Agenda
Leaders Working at the Heart of the Team 2026
Grant Shonkwiler (Leadership Coach & Developer, Shonkventures)
Kate Edwards (CEO/CXO & Cofounder, Geogrify/SetJetters)
Seth Sivak (VP of Product, Bad Robot Games)
Dave Ranyard (CEO, Dream Reality Interactive)
Jess Case (Advanced Engineering Manager, Schell Games)
Location: Room 2010, West Hall
Date: Monday, March 9
Time: 1:50 pm - 2:50 pm
Pass Type:
Festival Pass, Game Changer Pass -
Get your pass now!
Audience Level:
All
Track:
Team Leadership, Culture & Sustainability
Format:
Microtalks
Vault Recording: Video
Audience Level: All
There is a critical facet of game development that needs exploring: the emotional and elusive feel of being a great leader. In order to maintain the health of a project the leader must have their finger firmly on the pulse of the team and be able to diagnose situations that often call for drastically different solutions. In this session, we will investigate facets of soft skills and share specific situations that we have encountered throughout our careers and how soft skills have saved the team and shipped awesome games. Topics include: The three P's of passion: motivating your team, Leadership as a service, Calm urgency, and Decision Deferred: the worst decision of all.
Takeaway
Attendees will gain an increased knowledge and understanding of how to use the soft skills a leader has, and how focusing on their team will make their games more successful. This will be covered through practical examples and discussion.
Intended Audience
The target audience is leaders with 4+ years experience in the games industry. It will also be valuable for new leaders/producers/project managers and disciplinary leads.