IGDA Foundation Opens 2022 Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange Applications
LOS ANGELES – March 31, 2022 – The International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDA-F), the non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive worldwide game development community, has opened applications for the third-annual Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange event running from September 12, 2022 to October 21, 2022.
The Diverse Game Developers: Virtual Exchange event provides expert coaching from industry veterans and game companies to grantees from underrepresented communities across the globe. The event’s aim is to build development skills and professional opportunities, with participants from previous years finding jobs at companies such as Ubisoft, GenVid, Wizards of the Coast, and more.
This year’s team includes members from highly regarded companies including Insomniac Games, Amazon, Disney, MidBoss, and PUBG Corp., providing grantees direct access to industry veterans leading workshops and mentoring opportunities.
Virtual Exchange grantees will receive individualized mentorship from industry experts, work showcase opportunities via industry events and social media support, and access to specialized training through IGDA-F cohorts: Scholars, HBCU/HSI Scholars, Velocity, and Next Gen Leaders.
The Scholars cohort led by Program Director Chima Ngerem (Associate Project Manager at Insomniac Games) consists of gaming and game-related students and recent university graduates with an express focus on helping participants achieve jobs within the games industry alongside an HBCU/HSI cohort directed by Junae Benne (Content Designer and Former Project Director at Xbox ) specifically for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI).
The Velocity cohort serves individuals from marginalized or underrepresented communities seeking to transition into games from another industry, emphasizing possible career paths and developing a career narrative geared towards success from Project Director Karen Morrison (Narrative Designer at Soda Den).
The Next Gen Leaders cohort is designed for mid-career developers with an interest in growing into leadership roles or running their own studios led by Steven Taarland (Producer at Double Eleven Limited). Participants receive guidance on career development, entrepreneurship, and mentorship fundamentals along with opportunities to mentor junior developers.
“We are thrilled to launch our third-ever Virtual Exchange event and cannot wait to meet this year’s applicants,” said Sarah Spiers, Interim IGDA-F Executive Director. “The IGDA-F is committed to helping create a more diverse and inclusive development community, and the continued tradition of virtual events allows talented voices from across the globe to participate.”
To stay up to date with the latest details, please follow @IGDAFoundation on Twitter and visit the Virtual Exchange webpage for more eligibility and application opportunities.
Assets
IGDA-F Logo, Headshot Downloads
About IGDA Foundation
The IGDA Foundation (IGDA-F) advances a diverse workforce and ecosystem for the video game industry to better reflect the millions of passionate players enjoying video games worldwide.
The IGDA-F focuses on promoting a game development community representative of, and welcoming and inclusive to, every person who wants to make games. The IGDA-F garners support for diversity and inclusion in the video game industry with initiatives such as its IGDA Scholars, Velocity, and Next Gen Leaders programs, with others in the pipeline.
The IGDA Foundation is a public charity, registered as a 501(c)3 organization in the United States.
To find out more about the IGDA Foundation’s initiatives visit http://igdafoundation.org.
Media Contacts
Ray Porreca / Kaylah Humphrey
Stride PR for IGDA Foundation