6:00pm EDT
VR Brain Jam (Advance Registration Required)
Speakers
Professor, Kellogg School of Management
Moran is a professor of neuroscience and business (Kellogg and the department of Neurosurgery). Additionally, he is a visiting faculty the Media Lab, and the Sloan screenwriting Professor at AFI. Prior, he worked as a hacker for a decade. He holds multiple patents and his work has...
Read More →
Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Dave is an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He primarily spends his time teaching students the ins and outs of working in creative industries like game development, theme parks, and virtual reality. He also focuses part of his time...
Read More →
VP Production Services, Games for Change
Working as a VP of Production Services, Emily is extending her expertise to oversee social impact game projects at the Games for Change Lab. Drawing from her designer-producer background, she works closely with impact partners, designers, developers, and other team members to produce...
Read More →
Friday July 28, 2017 6:00pm - 9:00pm EDT
Theresa Lang
55 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
8:30am EDT
VR Brain Jam (Advance Registration Required)
Speakers
Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Dave is an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He primarily spends his time teaching students the ins and outs of working in creative industries like game development, theme parks, and virtual reality. He also focuses part of his time...
Read More →
VP Production Services, Games for Change
Working as a VP of Production Services, Emily is extending her expertise to oversee social impact game projects at the Games for Change Lab. Drawing from her designer-producer background, she works closely with impact partners, designers, developers, and other team members to produce...
Read More →
Saturday July 29, 2017 8:30am - 9:00pm EDT
Theresa Lang
55 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
TBA
TBA
Minecraft Edu Curriculum Hackjam (Advance Registration Required)
Speakers
Manager, Minecraft: Education Edition
Meenoo Rami, author of Thrive, is a national board certified teacher who taught students English in Philadelphia for ten years, at the Science Leadership Academy and in other public schools in the city. Meenoo is a teacher-consultant for the National Writing Project and an instructor...
Read More →
8:30am EDT
VR Brain Jam (Advance Registration Required)
Speakers
Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Dave is an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He primarily spends his time teaching students the ins and outs of working in creative industries like game development, theme parks, and virtual reality. He also focuses part of his time...
Read More →
VP Production Services, Games for Change
Working as a VP of Production Services, Emily is extending her expertise to oversee social impact game projects at the Games for Change Lab. Drawing from her designer-producer background, she works closely with impact partners, designers, developers, and other team members to produce...
Read More →
Sunday July 30, 2017 8:30am - 5:00pm EDT
Theresa Lang
55 W 13th St, New York, NY 10011
9:00am EDT
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Speakers
Professor, Parsons School of Design
Colleen Macklin is a game designer, professor at Parsons School of Design and founder and co-director of PETLab (Prototyping Education and Technology Lab). PETLab projects include disaster preparedness games with the Red Cross, the urban activist game Re:Activism and the physical/fiscal...
Read More →
President, Games for Change
Susanna Pollack is the President of Games for Change. With a background in media and entertainment, she now leads the nationally recognized organization and produces the annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in NYC as well as the Games and Media Summit in partnership...
Read More →
9:15am EDT
Keynote - with Michael D. Gallagher
Speakers
President and CEO, Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
Mr. Gallagher joined ESA in 2007. Under his leadership, the association is transforming the perception of video games by demonstrating the influence of entertainment software on areas of daily life such as education, health, and the workplace. In particular, ESA has heightened awareness...
Read More →
9:45am EDT
10:15am EDT
11:00am EDT
Roll for Learning – Games in the Core Classrooms
Speakers
Interactive Content producer, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Allen Brooks creates digital and interactive learning content with The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He came to the Kennedy Center after working as an actor, teacher, and 3D animator. Leading different projects across the five art forms, he builds videos, teaching frameworks...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:00am - 11:15am EDT
Room 104
11:00am EDT
Games and Game-based Simulations in Medical Professional Training
Speakers
Vice President Serious Games, BreakAway Games
Jenn McNamara is Vice President of Serious Games and Strategic Partnerships at BreakAway Games. She leads a team creating game-based solutions that meet customers’ goals throughout the defense, homeland security, medical, corporate training, and human capital management communities...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:00am - 11:20am EDT
Room 105
11:00am EDT
Can Gaming Play Nicely with Pharma?
Speakers
CEO, Amblyotech Inc.
Joe’s background over the past 20 years covers the acquisition, development and commercialization of medical devices, diagnostic and pharmaceuticals. He has founded and created successful exit strategies for three startups. He has raised over $125 million in equity financing and...
Read More →
Associate Producer, Ubisoft
From a very young age, I've always been curious. I liked to deconstruct things to better understand them. That is still how I approach work today. Having worked in various fields such as Creative Writing, 3d animation, Game School manager, VFX, Architecture, lecturer and now Game...
Read More →
11:00am EDT
Panel - VR in the Classroom: Practices, Challenges and Opportunities
Moderators
Games and Education Consultant, Level Up
Mark is an engineer, game developer, and former Senior Advisor for White House OSTP, now focusing on consulting on games for learning and K-12 computer science education. He is a board member of Games for Change and recently was honored with the 2017 Game Developers Choice (GDC) Ambassador...
Read More →
Speakers
Educational Technology Specialist, All Access Labs
Cathy Cheo-Isaacs (@iwearthecrowns) is the Educational Technology Specialist at All Access Labs. Credits include: Google Educator, Google Trainer, Certified BrainPOP Educator, Class Dojo Mentor, Polar Ambassador, Seesaw Ambassador, Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, #MinecraftMentor...
Read More →
Teacher, Game Design and Development, William Annin Middle School, Basking Ridge, NJ
Steve teaches Game Design and Development at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ. He is a strong proponent of Game Based Learning, Student Choice, and Student Voice. For the past two years, Steve has been involved in a research study on Virtual Reality in the Classroom...
Read More →
CEO, Schell Games
Jesse Schell is CEO of Schell Games, a team of one hundred people who strive to make the world’s greatest educational and transformational games, including Yale Medical's PlayForward: Elm City Stories, Water Bears VR, SuperChem VR, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood games, and Happy...
Read More →
CEO, Filament Games
Filament Games CEO Dan White wants learning to be associated with meaning and inspiration rather than accountability and drudgery. Accordingly, he believes that learning should be highly interactive, and that game-based learning, like project- and inquiry-based learning, is a "best...
Read More →
11:15am EDT
10 Years, 100 Countries: The Programmatic Growth of Global Game Jam, Inc.
Speakers
Executive Director, Global Game Jam, Inc.
Seven Siegel is the Executive Director of the Global Game Jam. She has experience in all sectors, including academia, nonprofits, for-profit, and government. Throughout her time traversing sectors, Steven always came back to games and social impact, with a focus on social entrepreneurship...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:15am - 11:25am EDT
Room 104
11:20am EDT
The Importance of Screwing Up: Improving Health Through Failure
Speakers
Instructional Designer, Kognito
Seth is a writer, problem-solver, and designer of interactive experiences. Through his work at Kognito, he discovered that communication skills are teachable, learnable, and can improve many aspects of life. Since then he's designed over 20 simulations in an attempt to make the world...
Read More →
Co-Founder & CEO, Kognito
Ron Goldman is an innovator, tech executive and social entrepreneur. Over the past decade, he has pioneered the use of gaming and simulation technology for learning and assessment experiences in health, behavioral health and education. Ron is the co-founder and CEO of Kognito, a health...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:20am - 11:40am EDT
Room 105
11:30am EDT
Beyond the Holocaust: Embodying Jewish Values in WWII Games
Speakers
Assistant Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Jessica Hammer is an assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon University, jointly appointed between the HCI Institute and the Entertainment Technology Center. She combines game design with qualitative and quantitative research techniques to understand how games impact human behavior...
Read More →
CEO, Phoenix Outlaw Productions
Shoshana Kessock is a writer and game designer, co-founder of Phoenix Outlaw Productions and staff writer for the 7th Sea tabletop roleplaying line by John Wick Presents. She is the author of games like Dangers Untold, SERVICE, Keeping The Candles Lit, The Last Ten Minutes, Blood...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:30am - 11:45am EDT
Room 104
11:30am EDT
The Videogame Pioneers Archive at the Smithsonian: Preserving the Legacy
Speakers
Founder and former CEO, Bethesda Softworks
Christopher Weaver received his SM from MIT and was the initial Daltry Scholar at Wesleyan University, where he earned dual Masters Degrees in Japanese and Computer Science and a CAS Doctoral Degree in Physics. The former Director of Technology Forecasting for ABC and Chief Engineer...
Read More →
11:45am EDT
iCivics: From Concept to Scale - 9 Years in the Baking. Why Good Ingredients Matter.
Moderators
CEO, Power Play
Asi Burak is a veteran of the videogame and tech industries, and an award-winning executive producer. He is currently the CEO of Power Play and also the chairman of Games for Change. He has served as a strategic advisor to organizations like EON Productions (producer of the James...
Read More →
Speakers
Executive Director, iCivics
Louise Dubé serves as the Executive Director of iCivics. Inspired by a deep commitment to learning, she has devoted her career to ensuring that all students are prepared for active and thoughtful citizenship and life. Louise began her career as an attorney in Montreal, Canada...
Read More →
Chief Creative Officer, Filament Games
Dan has been designing learning game and positive impact media for over a decade. He is a co-owner at Filament Games, where he serves as Chief Creative Officer, alongside the miscellaneous duties of being a Founding Partner. His design methodology centers on building models that...
Read More →
11:45am EDT
Panel - Building a Bigger Tent: How to Make Media that Includes All Kids
Moderators
Founder, Literary Safari
Sandhya Nankani is the founder of Literary Safari, which has been producing and creates kids educational content since 2008, including learning games for Lion Television, E-Line Media, and UNICEF. In 2014, she embarked on an experimental journey to create her own apps for multicultural...
Read More →
Speakers
Game Designer, Professor, NMSU Learning Games Lab
Barbara Chamberlin directs game development and research at the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University. Her research interests include user testing (particularly, how to do it in a way that doesn't actually slow down development), and game design models used for development...
Read More →
CEO, Tinybop Inc
Raul Gutierrez the founder and CEO of Tinybop has enjoyed a long career in technology and the arts. Tinybop was built on the belief that all kids should be exposed to big ideas and that the best way to learn is through play.
Executive Editor, Toca Boca
Ingrid joined Toca Boca in 2014, bringing a passion for providing quality content focused on kids, family, learning and a love of most things digital. As executive editor of Toca Magazine, she provides relevant and relatable content for families on topics including play, diversity...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:45am - 12:30pm EDT
Room 105
11:50am EDT
MISSING: Beyond Awareness
Speakers
Founder, Missing Link Trust
Photographer and installation artist. Her work reflects a preoccupation with human-trafficking and finds a new language in the public artwork MISSING, to spread awareness of the plight of young girls lost into the dark holes of sex-trafficking. The MISSING project, uses the public...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 11:50am - 12:00pm EDT
Room 104
11:50am EDT
12:00pm EDT
Designing with Purpose: Creating Games for Global Competency
Speakers
Senior Digital Producer, WGBH
Melissa Carlson is an Emmy Award-winning Senior Digital Producer at WGBH in Boston, where she leads the development of digital games and experiences for children’s educational properties including PBS KIDS’ Design Squad Global and Plum Landing.
Monday July 31, 2017 12:00pm - 12:10pm EDT
Room 104
12:10pm EDT
Beyond Representation: Designing Games With Sociocultural Context
Speakers
Director, Nuclear Fishin' Software
Kevin Chen is the founder and sole full-time employee of Nuclear Fishin' Software, a tiny indie game studio in Brooklyn. Most recently, he was writer, programmer, and project director on Four Horsemen, a visual novel / simulation game about the immigrant experience, which shipped...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 12:10pm - 12:20pm EDT
Room 104
12:10pm EDT
Unpacking Unconscious Gender Bias in Media
Speakers
CEO, Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media
CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the only research based non-profit working within the entertainment industry to improve gender and diversity in children's entertainment. Previously, Di Nonno served as President and CEO, On The Scene Productions, and led development...
Read More →
12:15pm EDT
12:20pm EDT
1:45pm EDT
How Gaming is Bringing Education to Children in Conflict Zones
Speakers
Digital Strategist, NORAD - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
Rachel is a Digital Analyst and Strategist with over six years experience in the gaming industry managing AAA core and casual titles. She holds a degree in Sustainable Development from St Andrews University, where she wrote papers on how to use gamification and digital tactics to...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Room 104
1:45pm EDT
English learning via Alphabear
Speakers
CEO, Spry Fox
Co-founder and CEO of Spry Fox, a game development studio focused on making the world a happier place. Spry Fox has developed several hit games including Alphabear, Bushido Bear, Triple Town, and Realm of the Mad God. Collectively, Spry Fox’s games have been played by over 50 million...
Read More →
1:45pm EDT
The Promise of Brain Training Games
Speakers
UCR Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-being
Aaron Seitz is an internationally recognized expert on the mechanisms of learning and applies knowledge of brain plasticity to create brain-training video games that are effective in improving performance in real-world tasks. A notable example is his vision training game ULTIMEYES...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 1:45pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 105
1:45pm EDT
Panel - The Youth-to-Industry Pipeline: How Challenges & Game Jams Create Career Pathways
Moderators
President, Games for Change
Susanna Pollack is the President of Games for Change. With a background in media and entertainment, she now leads the nationally recognized organization and produces the annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in NYC as well as the Games and Media Summit in partnership...
Read More →
Speakers
Senior Director, Programs & Strategy, Games for Change
Sara is the Senior Director of Programs and Strategy at Games for Change, where she develops new partnership-driven projects and leads community development and learning programs including the national G4C Student Challenge. Sara has over 10 years of cross-sector experience as...
Read More →
President, E-Line Education, E-Line Media
As President, E-Line Education at E-Line Media, Mark oversees the educational services division offering pathways of learning delivered through game-based programs that empower students to understand and shape their world, including the Gamestar Mechanic platform which has generated...
Read More →
High School of Art & Design
Geneva Heyward is student at the High School of Art & Design in New York City. She has been inspired by video games since age three, which has led to a passion for drawing and programming. Geneva was the runner-up Grand Prize Winner in the 2017 Games for Change Student Challenge. Geneva...
Read More →
Senior Director | Learning Design, Mouse
Marc is a specialist in the fields of digital learning and youth development with broad experience designing programming and learning environments in local and national contexts. Marc is currently the Youth Studies Fellow at City University of New York, and directs the national efforts...
Read More →
Community Manager, Remake Learning
Ani Martinez works as a community manager and creative strategist in learning, the arts, and civic engagement in Pittsburgh, PA. Her recent work includes initiatives like Rec2Tech (
rec2techpgh.org), and the My Brother's Keeper Digital Literacy Collaborative. Her work sits between digital literacy and justice, and acts as a catalyst for partnerships across different sectors.
Martinez is the Community Manager for the Remake Learning Network, and was recently named a Mozilla Ne...
Read More →
Director, Federal Government Affairs, Entertainment Software Association
Kevin is a lobbyist for the domestic video game industry at the Entertainment Software Association. Kevin works extensively on games and education for ESA. He is also the resident virtual reality sherpa for federally elected officials. Kevin previously worked as a staffer on Capitol...
Read More →
Olivia Thomas has been designing video games since the age of nine. Now she is double majoring in computer science and GIMM (Games, Interactive Media and Mobile Development) at Boise State University. She has won several awards for her games, including the National STEM Challenge...
Read More →
2:00pm EDT
Mini-Talk Series - How Teachers Use Games in the Classroom
Moderators
Digital Marketing Manager, ISTE
MacKenzie works for the International Society for Technology in Education in Portland, Oregon. ISTE is the creator and steward of the definitive education technology standards. Their mission is to empower learners to flourish in a connected world by cultivating a passionate professional...
Read More →
Speakers
STEM Coordinator, Lauderhill 6-12 STEM-MED/ SBBC
Randall Deich is the STEM Coordinator at Lauderhill 6-12 STEM-MED (Multilevel Entrepreneurship Design), a Title 1 school in Broward County, Florida. As a Program Coordinator and educator with 24 years of learning experiences, Randall has been able to utilize and exploit resources...
Read More →
Assistant Professor, University of Northern Colorado
Matthew Farber, EdD is an Assistant Professor of Educational Technology in the Technology, Innovation, and Pedagogy program at the University of Northern Colorado. He is an Edutopia blogger, a Certified BrainPOP Educator, and he is in the iCivics Educator Network. Look for his first...
Read More →
High School Teacher and Director of ChangeGamer, University of Toronto Schools and ChangeGamer
Mike Farley has been teaching middle and high school Geography and Social Studies for 15 years in Toronto. He has been using digital games with his students for 13 years and founded ChangeGamer.ca to bring together teachers and academics who are excited about the use of games in education...
Read More →
School Administrator, Elizabeth Forward School District
Heather was a high school English teacher and gaming teacher. She is now a secondary administrator with experience in innovative instructional technology implementation and curricular redesign. Heather has been in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's Entertainment Technology...
Read More →
Computer Science Coordinator, Northeast Washington Education Service District 101
Tammie Schrader is the Regional Computer Science and Science Coordinator for the NEWESD 101. Prior to this, Schrader taught science and CTE classes to middle school students in Cheney, Washington. She teaches science methods courses at Whitworth and Gonzaga University. Schrader worked...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room 104
2:05pm EDT
G4C Live Pitch Event
Moderators
CEO, Fay Games
Ira Fay is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Game Design at Hampshire College (ranked top 10 nationally for game design by Princeton Review) and is the CEO of Fay Games, a studio primarily focused on games for educational impact. He previously co-founded the Game Design...
Read More →
2:15pm EDT
Panel - Brain Training Games: Fact, Fiction, or Somewhere in Between?
Moderators
Executive Director, Eyewire
Amy Robinson Sterling is an expert in crowd sourcing. She is the Executive Director of EyeWire, a game to map the brain played by a quarter million people worldwide. Sterling is an international speaker and has advised The White House OSTP and US Congress. She is a leading catalyst...
Read More →
Speakers
UCR Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-being
Aaron Seitz is an internationally recognized expert on the mechanisms of learning and applies knowledge of brain plasticity to create brain-training video games that are effective in improving performance in real-world tasks. A notable example is his vision training game ULTIMEYES...
Read More →
Director of Game Systems Design, Lumosity
Lance Vikaros, Ed.D., has been designing, developing and teaching others how to build educational software since 1992, for groups like Scholastic, Lexia Learning, Intel, the MIT Media Lab and now Lumosity. Recently he completed an educational doctorate degree specialized in educational...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room 105
3:00pm EDT
3:00pm EDT
Civics & Social Issues Microtalk Salon
Speakers
CEO, GamBridzy
I believe a game can change the world. Degrees : Social Entrepreneur MBA at KAIST College of business, South Korea, 2017 Master's degree of Serious Game at KAIST Graduated school of Culture and Technology, South Korea, 2015 Bachelor's degree of Electrical Engineering at Kyungpook...
Read More →
Psychologist
Kelli N. Dunlap, Psy.D. is a psychologist and game designer. She uses games to reduce mental health stigma and increase awareness and empathy for psychiatric conditions. Dr. Dunlap has collaboratively developed games for organizations including the National Institute for Mental Health...
Read More →
Producer, Teknopilot
Festøy is a digital media producer working with film and games, with a long career as a digital technology editor and journalist. She has master degrees in literature, leadership and digital communication. Her love of digital media started with computer science studies in Germany...
Read More →
Museum Educator, Evaluation, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
With Drone technology progressing beyond strictly military applications towards a more ubiquitous presence in everyday lives, via consumer, commercial, and civil opportunities, this panel addresses the goals, expectations, and effects of the Live-Action Social Game Cash or Crash...
Read More →
Co-founder, Accidental Queens
Elizabeth is the co-founder of Accidental Queens, and co-author of the game A Normal Lost Phone. This game is about exploring the intimacy of an unknown person whose phone was found by the player. Through the interface of a mobile phone, the player must discover what happened to its...
Read More →
Co-Founder & Director Social Initiatives, ZMQ Development
Hilmi Quraishi is the Co-Founder of ZMQ - a Technology for Development social enterprise based in India. He is a pioneer in using mobile phones to reach out to grass-root communities. As a technovator, social entrepreneur and educational technologist, Hilmi specializes in developing...
Read More →
CEO, ZMQ Development
Subhi Quraishi is the CEO of ZMQ, a Technology for Development Social Enterprise based in India. He is a T4D expert and a serial social entrepreneur. He is an Applied Mathematician and Computer Science expert by qualification. He has established a social game initiative under ZMQ...
Read More →
Founder & CEO, Trance4mation Games
Leslie is a therapist and is the inventor of the Keep It Real Game, the Warrior Spirit Mission Homefront Veteran Reintegration game, the Recharge Beyond the Bars Communication Games for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, and the In the Line of Duty transformational Police...
Read More →
Parsons The New School for Design
Jed Q. Segovia is a US-born Filipino cartoonist and designer. He received his Bachelor's in Fine Art, Major in Information Design from Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Class of 2007, and a Masters in Fine Arts, Design & Technology, from Parsons the New School...
Read More →
Professor of Practice, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Lee Sheldon is a professional game writer and designer; a professor in Interactive Media & Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and author of The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game (2011) and Character Development and Storytelling for Games (Second...
Read More →
CEO, PushStart Studio
Felipe is a geek, programmer, producer and economist. With deep knowledge and extensive experience with new technologies for Games, Tv Shows and Web content. He is one of the co-founders of PushStart Studio, a Brazilian interactive studio that works from visual concept to production...
Read More →
Partner & Game Designer, Gigantic Mechanic
Greg Trefry designs games and playful experiences for cities, museums, non-profits, TV networks, amusement parks and just for fun. His studio, Gigantic Mechanic has designed and produced award winning games covering a range of social issues from politics to immigration. Greg has spoken...
Read More →
4:00pm EDT
Come out and Vote: How Play and Fun Improves Voter Participation
Speakers
CCO/Co-Founder, Playmatics
Nick Fortugno is a designer of digital and real-world games and co-founder of the game company Playmatics. Fortugno has been a designer, writer, and project manager on dozens of games, serving as lead designer on the downloadable blockbuster Diner Dash, award-winning serious game...
Read More →
Director of Civic Engagement Initiatives, Civic Nation
Edna came to the civic engagement field after eight years in campaigns followed by seven as a freelance food and travel journalist. At Civic Nation she oversees four projects aimed at improving participation in American democracy.
Monday July 31, 2017 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 105
4:00pm EDT
Industry Circle Town Hall
Speakers
CEO, E-Line Media
Michael is the co-founder and CEO of E-Line Media, a mission-based venture that harnesses the power of games to help people understand and shape the world. Michael has spent his career as an operating executive and private equity investor in healthcare and education, focused on how...
Read More →
CEO, Yogome
Computer Systems Engineer from the University Tec de Monterrey in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. 500 Startups Alumni, Summer 2012 (Incubator in Silicon Valley). Endeavor entrepreneur since 2013. Founder of Code Heroes, a Yogome initiative to teach 8-15 year old children in Mexico and...
Read More →
Vice President of Sales, Filament Games
Jennifer Javornik is the Vice President of Sales for Filament Games where she works with companies, organizations, and individuals to explore how they can increase efficacy and engagement through digital learning games, simulations, virtual and augmented reality. She is also Co-Director...
Read More →
CEO, Schell Games
Jesse Schell is CEO of Schell Games, a team of one hundred people who strive to make the world’s greatest educational and transformational games, including Yale Medical's PlayForward: Elm City Stories, Water Bears VR, SuperChem VR, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood games, and Happy...
Read More →
CEO, Triseum LLC
André Thomas' passion for game-based learning resonates inside and outside of the classroom. With more than 20 years in CGI production, he has worked on legendary video games, live action feature films and commercials. He served as Head of Graphics for EA Sports Football (including...
Read More →
Co-founder and President, Classcraft
Based in New York City, Devin is the co-founder and President of Classcraft. Classcraft is redefining the classroom experience by transforming classroom management into a game. With over 2.5 million users worldwide, Classcraft empowers students to work together in fun, new ways and...
Read More →
4:00pm EDT
Mini-Talk Series - Developing Games for Informal Learning Spaces
Moderators
Co-Founder, Games and Learning
Michelle Miller is the Co-Founder and President of Games and Learning, an information platform dedicated to improving kids’ lives through news, analysis and industry leadership for developers and investors. She first developed the initiative during her tenure as Managing Director...
Read More →
Speakers
UX Researcher, Girl Scouts of the USA
Ciara Bush is the lead UX Researcher at Girl Scouts of the USA. Much like the girls she researches, she is a lifelong learner who is excited by the challenge of creating engaging digital experiences for her customers. She has a knack for building empathy and extracting actionable...
Read More →
Associate Director for Digital Learning, American Museum of Natural History
Barry Joseph is the Associate Director for Digital Learning at the American Museum of Natural History. No, really! He sometimes has a hard time believing it himself, what with the T.rex just down the hall and all that. And what an exciting time to explore the intersection of digital...
Read More →
School Outreach Librarian, New York Public Library
Thomas Knowlton is a School Outreach Librarian for MyLibraryNYC at New York Public Library. He holds a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature from the University of Georgia and a Master of Library and Information Studies from Rutgers State University.
Senior Executive Producer & Director of Digital Partnerships, WGBH
Bill Shribman is a Senior Executive Producer at WGBH in Boston where he leads the kid's digital team producing of apps, websites, and AR for PBS, NASA and others. These high traffic projects have won a Prix Jeunesse, two Emmys, and the George Foster Peabody Award. He is the creator...
Read More →
Research Assistant/Program Coordinator, New York Hall of Science
Laycca has a B.S. in Childhood Education/Psychology and a M.S. in TESOL from CUNY City College. She has worked in formal and informal learning environments since 2012, and is passionate about finding solutions for underserved and underrepresented populations to have access to equitable...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room 104
4:15pm EDT
Panel: How G4C’s Migration Challenge led Developers to Think about a Global Problem
Moderators
VP Production Services, Games for Change
Working as a VP of Production Services, Emily is extending her expertise to oversee social impact game projects at the Games for Change Lab. Drawing from her designer-producer background, she works closely with impact partners, designers, developers, and other team members to produce...
Read More →
Speakers
Senior Policy Analyst, Migration Policy Institute
Jeanne Batalova is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Migration Policy Institute. Her research focuses on the impacts of immigrants on society and labor markets; social and economic mobility of immigrant-origin youth and young adults; and the policies and practices regulating immigration...
Read More →
ELF Productions
Debra Everett-Lane bridges the worlds of design and education as Director of Content & Activity Design at ESI Design. She has extensive experience creating games, exhibits, activities, and programs, and is also the lead designer of Come Out & Play Family Day, an offshoot of the larger...
Read More →
Game Designer, planpolitik
I have a masters in political sciences, love video games and pen and paper role playing. I started to develop face to face political simulation games 8 years ago. Then my bosses gave me the oppportunity to bring this method to the online world by hiring coders and web designers...
Read More →
Monday July 31, 2017 4:15pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room 105
5:15pm EDT
5:15pm EDT
5:45pm EDT
6:15pm EDT
9:00am EDT
Day 2 Welcome
Speakers
President, Games for Change
Susanna Pollack is the President of Games for Change. With a background in media and entertainment, she now leads the nationally recognized organization and produces the annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in NYC as well as the Games and Media Summit in partnership...
Read More →
9:15am EDT
9:45am EDT
10:15am EDT
Keynote - The Case for Evidence-Based Design with Mary Flanagan
Speakers
Director, Tiltfactor Lab, Dartmouth College
Mary Flanagan is the founding director of the research laboratory and design studio TILTFACTOR, the founder of the publishing company RESONYM, and the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of Digital Humanities at Dartmouth College. She is a cross-disciplinary designer, systems...
Read More →
11:00am EDT
11:00am EDT
Narrating Chronic Pain—Using Video Games to Tell Aspirational Stories
Speakers
Medical Anthropologist, US Department of Health and Human Services
Rhonda is a medical anthropologist and social scientist who combines anthropological methods, narrative, clinical neuroscience and gaming to better understand the experience and meaning of chronic pain and suffering in vulnerable populations. Rhonda received a Ph.D. in Cultural and...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 11:00am - 11:20am EDT
Room 104
11:00am EDT
Panel - Industry Insights: A Conversation with Craig Hagen, EA and Alan Lewis, Take-Two Interactive
Moderators
Executive Director, ESA Foundation
Anastasia has nearly 20 years of experience spanning nonprofit management, fundraising, communications, and politics. She is currently serving as the Executive Director of the ESA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the video game industry. Previously, she served in leadership positions...
Read More →
Speakers
Global Head of Government Affairs, Electronic Arts Inc
Global head of government affairs, Craig Hagen, is responsible for the management of all government relations and public affairs for Electronic Arts Inc. This includes EA’s interaction with federal and state or provincial governments on a wide range of policy issues. Craig works...
Read More →
Vice President, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
Alan Lewis has more than 20 years of expertise within the interactive entertainment industry. Since 2008, he has served as VP of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for Take-Two. He is responsible for overseeing the Company’s corporate communications initiatives and media...
Read More →
11:00am EDT
Mini-Talk Series - Highlights from the Latest Game-Based Learning Research
Moderators
Assistant Professor/Director of Games, Marist College
Karen Schrier is a full-time faculty member and Director of the Games program at Marist College. Prior to Marist, she spent over a decade producing media at places such as Scholastic, Nickelodeon and BrainPOP. She is the editor of the book series, Learning, Education & Games, published...
Read More →
Speakers
Associate Professor, University of West Georgia
Yun-Jo An is an Associate Professor of Instructional Technology in the Department of Educational Technology and Foundations at the University of West Georgia. She received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University Bloomington (IUB). Her...
Read More →
Gear Learning, University of Wisconsin - Madison
Jennifer Dalsen is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Her research focuses on the development of scientific language and argumentation through gameplay. She aims to capture student learning through multiple channels, including discourse and clickstream data...
Read More →
Assistant Professor, Illinois Institute of Technology
Jennifer L. Miller is an assistant professor and director of Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on language development and her articles have appeared in journals including Infancy, Infant Behavior...
Read More →
Assistant Professor, California State University
Sinem Siyahhan is an Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences and Educational Technology, and the Director of the Game Design Program at California State University San Marcos. She is also the owner of the Play2Connect LLC, a company that designs games and game-based experiences for...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
Room 105
11:15am EDT
The Secret Process for Making Games that Matter
Speakers
Game Designer, Professor, NMSU Learning Games Lab
Barbara Chamberlin directs game development and research at the Learning Games Lab at New Mexico State University. Her research interests include user testing (particularly, how to do it in a way that doesn't actually slow down development), and game design models used for development...
Read More →
CEO, Schell Games
Jesse Schell is CEO of Schell Games, a team of one hundred people who strive to make the world’s greatest educational and transformational games, including Yale Medical's PlayForward: Elm City Stories, Water Bears VR, SuperChem VR, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood games, and Happy...
Read More →
11:30am EDT
Panel - A Conversation with Federal Funders and Artists
Moderators
Senior Director, Programs & Strategy, Games for Change
Sara is the Senior Director of Programs and Strategy at Games for Change, where she develops new partnership-driven projects and leads community development and learning programs including the national G4C Student Challenge. Sara has over 10 years of cross-sector experience as...
Read More →
Speakers
Media Arts Director, National Endowment for the Arts
Jax Deluca became Director of Media Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in January 2016. In this position, she manages the NEA’s grantmaking activities for arts organizations across the country working in media arts, which includes film, video, audio, internet-based...
Read More →
Program Director, National Institutes of Health
Dr. David Miller is a Program Director at the NIH’s National Cancer Institute where he manages a broad portfolio of biomedical software and computational modeling research grants in areas including data visualization, science games, interactive media, and crowdsourcing methodologies...
Read More →
Lead, Digital Projects for the Public / Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities
Dr. Marc Ruppel is a Senior Program Officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Public Programs, where he specializes in game, digital media and transmedia storytelling. Before joining the Endowment, Marc worked on several transmedia/digital-experiential learning...
Read More →
Executive Director, Eyewire
Amy Robinson Sterling is an expert in crowd sourcing. She is the Executive Director of EyeWire, a game to map the brain played by a quarter million people worldwide. Sterling is an international speaker and has advised The White House OSTP and US Congress. She is a leading catalyst...
Read More →
Chief Executive Officer, Playmatics
Margaret Wallace Chief Executive Officer Playmatics -- www.playmatics.com Margaret Wallace is Chief Executive Officer of Playmatics, award-winning creators of digital and real-world games, products and other interactive experiences. She was named one of Forbes “12 Women in Gaming...
Read More →
11:35am EDT
Design Lessons from 3 Years at GlassLab
Speakers
CEO, Sense of Wonder
Erin Hoffman-John is the Chief Designer and CEO of Sense of Wonder, an independent mobile developer of “smart fun” games, and an Assistant Teaching Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Silicon Valley campus. Prior to these roles, she led game design at GlassLab, a three-year...
Read More →
11:45am EDT
The Power, Cost and Limits of Adaptivity in Neurogaming
Speakers
Director of Game Systems Design, Lumosity
Lance Vikaros, Ed.D., has been designing, developing and teaching others how to build educational software since 1992, for groups like Scholastic, Lexia Learning, Intel, the MIT Media Lab and now Lumosity. Recently he completed an educational doctorate degree specialized in educational...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Room 104
12:00pm EDT
An Active Learning Game for Better Sound Localization Using Augmented Reality (AR)
Speakers
Assistant Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology
SUNGYOUNG KIM IS AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL, COMPUTER, AND TELECOMMUNICATION ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY AT RIT. His research interests include enjoyable auditory environment based on a multichannel audio system, virtual reality audio, auditory training, cross-cultural...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 12:00pm - 12:15pm EDT
Room 104
12:00pm EDT
Games on a Budget: Change for Change
Speakers
Partner & Game Designer, Gigantic Mechanic
Greg Trefry designs games and playful experiences for cities, museums, non-profits, TV networks, amusement parks and just for fun. His studio, Gigantic Mechanic has designed and produced award winning games covering a range of social issues from politics to immigration. Greg has spoken...
Read More →
12:00pm EDT
Panel - Pick Me! Win More Fans With These Lessons from Platform Providers
Moderators
Co-Founder, Games and Learning
Michelle Miller is the Co-Founder and President of Games and Learning, an information platform dedicated to improving kids’ lives through news, analysis and industry leadership for developers and investors. She first developed the initiative during her tenure as Managing Director...
Read More →
Speakers
Vice President, Vertical Business, Samsung Business
From 2007 to 2011, Ted served as Chief Information Officer for the New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE). His responsibilities included the instructional and administrative technology needs of the largest school district in the United States. With a $125 million operating...
Read More →
CEO, Noodle Markets
Nicole is CEO of Noodle Markets, a company that brings vendors and educators together to increase efficiency and transparency in K–12 purchasing. Prior to joining the company, Nicole served in leadership positions at CORE Education Consulting and Solutions, Pearson Education, and...
Read More →
CFO/CSO, First Book
Jane is CFO/CSO at First Book, a social enterprise focused on equity in education. Its models are built to be revenue-generating and bring a new market and collaborative disruption to publishers and other content creators. Jane led the team in writing the business plan for the central...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Room 105
12:15pm EDT
From Proteins to Planets: The First Year of Project Discovery
Speakers
Senior Development Manager, CCP Games
After graduating from London Metropolitan University with a MA in Architecture of rapid change and scarce resources, Bergur went on a path to explore the possibility of architecture and urban planning in the digitally built world of World of Darkness. The aim was to build a familiar...
Read More →
CEO & co-founder, Massively Multiplayer Online Science
Attila feels very lucky to have combined his two passions with Massively Multiplayer Online Science: citizen science and games. He is based in the beautiful small village of Gryon, Switzerland, where he founded MMOS with Bernard Revaz. For almost two decades, he has worked in IT in...
Read More →
12:45pm EDT
Civics & Social Issues Microtalk Showcase
Speakers
CEO, GamBridzy
I believe a game can change the world. Degrees : Social Entrepreneur MBA at KAIST College of business, South Korea, 2017 Master's degree of Serious Game at KAIST Graduated school of Culture and Technology, South Korea, 2015 Bachelor's degree of Electrical Engineering at Kyungpook...
Read More →
Psychologist
Kelli N. Dunlap, Psy.D. is a psychologist and game designer. She uses games to reduce mental health stigma and increase awareness and empathy for psychiatric conditions. Dr. Dunlap has collaboratively developed games for organizations including the National Institute for Mental Health...
Read More →
Producer, Teknopilot
Festøy is a digital media producer working with film and games, with a long career as a digital technology editor and journalist. She has master degrees in literature, leadership and digital communication. Her love of digital media started with computer science studies in Germany...
Read More →
Co-founder, Accidental Queens
Elizabeth is the co-founder of Accidental Queens, and co-author of the game A Normal Lost Phone. This game is about exploring the intimacy of an unknown person whose phone was found by the player. Through the interface of a mobile phone, the player must discover what happened to its...
Read More →
Co-Founder & Director Social Initiatives, ZMQ Development
Hilmi Quraishi is the Co-Founder of ZMQ - a Technology for Development social enterprise based in India. He is a pioneer in using mobile phones to reach out to grass-root communities. As a technovator, social entrepreneur and educational technologist, Hilmi specializes in developing...
Read More →
CEO, ZMQ Development
Subhi Quraishi is the CEO of ZMQ, a Technology for Development Social Enterprise based in India. He is a T4D expert and a serial social entrepreneur. He is an Applied Mathematician and Computer Science expert by qualification. He has established a social game initiative under ZMQ...
Read More →
Founder & CEO, Trance4mation Games
Leslie is a therapist and is the inventor of the Keep It Real Game, the Warrior Spirit Mission Homefront Veteran Reintegration game, the Recharge Beyond the Bars Communication Games for the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, and the In the Line of Duty transformational Police...
Read More →
Parsons The New School for Design
Jed Q. Segovia is a US-born Filipino cartoonist and designer. He received his Bachelor's in Fine Art, Major in Information Design from Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Class of 2007, and a Masters in Fine Arts, Design & Technology, from Parsons the New School...
Read More →
Professor of Practice, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Lee Sheldon is a professional game writer and designer; a professor in Interactive Media & Game Development at Worcester Polytechnic Institute; and author of The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game (2011) and Character Development and Storytelling for Games (Second...
Read More →
CEO, PushStart Studio
Felipe is a geek, programmer, producer and economist. With deep knowledge and extensive experience with new technologies for Games, Tv Shows and Web content. He is one of the co-founders of PushStart Studio, a Brazilian interactive studio that works from visual concept to production...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT
5th Floor
12:45pm EDT
Playtesting and Prototyping Games for the Classroom: Putting Students and Teachers at the Center of Playful Learning
Speakers
Director of Math Pedagogy, CanFigureIt
Lovingly known as "Ms. Panda" to her former students, Natasha has worked in formal and informal learning environments since 2007. She is passionate about finding meaningful ways to integrate technology in the 'traditional' classroom experience, working closely with educators to design...
Read More →
Science Pedagogy Director, PlayMada
As Science Pedagogy Director for PlayMada, Edward helps to conceptualize, design and develop new educational games to give high school students a deepened understanding of key scientific concepts in a fun and engaging way. As a former NYC public school teacher of 18 years, he is passionate...
Read More →
1:45pm EDT
Engagement for Change: Improving News Media through Game Design
Speakers
Fellow, American University
Maggie Farley wants you to know how to tell real news from fake. She has combined her experience from 15 years as an award-winning foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times with designing games and curricula for learning and news engagement. As a fellow in American University's...
Read More →
Founding Director and Associate Professor, American University Game Lab
Lindsay is associate professor and founding director of the American University Game Lab and Studio. Widely published on games, his work has been featured on Al Jazeera, several National Public Radio Affiliates and awarded by a variety of organizations. He has showcased his game designs...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Room 105
1:45pm EDT
Government Grants for Health & Science Games
Speakers
Program Director, National Institutes of Health
Dr. David Miller is a Program Director at the NIH’s National Cancer Institute where he manages a broad portfolio of biomedical software and computational modeling research grants in areas including data visualization, science games, interactive media, and crowdsourcing methodologies...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 1:45pm - 2:00pm EDT
Room 104
1:45pm EDT
Well Played: Walden, a Game
Moderators
Director & Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center
Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds and he is interested in stories and transformational experiences across texts, comics, games and other media. He explores the art, design and science...
Read More →
Speakers
Professor and Director, USC Game Innovation Lab
Tracy Fullerton is an award winning experimental game designer and director of the Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she holds the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment. Her game credits include Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, and The...
Read More →
Associate Professor, USC Games
Richard Lemarchand is a game designer, an educator and a consultant. Working at Naughty Dog he led or co-led the design of all three PlayStation 3 games in the Uncharted series. He also helped to create the game series Gex and Soul Reaver at Crystal Dynamics. He is now an Associate...
Read More →
1:45pm EDT
Panel - From Player to Maker: Lessons Learned from Young Creators
Moderators
VP, Strategy & Innovation, Girls Who Code
Leah Gilliam has channeled her life-long fascination with systems and how things work into a diverse career with a focus on how people participate and invent through technology. As the Vice President for Strategy & Innovation at Girls Who Code, Gilliam leverages her experience working...
Read More →
Speakers
Founder and President, The Sankofa Global Project
Tracy Gray holds dual Master of Science Degrees in Early Childhood and General Education. As an entrepreneur and education consultant, Tracy has devoted her career to building effective S.T.E.A.M. initiatives. In her commitment to advance 21st century learning competency skills, Tracy...
Read More →
Digital Media Specialist, White Plains Public Library
Austin Olney is a Digital Media Specialist at the White Plains Public Library, teaching patrons to be digitally literate and providing them with technology skills necessary for the modern world. Using the library’s teen space as a backdrop, he presents students with a hands-on approach...
Read More →
Program Director, Maker Learning, Digital Promise Global
Josh is the Program Director for Maker Learning at Digital Promise. In that capacity he directs the global Learning Studios network and other maker learning work in the organization including the Maker Promise partnership with Maker Ed. Prior to joining Digital Promise, Josh helped...
Read More →
2:00pm EDT
Player Centered Design: Reframing the World through Play
Speakers
Narrative Designer, Antidote Games
Mohini Dutta is the cofounder of Antidote, a creative play consultancy. At Antidote, she works with non-profits, journalists, and scientists to find playful methods of communication to increase understanding. She also teaches at Parsons School of Design in the Design and Technology...
Read More →
Systems Designer, Antidote Games
Ben Norskov is the cofounder of Antidote, a creative play consultancy. At Antidote, he works with non-profits, journalists, and scientists to find playful methods of communication to increase understanding. He also teaches at Parsons School of Design in the Design and Technology...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 2:00pm - 2:10pm EDT
Room 105
2:00pm EDT
2:00pm EDT
Meet the Experts
Speakers
Executive Vice President, E-Line Media
Brian is a member of the founding executive team at E-Line Media, a game developer and publisher that harnesses the power of games to help youth thrive in a complex, rapidly-changing, digitally-connected world. He is currently leading the design of E-Line's hands-on youth learning...
Read More →
Media Arts Director, National Endowment for the Arts
Jax Deluca became Director of Media Arts at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in January 2016. In this position, she manages the NEA’s grantmaking activities for arts organizations across the country working in media arts, which includes film, video, audio, internet-based...
Read More →
Director of Education, Yogome, Inc.
Sandra is an experienced content strategist and researcher with over 8 years of experience developing interactive content for emerging new technologies. Products have included digital games, books, interactive bilingual curriculum, and a wearable fitness tracker for kids. She is committed...
Read More →
Program Director, National Institutes of Health
Dr. David Miller is a Program Director at the NIH’s National Cancer Institute where he manages a broad portfolio of biomedical software and computational modeling research grants in areas including data visualization, science games, interactive media, and crowdsourcing methodologies...
Read More →
Lead, Digital Projects for the Public / Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities
Dr. Marc Ruppel is a Senior Program Officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Public Programs, where he specializes in game, digital media and transmedia storytelling. Before joining the Endowment, Marc worked on several transmedia/digital-experiential learning...
Read More →
CEO, Schell Games
Jesse Schell is CEO of Schell Games, a team of one hundred people who strive to make the world’s greatest educational and transformational games, including Yale Medical's PlayForward: Elm City Stories, Water Bears VR, SuperChem VR, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood games, and Happy...
Read More →
CEO, Filament Games
Filament Games CEO Dan White wants learning to be associated with meaning and inspiration rather than accountability and drudgery. Accordingly, he believes that learning should be highly interactive, and that game-based learning, like project- and inquiry-based learning, is a "best...
Read More →
Co-founder and President, Classcraft
Based in New York City, Devin is the co-founder and President of Classcraft. Classcraft is redefining the classroom experience by transforming classroom management into a game. With over 2.5 million users worldwide, Classcraft empowers students to work together in fun, new ways and...
Read More →
2:15pm EDT
Improving Scientific Discovery Games with Data
Speakers
Assistant Professor, Northeastern University
Seth Cooper is an Assistant Professor in the College of Computer and Information Science at Northeastern University. He earned his PhD in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. Seth is interested in using video games to solve difficult real-world problems...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Room 104
2:15pm EDT
Panel - All of the Above: Building Learning Games for Both Home and School
Moderators
Managing Editor, EdSurge
Tony Wan is Managing Editor at EdSurge where he frets over stories, semantics and snappy headlines. He was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” in Education in 2014. Prior to joining EdSurge he co-founded a short-lived startup that developed a game best described as “Zelda with...
Read More →
Speakers
CEO, Lightneer
Lauri Järvilehto is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lightneer, setting out to bring high quality learning to everybody everywhere and scaling the inclusivity of Finnish education globally. Lauri is a learning enthusiast, serial entrepreneur and a Sherlock Holmes fan. He has a PhD in theoretical...
Read More →
Director of Marketing & Licensing, Filament Games
As Director of Marketing & Licensing at Filament Games, Brandon applies his passion for games and learning to their content marketing practice and overall marketing strategy. He thrives on creating and sustaining a meaningful conversation with educators and developers about game-based...
Read More →
CEO & Co-Founder, BEGiN
Neal Shenoy is CEO & Co-Founder of BEGiN, the company behind the award-winning Speakaboos and Homer subscription services. BEGiN's mission is to motivate young children to become lifelong learners through a love of reading that serves as a gateway to learning to read effectively...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 2:15pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room 105
2:30pm EDT
VR Hacking:
from Innovation to Preservation
Speakers
Creative Consultant / Professional Nerd, Isobar
As a creative technologist with a strong design background, Kevin leads day-to-day creative initiatives within the Isobar NYC office and the Isobar NowLab. Since age 11 he’s had his hand in print, motion/broadcast, digital, experiential and now VR/AR projects for brands such as...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 2:30pm - 2:45pm EDT
Room 104
2:30pm EDT
Playing Outwards: Critical Games in Context
Speakers
molleindustria
Paolo Pedercini is a game developer, artist and educator. He teaches digital media production and experimental game design at the School of Art at Carnegie Mellon University. Since 2003 he works under the project name “Molleindustria” producing provocative games addressing issues...
Read More →
3:00pm EDT
Axon - A Social Media Showdown in Space, A Live VR Game
Speakers
Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Dave is an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He primarily spends his time teaching students the ins and outs of working in creative industries like game development, theme parks, and virtual reality. He also focuses part of his time...
Read More →
4:00pm EDT
4:00pm EDT
4:00pm EDT
Minecraft Edu Hackjam Outcomes Presentations
Speakers
Senior Director, Programs & Strategy, Games for Change
Sara is the Senior Director of Programs and Strategy at Games for Change, where she develops new partnership-driven projects and leads community development and learning programs including the national G4C Student Challenge. Sara has over 10 years of cross-sector experience as...
Read More →
Innovative Educational Ideas
Global Consultant Specialist in Game Play, Game Inspired Learning, Communities of Practice and Learning Communities. Bron cut her teeth in games for learning long before Minecraft exploded into the world through her 10 years with the highly successful Arizona State University Quest...
Read More →
4:00pm EDT
Panel - The Women of Overwatch: The Journey of Bringing Strong Female Characters to Life
Moderators
Director, Federal Government Affairs, Entertainment Software Association
Nika Nour is the Director of Federal Government Affairs for the Entertainment Software Association and an Internet Association Alum. As a triathlete and avid Batman fan, she strives to bridge technology policy issues and Capitol Hill. Currently she focuses on pursuing meaningful changes...
Read More →
Speakers
Voice of Symmetra in Overwatch, Actress
Anjali Bhimani is known to gaming fans as the voice of Symmetra in Overwatch and Nisha in Fallout 4. On television, fans know her as Nina Patel on Modern Family and Wendy on Cassandra French’s Finishing School, and from appearances on such shows as Silicon Valley, Criminal Minds...
Read More →
Voice of Mercy in Overwatch, Actress
Lucie Pohl is a German-born-NYC-raised actor, comedian and writer. She is the voice of Mercy on Blizzard's Overwatch and has appeared in Homeland (Showtime), Red Dwarf XI (Amazon), Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Warner Bros.) and over 25 international Film & TV productions...
Read More →
Voice of Sombra in Overwatch, Actress
Born in Cali, Colombia, Carolina Ravassa has appeared on The Affair opposite Dominic West and produced, directed, and starred in the Web series Hispanglosaxon. She is known for her voice work in the video games, Overwatch (Sombra), Grand Theft Auto V (Taliana Martinez) and Max Payne...
Read More →
Senior Casting & Voice Director, Blizzard Entertainment
Andrea Toyias is the Senior Casting & Voice Director at Blizzard Entertainment where she enjoys bringing a wide-range of characters to life in games such as World of WarCraft, Diablo, StarCraft, Hearthstone and most recently, Blizzard's newest exciting title Overwatch. She spends...
Read More →
4:10pm EDT
How Uncertainty can be Used to Improve Learning
Speakers
UC Riverside
Russell Cohen Hoffing is a Ph.D. candidate at UC Riverside. Here he works at the Brain Game Center devoting his time towards making a brain training games to improve self-control.
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:10pm - 4:20pm EDT
Room 104
4:15pm EDT
After 'Reality' - Can a Game About Media-Making Save Democracy?
Speakers
Faculty/Game Innovation Lab Research Lead, USC School of Cinematic Arts Interactive Media & Games Division
Jesse Vigil is a published writer, game designer, and producer of award-winning film, television and games. He is the co-founder of Los Angeles-based production company Psychic Bunny and faculty at the USC School of Cinematic Arts Interactive Media and Games Division, where he teaches...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 105
4:20pm EDT
4:30pm EDT
The 5 Rules of Virtual Humans
Speakers
CTO, Kognito
Vince has always loved to build things -- from baubles to hardware and software. His passion for tinkering is the underpinning of his commitment to continuous innovation. At Kognito, Vince is applying that same desire to lead the company's technology strategy, bringing fresh ideas...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:30pm - 4:40pm EDT
Room 104
4:30pm EDT
Measuring Impact
Speakers
Independent Artist and Nonprofit Consultant
Anjali is an independent artist and analogue game or interaction designer, and a community engagement professional working for mission-driven organizations. Anjali holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and is a Fulbright Scholar in Fine Arts. She was named an Award...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Room 105
4:30pm EDT
Pre-Production Frameworks: Tools for Teams to Create Better Design, Development, and Evaluation of Games for Change
Speakers
Principal Designer, Schell Games
Sabrina Culyba is a Principal Designer at Schell Games, an independent game studio in Pittsburgh that specializes in creating transformational and innovative, interactive experiences. She has worked on a wide range of entertainment & technology experiences, including mobile games...
Read More →
Deputy Director, Yale Center for Health & Learning Games, play2PREVENT Lab
Dr. Hieftje's interests primarily focus on health promotion and behavior change through the use of videogames. She is an Associate Research Scientist at the Yale School of Medicine and Deputy Director of the Yale Center for Health & Learning Games and play2PREVENT Lab. Dr. Hieftje...
Read More →
4:40pm EDT
Fit Brains: A Summary of Eight Years in Brain Training
Speakers
Game Designer, Rosetta Stone (formerly)
Maurice Grela is a game developer who circulates between Toronto and Vancouver. His work experience includes game design, quality assurance testing, art direction, voice acting direction, technical art, research, and modding of existing games. He has explored a wide spectrum of game...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:40pm - 4:50pm EDT
Room 104
4:50pm EDT
Exploring the Feasibility of Video Games for Cognitive Assessment
Speakers
University of Strathclyde
Ba (Hon) in Games Design and Production Management. MPhil student in Digital Health and Wellness. With academic and industry experience I aim to research the development of games into new markets and genres. The current interest is the development of application for people with...
Read More →
Tuesday August 1, 2017 4:50pm - 5:00pm EDT
Room 104
5:15pm EDT
5:45pm EDT
Keynote - Into The Future : A World Without Edges with Graeme Devine
Speakers
Chief Game Wizard, Magic Leap
Graeme is a veteran game developer with more than 30 years of experience across multiple platforms, technologies, and major titles. Starting at age 16 working at Atari, Graeme has helped bring numerous games to life, including Pole Position, The 7th Guest, The 11th Hour, Quake III...
Read More →
6:15pm EDT
9:00am EDT
Welcome to the VR for Change Summit
Speakers
Senior Education Program Manager and VR for Change Curator, Unity
Erik Martin is Senior Education Program Manager at Unity, the leading development platform for games and XR, where he works to democratize creativity and empower learners with skills to help build the future. Erik previously served as a Policy Advisor at the White House, Office...
Read More →
President, Games for Change
Susanna Pollack is the President of Games for Change. With a background in media and entertainment, she now leads the nationally recognized organization and produces the annual Games for Change Festival, the largest gaming event in NYC as well as the Games and Media Summit in partnership...
Read More →
9:15am EDT
Keynote - A Call to Action for VR for Change with Megan Smith
Speakers
3rd U.S. CTO, Entrepreneur, Engineer
Megan Smith was the third U.S. Chief Technology Officer of the United States and advisor to President Obama. She helped guide the Obama Administration's expansive technology policies and initiatives. Previous to assuming her role at the White House, Smith served as VP of Google[x...
Read More →
9:30am EDT
10:00am EDT
10:30am EDT
Keynote - Portals: Walk Through The Internet with Amar C. Bakshi
Speakers
Founder & Creative Director, Shared_Studios
Amar C. Bakshi is an artist whose work focuses on how to integrate technology into environments and across pronounced distance to create new forms of digital-physical public spaces that challenge and subvert existing norms. In particular, he works to connect members of diverse communities...
Read More →
10:30am EDT
VR for Change: Can VR Experiences Reduce Prejudice and Promote Empathy?
Speakers
PhD Candidate, Stanford University
Fernanda Herrera holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Texas in Austin and is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. Fernanda's research interests focus on the psychosocial effects of new media and technology as well as the cognitions...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
Room 105
10:50am EDT
11:00am EDT
Lessons Learned From Making 'Injustice'
Speakers
Creative Director, Stitchbridge
Jaehee Cho is an enthusiastic game designer, passionate about telling interesting and unique stories in various media. Beginning his career in film and photography, his work has expanded beyond traditional, using new technology such as interactive technology and virtual reality. He...
Read More →
Associate Professor, Entertainment Technology Center
Ralph Vituccio is an Associate Teaching Professor at the Entertainment Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University. His interactive projects on racism, sexual assault and conflict management have won numerous national media awards. As an independent artist, his documentaries have...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 11:00am - 11:30am EDT
Room 105
11:00am EDT
11:10am EDT
Intimacy over Empathy: The Future of VR
Speakers
Co-Owner / Narrative Designer, Numinous Games
Ryan is an artist and videogame designer, currently focused on creating narrative VR experiences. Ryan currently serves as Head of Narrative for Numinous Games, a studio he co-founded. Numinous Games first title, That Dragon, Cancer, was created as a poetic memorial to Ryan and his...
Read More →
Writer and Game Designer, Numinous Games
Amy Green was a contributing writer, narrative designer and voice actor for That Dragon, Cancer, a video game created about her son Joel’s battle with cancer. She continues to work for Numinous Games as a writer and game designer on the studio's current projects. In addition to...
Read More →
11:30am EDT
Youth Voices in Virtual Reality
Speakers
Director of Virtual Reality, Global Nomads Group
Grace holds over a decade of experience in virtual exchange, global education, and youth programming. As the Director of Virtual Reality, she oversees Global Nomad Group's (GNG) VR Lab, harnessing the power of vr technology to develop a generation of empathetic, aware, and action...
Read More →
Video Producer & Digital Storytelling Coach, Digital Promise
Dimitri Moore has produced music videos, short narrative films, promo videos, training videos for Facebook and documentaries. He is the Video Producer and Digital Storytelling Coach for Digital Promise Global primarily focusing on facilitating the 360 Filmmakers Challenge supporting...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 11:30am - 12:00pm EDT
Room 105
11:30am EDT
Panel - Forging the Cyberfeminist Multireality
Moderators
Senior Reporter, Kotaku
Cecilia D'Anastasio is a senior reporter with Kotaku, where she writes about games, virtual worlds, digital labor and justice. Her reporting methods include embedding in virtual worlds and exploring the cultural tide pools that form around gaming and digital escapism.
Speakers
CEO/Co-founder, SVRF
Sophia Dominguez is the CEO & co-founder of SVRF, the first search and discovery engine for VR content. She also founded AllThingsVR, a weekly newsletter that highlights the best virtual reality news and content. Previously, she was the Entrepreneur in Residence at Rothenberg Ventures...
Read More →
UX Interaction Designer, Code for America
Clorama discovered VR in the summer of 2015 while researching technology to develop empathy to combat social bias for her MA thesis in London. She realized VR's potential to shape cognitive behavior and self-taught with Unity 3D to develop prototype demos for the Oculus DK2. Since...
Read More →
Principal, RRE Ventures
Alice Lloyd George is a Principal at RRE in New York and helps the firm explore emerging technologies such as the blockchain, machine learning and computer vision, robotics, VR and AR, and NewSpace. She led the firm's investments in The Wave VR and 8i, where she is a board observer...
Read More →
Testimony
Zohar Kfir is a New York-based media artist working with experimental video, interactive art and VR. Her artistic practice employs non-linear narratives and traditional cinematic techniques and features expanded interactivity. Kfir has shown her work internationally in galleries...
Read More →
1:30pm EDT
Journalism360: New Futures for Interactive News
Speakers
Founding Director, Journalism+ Design at The New School
Heather Chaplin is the founding director of the Journalism + Design program at The New School and the author of Reckless Years: A Diary of Love and Madness (Simon & Schuster, 2017.) She covered videogames for many outlets including All Things Considered and The New York Times. She...
Read More →
CTO, The Newseum
Mitch Gelman is CTO at the Newseum, where he has guided the development of VR experiences around some of the Newseum's most exciting artifacts, including the Berlin Wall and the Unabomber's cabin. As a reporter at New York Newsday, he was part of a team that earned a Pulitzer Prize...
Read More →
Founding Director and Associate Professor, American University Game Lab
Lindsay is associate professor and founding director of the American University Game Lab and Studio. Widely published on games, his work has been featured on Al Jazeera, several National Public Radio Affiliates and awarded by a variety of organizations. He has showcased his game designs...
Read More →
Co-Owner / Narrative Designer, Numinous Games
Ryan is an artist and videogame designer, currently focused on creating narrative VR experiences. Ryan currently serves as Head of Narrative for Numinous Games, a studio he co-founded. Numinous Games first title, That Dragon, Cancer, was created as a poetic memorial to Ryan and his...
Read More →
Writer and Game Designer, Numinous Games
Amy Green was a contributing writer, narrative designer and voice actor for That Dragon, Cancer, a video game created about her son Joel’s battle with cancer. She continues to work for Numinous Games as a writer and game designer on the studio's current projects. In addition to...
Read More →
360 Editor, The New York Times
Samantha has been focused on the VR industry for over 2 years crafting interactivity into 360 videos and games. She is currently a video journalist at The New York Times where she edits and produces videos for The Daily 360.
Wednesday August 2, 2017 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Cafeteria
1:30pm EDT
Live Pitch Session: VR Brain Jam Showdown
Moderators
COO, Discovr LBS
Gemma Busoni is a cofounder and COO at Discovr Labs, a VR startup that focuses on immersive educational experiences for K12, vocational, and professional verticals. Formerly, she founded a non-profit that brought CS education to inner-city schools, eventually merging with another...
Read More →
Professor, Kellogg School of Management
Moran is a professor of neuroscience and business (Kellogg and the department of Neurosurgery). Additionally, he is a visiting faculty the Media Lab, and the Sloan screenwriting Professor at AFI. Prior, he worked as a hacker for a decade. He holds multiple patents and his work has...
Read More →
Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University
Dave is an assistant teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He primarily spends his time teaching students the ins and outs of working in creative industries like game development, theme parks, and virtual reality. He also focuses part of his time...
Read More →
PhD Candidate, Stanford University
Fernanda Herrera holds a BS in Psychology from the University of Texas in Austin and is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Communication at Stanford University. Fernanda's research interests focus on the psychosocial effects of new media and technology as well as the cognitions...
Read More →
Head of Product Development, Unity Technologies
Aaron Norstad is an experience specialist who has focused on bending technology innovations to allow the development of immersive and interactive media. Over the course of 20 years Aaron has launched tens of award winning products and games that have moved from physical to digital...
Read More →
Head of Virtual Reality and Game Design, IBM Research
Aldis is a virtual reality evangelist and lifelong videogame nerd who combines cognitive neuroscience and game design to explore the limits of VR. Aldis received a Ph.D. in Psychology -Visual Cognition and Human Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015...
Read More →
2:00pm EDT
How High School Students Are Learning to Build VR Content for the Web
Speakers
Teacher, Computer Science, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
Jordan Budisantoso is the founding Computer Science Teacher at Washington Leadership Academy, a public charter school in Washington, DC that offers a 4-year computer science and civic leadership education to all of its students. One of the exciting things his students are doing right...
Read More →
Student, 10th grade, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
Jamir is a rising 10th grader at Washington Leadership Academy a public charter school in DC that provides all its students a 4-year civic leadership and computer science education. Jamir's favorite subject is science. He is actively engaged as a boy scout and has dreams of working...
Read More →
Student, 10th grade, Founder & CEO of TAU VR, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
Jerome Foster II is a rising 10th grader at Washington Leadership Academy a Public Charter School in DC that provides all its students a 4-year civic leadership and computer science education. Jerome started his own VR company called TAU VR (officially recognized by the city) and...
Read More →
Student, 10th grade, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
My name is Khalilah. I am a rising 10th grader at Washington Leadership Academy a public charter school in DC that provides all it's students a 4-year civic leadership and computer science education. My favorite subject in school is CS because she gets to explore "another dimension...
Read More →
Student, 10th grade, Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
Dagmawit (or Tina) is a rising 10th grader at Washington Leadership Academy a public charter school in DC that provides all its students a 4-year civic leadership and computer science education. Her favorite subjects are history and computer science because she loves learning about...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 2:00pm - 2:30pm EDT
Room 105
2:15pm EDT
Panel - Teleporting Audiences to Distant Horizons
Moderators
Producer, The Boshia Group
Adaora is an award winning storyteller, producer, and investor at the intersection of media and new technology; currently focused on virtual and augmented reality. She is also an adjunct professor at NYU-ITP. Previously, she worked at Rothenberg Ventures focused on early-stage frontier...
Read More →
Speakers
CEO, Fountain Digital Labs
Svetlana Dragayeva is an artist, producer and environmentalist. She unites conservation, education and art with innovative technologies to raise awareness, consciousness and facilitate global empathy and ecocentrism. She has won a BAFTA and two Webbys.
Executive Producer, Black Dot Films VR
Malvina Martin is a co-founder of BlackDotFilmsVR - a leading VR production company. As the launch content and production partner for National Geographic, BDF has produced over 20 films in the last 12 months for NG's VR partnerships with Facebook and HULU, achieving some of the most...
Read More →
Executive Producer, Black Dot Films VR
Max Salomon is the co-founder of Black Dot Films VR - a leading VR & 360 film production company. As the launch content and production partner for National Geographic, BDF has produced a pipeline of over 30 films in the last 12 months for NG's VR production partnerships with Facebook...
Read More →
Managing Editor, LIFE VR, TIME Magazine
Mia Tramz is the Managing Editor of LIFE VR, Time Inc’s company wide virtual reality initiative. Since joining TIME as an Associate Photo Editor in 2013, Mia has embraced immersive digital storytelling in many forms, culminating with her involvement shaping the editorial voice of...
Read More →
2:30pm EDT
Why VR and Machine Learning are Good for Science
Speakers
Head of Virtual Reality and Game Design, IBM Research
Aldis is a virtual reality evangelist and lifelong videogame nerd who combines cognitive neuroscience and game design to explore the limits of VR. Aldis received a Ph.D. in Psychology -Visual Cognition and Human Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2015...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 2:30pm - 3:00pm EDT
Room 105
3:00pm EDT
A Call for Collaboration in Education with Seth Andrew
Speakers
Founder, REV: Revolutionary Education Ventures
Seth Andrew is the Global Director of Policy & Partnerships at Bridge International Academies, the world’s largest network of schools for families earning less than $2 per day. Previously, Seth served as the Senior Advisor for Education Technology in the Executive Office of the...
Read More →
3:30pm EDT
Biometric VR: 21st-Century Therapeutics
Speakers
Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, Coresights
Jacqueline Assar is an entrepreneur with a passion for immersive technologies. Jacqueline spearheads strategy and growth at Coresights, a startup that combines virtual and augmented reality technologies with biometric analysis. Coresights is a member of Play Labs, MIT's first accelerator...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 3:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Room 105
3:30pm EDT
Well Played: BLINDFOLD, by iNK Stories.
Moderators
Director & Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center
Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds and he is interested in stories and transformational experiences across texts, comics, games and other media. He explores the art, design and science...
Read More →
Speakers
Founder/Creative Director, iNK Stories
Raised in Tehran, Navid Khonsari is the founder and creative director of iNK Stories, the New York City/LA studio that Fast Company calls an “innovation agent” -- where inspiration meets storytelling and technology. Known for having developed the cinematic look and feel for groundbreaking...
Read More →
Advocacy Director, Committee to Protect Journalists
Dr. Courtney Radsch is the Advocacy Director at the Committee to Protect Journalists. As a veteran journalist, researcher, and free expression advocate she writes and speaks frequently about the nexus of media, technology, and human rights. Dr. Radsch has worked as a journalist in...
Read More →
3:45pm EDT
Hacking the Magic Circle: USSR's Mixed Reality
Speakers
Co-Founder, Aconite
Nadya Lev is a multimedia artist and technologist. Together with her co-founder Star St. Germain, she is building Aconite, a mixed reality storytelling platform. Aconite defines a mixed reality story as an immersive experience that sits at the intersection of narrative, adventure...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 3:45pm - 4:00pm EDT
Room 105
4:00pm EDT
Revitalizing Education with Hands-on-Learning in VR
Speakers
VP, Leap Motion
Rachel believes tech can make humans not only more powerful, but also more humane. As VP Product Marketing at Leap Motion VP, the company that allows people to interact in the digital world with their bare hands, she leads go-to-market efforts to bring embodiment & physical interaction...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 4:00pm - 4:15pm EDT
Room 105
4:00pm EDT
Seeing the Future in the Past: Exploring and Designing History in VR
Speakers
Virtual Reality Artist-in-Residence, Brown University
Adam began VR R&D in 1990 and for 25+ years he's awaited the incubation of the technology. In the meantime Adam's been producing innovative digital media with many of the world’s best-known brands. For several years Adam was a digital strategy and production leader at preeminent...
Read More →
Vice Chair, Producers Guild of America, New Media Council
Currently Vice Chair of the Producers’ Guild of America New Media Council, and Head VR instructor for the New York Film Academy, Caitlin Burns has developed storyworlds ranging from global blockbuster feature films, television shows, AAA console games to 360° video, VR, AR, Mixed...
Read More →
MIT Co Creation Studio
Katerina Cizek leads the emergent Co-Creation Studio at MIT's Open Documentary Lab, which produces and researches collaborative methods in non-fiction media making. Katerina Cizek is a two-time Emmy-winning documentarian, and a pioneer in digital storytelling most notably as the director...
Read More →
Professor and Director, USC Game Innovation Lab
Tracy Fullerton is an award winning experimental game designer and director of the Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts where she holds the Electronic Arts Endowed Chair in Interactive Entertainment. Her game credits include Cloud, flOw, Darfur is Dying, and The...
Read More →
Philip J. King Professor of Egyptology, Harvard University
Peter Der Manuelian received his Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Chicago in 1990. In 2009, he was appointed the “Philip J. King Professor of Egyptology” at Harvard University. He is director of the Harvard Semitic Museum, and also directs the Giza Project at Harvard...
Read More →
Lead, Digital Projects for the Public / Senior Program Officer, National Endowment for the Humanities
Dr. Marc Ruppel is a Senior Program Officer at the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Public Programs, where he specializes in game, digital media and transmedia storytelling. Before joining the Endowment, Marc worked on several transmedia/digital-experiential learning...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Cafeteria
4:15pm EDT
VR & Body Image: Living Life As An Eggplant
Speakers
Designer/VR Dev, Parsons School of Design
Mikei is a designer and VR game developer focused on visual design and interaction design. He creates games that address current topics in gay culture, often using foods (eggplants, bananas) as innuendos in comedic tones. Mikei has worked with Electronic Arts, Panasonic, Viacom...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Room 105
4:15pm EDT
Panel - The Way Ahead for VR in Education
Moderators
Strategist, Luminary Labs
Kate is a Strategist at Luminary Labs, where she brings a multifaceted lens to solving problems and developing solutions, integrating a rigorous analytic approach with creativity and design sensibility. She has been recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Education for her work...
Read More →
Speakers
COO, Discovr LBS
Gemma Busoni is a cofounder and COO at Discovr Labs, a VR startup that focuses on immersive educational experiences for K12, vocational, and professional verticals. Formerly, she founded a non-profit that brought CS education to inner-city schools, eventually merging with another...
Read More →
VP, Immersive Products and Virtual Reality, Samsung Electronics America
Nick DiCarlo leads Samsung’s VR efforts in the United States, including strategy across channels, hardware, services, sales and partnerships. Samsung sees virtual reality as a long‐term opportunity in a range of industries and will contribute by helping VR become more accessible...
Read More →
Global Head of Education, Unity Technologies
Jessica is the Global Head of Education at Unity Technologies with a vision of democratizing creativity for all learners. She has spent over 15 years overseeing companies and teams that design, develop, and distribute deeply impactful learning games to the global education market...
Read More →
Education Program Specialist, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education
Albert Palacios leads the EdPrizes portfolio of open innovation prize competitions at the U.S. Department of Education which includes the EdSim Challenge for nextgen AR/VR and 3D simulations in education. In 2016, prizes were awarded to winners of the #ReachHigher Career App and...
Read More →
4:30pm EDT
Hacking VR for High School Computer Science
Speakers
Engineering Manager, Facebook
Hassan’s favorite saying is “build the world you want to see” and he believes AR/VR are the best ways to do so. At Facebook, Hassan leads a team exploring how to modernize education with technology and focuses on applications of AR/VR. Hassan co-leads FusedVR, a weekly AR/VR...
Read More →
Software Engineer, Facebook
Hailed by The New Yorker as, "a mellow, collegiate blond in jeans and flip-flops," Cody Karutz has over a decade of virtual reality content design experience. During his six years at Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, he consulted with major leaders in the growing...
Read More →
Wednesday August 2, 2017 4:30pm - 4:45pm EDT
Room 105
5:15pm EDT
5:45pm EDT
Keynote - Representing the Pain of Others with Gabo Arora
Speakers
Founder & President, LightShed
Gabo Arora is an award-winning filmmaker and Founder & Creative Director of LightShed, a virtual reality and social impact start-up. His work focuses on new technologies that promote social causes and make decision-making processes more inclusive. Among these projects is a viral video...
Read More →