Bo Rodda

– Illinois Institute of Technology –

Bo Rodda is Assistant Professor of Experiential Media and Design at Illinois Tech, where his research and practice sit at the intersection of design, AI, game studies, and data-driven storytelling.

Jenna Caravello

– UCLA –

Jenna Caravello is a Los Angeles artist working across animation, video games, and installation. She is an Assistant Professor at UCLA in the department of Design Media Arts and Associate Director of the UCLA Game Lab.

Juan Manuel Codó

– Studio Soup –

Juan Manuel Codó is an Interactive Creative Director and Producer from Buenos Aires, leading Studio Soup. With over 16 years of experience, he specializes in XR, VR/AR, and real-time 3D storytelling.

Jyro Blade

– Moku –

Jyro Blade is a Brooklyn-based game developer and Head of Games at Moku, with a background in projects like Killer Queen and AimLabs. They are also an active member of NYC’s GUMBO collective, organizing educational and collaborative initiatives in the game development community.

M. Coopilton

– California State University at Northridge –

M. Coopilton is an educator, game designer, and researcher. Their work explores how play, design, and unpoliced imagination can prototype sustainable futures. After completing a PhD in Education Psychology and a Postdoc in Game Design at USC, they are now an Assistant Professor at Cal State Northridge.

MJ Johns

-UCSC-

MJ Johns (they/them) is a non-binary experience designer, game developer, and HCI researcher. MJ has worked in creative technology since 2011 and is credited on games ranging from AAA and VR to self-published titles and serious games. Their current work focuses on games for climate resilience as a UCSC researcher.

Robin Koman

– Full Sail University –

Robin Koman is an educator, game designer, and author who believes in the power of media to create positive change in the world. In addition to publications and presentations, she is the co-manager of Full Sail University’s award-winning Serious Games Lab.

Shimul Chowdhury

– Chatham University –

Shimul Chowdhury is an interdisciplinary artist and Assistant Professor of Immersive Media at Chatham University. Shimul designs and curates craft and new media-based participatory works that facilitate dialogue and collaboration. She centers her own lived experiences as a Muslim US American in her work, aiming to build and sustain community.

Thomas Knowlton

– The High School of Fashion Industries –

Thomas Knowlton is a school librarian at The High School of Fashion Industries in New York City. He holds a Master of Arts in Comparative Literature from The University of Georgia, a Master of Library and Information Studies from Rutgers State University, and a Teaching Certification from Syracuse University.

Tim Hutchings

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Tim Hutchings is an artist, game designer, and former Bradley University game design professor. He created the acclaimed solo RPG Thousand Year Old Vampire and holds an MFA in sculpture from Yale.

TreaAndrea Russworm

– USC Games –

TreaAndrea Russworm is an Associate Dean, media scholar and professor focused on games, digital media and Black popular culture. Series editor of Power Play, former JCMS associate editor, she leads Radical Play, has taught at USC, UChicago, Berkeley, and UMass, and is a video game Hall of Fame voter.

Tyler Coleman

– Retora Games –

Indie Founder/Director at Retora Games and Adjunct Lecturer at University of Texas at Austin. Loves Procedural Generation, Algorithmic Art, and hearing what you are most passionate about!

Walid Raouda

– Long Island University –

Walid is a Lebanese/American game designer and program director at Long Island University’s Digital Game Design and Development program. He is part of NYC’s ever growing Indie games community, specializing in tabletop and roleplaying game design.

William Huber

– Falmouth University –

Researcher, lecturer and writer focusing on the aesthetics of games, media, and software, authoring articles and book chapters analyzing and interpreting games and game culture. Currently associate professor of game studies at Falmouth University, leading the game development courses and engaging in research.

Yiyi Zhang

– Heart Machine, Inc. –

Yiyi (she/her) is a Brooklyn-based community organizer, artist, and human rights lawyer. As PR + Community Manager at Heart Machine, she also serves on boards and councils shaping the games industry. A queer immigrant woman of color, she advocates for diverse, supportive communities while volunteering as a designer and attorney.

Amanda Cote

– Michigan State University –

Amanda Cote is an Associate Professor and Director of the Serious Games Certificate at Michigan State University. Cote’s work focuses on the industry and culture of digital and analog games, including areas such as gender, identity, and representation; game development and labor; and collegiate esports. She is the author of Gaming Sexism: Gender and Identity in the Era of Casual Video Games (New York University Press, 2020) and coeditor of The Routledge Handbook of Esports (Routledge, 2024).

Dave Padilla

– Evening Star –

As a veteran CEO and producer with over 20 years of experience in the games industry, Dave has played a critical role in shipping award-winning projects for major game studios.

Jeremy Gibson Bond

– University of Canterbury –

Since 2013, Jeremy has been the IndieCade Chair of Education and Advancement. He is a Senior Lecturer in Game Design and Development at the University of Canterbury and the author of three editions of Introduction to Game Design, Prototyping, and Development.

Jeremy has served as an organizer of the Ann Arbor branch of the International Game Developers Association. He has also spoken at many conferences, including more than 10 times at the Game Developers Conference.

Jesse Vigil

– USC Games –

Jesse is a nine-time IndieCade nominee and a frequent speaker at then i conference since its inception. He’s designed for tabletop, console, mobile, immersive, and attractions, and his work has been featured on 3 continents. Jesse teaches game design, expressive audio, alternate controllers, experimental game design, and advanced production at USC Games, where he is also currently leads and coordinates the MS Game Design and Development track.

Margaret Wallace

– Boston University –

Margaret Wallace is Associate Professor of the Practice in Film and Television at Boston University’s College of Communication, where she teaches entrepreneurship, video games, and interactive media, including in the MS Media Ventures program. A veteran of start-ups (Playmatics, Skunk Studios) and global media firms, she has led innovative games, digital media, and interactive projects, securing funding, shaping strategy, and producing original IP. Her work reflects a commitment to fostering human potential through knowledge-sharing, empathy, and innovation.

Matthew R.F. Baloušek

– CUNY Hostos Community College –

Matthew R.F. Baloušek dropped out of college twice, and then graduated college three times—in that order. He failed calculus three times over the three-and-a-half years he spent at community college. Through an elaborate series of ruses, he now teaches Game Design at CUNY Hostos Community College, where he tries to make sure his students get their degrees faster than he did. He has never been stung by a bee, and he lives to serve Ravioli (the cat).

Michael John

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Michael John (MJ) is an organizer for Indiecade Horizons. In prior years he was a professional game developer at multiple studios and organizations, and game educator at UC Santa Cruz.