My Programs
IGDA Scholars Program
The IGDA Scholars program is the longest-running program the Foundation offers. Every year, 15-18 of the brightest students across the globe are selected to receive an all-access pass to GDC, in addition to individual mentorship, private Q&As, studio tours, and access to private networking events.
The IGDA Scholars GDC Program is currently on hiatus.
Virtual Exchange
The Virtual Exchange Program (formerly the Online Diversity Program) occurs annually during the summer and serves 50+ developers in the early to mid-level stages of their careers. Each participant is paired with a personalized mentor, gains access to private content from industry veterans, and receives professional branding overhaul from industry professionals and hiring managers.
Diverse Game Developers Fund
The Diverse Game Developers Fund is a three-part initiative dedicated to empowering and funding marginalized developers and students in the games industry. In partnership with Grant for the Web, the IGDA Foundation’s goal is to create pipelines for diverse, global innovators who suffer from compromising their intellectual property for minimal gain. The Fund includes prototype funding, academic scholarships, and game jam sponsorship.
Why I Do It…
Although there are more tools and resources available for making games than ever, navigating the games industry and getting a studio role is still incredibly difficult, especially for marginalized developers. These developers face many hurdles in this industry and don't have the same networks and opportunities to help them in their career growth. One of my professional goals is to make the industry a more inclusive and welcoming space, so volunteering with the IGDA Foundation was a natural next step.
Volunteer Work With The IGDA Foundation
The IGDA Foundation is a non-profit charity focusing on improving game developers' lives by making game development a more diverse and inclusive community. We want every person on the planet to love playing games, and we think the best way to make that happen is to have a game development community that is inclusive of and welcoming to every person who wants to make games.
After being accepted into the IGDA Scholars program in 2017, I began volunteering at the Foundation as a program coordinator. Three years later, I designed the Online Diversity Program to serve our participants during summer 2020. Now I oversee all of our diversity initiatives' execution, ensuring that they align with the Foundation's goals while remaining relevant to industry trends. My work ranges from program planning to volunteer outreach and recruitment. I assist our Executive Director with grant writing and identifying potential partners who can help our initiatives. Additionally, I help mentor our grantees and support them as they transition into our alumni network.
