Cassie brings her passion for gaming and community building to her Director of Marketing and Communications role at Games for Change. With over a decade of experience, she develops strategic cross-sector partnerships and content initiatives that have significantly increased G4C's online and media presence. An avid gamer, she's dedicated to showcasing how games can change the world, focusing on amplifying marginalized voices and promoting accessibility. Drawing from her background in video game music production, she continues to build bridges between developers, gamers, and changemakers, illustrating the transformative power of games in society.

Mikko is a lifelong creative and gamer who has continuously sought to explore the evolving intersections of design and technology. Before working as a designer at G4C, Mikko graduated from Georgetown University with a BA in Computer Science and a minor in Science, Technology, and International Affairs and has for many years been a photographer, graphic designer, videographer, and digital artist. At G4C, Mikko works directly with the Marketing & Communications team as well as the Production team to maintain consistency for G4C’s aesthetic and brand across all marketing and internal communications, while also assisting in the development of new content and media to promote the full scope of G4C’s work.

Working as the Senior Director of Programs, Tania oversees various youth, community, and client-facing programs at Games for Change. Her primary focus is the G4C Student Challenge – a game design program and competition through which youth learn to design and code games about issues impacting their communities. In its sixth year, the program has engaged over 32,000 students, trained 383 educators, and resulted in 3,000 original games submitted to the annual competition.

Marissa Harts is the Director of Programs and Operations at Games for Change. Not only does she lead on day-to-day operations, ensuring that the Games for Change headquarters runs efficiently, but she leads on a variety of educator and student facing programming which include the Games for Change National Student Challenge and G4C's newest museum program, Game Plan. She excels at using proven methods and cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and the programs she works on. Previously, Marissa supported multiple educational organizations and assisted in facilitating programs that created a practical learning experience for students of all ages. Outside of her role at G4C, Marissa enjoys all things music, has a fondness for theater, and you can actively find her playing all sorts of MMORPGs. Marissa is a firm believer that video games challenge the values of people that play them.

Leah Hirsch is the Senior Director of G4C Learn, supporting students and educators around the world to harness the power of games and play. Leah comes to G4C with depth of experience in teacher professional development, game-based learning, design thinking, and project-based curriculum. Before joining G4C, Leah directed the Professional Development program at Math for America, leading with a strategic vision to create spaces for NYC-based STEM teachers to develop anti-racist teaching practices and STEM curriculum to increase inclusivity, relevancy, and social change. Leah was also a STEAM teacher leader in New York City public schools for 11 years, and in 2009, she became a founding teacher at Quest to Learn, which uses games, play, and design challenges to engage students in solving real-world problems. During her years there, Leah worked closely with the school's founding partner, the Institute of Play, and served as a curriculum coach, a professional development facilitator at schools and conferences nationwide, and a consultant for school leaders interested in game-based learning. Leah earned a B.A. in American Studies from the University of Santa Cruz, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and an M.A. in Science and Environmental Education from Brooklyn College. She lives in Kingston, NY where her favorite types of play include NYT crossword puzzles, tennis, snowboarding, yoga, ceramics, growing veggies, and mountain-climbing with her dog.

As the Development Manager, Stephanie supports grant management, and other programs and initiatives at G4C. With a strong background in History, her specialties include coherent writing, editing, qualitative and quantitative research, and the development and maintenance of outreach. She also supports the production of various events and additional projects. Stephanie is an alumna of Binghamton University and holds an MA degree in Historical Studies from The New School. She joined the G4C team while she was working on her master’s thesis, which explored the seldom studied topic of how nuclear-themed video games tell history. It was such games that inspired her to continue her education and to join Games for Change. She is a lifelong gamer and is passionate about cooking.

Patricia, a passionate gamer and enthusiastic social butterfly is thrilled to be a part of G4C as the Communications & Social Media Coordinator. Having nurtured her love for community building and social media within the metaverse at NAVER Z, Patricia brings her expertise and insight to her role at G4C. Her experience in supporting and cultivating vibrant communities has honed her understanding of the power of online connections and communications. When she's not busy in the digital world, Patricia indulges in her creative hobbies, including cosplay, drawing, and cooking. She finds inspiration from some of her favorite games, such as The Legend of Zelda, Fable, Bioshock, and Mass Effect, fueling her drive to create and connect with like-minded individuals.

Mary Elizabeth Pearson is the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for G4C.Mary Elizabeth comes to G4C with over 25 years of experience in the field of education. She began her career as an elementary educator and has held positions ranging from middle school, to high school, as well as at the university level in Washington State and abroad. Mary Elizabeth has lived and worked in both Athens, Greece and Merida, Mexico as well as trained educators all over the world in the uses of technology and game based learning. Mary Elizabeth furthered her career in education by working as an instructional coach and building programs for instructional technology that grow skill and confidence among students and staff. Mary Elizabeth further deepened her experiences as the Director of Technology for the Marysville School District where she could use her classroom experiences to lead technology understanding within a large system. These experiences have given Mary Elizabeth a unique perspective on the transformational change that technology brings to the learning environment. Her most recent work has been to create learning opportunities for educators to bring gaming into classrooms through Minecraft Education. Mary Elizabeth is skilled at creating spaces for instructional conversations around game based learning design that produce pedogeological shifts within the classroom and lead to deeper learning outcomes for students. She holds a B.A. in Elementary Education with a focus on interdisciplinary child development, a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology and an Administration Credential from John Hopkins. She enjoys traveling, spending time with family and is most at peace near the sea. She lives in Burlington, Washington with her husband and three children.

As President of Games for Change (G4C), Susanna leads the organization best known for the annual Games for Change Festival, dubbed by national media as “the Sundance of video games.” Under Susanna's leadership, G4C has significantly expanded its programs and impact—including G4C Learn, a portfolio of education initiatives that empower the next generation of game-changers to drive real-world impact through games. The G4C Student Challenge, the flagship learning program that she developed with the NYC Department of Education in 2013, has grown to reach 10,000 students each year across seven partner cities. In 2017, she launched the XR for Change initiative to build a community of practice around radical new ways to improve lives using emerging immersive technologies. Susanna has initiated dozens of other G4C programs in partnership with clients like American Express, Verizon, AARP, United Nations, Epic Games, Carnegie Foundation, Autodesk, and Ad Council. As an Executive Producer, she spearheads G4C's impact media projects, connecting award-winning creators with mission-oriented organizations. Prior to Games for Change, Susanna worked across the commercial and public sectors, including a 14-year stint in various SVP positions at BBC Worldwide.

Kris is a 20+ year game industry veteran, with prior strategic leadership roles at Sony Playstation, Meta, Rockstar Games, and HTC Vive. She has spent much of her career at the intersection of emerging tech and storytelling, leading early charges into VR, AR, and AI content creation. Kris has been a long time proponent of using games for good. She headed HTC’s “VR For Impact” global initiative, and has spearheaded award-winning projects with partners such as Conservation International, UN Women, Rainforest Alliance, and the National Science Foundation. She has served on the boards of various non-profits such as the International Ocean Film Foundation, and has been a festival curator for Games for Change in 2023 and 2024. She is currently an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Science.

Arana joined G4C in 2019 and oversees the organization's day-to-day operations and provides strategic and programmatic support on all learning initiatives. As the former Executive Director of the Institute of Play (IOP), Arana led strategy, development, and operations in addition to major initiatives concerning school design, leadership, and school-based partnerships. She was part of the founding team that opened IOP's flagship project, NYC public school, Quest to Learn, and is co-author of Quest to Learn: Growing a School for Digital Kids. She has 20+ years of experience in education and nonprofit management as a teacher, educational technologist, curriculum developer, and organizational leader. Arana received an M.A. in Education from Pepperdine University and a Masters of Education in Leadership for Educational Change from Bank Street College of Education.

As Senior Director of Institutional Giving, Kimberly manages Games for Change's efforts to raise funds through private, government, and foundation partnerships. She has nearly twenty years of experience in non-profit development, including more than a decade specializing in foundation support for education and biodiversity conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. Kimberly earned her M.A. in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University, where she first pursued her research interests in identity-building through video games and the intersection of gaming communities with social justice movements.

Brendon is a seasoned designer of learning games and interactive educational experiences. Harnessing the power of play, he creates work that engages and inspires, making learning natural and joyful for users of all ages. He graduated from the New Media Design program at Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008 and has been in playful education since. He has produced many innovative learning experiences for the classroom and beyond alongside leading organizations such as Games for Change, Institute of Play, Quest to Learn, BrainPOP, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Karlen joins G4C as the Director of Operations, and oversees many of the day-to-day operations of the organization. Her passion lies in helping non-profits build robust platforms and workflows which ensure organizations can run smoothly and efficiently. She comes with experience in many back-of-the-house roles, like administration, operations, human resources and finance for both non-profit and for-profit companies. Those proficiencies make her a master at making connections and liasing between teams, identifying just the right ingredient that brings a project together. Karlen earned her degree in Social Entrepreneurship from Belmont University. When she steps away from her desk, Karlen steps onto the track as an athlete and coach for her local roller derby team.