Speakers

Adam Dolin is a writer with 17 years in games. Credits include God of War (WGA Award, BAFTA), God of War Ragnarök (Game Awards Best Narrative), and Horizon Forbidden West. He's a creative consultant with clients including SEGA, Netflix, and iam8bit, and teaches narrative design at ELVTR. His work focuses on systems-driven storytelling and collaborative pipelines between writers and other disciplines in game dev. For more information, check out GameDevDolin.com

Alan Lewis Head of Global Corporate Communications Take-Two Interactive Alan Lewis is a communications professional with over 30 years of expertise working within the interactive entertainment industry. Since 2008, Mr. Lewis has served as Head of Corporate Communications for Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO). In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the Company’s corporate communications initiatives and media relations. Mr. Lewis also serves as the Chairman of Take-Two’s Charitable Giving Committee, spearheading the Company’s philanthropy initiatives. Prior to Take-Two, Mr. Lewis was a Senior Vice President with Edelman in New York, where he led the agency’s Digital Media Practice, representing such clients as CA Technologies and Sony Ericsson. Earlier in his career, he worked with several leading interactive entertainment and digital media companies, including Acclaim Entertainment, GT Interactive Software and MusicNet; as well as top-tier PR firms such as Burson-Marsteller and MSL. Mr. Lewis is a Board Member of GamesforChange.org and the Entertainment Software Association Canada, and serves on the Advisory Board for the Animation Industry Council that is run by the New York Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment. Mr. Lewis holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Stony Brook University.

Ben Kertman is the founder of Future People Lab, a behavior change studio that designs research-backed tools for social problems. His flagship project, Disagree Differently, is a cooperative card game built from 589 behavioral techniques across 47 fields, refined with hundreds of players at MIT, Harvard, and Princeton. The game teaches constructive disagreement as a practiced, embodied skill. His work sits at the intersection of public health, behavioral science, and game design.

Angelina Shi is an Interactive Media Producer at PBS Wisconsin. She works to create innovative interactive content, such as video games, websites, and virtual tours, intended to inform and inspire public media audiences. In her free time, she can often be found playing D&D at the local game store.

Ashwin Desai leads games, experiences and new IP franchises at OneTeam Partners, the world leader in athlete group licensing. He works at the intersection of sports and culture, partnering with brands, consumer businesses and creators to build athlete-driven digital products, physical properties, and original media franchises. Previously, Ashwin was Director of Growth Strategy for new and emerging sports franchises at 2K Games, and Head of Digital Media Rights, Games and Experiences at Formula 1.

Dr. Barbara Chamberlin directs development of games and research at NMSU’s department of Innovative Media, Research and Extension. The professional instructional design studio develops transformational games, virtual reality, interactive media and apps for education in K-12, college, adult and professional development. Previously a stand-up comic, she changed careers to capture the power of educational technology, especially through game based learning.

Barry Joseph is the Principal of Barry Joseph Consulting, a leader in innovating solutions for learning in a digital age. An early developer of after-school game design youth programming, Barry has been a national leader in both games-based learning and games for social impact, producing dozens of curriculums and games. He teaches Digital Design for Museum-based Learning at New York University, based on his book Dancing with Dinosaurs: A Toolkit for Digital Design in Museums. Work and clients include the American Museum of Natural History, Girl Scouts of the USA, the RAND Corporation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the International Criminal Court. Barry has been featured by the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS Morning News, All Things Considered, and many more. He is also the co-founder of the Games for Change Festival. His most recent book is Matching Minds with Sondheim: The Puzzles and Games of the Broadway Legend. Learn more at his website: MatchingMindsWithSondheim.com.

Benjamin Stokes is the author of "Locally Played: Real-World Games for Stronger Places." He is an associate professor with the Game Center at American University, where he leads the Playful City Lab. He is one of the original co-founders of Games for Change. Previously, Benjamin worked at the MacArthur Foundation in their portfolio on Digital Media and Learning. His designs for cities have been featured in the Smithsonian and the Guggenheim, from repurposed payphones to crowd-mapping by bicycle.

Bola Akinrolabu is a Program Assistant Director at the Endless Games and Learning Lab at Arizona State University, where he works at the intersection of gaming, education, and social impact. He leads efforts to scale game-based learning programs that expand access to digital skills and future-of-work opportunities globally, particularly for underserved communities. His work focuses on reimagining education through play, creativity, and immersive technologies, aligning with global development goals around education and economic growth. At the Endless Lab, he helps build relationships that connect learning, industry, and innovation to prepare learners for emerging careers.

Brett is an experience designer and maker focusing on ways new technologies can shape and respond to visitor engagement with and within museums. As Senior Project Manager, Emerging Technologies in the Audience Engagement Group at The Met, Brett leads audience-centered pilots, prototypes, projects, and partnerships focused on new tech.

Calvin Gray is the Founder and Executive Director of Bad Ape, a leading Roblox agency connecting purpose and play. Based in Malta, Bad Ape designs immersive experiences for brands and nonprofits reaching Gen Z and Gen Alpha; from a Webby-honored ASEAN campaign with AirAsia and Agoda, to Shorty Award–winning impact experiences tackling gender stereotypes, mental health, and social change. His work has engaged millions of youth across 180+ countries.

Can Oral, also an award-winning filmmaker, has been envisioning games as Cultic’s creative director for nearly a decade. Not a stranger to raising social awareness through the medium, as he donated a portion of the profits from Cultic's second game, Cats and the Other Lives, to medical care for Istanbul's street cats. In addition to his creative endeavors, he teaches game design at Bahcesehir University's Video Game Design Department.

As Assistant Director of Family Programs and Initiatives at MoMA, Cari Frisch creates programs, resources, and hands-on experiences that connect families with art and with one another. A member of the Learning & Engagement Department since 2005, her work has included developing a creative play app, co-authoring Art Making with MoMA, and designing the game Everyone’s a Critic. Interested in the intersection of games and visitor engagement, Cari was a 2026 Games for Change Game Plan Fellow.

Carlos Figueiredo is Director of Trust & Safety at Mojang Studios (Minecraft) and co-founder of the Thriving in Games Group (formerly Fair Play Alliance). His online safety career began 17 years ago at Club Penguin/Disney Online Studios, where he first experienced the power of healthy gaming communities to create spaces of belonging and connection for players everywhere. At Mojang Studios, Carlos works to celebrate and protect the creativity and passion of one of the world's largest gaming communities, ensuring that interactions remain welcoming and safe for players of all ages. As co-founder of the Thriving in Games Group, he helps game developers across the industry foster and maintain healthy, thriving player communities at scale.

Chris Dede is a Senior Research Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Chris is a Co-Principal Investigator and Associate Director for Research of the NSF-funded National Artificial Intelligence Institute in Adult Learning and Online Education. He is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association, a Fellow of the Online Learning Consortium, a Scholar of the Immersive Learning Research Network, and a Distinguished Fellow of the Learning Engineering Network.

Christopher Stare is a people scientist, user researcher, and assessment designer dedicated to bridging the gap between human cognition and design. After researching learning and memory at the University of Arizona, he transitioned to industry, where he leverages psychological insights to enhance digital experiences. His personal passion for gaming led him to his current role at Roblox, where he collaborates closely with game designers to build innovative, game-based tools for talent discovery and professional development. By synthesizing academic research, iterative user testing, experimental design, and personal gaming insights, Christopher ensures that Roblox’s internal game-based tools are valid, reliable, and deeply engaging.

UCI Informatics Professor researching cognition and social interaction in multiplayer games. Former Senior Policy Analyst in Obama White House OSTP. Work featured in Science, Wired, USA Today, New York Times, LA Times, ABC, CBS, CNN NPR, BBC.

Cristina Amaya is Director of Events and Production at Makeshift Partners focused on User Generated Content. She is founder of Latinx in Gaming and currently serves on the board. She has a decade of experience in gaming across Riot, Unity, Google and more.

Danial Ezzati is an award-winning game designer and XR/VR developer leading the Immersive Learning Lab at Con Edison. He created Digital Creative Reconstruction (DCR), a methodology using games and immersive media to preserve cultural heritage and counter digital colonization. His project, TIME: Journey to Nowruz, won the RPI GameFest Impact Award for transforming Persian rituals into interactive play. Danial bridges technology, storytelling, and cultural advocacy to foster empathy and social impact.

Daniel is a Senior Educational Game Designer at Roblox, specializing in the intersection of deep engagement and learning. Currently leading design strategy for the Roblox Learning team, he has spent the last four years at the company developing assessment tools, educational games and helping global brands navigate the platform's unique gameplay ecosystem. His work is informed by a deep entrepreneurial background, having spent over two decades as the founder and Creative Director of Octopi, a studio focused on competitive, multiplayer live-service games.

Danielle Tulchinsky is an art director and game designer whose work moves fluidly between digital games, learning tools, and physical experiences while staying grounded in curiosity, connection, and community. She has contributed to digital games for organizations including Roblox and Sesame Street, designed teacher professional development games and learning materials at The Agile Teacher Lab, and built phygital exhibits for the Digital Futures Institute. Along the way, she has founded and worked at a handful of game startups and taught in art studios and maker spaces. She has an MA in Technology, Media, and Learning from Teachers College and serves on the board of directors of the Children's Media Association.

Dan White is a founding partner and CEO at Filament Games. Founded in 2005, Filament Games employs 46 people and has developed over 400 learning games. Prior to founding Filament, Dan worked as a teacher, instructional designer, and game developer.

David Gagnon is the Director of Field Day, a games studio and research laboratory in the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Field Day’s games are played millions of times yearly, primarily in school contexts, and have won dozens of awards. Field Day’s research revolves around the use of game data to inform design, theory, teaching and learning at scale by teaming researchers and artists with computers.

David Kleeman is SVP of Global Trends for research firm and games studio Dubit, and principal at consultancy Playvangelist. As a strategist, analyst, author, speaker and connector, he’s led the children’s media industry toward sustainable, kid-friendly practices for 35+ years. David is advisory board chair to the worldwide children’s TV festival PRIX JEUNESSE and on the board of KidFirst.ai. In 2023, he was in inducted into the Children’s and Family Emmy Silver Circle, for 25+ years of service.

Despoina is side questing through life and game designer is the latest of many creative titles D holds. Her interests include theatricality in games, live play/performance mediated by game systems, and player creativity. As a designer by way of the theatre, D makes games where players either tell stories or unravel them.

Elina Ollila is Deputy Director of ASU’s Endless Games and Learning Lab, where she explores games, AI, and learning. She teaches game development, mentors students, and leads initiatives connecting research and industry. Previously, she held leadership roles at Nokia and Daybreak Games and contributed to titles like H1Z1 and Candy Crush Saga.

Director of Family Programs and Initiatives at the Museum of Modern Art, where she has spent more than 26 years creating engaging experiences for kids and families across in-person, digital, and interactive platforms. She oversees MoMA’s family programs and resources, including workshops, gallery talks, digital projects, and the Heyman Family Art Lab. Liz co-created the award-winning MoMA Art Lab iPad app, and has collaborated on children’s products and activity kits inspired by modern art. She co-authored two books on creativity and art-making for children with her colleague Cari Frisch.

Dr. Newbury is an award-winning game producer and globally recognized expert in leveraging technology—especially games—for social impact. She consults with the Christchurch Call Foundation on combating online misogyny in gaming communities. She also is a Senior Director at Meridian International Center's Center for Technology, Innovation, and Space, leading tech diplomacy initiatives. Previously, she directed the Wilson Center's Serious Games Initiative (2017–2025) and was a Visiting Scholar at American University's Game Center.

Emily Gardner is the Manager of Gallery Learning at Seattle Art Museum where she creates educational in-gallery experiences designed to spark creativity, encourage play, and connect visitors to the art. She is especially passionate about creating opportunities for tactile interaction and creative expression in SAM’s galleries. Prior to joining SAM, she designed and taught K-12 theater curricula in Washington, DC, where she was named an Arts Education Trailblazer by DC Arts and Humanities.

Writer, director, and creative executive with 20 years at Pixar, Erica Milsom directed Loop, featuring Pixar’s first non-verbal autistic lead, and pioneered the studio’s unscripted strategy. Now CCO of Ryzo Studios, leading "Impact Franchises" bridging animation and play, she is the force behind Rage Fighters (Roblox) and the film Release The Beast. Both give boys permission to feel. A Rockefeller Bellagio Fellow, she creates stories that drive social change across film and interactive media.

Eyram Tawia is a game developer, educator, and researcher with over 20 years in the industry. As CEO and Co-founder of Leti Arts, a leading Sub-Saharan African game development company, he focuses on enriching African storytelling through games and comics. Eyram has led gamification projects and has received multiple awards for his contributions. Currently pursuing a doctoral degree at Loughborough University, he explores gaming and politics in the Global South and lectures at Ashesi University.

As president and co-founder of FableVision, Gary Goldberger oversees the production of FableVision’s award-winning media products. Since the company's launch, Gary has held many positions, and he approaches each project with a multi-faceted perspective. Gary is an expert in designing and developing innovative games for learners of all ages, and is a frequent speaker nationally on the role of games in education. Gary’s unique blend of technical and creative leadership has been a key reason many FableVision projects have won awards for our partners.

Genevieve C. Johnson is Senior Instructional Designer for Roblox, the world’s largest user-generated social platform for play. She focuses on creating immersive educational content and advising global educators on integrating STEAM and game-based learning into their curricula. She is the author of two books, "Coding with Roblox Lua in 24 Hours" and "Roblox Game Development in 24 Hours".

Gerald Bove is co-founder and President of ReWrite Media, Inc., where he has spent nearly a decade building at the intersection of Minecraft content, educational experience design, and creator development. He oversees the direction of multiple brands within the ReWrite family and has been a recurring production partner to Mojang Studios and Microsoft on some of their highest-profile educational initiatives — including three consecutive years of Hour of Code, the UNESCO Global Build Challenge, and Digital Citizenship content for Minecraft Education. Gerald's project credits span branded IP partnerships (MLB Home Run Derby in Minecraft), cultural education experiences (LatinExplorers with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation), and ISTE-recognized coding credentials developed with Prodigy Learning. He also manages open-source tooling for the Minecraft creator community and consults smaller studios on Marketplace readiness. ReWrite Media is a collective of publishing, mapmaking, education, and experience design teams working in and around Minecraft. The company partners with independent creators, brands, and institutions to produce original content for the Minecraft Marketplace and beyond, and provides consulting services to corporate partners and educators drawing on deep platform expertise. ReWrite has partnered with Mojang Studios, Microsoft, UNESCO, MLB, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Pathway Studios, co-founded by Gerald in 2017, is ReWrite's Minecraft Marketplace publishing brand. It operates as a publisher and production partner for independent creators — providing the resources, relationships, and Marketplace access that smaller studios typically can't reach on their own. Pathway is one of the longer-standing independent publishers operating on the platform.

Glenn is the co-founder and CEO of Sea Monster, and the chairperson of Games for Change Africa. Glenn is a seasoned entrepreneur with 28 years of experience as a senior executive and consultant in the creative industries. He is an expert on the role that technology plays in storytelling and a thought-leader on how impact games and immersive technologies) can be used to build brands and drive effective learning outcomes in Africa and beyond.

Haeny Yoon is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Early Childhood Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her work amplifies the role of teachers as public intellectuals and curriculum designers—especially as a way to facilitate play, creativity, and imagination. In an edited issue of Literacy Today, she brought together some of these classroom teachers alongside literacy scholars and educational leaders in scholarly and practical conversation around play, literacy, and identity across PK-12 contexts. As the Director of Play Initiatives at the Digital Futures Institute, she continues to cultivate collaborative, multimodal work that crosses disciplines, expertise, and professions. Her most recent project, PlayEd, is a newly published magazine that plays with form, content, and design. Curated alongside academic scholars, the publication invites individuals to write, make, illustrate, and design identity texts that rarely find space in their scholarly lives. She co-hosts the podcast, Pop and Play with Nathan Holbert, exemplifying how play expands the personal and professional lives of adults and children. No longer reserved for young children, the podcast aims to hold serious and playful conversations with researchers, educators, designers, media-makers, and young people to illustrate what play can do for social change.

Heather is a leader in curriculum and learning design, with over 20 years of experience creating inclusive, play- and game-based programs that build digital fluency, creative confidence, and career readiness. She has designed global initiatives that develop accessible curricula and foster learning environments where everyone belongs. Heather has also served as an adjunct professor, preparing educators to create effective digital learning experiences. She currently leads the development of Endless’ global game design curriculum, bringing her expertise in pedagogy and systemic innovation to underrepresented learners worldwide.

Huijia (Freya) Huang is a designer and researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology pursuing a PhD in Digital Media, focusing on game-based learning, AI literacy, and human-computer interaction. Her game TokenVerse uses reflective play to help players understand how large language models work and recognize potential harms. Her work spans XR experiences for accessible healthcare to multimodal interaction design.

Jacob Schwitzer is a First Descendant of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. He is a Game Producer for Nebraska Public Media seeking to entertain viewers like you with interactive experiences, whether that’s video games, VR experiences, or 360 video documentaries. In his free time, he can be found outdoors taking landscape photography or inside playing games with his friends.

James Delaney is the Founder of BlockWorks, a studio which creates educational games inside Minecraft. These games have been downloaded over 100 million times and won many awards including a Peabody. James also Chairs the Block by Block Foundation, a UN-backed non-profit which uses videogames as a participatory design tool. The Foundation has helped to create over 150 public spaces around the world. James has a background in architecture and planning and now lectures at UCL on ‘Videogame Urbanism’, where the worlds of videogames and architecture collide.

Jane Lee (She/Her) is the Director of Production at iThrive Games, where she leads the design and development of educational games and tools for teens. With a background in psychology, Jane specializes in translating research into engaging, youth-centered experiences. Her work is grounded in codesign with young people, partnering with youth, educators, and researchers to ensure learning experiences reflect teens’ lived experiences and needs. She has spoken about the intersection of education, game design, and mental health at UNESCO, Games for Change, Serious Play, and the American Psychological Association Convention.

Janine Scheer-Erb (JES) is a multimedia artist, game designer, poet, and curator from Vienna. Her concept-driven practice moves between installation and performance, engaging internet subcultures, algorithms, and poetic encounter. Her work creates intimacy through vulnerability, often addressing dark themes with softness and humor. With a queer-feminist lens, she foregrounds care, collectivity, and play.

Jennifer Javornik is an international speaker and thought leader on the topics of game-based learning and games for positive impact. Ms. Javornik is currently the Chief Partnerships Officer and Board Member for Filament Games. This award-winning video game studio specializes in digital games, simulations, VR, and AR experiences for positive impact. Having partnered with organizations like Meta, Roblox, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Smithsonian, and Amazon, Filament Games has won numerous awards from organizations such as Games for Change, the Webbys, and the Serious Play Awards. Ms. Javornik is a statewide video game industry leader and a founding board member of the Wisconsin Games Alliance.

Jennifer is a seasoned strategist at the intersection of cultural narrative and commercial marketing. As the Co-Founder of Narratify, she leverages a deep-rooted expertise in communications—honed during her tenure at Ubisoft—to help global studios build games that resonate across borders. Jennifer doesn't just market games; she ensures they are built on a foundation of authentic representation. A dual-threat in the industry, she serves as an Authenticity Consultant and a Games Journalist at RFI, where her analyses shape the conversation on the global stage. Since 2020, she has also led Afrogameuses, a powerhouse association of over 800 members dedicated to the inclusion of racialized and queer women in gaming. Recognized as a GamesIndustry.biz Game Changer and a Top Leader Under 35, Jennifer is not just participating in the industry; she is actively redesigning it to be more inclusive, vibrant, and narratively rich.

Hi there! I’m Jeremiah, a creative programmer and Digital Media Master's student in Atlanta. I currently study @Georgia Tech, where I focus on game design and analysis, interactive systems, and experimental approaches to interaction and meaning-making in digital media. My work often sits at the intersection of code, play, and theory, blending technical systems with expressive and speculative design. I build interactive experiences across games, creative coding projects, and mobile apps—often exploring mechanics as arguments and systems that shape player behavior and interpretation. Outside of school and work, I enjoy songwriting on my guitar, playing video games, exploring digital art, and getting lost in a good book.

Jesse Schell is the founder and CEO of Schell Games, a leading game development studio behind award-winning titles like Among Us 3D, I Expect You To Die, and Happy Atoms. He is also Distinguished Professor of the Practice of Entertainment Technology at Carnegie Mellon University and the author of The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses. A former Disney Imagineer and chair of the IGDA, Jesse is widely recognized for his contributions to both educational and entertainment games, and for his visionary insights into the future of interactive technology.

John Ristevski is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of CyArk. John is formerly the Vice President of Reality Capture and Processing at Nokia’s mapping company, HERE, where he led the company’s initiative to index reality. John joined HERE in 2012 through the acquisition of his company, earthmine, which developed systems to capture and deliver highly accurate street level imagery and 3D data of cities. John is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and currently serves on the board of the non-profit CyArk. He has lectured at Stanford's Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and has a Master of Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley and degrees from the University of Melbourne in both Geomatic Engineering and Law.

Jonah works with and coordinates various multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality games, animation, and more to FableVision partners. Jonah has a background in game production, with a bachelor’s degree in Game Design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He also studied early childhood development and psychology, and has marketing and project management experience in a variety of fields. Outside of the studio, Jonah enjoys designing games, watching and playing sports, and discovering new obsessions, such as world geography, documentary films, and aquascaping.

I'm an aspiring game developer at Georgia Tech who is most interested in the systems side of games and how mechanics feel in the player's hands. A lot of my work so far has centered around Unity and C#, where I've focused on building gameplay loops, interaction systems, and mechanics that are easy to understand but still satisfying to use.

JunHee Lee is a Professor at the School of Art, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), and Chapter Head of Games for Change Korea. His work explores game systems, interactive storytelling, and social-impact design, with recent projects including location-based entertainment for urban development, educational games for cancer patients, and games developed with the UN World Food Programme (WFP). At G4C 2026, he will propose a Games for Change-certified curriculum framework for teaching impact games in higher education.

In addition to being a lifelong gamer, Justin is a nonprofit and public sector professional at the NYC Department of Youth & Community Development, where he works on the Youth Count initiative, a citywide effort tracking and analyzing youth housing instability to inform services and policy. He has worked across NYC nonprofits supporting LGBTQ+ youth, with experience in crisis intervention, shelter operations, and program coordination. Most importantly, he is a proud AMC A-List member.

KB is an educator, writer, and creator of games about vaginas, including the award-winning (val)iant: or, val's guide to having a broken vag. In her creative work and research, KB explores how games and play facilitate learning about relationships, intimacy, sexual health, consent, and more.

Katelyn Gumagay is a rising third-year student at Georgia Tech majoring in Computational Media. She is interested in interactive media and how technology can reimagine experiences in health and education. She currently works as a designer and undergraduate researcher for TokenVerse, an educational game focused on understanding large language models.

Dr. Karen (Kat) Schrier is Full Professor and Director of Games & Emerging Media at Marist University. A game designer who has worked at the World Health Organization (WHO), Nickelodeon, and Scholastic, she has over 100 publications, like We the Gamers and Knowledge Games and recently completed a Fulbright in Tunisia. Dr. Schrier is also the founder of PlatyPlay, LLC, and Chief Learning Officer of Dream Interaction Design. See more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/katschrier/.

Kellian Adams Pletcher is the Director of GLAM Innovation at FableVision Studios in Boston. As an educator, writer, award-winning game designer and specialist in museum games and interactives, Kellian has created hundreds of projects in museum and cultural institutions. Kellian is the author of Building Museum Games (Bloomsbury, 2026) as well as articles in the Journal of Play and AMA's Exhibition Journal Journal. Her original immersive creations include Club Drosselmeyer and the Cthulhu Luau.

Kellie Lu is an award-nominated positive impact game designer and game writer. They design all genres of games end-to-end in small teams. In collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, they've created games about STEM, humanities, civics, and more. For fun, Kellie leads a games-as-art analysis club, enjoys leading playful martial arts experiences, and cooks.

Lacey J. Hilliard is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Suffolk University and director of the Social Development & Social Issues Lab. Her research explores how families, schools, and media shape children's and adolescents' understanding of identity, equity, and social issues. She partners with educators and communities to evaluate media and practices that center student voice and support young people's belonging and well-being.

Laurence is a Partner at Lux Capital, where he co-leads the research team and creates media, experiences, and riskgaming scenarios that prepare today's leaders for tomorrow's crises at the intersection of science, technology, and public policy. He previously served as Director of Speechwriting for the U.S. Ambassador to the UN and was a Moynihan Public Scholar at the City College of New York, where he remains a visiting fellow.

Lien B. Tran is an Associate Professor and Chair of game design at DePaul University. 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 who has serious fun teaching how to distill real-world complexity into engaging interactive systems. Her collaboration partners include Full Spectrum Features, Open Society Foundations, and the World Bank.

Lily is a producer based in Vancouver, specializing in User experience design and player-centered product development. Leveraging the experience from EA Sports and Tencent Mobile; she has led features end-to-end across cross-functional teams, with a focus on building intuitive, inclusive systems that help players engage more seamlessly with interactive experiences. Her work sits at the intersection of design strategy and execution , translating creative vision into shipped product.

Professor Lindsay Grace, PhD, MFA, is an award-winning game designer and author of 3 books including, Doing Things with Games, Social Impact Through Play. He is a leading voice in social impact games, publishing more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles, He’s lead multiple game design programs, published independent games, at more than 150 events internationally. As a leader in the field, he has held key roles shaping the future of games for change through research, design, and advocacy.

Lucy is known as one of the "OG" investors in the UAE. She is focused on the innovation space, both in terms of supporting founders and as an investor. Her recently published book, "Changing The Game", highlights the importance of digital technologies, in sectors such as gaming and its relevance to the future of work. Lucy is an advocate and capacity builder focused on digital transformation. She is an Ambassador for Women In Games (WIGJ), Advisory Board member for HER Sports Summit and is an Honoree of The Listed, which spotlights the technologies and leaders reshaping sport’s future.

Dr. Lynn Fiellin is a Professor of Biomedical Data Science at Dartmouth College. Sixteen years ago and inspired by her then 3 teenaged children, she founded the play2PREVENT Lab where she and her team of behavioral and medical scientists, adolescent and community partners, and serious game developers have developed and evaluated digital health games to address adolescent mental health and substance misuse. She also founded Playbl, a sister organization to her Lab, that holds the promise of getting these effective and engaging digital health games into the hands of adolescents broadly.

Lyra performs and produces immersive experiences that dissolve empathic barriers. Recent credits include the international tour of hyper-intimate “Undersigned” (Underbelly, Edinburgh Fringe), and interactive ghost story “Molly Went Missing” (La Jolla Playhouse). Lyra executes ambitious visions with a diverse background in circus, theatre, and mechanical engineering. She joins fantasy to reality, revealing guest agency in worlds with consequences - ones in which our actions matter. www.lyralev.in

Maria Tamellini is an award-winning social impact entrepreneur working at the intersection of trust & safety, technology, and community health in games. She is the Co-Founder of GamerSafer, a company innovating in cross-platform identity and verification technology to strengthen player accountability, and she also leads Minehut, the largest independent Minecraft server network in the world. Maria is a Minecraft Safety Council Advisor and a driving force behind community-led initiatives like the Minecraft Official Server List and the DefenderNet Initiative. She collaborates with organizations including the Thriving in Games Group, Common Sense Media, ECPAT International, Take This, WeProtect Global Alliance, and Stanford’s Reach Lab.

Mathias Gredal Nørvig, CEO of SYBO Mathias is CEO of SYBO, the studio behind Subway Surfers, and a leading voice on gaming’s role in global change. A co-founder of the Playing for the Planet Alliance and the Sustainable Games Alliance, he combines creative industry leadership with a passion for climate, energy, and nutrition. Mathias co-authored “Gaming for Good” and advises on the intersection of gaming, culture, and sustainability.

Meghan is the founder of CulturaConnector.com, a 501(c)3 non-profit NGO dedicated to Cultural Identity, Storytelling, and Healing. She has been creating transformative games and experiences that address trauma, educate, and build bridges between people since 1999. In 2025, Meghan is an annual visiting lecturer and expert panelist at Harvard Graduate School of Education and was a guest speaker at the 80th United Nations General Assembly addressing games as a mental health intervention.

Co-founder & President of NARRATIFY, a Franco-African cultural consultancy bridging African cultures and the global games industry. Former Senior Social Impact Manager at Ubisoft (2013–2025). Winner of the 2024 Pégase Award for Person of the Year (France's leading games industry awards). Advocate for authentic African representation in games, through consulting, events and cultural workshops.

Mumtaz “Taji” Cooper is a youth advocate, civic innovator, and founder of Democraverse, a civic engagement game designed to make democracy accessible and engaging for young people. She develops interactive tools that promote legal literacy, policy awareness, and youth participation in governance. Through her work, Taji bridges technology and advocacy to empower the next generation of changemakers.

Nathan Holbert is an Associate Professor of Technology, Media, and Learning at Teachers College, Columbia University and the founder and director of the Snow Day Learning Lab. Nathan is the co-editor of the volume Designing Constructionist Futures: The Art, Theory, and Practice of Learning Designs from MIT Press, co-author of Playful Testing: Designing a Formative Assessment Game for Data Science from ETC Press, and the co-creator and cohost of Pop & Play, an award winning podcast on education, play, and pop culture.

Paige Dansinger is an XR artist and worldbuilder exploring how collective creativity can imagine better futures. She leads Remix Reef: Together to the Moon, an award-winning project from Reality Hack at MIT + XRCC's Community Hack, exhibited at UnitedXR in Brussels. She is Director of XR Women Museum and Better World Museum. At Games for Change, she invites participants to remix a reef and co-create new worlds together.

Ms. Wimberley is originally from Oklahoma and has resided in the great State of Alaska for twenty-three years. Phyllis started her professional career as a nurse in 1983, practicing for 30-plus years. She returned to school and graduated with a BS in Business Management and Ethics and began a career in Human Resources. She relocated to Anchorage in 2003 to be near family and take a position as HR Manager with Chugachmiut. She was promoted through the ranks and currently serves as Deputy Director of the organization. Ms. Wimberley recently earned a Master of Arts in Management with a Human Resources Specialization from Wayland Baptist University.

Rachel Katz is a Program Officer at Equimundo, bringing a passion for health equity. Rachel supports program design for youth and adults using evidence-based solutions for transforming harmful gender norms. Previously, Rachel worked as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru working on sexual and reproductive health and girls’ empowerment. Rachel received a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Rachel spends her free time biking around DC and trying new foods.

Rachel Kowert, Ph.D is a research psychologist, award winning author, and globally recognized leader in game and game adjacent spaces on issues relating to mental health and trust and safety. Dr. Kowert is the founder of Psychgeist, a multimedia content production studio for the intersection of science and games. She currently serves as the Researcher Director for Games for Change and is a Visiting Researcher at the University of Cambridge (UK). To learn more about Rachel and her work, visit www.rkowert.com.

Ramzy Lakos is the Digital Interpretation Designer at the Seattle Art Museum, where he uses technology to create experiences that empower visitors through playful learning and creative expression. Ramzy was born and raised in Dubai and now lives in Seattle where you can find him building musical instruments and riding his bike around the city. He is currently enrolled at NYU where he is completing a masters degree in Interactive Media Arts.

Sam Liberty’s design practice combines behavioral science, game design, playful UX, and human-centered principles. His work changes behavior and attitudes, generates data, educates and persuades, sometimes all at once. He is the Game Design Director at the Brain Game Lab at Northeastern University, designed cognitive remediation games for Click Therapeutics, and is the former Lead Game Designer at Sidekick Health, a leading DTx. Other clients include tech startups and scale-ups, the International Red Cross, World Bank Institute, United Nations, MIT Lincoln Labs, MIT Media Lab, UNICEF, World Wildlife Fund, and various government institutions and planning commissions. He is a frequent speaker at conferences such as Games For Change, Serious Play, and Gamification Europe.

Sara Cornish leads marketing for Minecraft Education, where she works to transform education, drive sustainability, and promote equity through game-based learning. Since 2017, she has helped grow Minecraft Education to reach millions of educators and learners around the world, helping teach coding and literacy, inspire girls in STEM, and engage students in critical issues like climate change and digital citizenship. Prior to joining Minecraft, Sara developed innovative campaigns, programs, and cross-sector coalitions at nonprofit Games for Change and the United Nations. Sara lives in Seattle with her family and is a firm believer in the power of play.

As Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS and Education, Sara DeWitt is responsible for the strategic direction of the dynamic educational media service that supports children, their parents, teachers and caregivers, and local communities.

Sarah Spiers is an award-winning game producer based in Boston, MA, currently serving as Senior Game Producer for Threadbare, an open-source narrative adventure game. Previously, she held the position of Development Director at Electronic Arts, where she led the simulation team for Project Rene. Sarah's contributions to the gaming industry have earned her significant recognition, including a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Games list in 2022 and induction into Women In Games' Hall of Fame in 2021. Beyond her professional achievements, she serves on the Board for the Boston Public Library Fund and channels her creativity into writing surrealist fantasy-horror novels in her spare time.

Scot Osterweil is an MIT research scientist. Game designs inclue the Zoombinis series (math and logic), Vanished: The MIT/Smithsonian Game (environmental science), and Labyrinth (math). He President and Creative Director of Learning Games Network where he led the Gates Foundation’s Language Learning Initiative (ESL), and where he designed Quandary, 2013 Games for Change Game of the Year. He co-authored the book Resonant Games and served as the play consultant on the Amazon TV series Tumbleleaf.

Shelly London, Quandary founder, is a retired senior corporate executive and foundation president emeritus, as well as an adjunct professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business since 2008, teaching ethics-related courses. She conceived the idea for Quandary while a fellow in the inaugural cohort of Harvard University’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, an academic program designed to unleash the power of experienced leaders to solve pressing societal issues.

Stanley Pierre-Louis is the President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the voice and advocate for the U.S. video game industry. With more than two decades of entertainment and media experience, Stan leads ESA’s efforts to showcase the dynamic impact the video game industry has on business, entertainment, and culture. Stan’s also experience spans the film, television and music industries as well as service on corporate and nonprofit boards. He currently serves on the board of Games for Change and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Stephen is a pioneer in game-based and technology-enhanced learning with 20+ years of experience creating immersive, inclusive digital experiences that demonstrate that play matters. He has driven global programs using games to develop skills, inspire curiosity, and tackle complex social challenges. He currently serves as VP of Learning Experience at Endless Access and Creative Director for Threadbare, merging creativity, technology, and experiential learning to empower underrepresented learners worldwide.

Steve Isaacs, Director of Secondary Education at Epic Games, supports educators in adopting Epic tools to prepare students for emerging technology careers. He was a public school teacher for 28 years, teaching game design and development. Hobbies include video games, biking, SCUBA, hiking, and live music.

As Chief Impact Officer for Ryzo Studios, Tehya Kopp brings marketing, strategy, and operations leadership from global entertainment companies including 20+ years at Warner Bros., where she led large-scale transformations and managed global operations across 18 countries. An ICF-certified executive coach, Tehya specializes in partnering with changemakers to turn vision into meaningful results.

Temitope Olujobi is an Architect turned Game Designer making games in the creases of completely cracked combinations. They use their design to feed their curiosity about the connection between two seemingly disparate parts. What happens when you combine human shit with a windmill? Restorative Justice with a holodeck? An anthropomorphic hand and mouth with the dreamy triptychs of Hieronymus Bosch? These are all questions Temi has attempted to answer with their video games in some uncanny ways.

Teresa Giovannoli is the founder and Chief Engineer of Little Squiggle, a toy company reimagining sustainability in plastic electronics. An engineer by trade with an MSE in Product Development from USC, she previously designed hardware for startups like Happiest Baby and Kernel, as well as industry giants like Northrop Grumman. Today, she combines her background in mechanical design and business to eliminate waste in the toy industry. Teresa is dedicated to creating high-quality, eco-conscious play for the next generation.

Tess Elliot is a studio artist and creative technologist investigating natural phenomena and human artifice. Her work has been exhibited at The 8 Fest, QiPo Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Film Festival, Vinegar Contemporary, Oklahoma Contemporary, Aggregate Space Gallery, and MOTOR Gallery, among others. She was a 2024 Rhizome microgrant recipient for her climate game Ultimate Sim. Tess holds a BFA from the Cooper Union School of Art and an MFA in Art & Technology from The Ohio State University. She lives between Norman, OK and Queens, NY with her daughter Violet, as an Associate Professor of Art, Technology, & Culture at the University of Oklahoma.

Tim Rattray is a writer and documentarian with 17 years of experience in games and tech media. His work has included research and musings on the intersection of games and mental health, as well as an ongoing documentary project centered around the diversity of people, thought, and experience in New York City’s game development community. A new teaser for this project and exclusive interview material will be shown at his talk.

Todd Shaiman is a film and technology leader exploring the frontiers of AI and animation. He is President and co-founder of Ryzo Studios, an independent animation company creating bold stories and games to drive social change. A former Design Lead at Google, he holds multiple patents on the future of creative collaboration. Shaiman founded and led Google's Immersive Arts team, pioneering original Virtual and Augmented Reality experiences. His animation career includes leadership roles at Pixar Animation Studios on the Oscar-winning features Inside Out, Up, and Brave.

Tom Smith has designed all the games. Decades ago when exciting new board games were first coming to the US from Germany, Tom wrote the first US rulebook for Settlers of Catan. When videogames first started exploring 3d graphics, Tom made games for Paperboy and Disney to make kids happy. When games started to move to phones, Tom made hundreds of puzzling levels for Where’s My Water? and Zynga. Now, Tom makes games for employees and candidates at Roblox to build and assess skills.

Dr. Costigan is a clinical psychologist, methodologist, and nonprofit leader, with extensive experience leading organizations in strategy, research, evaluation, and learning. At Crisis Text Line, she leads the team in delivering on the quality/impact framework and data storytelling products, sharing insights to influence global mental health systems change. Previously, Tracy spent a decade at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the largest US philanthropy devoted to achieving health equity.

Rising fourth year at Georgia Institute of Technology majoring in Computational Media - Interactions Design. Experience in video game animation, business development, and UI/UX.

Yesim Kunter is a Play Expert, Futurist, and founder of Playtoinnovate. She has worked in the toy and games industry for nearly 25 years, including roles at Hasbro and The LEGO Group, exploring how play shapes imagination, learning, and creativity. Today, she continues this work through interactive play and game experiences with Qubs, alongside international talks and workshops.