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Graham Henry founded METATAILOR with a singular mission: to simplify the developers' workload. Driven by the belief that technical hurdles should never stifle creative expression, his vision focuses on automating the most tedious aspects of character production. Drawing from his extensive experience at Epic Games on iconic titles like Gears of War, Infinity Blade, and Fortnite, Graham is uniquely positioned to address industry-wide inefficiencies. By replacing manual, repetitive tasks (specifically the skin-weighting bottleneck) with intelligent, automated systems, he empowers developers to move faster and focus on what truly matters: building immersive worlds and compelling characters.

Celia Hodent is recognized as a leader in the application of user experience (UX) and cognitive science in the game industry. Celia holds a PhD in psychology and has fifteen years of experience in the development of UX strategy and processes in video game studios. Through her work at Ubisoft, LucasArts, and as Director of UX at Epic Games (Fortnite), she has contributed to many projects across multiple platforms, from PC to consoles, mobile, and VR. Celia is also the founder of the Game UX Summit, advisor for the GDC UX Summit, member of the Foresight Committee at CNIL (National Commission on Informatics and Liberty, an independent French administrative regulatory body). She currently works as an independent consultant, helping studios increase the likelihood of their games to be engaging and successful. Celia also provides guidance on the topics of playful learning, ethics (founder of ethicalgames.org), unconscious bias, and inclusion in tech. Celia is the author of The Gamer's Brain: How Neuroscience and UX can Impact Video Game Design (2017), The Psychology of Video Games (2020), What UX Really Is: Introducing a Mindset to Great Experiences (2021), and co-editor of Game Usability: Advice from the Experts for Advancing UX Strategy and Practice in Videogames (2022).

John Hopson has worked in games analytics for over twenty years, most notably at Xbox, Bungie, Blizzard, and Epic, contributing to landmark games including Halo, Destiny, World of Warcraft, and Fortnite. He has a PhD in psychology from Duke University and is the author of the best-selling book The Secret Science of Games and a longtime advocate for data-informed design. His work bridges neuroscience and creative practice to help developers make better decisions through meaningful data.

Paul is an award-winning executive and creative leader whose career spans the globe, establishing him as a leading figure in innovation and advocacy within the games and interactive entertainment industry. As the President of Arrival, Paul is the driving force behind the company’s global operations, fueling strategy, content development, and creative pipelines across teams in Los Angeles, Seattle, and the UK.   Prior to leading Arrival, Paul served as SVP Interactive Worldwide at Formosa Group and was Senior Audio Director at Xbox Game Studios. He has managed extensive AAA teams and pipelines for industry giants including Activision, EA, SEGA, Ubisoft, PlayStation Studios, Electronic Arts, LucasArts, 2K Games, Nintendo of America, Harmonix, and many more.     His portfolio includes credits on some of the industry’s most successful properties, including the God of War franchise, The Last of Us franchise, Halo, Call of Duty, Genshin Impact, Resident Evil, Fortnite, Borderlands 3, Sunset Overdrive, Forza Motorsport 5, Iron Man 2, and BioShock 2. Paul and his teams have achieved global recognition, winning multiple MPSE Golden Reel Awards, DICE Awards, G.A.N.G. Awards, SXSW Awards, BAFTA Awards, and Golden Joystick Awards. In 2023, Paul was honored with the prestigious Game Audio Network Guild Lifetime Achievement Award at the Game Developers Conference.   A passionate advocate for the industry, Paul served a six-year term as President of the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.)—the world’s largest organization of game audio professionals. As an active member of the Board of Directors, he helped originate the industry-first Program Partnership Initiative, the Guild Scholarship Award, and the worldwide advisor network. He was also a founding member of G.A.N.G. 's Pro Branches, including the Interactive Entertainment Sound Developers (IESD) and the Voice Actor Coalition (GVAC).   Paul is also a patent holder, having co-invented a first-of-its-kind Pre-Cognitive Interactive Music System with Microsoft colleague Robert Ridihalgh. An active speaker, he has conducted master classes and panels at MIT, Yale University, Berklee College of Music, Georgia Tech, SIGGRAPH, GDC, and the GRAMMY Soundtables.   Paul holds a BM and MM with summa/highest distinction from the world-renowned New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. A jazz and classical musician of twenty-five years, he has performed and recorded with legends such as Mick Goodrick, John Abercrombie, Clark Terry, George Russell, Cecil McBee, and Bob Moses.

Walter is an investor at Makers Fund, where he focuses on investing inand supporting founders across Europe. Prior to Makers, Walter workedat Epic Games focusing on Strategy for Fortnite Battle Royale andUEFN. In his spare time, Walter enjoys playing all types of games,with a focus on story-rich RPGs and souls-likes.

Baqir Shah is a design and creative lead with over 13 years of experience in the games, entertainment, and technology industries. He has worked across AAA, AA, indie, mobile, and immersive platforms, contributing to shipped titles including Life is Strange: Double Exposure, Fortnite, Temple Run, Justice League VR, and The Sandbox. Baqir specializes in level design, world building, content design, prototyping, and cinematic storytelling, with experience spanning PC, console, mobile, and VR/AR/MR. In addition to hands-on development, he has led and mentored multidisciplinary design teams, guiding projects from early concept through production, playtesting, and iteration. As both a hiring manager and educator, Baqir regularly reviews level design portfolios and mentors designers at all career stages. He is passionate about creating meaningful, engaging interactive experiences and helping designers clearly communicate their craft.

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.

Dr. Dante Simpson is an acclaimed award-winning Marketing Executive and serial entrepreneur. Simpson is currently the Co-founder and CEO of ESPAT TV, a premium gaming content agency and studio. ESPAT TV is a collaborative, comprised of industry leading production studios, led by Ridley Scott Creative Group and PRG, alongside the talented creatives of Zoic Studios, Petrol, Elite Edge Productions, The Famous Group & Disney’s InWorld. Since ESPAT Studios’ inception, in 2019, its collective has been a part of the gaming cultures most recognizable moments, including development and production of unforgettable immersive experiences (Travis Scott|Fortnite, Lil Nas X|Roblox, Post Malone|Pokemon, Ariana Grande|Rift Tour, etc.), NFL’s mixed-reality activation with Nickelodeon for the 2024 Super Bowl, the award-winning introduction of Balenciaga in the Fortnite metaverse (Grand Clio Award), and trailers and programming for the world’s most recognizable gaming titles.   Previously, Simpson served as the Sr. Vice President of North American Business Development for SonyBMG Music Entertainment, where he led efforts for business development, growth, and campaigning. During his tenure, Simpson developed the division’s strategies into a highly successful revenue-generating business. Prior to SonyBMG, Simpson established himself as an industry leader while serving as Vice President of Business Design and Development for The Gucci Group where he implemented one of the most successful multi-channel marketing campaigns in the high-fashion industry, under the leadership of Creative Director Tom Ford.   Simpson has overseen the rapid growth and expansion of organizations, as well as providing consultation to companies globally. His diverse body of work spans global gaming interests, branded entities, and high-profile influencers - both on content/technical production and campaign matters. Most recently, as co-Producer of CALL OF DUTY: THE FILM, ESPAT channels the high-octane energy and cinematic intensity that have defined a generation of blockbuster storytelling. Under the banner of ESPAT Studios, Simpson leads the creative and production vision for one of the most ambitious game-to-film adaptations ever mounted—where authenticity meets adrenaline. Merging the immersive realism of the legendary video game franchise with large-scale filmmaking, Paramount, Skydance & Activision have positioned CALL OF DUTY as a global entertainment event designed to ignite audiences across film, gaming, and streaming platforms.   Earning a formidable reputation as a trailblazing marketing executive and change-agent in various spaces, coupled with his success at The Gucci Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, and boutique agency DSA Media Group (Associated Press, Sprite, Body Armor, Sony Pictures, Tulum Board of Tourism, iHeart Radio Music Fest, Bud Light and more), Simpson has been referred to as one of the most effective “behind-the-scenes” marketers/builders (according to AdWeek).    Simpson is currently a board member of MMCA (Multicultural Media & Correspondents Association), recipient of the TNJ 40 Under 40, Effie Award winner, Clio Award winner, Billboard “Executives To Watch, Cannes Lions Digital Craft Grand Prix, and Webby Award winner (Super Bowl).   Simpson received his Bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University, Master’s degree with cum laude distinction from New York University, and in 2023 received an Honorary Doctorate from Texas Christian University’s Harvest School. Continuing his accolades of 2023, Simpson received the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by President Joseph R. Biden, in a ceremony on Capitol Hill.   Born in Rochester (NY) and raised in Atlanta (GA), Dr. Simpson currently resides in New Jersey.

Elias has played dozens of major characters on television in shows like Star Trek: Discovery, Supernatural and The Expanse. He is one of the busiest Performance Capture actors in the world, with characters in video games, films, and television. Variety has called him "The Canadian Andy Serkis" and in the video-game world, he's played leading characters in many multi-million dollar projects. The Assassin's Creed Series, The Deus Ex Series, Gotham Knights, The Call Of Duty Series, The Fortnite Series, The Splinter Cell Series, The Far Cry Series, The Immortals Fenyx Rising series, Starfield and dozens more. Forbes Magazine called him a "voice-acting heavyweight". In Animation, you can hear Elias in multiple animated series and films. Most recently in the Netflix Animated series Blood Of Zeus and in Nickelodeon's Loud House. Elias has become one of the most in-demand voiceover directors for video games. Directing actors for games such as Fallout 76, Call Of Duty, Magic: The Gathering, Identity V and Starfield.

Jay Villanueva is a Product Manager on Unreal Editor for Fortnite. With over 23 years in game development, he began as a game scripter and level designer before evolving into a technical game designer, often building tools and systems to empower their teams. That passion for empowering others led him to UEFN, where his focus is ensuring developers have the capabilities to make the games they imagine. Throughout his career, Jay has worked across genres and platforms, contributing to several AAA titles. At the core of his work is a belief that games are where art and mathematics collide to form one of the most powerful mediums of expression: the ability for anyone to create a virtual world for others to enjoy.