As the Senior Director of Learning, Shira Ackerman oversees all learning initiatives related to learning and curricula, including G4C Learn and Raising Good Gamers. Shira is a seasoned educator, working in education for over 20 years. She holds a Master's degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University and has been a classroom teacher and a director of educational technology in a school. Shira has spent most of her career developing and advising on content and curriculum at companies including Scholastic, Amplify, BarnesandNoble.com, The Girl Scouts, Pinna and GoNoodle. Shira thrives on creating curricula and content that is enriching, engaging and fun, all while helping youth learn about the world, themselves and others.

Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Ahmed began his career in youth development at Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, North Carolina. After graduating in 2014 from North Carolina State University with a degree in International Relations, he went on to spend one year as an AmeriCorps volunteer with City Year New York. He then spent time with Global Kids as a STEM educator in Harlem. In addition to his time with Global Kids, Ahmed created and managed a young men’s program at the Arab American Family Support Center in Brooklyn before returning to North Carolina to earn his Master's degree in Education Innovation from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a native Arabic speaker and has spent time in both Sudan and Egypt.

Cassie cultivates the G4C community through social media, newsletters, content curation, and the G4C website in the role of Marketing & Communications Manager. She works closely with team members to ensure the organization's growth and success. Before working at G4C, Cassie worked in video game music production and marketing. She oversaw 30+ video game and film soundtrack releases with multiple AAA and Indie developers on vinyl.

Growing up with edtech parents, Grace was bound to end up at a gaming company. While completing her degree at the University of Louisville, Grace is joining us as the Social Media Coordinator at Games for Change. Majoring in Communications and minoring in Sociology, Grace is on a mission to complete social change through the process of informing others of the benefits of gaming. Having achieved the HubSpot Social Media Marketing Certification, Google Analytics Certification, and Meltwater Academy Influencer Marketing Certification, Grace is excited to bring these skills and knowledge to the Games for Change team and community.

Художница, декоратор, дизайнер. Участница-создательница фанатских стендов-победителей на фестивалях Старкон, EpicCon, ComicCon, AvaExpo, VKfest и др. Создательница тематических кофеен "Magic and Coffee"

Olga El is excited to join Games for Change, combining two of her lifelong passions: social change and gaming! She is also a performance activist and playwright based in NYC. In 2011 she founded The Kandake—a dance theatre that combines social activism and community engagement with folkloric and experimental artistry while producing performance art, full-length theatrical works, and shows that are immersive, transformative, socially conscious, accessible, and unique. Her work has been translated into Spanish, and two of her plays are currently being considered for Off-Broadway premieres (the decision was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.) In the year 2020 alone, she offered entirely free virtual services such as workshops, performances, support groups, micro-grants and donations, anti-racist resources, artist features, and more.

Sunny is excited to join G4C as an Operations Coordinator to support day-to-day operations. Currently, he is completing his degree at Baruch College, majoring in Operations Management, and minoring in Psychology. Sunny is on his way to his goal of becoming a Project Manager. Outside of his role at G4C, Sunny enjoys playing all types of games, trading stocks, collecting shoes, and cooking. On his way to achieving the Google Certificate for Project Management, Sunny is excited to bring on his skills and expertise to the Games for Change community.

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.

As the Program Manager, Stephanie supports the successful implementation of the national G4C Student Challenge, grants 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.

Terrible at games but enthusiastic about play, Willa has worked in live activations for most of her career. In undergrad at UC San Diego, she organized concerts and events for the campus and majored in Communications as well as Literatures in English. She has worked in escape games and marketing activations with video games, anime, and film tie-ins including The Legend of Zelda, Attack on Titan, and Alita: Battle Angel. She was introduced to the world of indie games after attending her first IndieCade in 2011 and has subsequently volunteered for several years to the present. Other volunteer work includes mutual aid in Los Angeles with the Chinatown Community for Equitable Development (CCED) and Southeast Asian Community Alliance (SEACA). Raised by Cambodian refugees, Willa’s parents don’t quite understand what she does as Production Manager but just know she’s not a doctor.

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.

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 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.

Kyra is excited to be joining G4C as a Production Coordinator, assisting with the production of events, workshops, and programs within the organization. They are a games industry nomad, having been involved in games education, events, QA, sound design, esports, and marketing for 6 years. Before joining G4C, they worked at the Paley Center for Media, BrookLAN, Super League Gaming, Game Builders Academy, and Brooklyn Children's Museum. They hold a BA in Emerging Media from Hunter College, and are currently pursuing an MPA in Nonprofit Management at Baruch College. Outside of G4C, they work actively to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry and within higher education. They hold leadership positions with the IGDA Student SIG and EGD Collective, regularly speak at industry events, and contribute to resources. Kyra’s most recent publication is Just Esports, a handbook on diversity, equity, and inclusion in collegiate gaming for university administrators, student leaders, and esports directors that they co-authored. They are also a recipient of the JBL Quantum Grant, AnyKey Changemakers Grant, and Girl Scout Gold Award. In their spare time, Kyra enjoys playing strategy games, rhythm games, and MMORPGs.