The Guardian highlights the impactful initiatives of the IGDA Foundation, an international 501c3 charity providing professional development programs for current and aspiring game developers from underrepresented backgrounds, during their presence at Gamescom.
The IGDA Foundation started by funding trips for a select group to the annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, an expensive endeavour that often excludes hundreds of developers from marginalised communities or more remote regions of the world. When the Covid pandemic redefined video game events, the IGDA Foundation had to get creative – that’s when former executive director Nika Nour came up with the Virtual Exchange, a six-week online programme that pairs grantees with a veteran game industry coach.
For those based outside the US, it is the biggest event of the year by far. It is the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation’s first year here, and executive director Alyssa Walles is excited. For Walles and many other industry veterans who become mentors with the IGDA Foundation, it is about using their experience to ensure the industry has a strong and diverse future. “I’m 65, I’m not afraid about saying that … I’m on the back end of my career, and I’m here to give back,” she says.
Check out the full article by Alyssa Mercante here. For more information about the IGDA Foundation, please visit the official website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
