lise Keeney, also known as Goblin, to talk about neurodivergence, gaming and how online spaces can create genuine friendships. Lise is a brand strategist and PR professional turned founder of Goblins, a voice-based platform that helps people connect through gaming. Her journey into building Goblins grew out of both personal loss and the desire to create spaces where neurodivergent people could feel comfortable being themselves.

Lise shared her path from working with startups like Hinge to launching her own project. She joked that she has always had a “goblin answer” to career questions, but what has carried her through is creativity, curiosity, and the drive to help people connect in authentic ways. After her father passed away in 2022, she found herself craving community but not the energy it takes to go out and meet new people in person. That gap inspired the idea behind Goblins: a way to find real connection without leaving your home.

A big part of the conversation centered on what it means to be “neurospicy,” Lise’s preferred term for her own mix of ADHD and autism traits. She described how those traits show up as both strengths and struggles. On one hand, being neurodivergent often means heightened creativity and out-of-the-box problem solving. On the other hand, it can come with challenges like focus issues, people-pleasing tendencies or sensory overload. By embracing the label of neurospicy, she found both humor and empowerment.

The two also talked about how video games serve as more than entertainment. For many neurodivergent folks, games offer structure, space to hyperfocus, and a low-stakes way to socialize. Lise pointed out that some of her gaming friends know her better than people she’s known in real life for years. There is something disarming about playing in a shared digital space that makes opening up easier than sitting across a brunch table. MommaFoxFire agreed, sharing her own experiences with friendships formed through gaming and how those bonds can feel just as real and even more consistent than offline relationships.

They also explored the kinds of games that foster connection. Competitive or high-intensity games like Call of Duty can make conversation harder, while cozy worlds like Palia or Minecraft let people talk while exploring together. These lighter games allow for parallel play, where people can hang out in voice chat while chopping trees, crafting, or just existing in the same virtual world. The result is an environment where conversation flows naturally.

Another theme was safety and community care. Lise explained that Goblins uses voice-first interaction and strong moderation to cut down on harmful behavior. The community of about 2,500 goblins on Discord is quick to welcome newcomers, celebrate glow-ups, and even nudge each other with friendly accountability. From D&D groups to Monster Hunter squads, the connections have already led to lasting friendships, relationships and even in-person meetups.

Throughout the episode, both MommaFoxFire and Lise underscored that video games are not a distraction from “real life” but a powerful tool for mental health and connection. Goblins is proving that you can meet friends, find belonging, and even fall in love without forcing yourself into traditional social spaces. Lise’s story shows how being unapologetically neurospicy, leaning into gaming, and building inclusive platforms can create kinder, more meaningful communities online.