Speakers

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.

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.

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/.

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 Vice President, Global Partnerships, Xbox @ Microsoft. In this role he and the team work with gaming Creators and Publishers around the world to find success on Xbox. He 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. 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Paige is a designer by day, always a creator at heart. Born in Borneo Island and raised in six places across the globe, movement has shaped her design approach—blending intuition and observation. A Master’s graduate in Human-Centered Design & Engineering from the University of Washington, Paige’s experience spans public projects, blockchain, and healthcare. She now focuses on crafting intuitive, human-centered solutions in identity security. Her work bridges the gap between technology and practicality, always striving to create meaningful experiences that resonate with people and push the boundaries of design.

Patricia "Patt" Dennis has been a champion of education and innovative learning since 2018. She began as an extracurricular instructor at the MLC STEM Center, providing STEAM programs and specializing in chess for K-8 students. Patt served as an AmeriCorps reading coach and later as the Learning and Technology Coordinator for the WELL Grant Program. Returning to libraries, she is now a School Library Media Specialist after roles as District Technology Director and Instructional Technology Specialist in East Orange, NJ. Patt holds a B.A. in English, an M.A. in English Writing Studies, and an M.A. in Educational Technology. She is pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Technology Leadership, focusing on game-based learning. Her research, presented at OTESSA and ISTE, aims to integrate esports into K-12 schools, where she is the Lead Researcher for Garden State Esports.

Patricia Noel is a licensed social worker and Discord's Mental Health Policy Manager. Her background includes crisis support & suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth, Black perinatal mental health, and adolescent mental health. Passionate about holistic and culturally competent mental health care, she focuses on providing individuals with tools to articulate feelings and access appropriate resources. At Discord, Patricia provides mental health considerations for products and features, forms strategic partnerships, and leverages data to promote a safe and supportive online environment.

Patriz Elaine Daroy, a software engineer at Microsoft and Master’s student in the University of Washington’s Human Centered Design & Engineering program, collaborated with her capstone team as a project manager and budding researcher. She explored the EdTech landscape through interviews and co-designs with developers and educators. Alongside her teammates, they identified key challenges in educational game design and developed insights for more engaging learning experiences in the K12 classroom.

Author, educator, historian, maritime preservationist, ocean advocate