Search Results

Agostinelli, Strider

Title: Head of AI Research and Development

Company: LiveArena Technologies & AI SIG

Strider Agostinelli is a seasoned software engineer and technology leader with over 20 years of experience and 15 years in the Video Games Industry. Throughout his career, he has contributed to more than two dozen titles, collaborating with both indie developers and leading AAA studios such as Electronic Arts, Activision/Blizzard, and Square Enix. At Square Enix Ltd, he served as the Head of Technology during the Embracer Group acquisition in 2022. Strider's expertise lies in new technology, automation, and interactivity. He has worked on multiple acclaimed franchises, including Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Tomb Raider, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. His development of proprietary artificial intelligence and automation tools has resulted in the saving of hundreds of thousands of man-hours across various projects. Currently, Strider is the Chair of the International Game Developers Association's Artificial Intelligence Special Interest Group (IGDA AI SIG) and serves as the Head of AI Research and Development for LiveArena Technologies. Through his leadership roles, Strider actively shapes the future of AI in gaming and beyond, advocating for advancements that prioritize creativity, efficiency, and ethical considerations.

Bethea, Chase

Title: Composer / Technical Music Designer

Company: Chase Bethea

Chase Bethea is a Professional Multi-Award Winning Video Game Composer/Technical Music Designer known in the industry as the Swiss Army knife of Video Game Composition. Chase has a diverse collection of compositions that can be described as a fusion of texture and complexity which allows the player to become immersed in the experience. His soundtrack for Cubic Climber earned a Noteworthy on Destructoid. In 2016, Chase was nominated for Artists of the Year – Independent Composer by VGMO in the entire industry for his I Can't Escape:Darkness score. In 2021, he won an award for the AGROUND soundtrack from the NYX Game Awards. In 2023, Chase Bethea won another NYX Award for the remarkable video game score, “On the Peril of Parrots“and garnered two Global Music awards, one for the same score and the other recognizing his excellence as a composer. Two of these pieces are featured in NYC Jam Sessions VGM Real Book Vol. II. In March 2024, Chase was honoured with one of the industry’s most prestigious awards: the “Excellence in Artistry” Award from the Black in Gaming Foundation. This recognition serves as a testament to his consistent dedication and remarkable contributions to video game music within the industry. Chase has also scored Aztec Ride, a highly addictive fun mobile game that shipped on Google Play in October 2020 and was nominated for a Pocket Gamer Mobile Award. Chase was selected to perform live at Indiecade 2019 and selections of his game compositions have also been performed live by the Virtual Video Game Orchestral at MAGWest 2022 and 2023. Chase has also been a guest speaker at many conferences such as 2022 Global Game Jam (Keynote Speaker), GDC (Game Developers Conference (4x), PAX, Audiokinetic, MAGWEST (3x), IGDA, GameSound Con (2x), Berklee College of Music (2x), Game Devs of Color (2x), ADC (Audio Developers Conference), A2IM, Indie Game Business and EPOS Gaming.

Canales-Echeverria, Alonso

Title: Co-Founder/Producer

Company: Smarto Club

Alonso is a game producer and project manager with multiple years of experience in small studios serving as a producer, programmer and game designer. He is one of co-founders of Smarto Club, an indie game studio from Chile he started with friends in the final years of his undergraduate studies. During college, Alonso was the president of the local game development club where he organized activities such as student-led game development teams, a week-long game development course for high school students, and the biggest Global Game Jam site in Chile. He was recognized as a Scholar by the IGDA Foundation and has given talks about production as part of IGDA's Pathfindings conference. After having finished his bachelor's degree in Computer Science and Business Administration at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, he is currently pursuing a Masters in Game Design at the NYU Game Center (while still juggling the day-to-day responsibilities of running an indie studio, of course).

Cannon, Nessa

Title: Game Writer/Narrative Designer

Company: Independent

Nessa Cannon is a game writer and narrative designer with three years of experience on over a dozen games, primarily as a freelancer in the indie space. She has worked on indie hits OnlyCans: Thirst Date, Endoparasitic, and Waves of Steel, and is currently a lead writer on upcoming Raw Fury-published Star Trucker. She is a consultant on Annapurna's Forever Ago and wrote for a currently unannounced AAA project. She has spoken at PAX Online, Narrascope, and as a guest lecturer for CSU Los Angeles and Northeastern University. Nessa has been the recipient of several awards such as IGDA Velocity and Amplifying New Voices 2023.

Castagnino Ugolotti, Vania

Title: Community/Event Manager & research assistant

Company: Science Park Skovde/ Sweden Game Arena

Vania is a Peruvian artist and game developer, boasting credentials in Fine Arts and Serious Games development. She's the driving force behind the Swedish studio An Otter Team and has collaborated extensively with the Peruvian studio Hermanos Magia working both in serious and silly games. As an advocate for equality in the game industry, Vania co-founded FemDevs Perú, a non-profit network. Her community engagement spans from IGDA Perú to Sweden Game Arena, and has a professional background in publishing as an Acquisition Scout

Chang, Alenda

Title: Associate Professor

Company: University of California, Santa Barbara

Alenda Y. Chang is an Associate Professor of Film and Media Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has written extensively about the environmental impacts of digital games, including the 2019 book, Playing Nature: Ecology in Video Games. She was an early member of the IGDA Climate Special Interest Group and currently serves on the advisory board of STRATEGIES (Sustainable TRAnsiTion for Europe’s Game IndustrIES). At UCSB, Chang co-directs Wireframe, a studio promoting collaborative theoretical and creative media practice with investments in global social and environmental justice. She is also a founding co-editor of the UC Press open-access journal, Media+Environment.

Charles, Matt

Title: Chief Product Officer / Co-Founder

Company: Cooldown Games

Matt Charles is the Chief Product Officer and co-founder of game publisher Cooldown Games where he is focused on promoting games that respect a player's time, attention, and wallet - without burning out the dev team. Matt represents a publisher that thinks like a developer, as he has spent about equal amounts of time on both the development and publishing side of the business. Prior to starting Cooldown, Matt spent seven years building and managing the publishing portfolio at Gearbox Publishing. Before his work on the publishing side, Matt spent nine fun-filled years as a development project producer at Gearbox Software working on the first three Borderlands titles, including the critically-acclaimed Borderlands 2, and also worked at id Software to launch Quake Champions with teams across the world. Matt has been recognized in the Forbes 30-Under-30 Video Games category and has presented at GDC, IGDA events, and other conferences & universities about games production topics.

Cheng, Mei

Title: UX Designer

Company: Independent

Mei is a games UX designer with 5 years of experience total, 1 year in games. She has been a board organizer on Games User Research SIG for less than a year and with IGDA San Diego for 5 years, hosting talks, panels, and events for the community. She is a big fan of GDC and enjoyed presenting last year. She hopes to return this year with something valuable!

Clough, Michelle

Title: Game Writer / Narrative Designer

Company: Talespinners

Michelle Clough is a freelance game writer, editor, and narrative designer, and a partner in the game narrative co-op Talespinners. Her work includes Destruction All-Stars, Purrfect Date, Choices, Albert Wilde: Quantum P.I., and Destiny 2. Co-founder of the IGDA Romance and Sexuality Special Interest Group and the Forum for Erotic and Romantic Interactive Media (FERIM), Michelle has been speaking at GDC since 2014 on topics related to sex, sex appeal, and sexuality in video games, and has written a book on the subject, Passion and Play: A Guide to Designing Sexual Content in Games, intended as a resource for exploring intimacy and sex in writing and game design.

Corriea, Alexa Ray

Title: Writer

Company: Independent

Della Rocca, Jason

Title: Co-Founder

Company: Execution Labs

Jason Della Rocca is a game business consultant, investor, funding advisor, and ecosystem strategist. He currently spends the bulk of his time advising game studio founders on funding and product strategy, and advising governments around the world how to better grow/support the success of their regional game development ecosystem. As the co-founder of Execution Labs, he was a hands-on early stage investor to 25 independent game studios from North America and Europe. In parallel Jason helped launch GamePlay Space, a non-profit hub to support indies and guide them toward business success, whose alumni have generated over $300m in game sales and funding. Between 2000-09 he served as the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), and was honored for his industry building efforts with the inaugural Ambassador Award at the Game Developers Conference. In 2009, Jason was named to Game Developer Magazine’s “Power50,” a list which profiles 50 of the most important contributors to the state of the game industry. As a sought after expert on the game industry, Jason has lectured at conferences and universities worldwide.

Delson, Josh

Title: CEO & Founder

Company: Unexpected Accessories LLC

Josh is the founder and CEO of Unexpected Accessories, an indie studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of experimental and wholesome gameplay. With his innovative background being a part of the Experimental Gameplay Workshop and alt.ctrl.GDC, he’s spearheading his latest title, EOPRISM, that blends fresh math inspired mechanics that redefines traditional gaming norms. Before starting his studio, Josh's recent experience was greenlighting Battlefield Mobile at Electronic Arts (EA), where he produced every weapon, vehicle, destructible, map, and sound effect leading to launch. Prior to that he supported various award winning indie games in his hometown Chicago. Outside of making games, Josh produced numerous game development curriculum including National Student Leadership Conference’s (NSLC) multimillion-dollar game program, organized game festivals like Bit Bash Chicago, and served as a Board Member for IGDA Chicago. In Josh's free time, he speaks regularly about the game industry at dozens of schools such as ArtCenter, Tufts University, Cal Poly Pomona, UCLA, DePaul University, and countless others.

Edwards, Kate

Title: CEO/CXO & Cofounder

Company: Geogrify/SetJetters

Kate Edwards is an award-winning 30+ year veteran of the game industry, and the CEO and principal consultant of Geogrify, a consultancy which innovated content culturalization, as well as the CXO and Co-Founder of SetJetters, a film tourism app. She is also the former Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and the Global Game Jam. In addition to serving in several board and advisory roles, she is a geographer, writer, and corporate strategist. In 2021, she was included in the Forbes' 50 Over 50 Vision List and was also inducted into the Women in Games Hall of Fame.

Estaris, Jennifer

Title: Game Director

Company: ustwo games

Jennifer Estaris (she/her) is a game director and climate action activist. At ustwo games, a B Corp, she directed Monument Valley 2's The Lost Forest, which petitions for forest conservation, and is game directing Monument Valley 3. She has over 20 years experience in games, at SYBO (Subway Surfers), Nickelodeon, Disney, and social impact indie studios. A Filipina-American immigrant, Jennifer is an active member of the UN’s Playing for the Planet (Advisory Council), the IGDA Climate SIG, and Extinction Rebellion. As part of these organizations, Jennifer works to represent gamers and game developers who also push for normalizing sustainability, and speaks on these topics at events like GDC, SXSW, Games for Change, Pocket Gamer Connects, and more. She shows how games have been able to activate change, bringing green games to Extinction Rebellion festivals and speaking on gamers’ behalf. As part of Playing for the Planet and the IGDA Climate SIG, she helps provide a climate action path for interested game developers. Raised just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, she received her B.A. in English literature and B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania and her M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University. She advocates for cyclists and is mom to an 11 year old poet.

Fayolle, Arnaud

Title: Game Sustainability Project Director

Company: Ubisoft

Moved by the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises, Arnaud Fayolle shifted away from a successful career as a AAA Art Director (Forza Horizon 3 & 4, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided…) to explore how video games can be part of the solution to keep the planet livable for his children.
Leveraging his expertise of game development and his passion for environmental science, he co-founded the IGDA Climate SIG, advised the Playing for the Planet Alliance, and spoke at conferences on four continents to inspire and equip developers to discover the unique potential of their games for positive environmental impact.
Now working as Game Sustainability Project Director at Ubisoft, Arnaud’s quest is to empower and connect local environmental champions across Europe and Asia to facilitate the decarbonization of studios and the production of planet-positive content.

Finley, Toiya Kristen

Title: Game Designer, Narrative Designer, Game Writer, Editor, and Consultant

Company: Schnoodle Media, LLC

Nashville native Toiya Kristen Finley, Ph.D., has been a freelancing writer and editor her entire adult life. She earned a doctorate in literature and creative writing from Binghamton University. In video games, she has worked as a game designer, narrative designer, game writer, editor, and diversity/narrative consultant (or some combination of the five) on everything from AAA titles to mobile games to games for children to small indie projects. Recent work includes writing visual novel Siren Song (Stardust Works), copyediting for Destiny 2 (Bungie), consulting and writing on Destruction AllStars (Lucid Games), and developmental editing on Insecure: The Come Up Game (Glow Up Games). A presenter at conferences throughout the year, she has lectured on freelancing and storytelling and led workshops on narrative design and game design. She is a member of the IGDA Game Writing Special Interest Group's Executive Board. The Game Narrative Toolbox (CRC Press), a book on narrative design she coauthored with Jennifer Brandes Hepler, Ann Lemay, and Tobias Heussner, was published in 2015, with a second edition published in 2023. Narrative Tactics for Mobile and Social Games: Pocket-Sized Storytelling (CRC Press), which she edited and contributed to, was published in 2019. Her latest books are Freelance Video Game Writing: The Life & Business of the Digital Mercenary for Hire (2022) and Branching Story, Unlocked Dialogue: Designing and Writing Visual Novels (2023) both from CRC Press. Of late, she has been working on her own visual novel series, beginning with Incarnō: Everything Is Written.

Gittins, Renee

Title: Studio Head

Company: Stumbling Cat

Renee leads Stumbling Cat, an indie studio based in Seattle, and is a multi-disciplinary leader with expertise in business operations, software engineering, and creative direction. Previously, she was the General Manager of Phoenix Lab - Vancouver and the Executive Director of the IGDA. She is a passionate advocate and connector for developers and diversity in the game industry. She is also the Chair of the IGDA Alumni Board, consults for numerous organizations, and is outspoken about initiatives to increase diversity both within the game industry and gaming overall to help the game industry grow and improve for everyone.

Gstoettner, Julia

Title: Localization Producer & Writer

Company: exp:lore / Co-Chair Localization SIG

Julia Gstoettner is a trilingual localization producer and writer based in Vienna, with expertise in film, television, literature, and video games. She also has a background in game studies and academia, in which she specializes in game localization and cultural sensitivity. She is the current co-chair of the IGDA Localization SIG with a focus on shaping industry best practices.

Hopson, John

Title: SIG Chair

Company: IGDA Analytics and Data Science SIG

John Hopson has done research and analytics in the games industry for over twenty years, working on blockbuster games such as Halo, Age of Empires, Destiny, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Fortnite. He's also the author of the bestselling book “The Secret Science of Games”. John holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral and Brain Sciences from Duke University and is the current Chair of the IGDA Analytics and Data Science SIG.

Huffman, Brandon

Title: Managing Attorney

Company: Odin Law and Media

Brandon is an attorney representing game developers and publishers and other media clients in corporate, intellectual property and industry transactions. Brandon volunteers as general counsel to the International Game Developers' Association, the largest trade organization focused on supporting individual game developers. In early 2017, he was awarded the IGDA's MVP award.

Kane, Lisy

Title: Production Director

Company: CULT Games

Keler, Joanna

Title: Marketing Consultant

Company: GamerTag

Marketing & Social Media Manager within independent game development (11 bit studios, Klabater, No More Robots) with prior corporate marketing experience (Amazon, Philips, Mattel, Deloitte) and career spanning the UK, Germany, and Poland. IGDA member and mentor, public speaker and educator. Joanna actively works for women empowerment in the industry as an Ambassador of Women in Games and mentor with Women in Games International, as well as an organiser of monthly informal coffee meetups for Polish women in game development Kobiecy Game Dev.

Kirby, Neil

Title: Senior Lecturer

Company: The Ohio State University

Neil Kirby is a Senior Lecturer in the Computer Science and Engineering department at the Ohio State University where he recently won the department’s excellence in teaching award. He previously won the College of Engineering’s Charles F. MacQuigg award for outstanding teaching. At OSU he teaches the Design, Development, and Documentation of Interactive Systems and the Low Level Programming classes. Currently he is exploring the impact of generative AI tools such as GitHub Copilot on college level programming classes. Before he returned to OSU, Neil was a Member of Technical Staff at Nokia, home of Bell Laboratories. There he developed .NET + database solutions used extensively in the Wireless business unit. Prior assignments included architecture consulting, speech recognition, and operations and support systems. Neil co-founded the IGDA Foundation and serves as secretary on its board. There he also assists in the selection of the Eric Dybsand AI Memorial Scholar. He also assists with the Scholars, Next Generation Leaders, and Velocity programs.

Lau, JC

Title: Senior Producer

Company: #WhatAGameDevLooksLike

In addition to being a senior producer with experience developing multiple award-winning video games, Dr. JC Lau (she/they) is a leader, speaker, and advocate for diversity, inclusion, equity, and representation in the games industry. She is the 2022 recipient of the Individual Diversity Advocate award at the Women in Games Global Awards, and a member of both the 2022 IGDA Foundation's Next Gen Leaders and The Game Awards Future Class. JC was also featured as one of 2021's Game Changers by GamesIndustry.biz, and is a member of the #ShePlaysGames list and inaugural #QueerInGames list. JC is the creator of #WhatAGameDevLooksLike, an online movement to celebrate and amplify diversity in game development and challenge stereotypes about game developers, and aspires to build a sustainable games industry where everyone regardless of their background or experience can have a fulfilling and healthy career. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Global Game Jam.

Lee, Matthew

Title: Chair

Company: Serious Games SIG

As a pioneer of network culture research, an early explorer of VR, and a longtime community advocate, Matthew Lee uses the power of games to change the world and improve people's lives. He serves as Chair of the IGDA Serious Games SIG, which promotes inter-disciplinary collaboration, connects serious game communities around the world through events and meetups, and advocates for greater awareness about serious games in the general game education curriculum. Additionally, he consults on serious games projects for the healthcare industry, works on integrating design and innovation curricula into healthcare education, and designs games and environments that promote well-being.

James Lewis

Title: Director of Developer Acceleration, Microsoft

Company: Microsoft

James Lewis has spent his 12 years with Xbox working with and advocating for developers of all sizes. He is currently the Director of the ID@Xbox Developer Acceleration Program which seeks to empower underrepresented creators with the information and resources needed to ship games on Xbox. James is also one of the founding members and former Co-Leads for the Black At Xbox community in addition to serving on the board for IGDA Foundation and Xperience. His credits include titles such as Cuphead, Fortnite, El Paso Elsewhere, South of Midnight, Project Spark and more.

Lindsay, Kenna

Title: Producer

Company: IGDA SIG Child Safety Co-Chair

Kenna is a games producer and interdisciplinary creator who builds interactive experiences, visual art, and theater. They studied at Rochester Institute of Technology and The Clown Conservatory. Today they endeavor to work with teams that promote ethical production practices and focus on players' fun and safety as key indicators of success through work with the IGDA child safety SIG and the IGDA Foundations in person and virtual programming.

Loiterman, Jon

Title: Of Counsel

Company: Foundation Law Group LLP

Jon is Of Counsel at Foundation Law Group, LLP where he focuses his practice on representing game developers, publishers, and investors in startup, corporate, intellectual property, funding, and licensing matters. He is a former grantee of the IGDA Foundation’s Virtual Exchange Velocity program where he currently serves as a fundraising coordinator. He is also a former startup founder and solo game developer. Jon received his JD/MBA from Loyola University Chicago and his B.S. from University of Wisconsin — Madison. He started his career at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, LLP.

Long, Seb

Title: Managing Director

Company: Player Research

Sebastian Long is MD of Player Research (a Keywords Studio), the leading agency for insight into players and play. As a gameplay researcher Seb has led design-improving playtest studies for hundreds of games, spanning all genres, audiences and platforms - including for beloved IPs Sniper Elite, FIFA, World of Tanks, LittleBigPlanet, Talking Tom, Hungry Shark, LEGO, Life is Strange and games including Control and Elden Ring - and influencing the development direction of international projects for businesses including EA, Sony, Xbox, Tencent Games, and hundreds more. As Managing Director Seb leads a 20-person consultancy based in the UK and Canada, providing research that drives game development decision-making, as both a consultant research strategist and the company Director. Seb is a member of BAFTA, community leader within the IGDA Games User Research and UX SIG, prolific speaker and educator, and is based in Brighton on the UK south coast.

Madsen, Robert

Title: CEO

Company: SynaptixGames, Chair IGDA Indies Sig

Robert Madsen, the co-founder of SynaptixGames, began his coding career in 1979. Robert taught himself the BASIC programming language and continued as a COBOL and FORTRAN programmer. Robert also held positions as a technical writer, disaster recovery planner, and data security administrator. Robert started his software development firm in 1992 and completed his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1998 from California State University. Robert entered the game industry in 2004, working for MumboJumbo in Dallas, TX in 2008. In 2009 he moved to Other Ocean Interactive in Charlottetown, PEI. Robert founded SynaptixGames, in 2011 where he continues as CEO and Studio Director. Robert is a member of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) and Chair for the IGDA Indies SIG (Special Interest Group).

Mathur, Gaurav

Title: CEO

Company: gamedevmap

While at Penumbra, Gaurav synthesized research and clinical input with art and design direction for Virtual Reality therapy games as Creative Director for External Studios. He was the founding Art Director of the REAL System internal studio, where he guided development of Happy Valley, an innovative stroke rehabilitation therapy game and Penumbra's debut title.

Gaurav's background in world building includes work on video games such as the critically acclaimed Grim Fandango and Psychonauts, the bestseller Star Wars:  Rogue Squadron, and the beloved Skylanders console games.  He was the Art Department Director at Factor 5.

Gaurav has been a Portfolio Review Panelist since 2019. He was a Judge and a Mentor with the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) for over a decade. He served as a Judge and a Juror in the Excellence in Visual Art category for the Independent Games Festival (IGF) in 2022 and 2024, and as a Judge for IGF 2025.

Gaurav launched gamedevmap in 2005 as the world's first curated living map and catalog of game development.

Ono, Kenji

Title: Lecturer

Company: International Professional University of Technology in TOKYO

He began his career in 1994 as an editor for a video game magazine, and since becoming a freelance journalist in 2000 he has covered video game events in Japan and abroad, interviewed industry professionals, and published numerous game reviews. He was also deeply involved in the establishment of IGDA Japan and served as its President from 2012 to 2017. In 2017, he began teaching, and when the Tokyo International Technical and Professional University opens in 2020, he is a full-time lecturer and will be involved in education full time.

Samuels, Josh

Title: Creative Director

Company: Raindrop Games / Allies SIG

Josh Samuels has been a video game developer and software engineer for over 20 years. They are the Studio Lead for Raindrop Games where they worked on Arrival: Village Kasike, a strategy game about the Taino people of the Caribbean and Fishin' For Permission, a children's game about consent. In 2015 Josh co-founded the Allies Special Interest Group (SIG) of the IGDA. This group's purpose is to educate people about issues faced by marginalized groups and provide tools to help everyone be a more effective ally.

Sato, Sho

Title: Chairperson

Company: iGi / IGDA Incubation SIG

Schmidt, Brian

Title: Founder/President

Company: Brian Schmidt Studios

Brian Schmidt is one of the early pioneers of the game audio industry. The 2008 recipient of the Game Audio Network Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and 2017 inductee into the Pinball Expo Hall of Fame, Brian has been creating game music, sounds and cutting edge technology for more than 35 years. With a credit list of over 140 games and a client list including Electronic Arts, Zynga, Microsoft, Sony, Capcom, Sega, Data East, Namco and many others. Brian has used his combined expertise and experience in music composition, sound design and his deep technical knowledge to further the state of the art in game audio and his music has been featured in TV, Film and in the CD-set, Legends of Game Music.Brian began his career in game audio in 1987 as a composer, sound effects designer and music programmer for Williams Electronic Games in Chicago writing music and creating sound effects for pinball machines and coin-operated video games. While there, he was the primary composer of the video game NARC. His main theme from NARC was later recorded and released by The Pixies. In 1989, Brian left Williams and became one of the industry’s first independent game composers, where he worked on such games as John Madden Football, the Desert Strike Series, Mutant League Football and the award winning Crueball. Other credits include Guns and Roses Pinball, where he worked closely with Slash to create a truly interactive Rock and Roll game experience. In 1998, Brian was recruited by Microsoft to lead the direction of game audio technologies.While there, he joined the then-fledgling Xbox organization as the primary architect for its audio and music system.Brian has been credited with bringing Dolby Digital Surround Sound to interactive gaming through his efforts at Xbox (where he also created the original Xbox startup sound).Through his ten-year tenure at Microsoft, Brian continued to drive and advance game audio technologies through tools such the award-winning “XACT” (Xbox Audio Creation Tool); the first-of-its kind tool to provide interactive mixing for video games.Brian was also responsible for the overall audio system of the Xbox 360 game system, including the XMA audio compression format, winner of the G.A.N.G “Best New Technology award” and finalist in IGDA’s “Best new technology” category.Brian currently works as a consultant to the video game industry working with companies large and small. Brian is the creator of GameSoundCon, the industry's largest conference dedicated to composing video game music and video game sound design. Brian is a frequent and in-demand speaker on game audio and game audio technologies, having given literally hundreds of educational and inspirational talks at events all over the world.Events such as the Game Developers Conference, Microsoft’s Gamefest, Sega Devcon, and the Audio Engineering Society Conference, SiGraph and esteemed institutions such as Yale University, Northwestern University and Digipen have invited Brian to share his knowledge and insight into the industry. Brian received undergraduate degrees in music and computer science from Northwestern University in1985,where he created the first dual degree program between the School of Music and the Technological Institute. He went on to complete his Masters in Computer Applications in Music in 1987, where portions of his thesis work was published in the prestigious Computer Music Journal and presented by invitation to the AES special conference on Audio Technology. Brian currently serves as President of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.), a position he was elected to in 2012, sits on the advisory board of the Game Developer Conference, is a former steering committee member of the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (ia-sig) of the MMA, and has been a featured keynote speaker at GDC, Project BBQ and the Montreal Interactive Games Summit (MIGS).

Grant Shonkwiler

Title: Commander & Shonk

Company: Shonkventures

Grant Shonkwiler first started making games when he was 12 years old, starting with modding and programming. Since then he has filled many different roles in the game industry: programmer, lead designer, technical producer and currently is a leadership coach and production consultant. His career has taken him from casual games at Megatouch Games, to AAA shooters at id Software and to Epic Games to work on Fortnite. Grant currently runs his own consulting company, and is the co-author of four books including Gear Up: Advanced Game Development Practices. Grant also enjoys building communities within the industry working with the IGDA and the GameDevDrinkup.

Singh, Daya

Title: Platform Engineer

Company: PlayEveryWare / Engineering SIG Board Member

Daya Singh is an engineer at PlayEveryWare, where he contributes to high-quality game porting and development across various platforms. Previously, Daya worked briefly on the Lumberyard game engine at Amazon before transitioning to projects such as New World and Crucible, where he focused on gameplay systems, UI systems, and integrating external services. At Meta, he contributed to the critically acclaimed Asgard's Wrath 2, helping to push the boundaries of VR gameplay. Daya also serves on the board of the IGDA’s Engineering SIG, where he is committed to advancing engineering practices in the industry and fostering collaboration and innovation within the game development community.

Slovak, Sarah

Title: Junior Narrative Designer

Company: Lunacy Studios / IGDA LGBTQ+ SIG

Sarah is a junior narrative designer at Lunacy Studios, a freelance writer at Son of Oak, and a cofounder of snacktime games. She is a member of the IGDA LGBTQ+ SIG and is leading the 2025 Queers in Gaming Roundtable.

Tancredi, Jackie

Title: Interactive Developer

Company: IGDA Child Safety SIG Co-Chair

Jackie Tancredi (they/them) is a game designer, developer, and community manager specializing in virtual companions in VR and MR. They currently serve as the Community Manager at Windup Minds, working on Stay: Forever Home. With a strong background in the gaming industry, Jackie previously worked at Meta Reality Labs in the VR space, bringing expertise in immersive experiences. Before that, they were a web designer at Harvard and a digital developer at the Museum of Science, Boston.Beyond their work in game development, Jackie is a passionate advocate for child safety in digital spaces. They are one of the founding leaders of the IGDA Child Safety SIG, an initiative aimed at creating an open-source repository of resources and discussions to make digital environments safer for children. Their work focuses on ethical design, user protection, and fostering safer online communities.Jackie is based in Massachusetts and is open to connecting with anyone who shares the same goals of building a safer digital future.

Totten, Christopher

Title: Associate Professor, Founder

Company: Kent State University/Pie for Breakfast Studios

Christopher Totten is an Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Animation Game Design program at Kent State University. He is also an award-winning independent game designer, artist, and animator. He holds a master's degree in architecture (M.Arch) with a concentration in digital media from the Catholic University of America. Chris is a co-founder of the Smithsonian American Art Museum Arcade and a lifetime member of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). He was a member of the inaugural class for the IndieCade Horizons Faculty Excellence Awards, winning the Innovation Award for his work building an appreciation for games in the context of the arts. He has written multiple books on design, including An Architectural Approach to Level Design and World Design in 2D Action-Adventures, he is also the editor of the collected volume, Level Design: Processes and Experiences and the Level Design Practices series.

Townsend, Nancy

Title: Associate Director

Company: Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace

Nancy Townsend has always had a passion for games that promote change or tell stories from unique perspectives. As a bachelor’s student, she took a job as a Ubisoft tester and later founded and directed the first student organization for game development at Concordia University in 2008 as a large-scale independent study, since there were no game-related classes at the time. This club was the catalyst for the school creating a game development minor program. She also authored articles for the IGDA (International Game Developers Association) newsletters. After a stint in the high-stress indie gaming industry, working for Minority Media and taking various 3D modeling and video editing contract, she returned to Concordia as a producer for multiple Indigenous, creative new media projects, including building and maintaining virtual gallery, VR artworks, games, workshops and more while also directing the Skins Workshop series. She currently leads the research lab as Associate Director of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace.

Vela, Jakin

Title: Executive Director

Company: International Game Developers Association

Dr. Jakin Vela (he/him) serves as the Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). He is a sociologist and researcher focused on socio-technical cultures, minority stress, stigma, and diversity inclusion in tech (especially games and the games industry). His work highlights the effects of marginalization, group solidarity, and inclusion in virtual gaming spaces and organizational structures, especially among underrepresented groups. He also serves as CEO of Astral Interactive, a small indie studio focused on highlighting player empathy in gameplay, as well as MagiTech Management Solutions, a consulting firm on project management and process efficiency.

Voelker, Tara

Title: Senior Accessibility Producer, Gaming

Company: Netflix, IGDA GASIG Member

Tara Voelker is the Co-Director of GAConf and former IGDA GASIG Chair. She has worked on titles such as Red Faction: Guerrilla, Bioshock Infinite, The Order 1886, and Evolve Stage 2. She is a Senior Accessibility Producer for Netflix Games, helping developers ensure games are as accessible as possible.

Wallace, Parker

Title: Director of Events & Operations

Company: International Game Developer Association (IGDA)

Parker (they/them) is a non-profit management and events specialist, with over a decade working with different organizations to help them grow. Often referred to as the wizard behind the curtain, they manage all aspects of IGDA’s day to day operations, as well as on site presences at events. They are passionate about LGBTQ+ rights as well as mental health issues, and is a 2025 Safe in Our World Ambassador. They also volunteer with a Canadian non profit, the Women’s Non Profit Network, as their Head of Awards, and work with Women in Games International as their Communications Manager. In their spare time, they love playing with their two cats, Nyx and Thanatos, and streaming dating sims.

Whaley, Zak

Title: Owner

Company: Zak Whaley Consulting

Zak Whaley is a seasoned technology leader and the IGDA Board Chair. He also chairs the IGDA Engineering SIG to support engineers from various disciplines across the global game industry. Zak is a passionate technologist committed to developing best practices and tools for teams using cutting-edge technology. Previously, he was Engineering Director at PlayEveryWare, a co-development studio which supports titles like Among Us and Fall Guys and partners like Epic Games, Riot Games, and Crystal Dynamics. He also helped build an XR platform team at Magic Leap and is known for his steward leadership style.

Whittle, Clayton

Title: Manager of Online Learning

Company: Sustainable Forestry Initiative / IGDA Climate SIG

Clayton Whittle is a serious games researcher, educator, and designer. He is currently the co-chair of the IGDA Climate SIG and works at the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, where he applies his skillset to online forestry education