Speakers

Alex Rosenthal leads TED Games, a new initiative that is extending the joy of TED Talks into smart games designed to foster curiosity and create aha moments. He is also the Editorial Director of TED-Ed Animations, where he has produced the scripts for more than a thousand animated educational videos that have been watched billions of times. Alex developed TED-Ed’s hit riddle series and designed a TED-themed escape room inside Marriott hotels. His games include The Purring Test, Letter Brew, and Pandora’s Legacy, a critically acclaimed jigsaw/escape-room-in-a-box board game.

Allison Matthews is the purpose-driven head of Minecraft Education at Microsoft, focused on inspiring young people to build the skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. She has led Minecraft Education’s product strategy and customer growth to what is now a global learning platform with impactful partnerships and millions of players. Previously executive producer of Minecraft Education, Matthews joined Microsoft in 2006 as a financial analyst. Prior roles at the company included marketing director, director of category management for wearables, director of business operations and planning for U.S. retail, and planning and strategy lead for Canada consumer sales and marketing.

Allisyn is passionate about creating meaningful, playful, inclusive learning experiences that inspire kids to be curious, creative, critical thinkers, and collaborators. She offers the unique perspective of a parent, teacher, product strategist, learning designer, community creator, and partner with over 10 years of teaching experience and 14 years developing, implementing, and overseeing innovative educational programs for formal and informal learning. Prior to joining the Joan Ganz Cooney Center, she worked as a Product Strategist for the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT Media Lab, and played an integral role in the creation, launch, and continued development of multiple features at the educational website, BrainPOP.

Alyssa Sweetman is the Director of Client Services at UberStrategist, where she leads marketing, PR, influencer, and event initiatives for game developers and publishers. Formerly Director of Social Impact at Twitch, she built social good programs that empowered streamers to raise hundreds of millions for charity. Alyssa is known for building engaged communities, driving authentic brand connections, and leading high-impact teams at the intersection of strategy and creativity.

Amanda "Manda" Farough is a multiclasser (narrative designer, writer, producer, and strategist) at the intersection of creativity and business in games. She's currently working on TMNT: Tactical Takedown as Executive Producer and Writer, as well as Lead Narrative Designer & Writer on Terrible Lizards (and an unannounced game). Manda is a mom of four, which brought her to co-author the Digital Playgrounds books with Dr. Rachel Kowert as an exploration of parenting with video games.

Ami Cai is the Project Manager for Digital Game Development at Empire State Development, New York State’s economic development agency supporting and promoting the industry. Ami's previous work experience in assisting game investment companies, branding and graphics for various video game studios, and digital community management. She received a Master’s of Fine Arts in Game Design at NYU Game Center and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Communications Design from Pratt Institute.

Dr. Amy Patterson is Chief Program Officer at Urban Arts, where she is on a mission to power up the next generation of creators through game design and computer science. She manages U.S. DOE-funded grants that bring Urban Arts' educational programs in arts and technology to schools in NYC and beyond. An award-winning Career & Technical Education (CTE) educator with 15+ years of experience in STEAM education, Amy is passionate about building college and career pathways through game development. She believes in the power of games to inspire, educate, and engage students and communities.

As the Youth Engagement Manager at Roblox, Andres Cuervo leads programs that empower young people to co-design and champion the future of online safety, civility, and wellbeing. He advocates for digital civility through a youth-rights lens, working closely with internal teams to meaningfully integrate youth perspectives to make our products as strong and authentic as possible. With over ten years of experience in youth engagement for organizations in tech, government, and higher education, his approach is deeply informed by the voices of young people.

Over the last 25 years, Andy has held a range of leadership roles in the digital space, supporting innovation across both private and public sectors. Head of Online at the Worldwide Fund for Nature International (www.panda.org), Head of Online at Credit Suisse Private Banking (www.credit-suisse.com), Manager Digital at UEFA (www.uefa.com). At WHO, Andy strives to amplify vital public health messages to more people through more channels. During the COVID-19 emergency, Andy has engaged the digital sector to support this mission and leads the Tech Task Force, a collaboration of over 40 companies working to tackle misinformation, raise quality content and develop new digital channels.

With more than 15 years of experience in philanthropy and nonprofit management, Ann has had the privilege of leading Niagara Cares, Niagara Bottling’s philanthropic initiative to leave a legacy across the United States and into Mexico. This role allows her to blend her expertise in grantmaking, partnership development, and team building to create impactful programs. Previous roles include executive leadership roles for significant philanthropies investing worldwide.

JOSE ANTONIO TIJERINO is president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF), a national nonprofit focused on education, workforce, societal impact and leadership through a cultural lens, which he describes as a “malleable mission.” Under Tijerino, HHF has been honored by The White House, US Congress, Fortune 500 companies, other nonprofits, and even the Government of Mexico. Tijerino is also executive producer of the Hispanic Heritage Awards at the Kennedy Center, which are broadcast on PBS. Prior, he was an executive at Fannie Mae Foundation, Nike, Burson Marsteller, and Cohn & Wolfe. Tijerino was honored with the “Ohtli Award” by the government of Mexico, which is the highest honor outside of Mexico; “Lifetime Achievement Award” by National PTA; Hispanics in Philanthropy “Giver Award;” “Vision Award” by Silicon Valley Latino Leadership; MALDEF “Human Rights Award;” Telemundo’s “Community Service Award;” “Civilian Impact Award” by US Army; “Brillante Award” by NSHMBA; “Estrella Award” by SHPE; “Digital Hero Award” by MMTC; “Cesar Chavez Award” by NHLI; multiple BRAVO Awards including “Pioneer Award,” and in the Greater Washington Hispanic Business Hall of Fame; among others. Tijerino has served and serves on various boards and advisory committees inlcuding Harvard’s Latino Leadership Initiative at the Kennedy School; University System of Maryland Foundation; HHTP (Hispanic Technology & Telecommunications Partnership); Independent Sector; National Girls Collaborative; America’s Promise Alliance; Games for Change; Ayuda; CSforAll; KID Museum; Notre Dame’s Exoneration Justice Clinic; Nielsen’s Latino Advisory Counsel; Coca-Cola’s Equity and Accountability Council; Disney’s Community Advisory Committee; WhiteBoard Advisors; and FCC’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC); among others. As a proud immigrant from Nicaragua, Tijerino was recognized by FWD.US for his work with migrant families on the border through the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, TX, and on the Mexico side. He also co-founded the American Project; #WeDreamAmerica campaign; #Masks4Farmworkers, which provided more than 2 million masks for farmworkers during the pandemic; DREAM LEAD for DACA recipients; and supported Imagination Stage’s Theatre For Change featuring the Oyeme! Project portraying the plight migrants; among other efforts. Tijerino co-produced the first Latinx-themed game with Minecraft and featured as a Minecraft character; produced an anti-hate tool kit with Nickelodeon; co-founded the Code as a Second Language (CSL) initiative, which has introduced 100,000 youth to coding; co-founded the LOFT (Latinos On Fast Track) Institute; co-found the Hispanic Leaders Alliance (HLA) with the NFL; and an educator’s “Maker Academy” with KID Museum to attract minority students into STEM; among other efforts. As host of the Fritanga Podcast, Tijerino presents Latino culture, unitiy, perspective, information, and inspiration with guests ranging from celebrities to policymakers to opinion leaders. He is designated as an “Influencer” on LinkedIn and was selected as “Top Voices on Diversity, Equity & Includsion” on the platform. His blogs and media presensence have made him a national voice on various issues. Tijerino earned a BS degree from the University of Maryland’s school of journalism, and honored with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from The Chicago School. He is a Salinas Fellow at the Aspen Institute and lives in Washington, DC, with his family.

I am currently studying to become a psychoeducator at the University of Montreal. My research interests focus on the impact of sport involvement on youth development. At the same time, I am contributing to the creation of the game The Road Ahead with the Ludic Mind Studio. This game guides players through lived experiences related to mental health struggles and explores different ways of coping with them.

Ashley Rosenbaum is the Lead Animator at Niantic Spatial Inc, the leader in geospatial AI and spatial intelligence, where she’s focused on building out immersive entertainment experiences. Prior to Niantic Spatial, she worked at Niantic, Inc. for over 3 years, merging games and social communities through augmented reality. At Niantic, she developed projects within the Peridot franchise, shipping across multiple platforms such as mobile, mixed-reality headsets, and AR glasses.

Neurodiverse, fluidly expressing, nomadic storytelling human. SXSW & UNICEF winning producer. Oscar Shortlist nominee. Worked in games mental health for Safe in our World. Consulted on social impact driven campaigns for Netflix, Sybo, Vice, Sony, the United Nations. Produced Just Play game jams, and served as judge for disinformation jams and labs with GGJ and UAL. Benn has previously spoken at the Paris Olympics, GDC, Gamescom, Develop, Devcom, Davos, the UN High Level Political Forum.

Biagi makes games! I thrive on collaboration, sharing knowledge, and fostering connections through playful interactions and creative projects. My work explores the peculiarities of our human existence, using humor and play to strengthen bonds within the greatest community of all—humanity.

Bonnie Liu is a Master's student in Human Centered Design & Engineering at University of Washington and UX designer at Qualtrics. As part of a five-person team for her graduate capstone project, her team partnered with Washington Interactive Learning Alliance (WILA) to investigate critical challenges in educational game design, developing insights to create more engaging and effective learning experiences in classrooms.

Brendon is a seasoned designer of learning games and interactive educational experiences. Harnessing the power of play, he creates work that engages and inspires, making learning natural and joyful for users of all ages. He graduated from the New Media Design program at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008 and has been in playful education since. He has produced many innovative learning experiences for the classroom and beyond alongside leading organizations such as Games for Change, Institute of Play, Quest to Learn, BrainPOP, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Bryan Walsh is a senior editorial director at Vox overseeing the climate and health reporting teams and the Unexplainable and The Gray Area podcasts. He is also the editor of Vox’s Future Perfect section, which covers the policies, people, and forces that could make the future a better place for everyone. He is the author of the 2019 book End Times: A Brief Guide to the End of the World, which is about existential risks like AI, pandemics, and nuclear war.

Caelan is a master's student studying game design at NYU. He has a BA in English and creative writing from Brandeis University, and decided to return to school to pursue his passion in game design.

Caroline has over 12 years of experience in production and external development at EA and Riot Games. Through her consulting work, she advocates for sustainable, ethical development practices, strong partnerships, and greater inclusion in game development.

Chris Hewish is a veteran game executive known for blending creative innovation with strategic leadership to drive meaningful impact. With experience at Activision, DreamWorks, Survios, and Xsolla, he has led the development of transformative games across platforms while championing storytelling, inclusion, and the cultural power of play. As a C-level executive at Xsolla, Chris focuses on building platforms and partnerships that expand access and elevate voices in gaming. A Forbes Technology Council member and frequent keynote speaker, he brings a compelling perspective on how games can inform, inspire, and create lasting change.

Christina (Tina) Thomas, LSCW,/MS- Tina is the Children and Families Grief Support Coordinator at Blue Ridge Hospice, located in Winchester VA. As a hospice professional, she has been serving dying and grieving populations for over 10 years. Tina earned her Master's of Science in Child Development from Erikson Institute in Chicago in 2012. A year later she earned her Master’s of Social Work with an emphasis in Medical Social Work. She is a Certified Advanced Grief Specialist and a Therapeutic Game Master, allowing her to combine her love of games and grief work.

Clayton Weimers is the Executive Director of RSF USA, the North American branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). He oversees an office which monitors press freedom across English-speaking North America and advances RSF's global priorities to advocate for journalist safety and everyone's right to information. His writing on press freedom has appeared in publications including the Washington Post, Newsweek, The Hill, and the Independent. He originally joined RSF USA as its Deputy Director for Advocacy after a career in political campaigns. He holds an AM in International Relations from the University of Chicago and a BA from Pitzer College.

Dan Norton is the CCO and a founding partner at Filament Games. He loves approaching each new project at Filament as an opportunity to find authentic passion and engagement around learning new things. Dan blends his love for game design with his love of collaborative creativity to support Filament’s design and artistic teams.

Danny Pimentel is an Assistant Professor, Fellow at Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication, and co-Director of the University of Oregon’s Reality Lab where he develops and studies immersive storytelling for social impact. His projects have been supported by Meta, Snapchat, Unity 3D, and National Geographic, among others. His research has been published in peer-reviewed venues such as Nature Scientific Reports, New Media and Society, and Journal of Nature Conservation, among others.

Darko is a longstanding humanitarian and development worker, primarily affiliated with the United Nations. Currently, he is a freelance consultant, providing research, strategy and business development services on the intersection of gaming and social impact, most recently for the UN World Food Programme. His other gigs include beating cancer, supporting men’s mental health, and raising a decent human being with his lovely life companion. Darko is all in for play, humour, and just having a good time. Poke Darko.

DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, FRCP, is a physician and the leading authority on Integrative Well-Being and Spiritual Intelligence, Founder of Cyberhuman.ai and DeepakChopra.ai. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is also an Honorary Fellow in Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He is the author of over 95 books, translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. For the last thirty years, Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution. His mission is to create a more balanced, peaceful, joyful and healthier world. Through his teachings, he guides individuals to embrace their inherent strength, wisdom, and potential for personal and societal transformation. In his next book, *Awakening: The Path to Freedom and Enlightenment* (Harmony/Rodale, 01/06/25), Chopra offers the power to free you from the limitations of ego into a life marked by inner and outer peace, purpose, and boundless possibility. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of their top 100 most influential people.” www.deepakchopra.com

Diane Urban is an established consultant in digital media, entertainment, and education. Diane has led the development of award-winning mobile and web-based games for prominent clients like General Mills, Pokémon, Disney Publishing, and Disney Citizenship. She holds a Master’s degree in Technology, Innovation, and Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a Bachelor’s degree from Duke University. Diane currently leads program development for the Geena Davis Institute’s gaming initiatives and serves as the Institute’s NY Council Chair.

Didar Güzelkara is a researcher and game designer specializing in therapeutic games. She is the Program Coordinator of Games for Change Türkiye and is responsible for international projects in the Game Design Department at Bahçeşehir University. Her work focuses on using games as tools for mental health, well-being, and social impact.

Dina Baenninger is a visionary futurist and founder of CHARISMA NOVA, ARTISTHEANSWER.AI, and RESONANCEproject.earth. With over 25 years at the intersection of future-focused innovation, brand and business strategy, and art and creativity, she champions the transformative power of artistic intelligence to shape regenerative systems where nature, technology, and humanity converge in symbiosis. As Executive Director at ALOHAS Regenerative Foundation, she forges alliances with global organisations like the UN, UNFCCC, World Economic Forum, and Dubai Future Forum to catalyze systemic change through impact innovation and the unlocking of human potential. Her work exemplifies how creative vision and interdisciplinary collaboration can deliver paradigm-shifting solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges.

Dmitri M. Johnson is a producer and Co-Founder of Story Kitchen, known for adapting video games into hit films and series. He previously founded dj2 Entertainment, producing the billion-dollar Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. His credits include Tomb Raider, Life is Strange, It Takes Two, SIFU, Vampire Survivors, and more. With 1st look deals at Amazon and DreamWorks, he champions authentic, fan-first storytelling that bridges games and Hollywood.

Dr. John W. Borchert is the Director of Videogaming and Esports Studies as UNC Greensboro. His teaching and research engage gaming and esports through a cross disciplinary lens, with a particular focus on engaging the arts and humanities in STEM fields. As an Unreal Academic Partner, UNCG's VES program looks to industry standards to guide curricular and research profiles to create impact for students and the community.

Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds and he is interested in stories and transformational experiences across texts, comics, games and other media. He explores the art, design, and science of making media that matters, working to expand our notions of what media are capable of doing, and what we are capable of doing with media. He is an expert in leading creative collaborations with interdisciplinary groups, orchestrating change, and building initiatives focused on making positive social impact. He is a Teaching Professor at the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Play Story Press, an open community publishing consortium, and the Well Played series and journal.

Drew McCrory is the Lead Accessibility Designer for Diablo IV, where he and his team design, test, and refine accessibility features to ensure players of all abilities can fully experience the game. Their work spans visual, physical, and auditory support, with a commitment to making Sanctuary a welcoming world for everyone.

Edward Metz is a developmental psychologist, researcher, and nationally recognized leader in education technology innovation, with over two decades of experience catalyzing the R&D and commercialization of impactful learning technologies (including dozens of learning games!) through government investment. As the former manager of ED/IES SBIR and founder of the ED Games Expo, Ed has advised hundreds of developers and researchers whose products reached tens of millions of students and pioneered new models for scaling evidence-based edtech. Today, Ed continues to consult with small businesses and is leading a new project to create a novel testbed platform to accelerate research to inform product development and validation.

Elizabeth D. Kilmer, PhD, is a clinical psychologist dedicated to education and research on applied games and resilient gaming communities. She has developed therapeutic groups utilizing table-top role-playing games to promote well-being, social connection, and interpersonal effectiveness in children, adolescents, and adults. Dr. Kilmer is a leading expert on therapeutic applications of games, and co-authored Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games. Dr. Kilmer is leading training and research on the Blue Ridge Hospice Adventures Through Grief program, supporting grief centers in providing this innovative approach for teens and young adults, while researching the efficacy and generalizability of therapeutically applied role-playing games in grief settings.

Accomplished Director of Learning with over 20 years of experience, specializing in the development of impactful digital learning strategies and products within the SaaS sector. At Unity Technologies, I spearhead a team to revolutionize learning experiences, achieving a 40% year-over-year growth in creator engagement and tripling retention success. My expertise encompasses crafting scalable learning solutions, applying adult learning principles, using generative AI to streamline content production, and driving strategic alignment across global teams to foster professional growth and product adoption. By leveraging AI-driven content creation tools, I've optimized the production process, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality learning materials. My leadership in curriculum development and instructional design has consistently delivered measurable business impacts, positioning me as a strategic asset for driving learning and enablement initiatives.

Enora Le Roux is a French research methodologist and public health researcher. Her expertise lies at the intersection of research methodology, health intervention evaluation, and healthcare pathway improvement. She leads and contributes to numerous nationally and internationally funded research projects, and is associated with more than 40 scientific publications. Since 2017, she has been utilizing video games for health promotion purposes. Her interest in improving children's and adolescents' health is reflected in her active involvement in several professional networks, notably as vice-president of the French Adolescent Health and Medicine Research Group and coordinator of European recommendations on healthcare improvement for adolescents with chronic diseases.

Eric Zimmerman is insatiably playful. He designs games that play with culture - like Dear Reader, a smartphone game published by Apple that uses public domain literature as the basis for word puzzle games (with Local No.12). He invents new spaces for play - like large-scale installations for MoMA and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (with Nathalie Pozzi). He writes about game design - like the field-defining textbook Rules of Play (with Katie Salen) and The Rules We Break, a compendium of exercises for teaching design through games and play. And he is always experimenting with new games - like RATS: High Tea At Sea, a tabletop game of nasty social politics (with Josh DeBonis). Teaching is a core part of his design practice and Eric is a founding faculty at the NYU Game Center, where he can be found getting design students to play playground games as they learn about creativity, collaboration, and problem solving. If you ask him nicely, he will definitely play with you.

Erika N. Ewing is the Senior Director of Interactive Ventures and Games as part of the Global Products & Experience group at Lionsgate. In her role, she works closely with top game developers, publishers and filmmakers to create and launch games centered around the studio’s film and television properties.    Ewing has led major AAA video game collaborations for Lionsgate, including Billy The Puppet’s appearance in Fortnite for the 2024 Fortnitemares event with Epic Games, as well as SAW x Call of Duty: Warzone as part of Activision’s Haunting of Verdansk and Saw x Rocket League. She oversaw the creative development and launch of STARZ’s Ash vs Evil Dead within Evil Dead: The Game in 2022, and served as project lead on Power Rangers: Legacy Wars and Battle for the Grid, Blair Witch (Bloober). She has also worked on various collaborations, including SAW characters such as ‘The Pig’ within Dead by Daylight, as well as Rambo crossovers. Additional highlights include launching Academy Adventures presented by The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in Roblox, and the first 17+ IP-based experience with Saw X: Survive The Obby, in collaboration with Six Flags and Xbox, both in 2023.  Ewing holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Producing from The American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI) where she produced over eight films, including a VR short, and an award-winning short titled Rougarou led by an all-women filmmaker team that became an official selection of San Diego Comic-Con 2017. She also holds double Bachelor’s degrees in Communications – Broadcast Journalism and Theatre: Performance from Central Washington University. Prior to joining Lionsgate, Ewing worked at G4TV’s hit gaming news show X-Play, Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, and was a Frag Doll Cadette with Ubisoft Entertainment serving as an advocate for women in the pro-gaming space.

Franco is a Webby and Anthem award-winning Digital Producer at Sesame Workshop. He creates educational content for children, focusing on games, programs, and resources that make learning fun and engaging. His projects are designed to positively impact children's lives through the power of play.

Garance Sarlat is an Associate Programme Specialist in UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector for the Inclusion, Rights and Intercultural Dialogue Section. She works on the implementation of UNESCO's Global Priority Gender Equality through gender-mainstreaming and gender-specific programming. She leads the coordination of the Transforming MEN’talities programme which aims to combat gender stereotypes, promote positive expressions of masculinities, engage men and boys for gender equality, and foster the empowerment and leadership of women and girls, including in and through video games. She edited several UNESCO reports and recently co-authored: Empowering women for the good of society (2023), Fostering women's empowerment (2024) and The gender equality quest in video games (2024). She is the co-host of the Leadership for Equality podcast by UNESCO and ACWW.

Georg Broxtermann is the Founder of the GamesForest.Club, a non-profit connecting gaming companies with impactful climate action. Based in Berlin and Munich, he drives innovation at the intersection of gaming and sustainability. A serial entrepreneur and Business Angel, Georg also leads GameInfluencer, a global influencer marketing company for games and tech.

President, Games for Change Latin America

As CEO and Co-Founder of Sea Monster Entertainment, a leading impact games studio based in Cape Town, Glenn leads a world-class team dedicated to creating games that drive social and business change at scale. Since 2011, Sea Monster has delivered over 80 games and gamified experiences to leading corporations & public benefit organisations globally. Glenn is the chairperson of Games for Change Africa, where he leads a board of industry professionals across the continent to advance strategic initiatives & programmes that promote social impact & economic growth through gaming in Africa.

Gordon is a Professor of the Practice of Cinematic Arts at USC and the Director of Cinematic Ethics, helping to cultivate the next generation of leaders in our craft. He has played key business and product leadership roles at Tencent, Electronic Arts, as a designer on Madden NFL Football, and MTV Networks. In 2020, Bellamy was honored by Games for Change as their Vanguard Award winner for his contributions to the craft. In 2019, he was awarded the first ever Jerry Lawson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2018 he was featured in Nickelodeon's Black History Month. Currently, he is featured in Netflix's Game Documentary, High Score, Amazon’s It’s In The Game Docuseries, and on The World According to Jeff Goldblum on Disney + . Gordon serves as the Executive Director / CEO of the Gay Gaming Professionals and on the Board of Directors of Wave and has served as Executive Director of both the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences and the International Game Developers Association. He is a graduate of Harvard College with a BA in Engineering, and resides with his husband Joe Heally, and their dog, Colby Janet, in Los Angeles, California.

Assoc. Dr. Güven Çatak started to write in video game magazines and make short films while studying architecture at İstanbul Technical University. His shorts won several awards and were screened at various festivals. He continued his games career as an academic at Bahçeşehir University (BAU). His media network and academic studies empowered him to found "BUG Lab" which kickstarted the indie game scene in İstanbul and eventually transformed into an education and incubation platform. In 2024 he started Games for Change Türkiye Chapter.

Hans ten Cate is the co-founder of Breakthrough T1D Play, uniting the video game industry to fund type 1 diabetes research. Inspired by his daughter’s diagnosis, he’s helped raise over $7M since 2019 to accelerate progress toward a cure. An entrepreneur and games industry veteran, he has supported startups and held roles at PlayStation, Electronic Arts, and Deluxe. He holds an MA in Public Policy and an MBA.

freshman at USC Games, Game Designer & Developer

Award-winning author/journalist Harold Goldberg is president of NYVGCC and the New York Game Awards. He is The New York Times' video game critic, is the author of the upcoming novel The Skinny and All Your Base Are Belong to Us (How 50 Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture) (Crown).

Hugo Obi is the driving force behind GameUp Africa, a talent development initiative designed to identify and train the next generation of African game developers. Through this programme, Hugo has empowered thousands of aspiring creators across the continent with skills in game design, programming, and production. His work sits at the intersection of education, innovation, and cultural storytelling, championing a more inclusive and representative global games industry. He is also the founder of Maliyo Games, a Lagos-based studio creating culturally inspired mobile games for local and global audiences.

Noriaga is a gaming content creator that focuses on the medieval melee-action game For Honor and hardcore survival game DayZ. His focus is to provide an immersive experience for the viewer in an inclusive environment. Noriaga enjoys building a community of likeminded players.

James Delaney is the Chairman of the Block by Block Foundation, a non-profit partnership with UNHabitat which uses Minecraft as a public participation tool in urban design, helping communities reimagine their own city spaces. James is also the Director of BlockWorks, a content creation team working on metaverse experiences inside Minecraft. Over the last decade, BlockWorks has pioneered the use of Minecraft as a versatile digital platform to create, inspire and educate.

Jared Kilmer, PhD is a clinical psychologist dedicated to the research and application of the cognitive and emotional benefits of games. He has developed methodologies utilizing therapeutically applied role-playing games (TA-RPGs) to promote flexibility, resilience, and well being in veterans, and confidence, teamwork, and interpersonal skills in neurodivergent children. He co-authored the book Therapeutically Applied Role-Playing Games and supports the use of games in his clinical practice.

Jasmin leads grantmaking at Agog, supporting creators and nonprofits using XR to tell stories that spark connection and social change. With a background spanning tech, storytelling, and community development, she’s all about building a more equitable future through art, imagination, and innovation. Whether dreaming up new pipelines or introducing communities to AR, she’s passionate about architecting ecosystems that expand access and creative opportunity.

Jen Chiou is the founder of CodeSpeak Labs, which has taught 25,000 students to code, and co-creator of Quest Craft, a K-12 classroom tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) platform that fosters creativity and empathy and provides students with immersive experiences in diverse cultures. A mom of two preteens, Jen loves to create learning experiences that spark imagination and help kids build a better world. She is a 2025 Fellow of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center’s Well-Being by Design Fellowship.

Jess Boyce has been in the education space for the past 17 years, ranging from math teacher to education technology engagement manager and everywhere in between. Her passion is all about leading with love and doing what's best for student engagement, safety, and inclusion.

Jessica Lindl is the author of "The Career Game Loop: Learn to Earn in the New Economy" and VP of Ecosystem Growth at Unity Technologies - responsible for growing and engaging the Unity community. She has over 20 years of experience running various business ventures and P&Ls.

Jess, an Emmy Award-winning storyteller and international peacebuilder, is the CEO/Co-founder of Wicked Saints Studios, a Black/female-led game studio backed by Riot Games. WS is the developer behind the worlds, first adventure activism game, World Reborn. She's raised over $5.5M in venture capital. American Business Journals named Jess 34 Female Founders to watch in 2023. Jess is the winner of the 2024 BTA Awards (Black Tech Achievement) for the "Force of Good Award."

Jib Leekitwattana is a game designer currently getting her MFA in Game Design at New York University. Jib has her BFA in Design and Technology from Parsons School of Design and has worked as a game designer and assistant art director in Bangkok, Thailand.

John is a marketing and events professional and educator who is passionate about uplifting students and early professionals. He is the content + marketing manager and scholarship program manager at the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. In addition, John mentors at USC Annenberg and lectures at the University of California, Irvine. Advocating for digital literacy and AAPI causes, he also served as Project by Project’s National Marketing Director and is a CAUSE Leadership Institute fellow.

Josh Staub began his career in games as part of the core creative team behind the Myst series, but has spent the last 20 years in animation (Walt Disney Animation Studios, Netflix Animation, Warner Brothers), contributing to more than 20 film projects including the Academy Award winning Frozen, Big Hero 6, Paperman, and Feast. In 2018, Josh was inducted into the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (Oscars) for "exceptional accomplishments in the field of theatrical motion pictures,” and also serves as a Tenured Professor of Cinematic Arts at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

JunHee Lee is a Professor at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Korea, where he serves as the Department Chair of Film, Television and Multimedia, and also holds a joint appointment in the Game Design Department. He is the Chair of the university’s Game Center, a research institute dedicated to advancing game studies and development. As one of the members who spearheaded the first Game Design program at a major Korean university, in June 2025, he organized the inaugural Games for Change Conference in Korea with Susanna Pollack, Lindsay Grace, Eric Zimmerman, Jesper Juul, Peter Lee and Tokita Takashi as speakers. Currently, JunHee is participating in several government-funded large-scale projects, including Metaverse for Radioactive Safety and the development of an AI-based Full-Stack Game Designer training program.

Karla Reyes is an award-winning game developer, activist, and Founder & Creative Director of Anima Interactive, a socially conscious indie games studio. Prior to founding Anima, Karla developed games at Square Enix and Niantic. She also helped build Code Coven, a global games accelerator for underrepresented talent in the creative technology and interactive media industries. With over 3 billion gamers globally, Karla and the Anima team strongly believe in the immense untapped opportunity for games to drive real-world cultural impact. When not making games, Karla is an active mentor, public speaker, and DJ/radio presenter.

Dr. Karen (Kat) Schrier is Professor and Director of Games & Emerging Media at Marist University. She is a game design consultant for World Health Organization (WHO) and CEO of PlatyPlay, LLC, which designs games for care, health, and learning. Dr. Schrier is the author/editor of over 100 published works, including We the Gamers (Oxford University Press) and Knowledge Games (JHU Press). She has over 20 years of experience in media, and has worked for Nickelodeon, Scholastic, and BrainPOP. See more at: https://www.karenschrier.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/katschrier/.

Katherine Fung is a senior reporter at Newsweek, where she covers rankings, business innovation and emerging technologies. Previously, she reported on U.S. politics and culture for the news desk.

Kay Vasey is the Head of Youth and Family at k-ID, where she champions the voice of kids, teens, and parents throughout the entire product journey—from concept to launch. She draws deep insights into the needs of families to inspire innovative features that help keep young people safe as they play, learn, and grow up online. Collaborating closely with her team, Kay transforms bold ideas into real-world products that empower the next generation and excite global audiences.

Kelli Dunlap, PsyD, MA is the executive director at Take This, the original mental health and games non-profit, and brings on over a decade of experience working at the intersection of mental health and games. In addition to her work at Take This, Dr. Dunlap is a licensed clinical psychologist, holds a Masters in game design, and serves as a researcher-in-residence at American University’s Game Center. Her collaborations include NIMH, UNESCO, VOX Media, and U.S. Congressional staffers.

Kelli McGee is a Master’s student in Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington and CX Program Manager at Microsoft. In partnership with the Washington Interactive Learning Alliance, Kelli and her capstone team explored ways to bridge the gap between game designers and educators. Her team researched the complexities of K–12 classrooms and identified ways to help game designers create engaging and effective learning experiences in classrooms.

Kevin Truong is Senior Grants Program Manager at Unity, leading grant strategy and partnerships on the Social Impact team. With a background in nonprofit leadership and education innovation, his work focuses on advancing education, technology, and workforce development to empower the next generation of underrepresented learners and changemakers around the world.

Krysti Nellermoe has a decade of experience in refugee resettlement. She is currently the Senior Training Officer for Emerging Technology on Switchboard, a project of the International Rescue Committee, that provides capacity building to service providers nationally. Krysti launched and leads the Emerging Technology initiative, which makes immersive media and videos that help newcomers navigate their new communities before encountering them in real life, building confidence while improving service delivery outcomes. This initiative was the recipient of the 2024 Anthem Award: Humanitarian Action & Services, Innovation, Product, Innovation, or Service (Gold- audience award and Silver-judges placements). Krysti is a former Digital Inclusion Fellow with NTEN, a technology-focused nonprofit. She holds certifications in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation, TESOL, and Co-Design. Krysti completed an MA in International Studies in Shanghai, China.

Leo Olebe is a results-oriented, veteran executive with experience in management consulting, brand management, strategic partnerships, and business development for some of the biggest brands and companies in the world.   Leo has been in the games industry for more than 24 years, with experience ranging from launching AAA mobile, PC, console and online games to building new platforms and advising developers and start-ups. Before joining Microsoft Leo was Global Head of Gaming @ YouTube. His work includes major brands like Star Wars, Marvel, Disney Princess and The Matrix at companies like Google, YouTube, Facebook, BioWare, EA, Disney, Warner Bros., Sierra Online (now Activision Blizzard), Zynga, and Kabam. He has degrees from Occidental College and the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Lien Tran is an associate professor and chair of the game design program at DePaul University's Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media. She is director of Matters at Play, a transdisciplinary design lab partnering in the creation of interactive advocacy solutions for positive social transformations. She is an award-winning designer whose game design portfolio includes collaborations with Open Society Foundations, World Bank, United Nations, and Full Spectrum Features.

Lindsay Grace is the Knight Chair in Interactive Media and a full professor at the University of Miami School of Communication. A leader in game design and social impact, he is Vice President of the Higher Education Video Game Alliance and a Games for Change Vanguard awardee. He has authored over 95 scholarly works, including Doing Things with Games and Black Game Studies. His work has been showcased globally, and he has curated major game exhibitions. He frequently speaks at top industry events.

Lindsay Watson, PT, MPT, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Augment Therapy, a digital health company using AR gamification to make physical rehabilitation engaging for all. A pediatric physical therapist with 20+ years’ experience, she founded the company in 2017 to improve the therapy experience particularly for children and individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities. Her work has earned national awards, global partnerships, and recognition as a leader in health tech innovation.

I hold a doctorate in public health specializing in health promotion at Parisian hospitals. My work combines public mental health principles with both participatory and interventional research methodologies. Passionate about digital innovation for population health, I focus on leveraging video games and social networks to engage adolescents in effective health promotion strategies, creating evidence-based digital experiences that resonate with youth.

Dr. Lynn Fiellin, Professor at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, is Founding Director of the play2PREVENT Lab. She and her team, partner with teens, to develop and evaluate evidence-based serious games to improve adolescent health, focusing on mental health, vaping, opioid misuse, and sexual health. To meet the growing demand for digital behavioral health tools, she founded Playbl, which markets and distributes the five games created and tested by the Lab.

Dr. Manuela Ferrari is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, McGill University and a Researcher at the Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal. She is a pioneering scholar in implementation science and digital mental health. Her work transcends disciplinary boundaries, leveraging technologies like video games, and digital data capturing to improve mental health outcomes and decrease barriers to care among youth, particularly those from marginalized populations.

Marc is a key figure in the fight against climate change and shaping the global regenerative development agenda.For more than three decades, he has been actively involved in various expert groups at the highest international level. He is the author of the UN-SDG Manifesto and a close collaborator of the UNFCCC, dedicated to the development of systemic regenerative futures. He has been at every COP since COP1 in Berlin, where Angela Merkel was Environmental Minister. As a member of the EU ESG Taxonomy PSF Commission, he influences environmental policies worldwide, advocating future-fit models of society and governance. He is an expert in Regenerative Agriculture and sustainable built environments, actively creating ecological civilization frameworks. As a Global Food Reformist, he is dedicated to reforming the agriculture, food, and beverage industry through impactful projects and moonshot companies. This includes teaching and speaking about climate change and food reform worldwide. Host of Inside Ideas: He hosts the video and audio podcast Inside Ideas, which is produced by OnePoint5 Media and Innovators Magazine. The podcast features discussions with thought leaders, innovators, futurists, and experts working on global challenges, including sustainability, regeneration, environmentalism, and food reform. He is a Board member of the Dubai Future Foundation, Chair of the UNFCCC Innovation Hub, and active contributor to the World Economic Forum’s expert groups, and is the author of books such as “Leadership for Sustainable Futures”. Marc takes a systemic approach to life and deals with all aspects of complex systems, actively contributing to ending human suffering and our global grand challenges through systemic, symbiotic solutions. As a global authority in the field of regenerative living systems development, he advises companies, leads workshops, and gives talks at events around the world.

Maria Burns Ortiz is executive director of the Global Game Jam, leading the world's largest game creation event and its GGJ Next jams for middle and high school students, serving over 40,000 game creators annually. Previous to GGJ, she was co-founder and CEO of 7 Generation Games, taking 30+ educational games for youth from concept to commercialization and leading student-centered game design initiatives in North and South America.

Maria has been helping games companies succeed in the digital space, build great brands, launch games and engage players for nearly two decades. She's worked on franchises such as Mass Effect, Mirror's Edge, Battlefield and EVE Online. She sits on the board of UKIE and the advisory group of the London Games Festival. ustwo games is a BAFTA-winning studio based in London. Best known for the Monument Valley series, and a pioneer gaming company in the B-Corp movement. Alba: a Wildlife Adventure has received, among others, an Apple Design Award, and Game of the Year at the Games for Change Awards. Monument Valley 3 is out for mobile on Netflix Games.

Mark DeLoura leads Level Up Games, a games and education technology consultancy. Starting out in VR in the 1990's, Mark has worked in the game industry 30 years, with companies like Sony, Nintendo, and Ubisoft. He served as Senior Advisor in the White House under President Obama, focusing on games for impact and K-12 computer science education. Mark created the popular book series Game Programming Gems in 2000, and was awarded the 2017 GDC Ambassador Award for contributions to the game industry.

An industry veteran, Mark has held executive leadership roles in Microsoft Xbox, Playful Studios, Sony PlayStation, SEGA, GameStop, and more. His love of gaming and passion for global expansion has allowed him to experience life and business in over forty countries, across various industry segments such as emerging markets, consoles & peripherals, products & services development, game development, and studios’ leadership and collaboration. Mark is Founder and CEO of Yelnats Collective, a games industry strategic advisory firm.

Mashfiq Ahmed is a science teacher at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York. During the pandemic, Mashfiq created a virtual afterschool Minecraft Club in order for students to de-stress and socialize with each other. Since then, Mashfiq and his students have done a lot of amazing work with Minecraft Education and game-based learning that has been featured in the local news, Time Magazine, podcasts and more. In 2023, Mashfiq’s Minecraft esports team was crowned the Battle of the Boroughs Champions and won the Mayor's Cup! Through his efforts with Minecraft Education, Mashfiq was inducted into The Game Awards Future Class of 2022 and received a Leadership Award from Games For Change.

Mathias Gredal Nørvig is the Chief Executive Officer of SYBO, the mobile games studio best known for creating the hit game Subway Surfers. Originally joining the company as Managing Director in 2014, Nørvig was named CEO in 2017. He combines his management and consultant skills with philanthropic ambitions – with a passion for climate, water, energy, and nutrition. Prior to joining SYBO, Nørvig was a management consultant at PwC and a deal team member in institutional investment rounds, as well as a founding member of Playing for the Planet and the Sustainable Games Alliance. Nørvig is a board member at SYBO, Vision Denmark, NIMBI Gamelab, and Funday Factory (serving as Chairman of the Board). He additionally acts as an ad hoc advisor to the Danish government on creative businesses and growth, and co-authored a book, “Gaming for Good,” on how games can spread awareness and inspire action against global challenges.

Matthew Cohen is an Agent in the Games department at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Based in the Los Angeles office, Cohen works with leaders in interactive entertainment and has brokered deals on behalf of such clients as Obsidian, Brass Lion, AdHoc, and Critical Role among others. Prior to joining CAA in 2017, Cohen served as CEO of Core Mobile, a mobile game discovery and content platform. He was previously Vice President of Content Strategy at Machinima. Additionally, he held positions at Digital Development Management (DDM), Temple Hill Entertainment, and was COO of a Los Angeles-based startup game developer. Cohen graduated as an undergraduate College Scholar at Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and received his Master’s from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.

Matthew Farber, Ed.D. is Associate Professor of Educational Technology and Codirector of the Gaming SEL Lab at the University of Northern Colorado. He collaborated with Tracy Fullerton on lessons for Walden, a game EDU and with UNESCO MGIEP on several projects. He was a writer for the official learning companion for Ava DuVernay’s acclaimed film Origin. Most recently, “The Well-Read Game: On Playing Thoughtfully,” by Tracy Fullerton and Farber, was published in MIT Press’ Playful Thinking series.

Medha Tare is an experienced researcher in the learning sciences and technology area. Her work centers on addressing the needs of the whole child, including considering individual differences among learners, their environments, and the media through which they learn.

Michael Preston is Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Named after Sesame Street’s visionary co-founder, the Center conducts research on emerging technologies, collaborates with industry leaders, academics, and educators to translate insights into action, and engages policymakers and investors in meaningful conversations about children’s learning and well-being. Michael holds a Ph.D. from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a B.A. from Harvard University.

Mike Jenkins brings over 25 years of experience in media, specializing in digital transformation, audience development, and strategic innovation across social media, apps, and games. His current work includes co-leading digital transformation at the Museum of Science. Previously, Mike led major digital initiatives for national nonprofits, served as Managing Director of Revenue and Ventures at PBS, and held senior leadership roles at AOL, where he helped shape early digital business models.

Milad Mozari is an artist and researcher working in sonic investigations that draw connections to surfaces and social layers. His projects travel through concepts of music, language, and absence. Awards and residencies include Asian Cultural Council Grant to Individuals, Wave Farm, Pioneer Works, Incheon Art Platform, Taipei Artist Village, Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, MIT Open Documentary Lab, and Anthem Community Voice in Humanitarian Innovation . He is currently an Assistant Professor at the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Utah.

Mistoria Brown is an educator, instructional game and technology designer, and a Ph.D. student at the University of Miami. She focuses on literacy in alternative learning environments. With over a decade of experience in media literacy and promoting equity in STEM fields, she develops immersive tools that emphasize cultural representation and amplify student voices. From digital storytelling to interactive play, Mistoria creates instructional media and games that bring history and heritage to life, enabling students to not only learn but also experience the lessons firsthand. Through culturally relevant design, she creates pathways to representation, believing that the past should serve as a connection point rather than merely being memorized. This approach aims to enhance awareness, access, and agency in the learning technology space.

Over the last 10 years, Monta has led digital projects and supported communications at WHO, where she strives to amplify public health messages to more people through more channels. Monta works on collaborations with public health experts and digital sector companies to support this mission and reach billions of people online with essential health information and to fight misinformation. She has supported WHO’s response to multiple disease outbreaks and health emergencies around the world.

Nadav Grosz is the founder and CEO of Dots.eco, a platform transforming everyday actions into real-world impact. A serial entrepreneur with a background in tech and innovation, he has led ventures across gaming, advertising, and sustainability. Passionate about creating scalable solutions for global challenges, Nadav now lives in Portugal, dedicating his career to building technology that inspires positive change.

Nico Valdivia Hennig is a game designer, ludic activist, and researcher with over a decade of experience in game design. A PhD candidate at University of California, Riverside, their work explores ludic activism and indigenous game production in Latin America. Co-founder of Niebla Games, their studio was part of Google's Indie Games Accelerator in 2022, and Nico's accolades include "Best Game Design" at EVA Córdoba 2019 and nominations at AMaze/Berlin 2024 & Gamescom Latam São Paulo 2024.

Nicole Smith serves as Senior Manager of Tech Initiatives and Partnerships for The Hive, a data science innovation lab at USA for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency). The Hive raises awareness and drives engagement with the public to ensure data science and emerging technologies are a critical part of the solution for addressing the needs of refugees. For more than seven years, Nicole has worked to create pathways for those who want to help refugees through tech-based skills and resources.

Nicole Twohig is the Director of Marketing and Communications Campaigns for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at Vibrant Emotional Health, the administrator of the 988 Lifeline. A seasoned marketing and communications professional specializing in behavior change strategies that drive social impact, she has led high-profile campaigns in public health, sustainability, and crisis intervention. A graduate of Vassar College, Nicole is dedicated to amplifying thought leadership and inspiring action.

Nikita Khalid is the Senior Manager of Research for Scratch Foundation and holds a Masters of Science in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, and a PhD in Educational Psychology from The Graduate Center, City University of New York. Ms. Khalid has worked in the educational technology field for eight years, published in multiple scholarly journals addressing the use of digital technology in professional development, and child education, and presented at 20 national conferences regarding this work.

Noelle is an award-winning interaction designer with over a decade of experience crafting engaging media for children. A Pratt Institute graduate with a degree in communication design and a focus on illustration, Noelle initially dreamed of becoming a children’s book illustrator. Instead, she entered the emerging world of mobile app development in 2011, joining Dreamkind to create groundbreaking apps for giants like Sesame Street, Disney, Brain Quest, and the NFL. These early projects sparked her passion for interaction and game design. In 2016, Noelle joined Killer Snails, a team of scientists, educators, and developers funded by an NSF SBIR grant. She helped adapt their card game Assassins of the Sea into a mobile app. Inspired after the game’s Bit Award win, Noelle created Biome Builder, a simple card game funded through Kickstarter. It became her first award-winning project, earning accolades like Best Family Tabletop Game at Boston FIG and Best Educational Game at Serious Play. Noelle and Killer Snails have since developed multiple award-winning digital games and immersive experiences, all dedicated to inspiring students to see themselves as scientists and pursue STEM careers. Through her work, Noelle continues to bridge creativity and education, shaping the future of interactive learning.