Chris Totten is an Assistant Professor of Game Design at Kent State University and the founder of Pie For Breakfast Studios. With a background as an artist, animator, designer, and project manager, the goal of Chris’s work is to build a wider appreciation of games in the context of other arts. Through multiple books, articles, games, and curated events, Chris has been an innovative force in the field by bringing game making, curation, and publications into a symbiotic relationship, breaking down barriers between traditionally disparate fields. 

Sharon Tolani-Sage is an inspirational educator, researcher, and coordinator for the Women in Games Educational Ambassador Programme which works to support institutions and educators in championing diversity and increasing the numbers of women and girls engaging with their curriculum. She has inspired countless women through her work as a lecturer at Norwich University of the Arts. Through her service, she has made the games industry a better place, for those in it and those about to join it.

Redelia is a Professor of Communications & Media Studies at Santa Monica College and the Founder and CEO of Life Media Projects, a nonprofit dedicated to producing, promoting, and inspiring meaningful storytelling for and about marginalized communities. Redelia has been teaching at Santa Monica for over a decade and is widely recognized as an outstanding teacher and educator on campus. Redelia secured several grants and stipends to create Santa Monica College’s Esports Production Team and support their student esports team team. She has been a longstanding shepard and provider of work-based learning opportunities for her students.

Colleen Macklin is a game designer and Associate Professor in the school of Art, Media and Technology at Parsons School of Design. In 2006 she founded and co-directs PETLab (Prototyping Education and Technology Lab), a lab that develops games for experimental learning and social engagement. She was inducted as an inaugural HEVGA Fellow in 2017, recognizing her as an important scholar that has helped shape the field since its infancy. They are a member of the game design collective Local No. 12, makers of many award winning games including, The Metagame (2015) and Dear Reader (2019). She co-authored with John Sharp Games, Design and Play: A detailed look at iterative game design (2016) and Iterate: Ten Lessons in Design and Failure (2019).