2 years of AAA game engineering.
2 years indie development lead.
4 years Computer Science degree.
15+ years of delving into game development practice and study.

Matthew Stone is a game designer with 8 years experience having worked on Halo: Infinite, Warframe, and Elder Scrolls Online. Matt graduated of Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center with a Master of Entertainment technology as well as University of Michigan with a Master of Business Administration. Matt now runs a Midwest-quartered startup head developing Ludare, an indie focused game subscription platform helping developers find players and resources for their games.

Veda Cruz is a video game lawyer, educator, and indie game developer passionate about helping creators thrive. Former in-house counsel at award-winning game studio Gearbox Software, she now teaches video game law and business at the University of Miami and advises developers on contracts, IP, and publishing at Odin Law & Media, a boutique video game law firm. She's also certified as a Scrum Master and personal trainer, and founded Mana & Muscle, a game dev wellness initiative.

Tom Caprel is a marketer for games, tech enthusiast, and trained opera singer. In 2015, Tom started a dedicated marketing company, Hyperion Marketing, to help indies/software devs create fantastic, community-driven marketing. He has been on the board of IGDA Chicago, and was the Communications/Expo Director at the Video Game Art (VGA) Gallery, and has worked directly for AAA studios like NCSOFT. Tom has been in marketing for 15+ years, and regularly works with game devs all over the world.

Ross A. Hersemann is the Founder of Loading Law, a Chicago-based law practice, and provides legal counsel to creators and creative professionals. Ross is also the Organizer of the Chicago Video Game Law Summit and an Adjunct Professor of Video Game Law at DePaul University. He speaks frequently on hot topics in law and technology. Ross also serves as the Chair of IGDA Chicago, Chair of the CBA YLS Creative Arts Committee, and Associate Boardmember for Lawyers for the Creative Arts.

Evan Barr is an Ohio-based composer and game developer currently serving as the Audio Director at Kuneho Studios and owner of Black Tower Audio LLC. Evan's involvement in the gaming community also includes work as an assistant researcher/writer for Finish the Fight: A Gaming Podcast, writing and producing content for the Bearitone Studios YouTube channel, and co-host of the Multiplayer Vault Podcast.

With a background as a former partner with industry giants like Mixer, Discord, Nitrado, and Streamloots, Ash leverages her expertise in building safe and inclusive communities. Her fascination with gaming dates back to her toddler years. This early spark ignited a lifelong passion for gaming and technology, fueling her dedication to creating vibrant and welcoming communities for gamers of all backgrounds.

Born and raised in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Tommy Truelsen is a Community Relations Manager with SciPlay, a leading mobile games company with studios around the world. SciPlay’s games are played by millions every month. A musician and theater aficionado, Tommy uses his artistic experiences to think outside of the box in finding ways to better understand his players and create engaging opportunities to build in their retention.