MEDIA KIT
GLITCH promotes the exploration of digital games as a culture, career, and creative practice. We re a nonprofit that works to educate, inspire, and equip emerging talent with the tools for success in the digital game and simulation fields. Our organization supports emerging creators, makers, thinkers, and doers of new work in digital games, and: whose developing voices reveal significant potential who have some evidence of achievement but not a substantial record of accomplishment who take risks and embrace challenges in their approach to creation, production, & promotion who are not recognized as established by other creators, curators, producers, and critics. OUR MISSION Cultivate a Community - Culture is key. We bring together cross-sector leaders, educators, students, entrepreneurs, developers, and artists then challenge them to produce new digital creations. We believe that culture and collaboration are key to driving innovative solutions. Explore Opportunities - Games are a medium of disvocery that connects players and creators to exciting new worlds. GLITCH is committed to helping individuals find opportunities to develop their voices and explore the potential of games as a creative platform. Drive Social Change - Games have unlimited potential to teach, inspire, and provide meaningful social interactions for everyone. We re doing our part by sparking conversations on tough issues, bringing in diverse perspectives, and working alongside forward-thinking partners. Foster Experiential Learning - Learning about games should be fun and accessible. Our programs educate emerging talent with vital skills for the digital age. Our speakers, instructors, & mentors come from the most advanced organizations from around the nation. 2
Evva Kraikul Executive Director Evva Kraikul is the Executive Director and Co- Founder of GLITCH. With 5+ years of experience, Evva has already worked alongside over 50 major technology and gaming industry partners such as Microsoft, Blizzard Entertainment, Riot Games, ASUS, Valve Corporation & 3M to develop games, design programming, and launch initiatives. She holds two B.S degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Nic VanMeerten Sr. Director of Interactive Technologies Nicolaas VanMeerten is the Co-founder and Director of Interactive Technologies of GLITCH. He is a second year Ph.D. student in the Educational Psychology program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Nic is a data scientist by trade and his research focuses on identifying learning behaviors in digital game environments. Katie Simning Director of Operations As the Director of Operations, Katie Simning manages the day-to-day operations and community-organized events at GlitchHQ. She brings over nine years of management experience from the service industry to the role. Katie joined the GLITCH team in 2013 and has been working on events and initiatives ever since. 3
Andrew Reiner Executive Editor, Game Informer With over 20 years of experience as the executive editor at Game Informer Magazine, Andrew s original works have appeared in hundreds of magazines and on gameinformer.com. He manages the daily creation of original content for print, online, and digital, coordinating the work of Game Informer s entire editorial team. Chip Pedersen Studio Director, Concrete Software Chip is the studio director for Concrete Software, a mobile game application company based in Eden Prairie. A 25 year veteran of the tech industry, Chip has held senior positions at Microsoft Game Studios and Activision. Prior to joining the gaming industry, Chip honed his skills as a Research & Development Specialist at Apple Inc. in Cupertino, California. Stephen Guy Assistant Professor, UMN Computer Science Stephen is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota. His work on motion planning has been licensed for use in games and virtual environments by Relic Entertainment and Electronic Arts. Stephen received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with support from fellowships from Google and Intel. Sharon Fischlowitz Program Coordinator, Institute for Advanced Study Sharon Fischlowitz is a public interest lawyer whose scholarship focuses on the social justice applicability and use of the early medieval legal texts of the barbarians. She is the program coordinator at the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Minnesota, and has taught poverty law as an adjunct professor at William Mitchell college of law since 2009. Mike Linneman Sr. Programs Manager, UofM Foundation Mike is a fundraising professional for the UofM Foundation, cultivating university supporters by day and keeping his toe in the gaming industry by night. He writes on Magic: the Gathering, art directing the occasional Kickstarter, while proving that gaming is no longer a niche just for geeks, but is chic and responsible for the social impact of its content. 4
GLITCHCON 600 Attendees GlitchCon is a two-day arts and cultures festival showcasing digital games technology, interactive media, and immersive experiences. This festival serves as a catalyst for digital innovation and creativity that focuses on building connections between industry leaders and emerging talent. GAMECRAFT 200 Attendees GameCraft challenges local designers, artists, developers, and writers to create an original game in 48-hours and is held as part of Global Game Jam. Multitalented teams of varied skills and experience levels, from beginner to expert, have the opportunity to collaborate with new people, experiment on projects, and push their creativity in new directions. New voices also have a unique way to collaborate with local professionals and build their portfolios. WELCOME GEEK 200 Attendees Welcome Geek is our video game themed carnival held every year in celebration of Welcome Week festivities. Through various play-focused activities including tournaments, locally developed game booths, faculty game challenges, and student group exhibitions, attendees are able to interact with a wide array of students and professionals who are involved in the community. 5
IMMERSION 50 Participants/Year GLITCH s Immersion Program is a 4-week intensive course that embeds classrooms in digital game companies, public institutions, and universities. Cohorts learn everything from game development to marketing and animation while gaining exposure to the industry and receiving valuable mentorship. INCUBATOR 3-5 Participants/Year GLITCH s Incubator Program empowers aspiring creators to build their professional portfolios and take risks through real-world experiences. Participants will complete a summer apprenticeship with an industry partner, then team up to bring their own game to life from concept to launch. RESIDENCY 8-12 Concurrent Participants Our Residency Programs support independent game studios, small start-ups, and freelancers with a work space packed with creative resources. Through opportunity-sharing, engaging events, and collaboration, we cultivate an experimental environment for the community to thrive. 6
2,057 Likes 1,108 Followers 1,462 Subscibers WEBSITE SESSIONS: May 2014- May 2015 7
We ve worked with some amazing people to bring GLITCH s vision to life. Listed here are just a few of the collaborators we ve had the honor of working with on our projects. Game Informer Riot Games Blizzard Entertainment Red Bull Energy Iron Galaxy Greater MSP Fantasy Flight Games Virtual Reality Design Lab Minnesota Historical Society Northern Lights Bethesda Softworks Circle 5 Studios SteelSeries 3M University of Minnesota - Twin Cities 8
/GLITCHMN /GROUPS/GLITCH @GLITCHMN /GLITCHMN SUPPORT@GLITCH.MN 11