{"id":24124,"date":"2024-05-03T09:42:37","date_gmt":"2024-05-03T13:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.museumofplay.org\/?page_id=24124"},"modified":"2024-11-20T11:39:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T16:39:07","slug":"2023-speakers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.museumofplay.org\/collections\/icheg\/women-in-games-initiative\/2023-speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"2023 Speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Patricia Vance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Patricia E. Vance is the president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). In her position, she leads the teams responsible for assigning age and content ratings to video games and apps, enforcing marketing guidelines adopted by the video game industry, and operating ESRB Privacy Certified, an FTC-approved COPPA Safe Harbor Privacy seal certification program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pat also serves as founding chairperson of the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), a non-profit organization that operates a ground- breaking global rating and age classification system for digitally delivered games and apps, and is a long-standing member of the Board of Directors for the Family Online Safety Institute, and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prior to joining the ESRB in 2002, Pat spent 18 years at Disney\/ABC, with responsibility for the development of a broad range of new media and market initiatives, including the establishment of two video game joint ventures (Creative Wonders; OT Sports) and management oversight of ABC.com, ABCNews.com, Oscar.com and Oprah.com in her capacity as Senior Vice President, General Manager of the ABC Internet Group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pat holds a B.A. in International Relations\/Russian from Washington University in St. Louis, is the mother of two daughters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny Szeto<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Penny is the Head of Product Development for Prime Gaming, Amazon\u2019s gaming benefit program, where she leads Engineering, Product, UX Design, and Technical Program Management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny\u2019s career includes leadership roles at American Express and Accenture, where she helped launch new products and growth strategies for industries across payments, retail, pharma, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Penny has loved analogue games much of her life and is passionate about amplifying female voices and inclusivity in the games industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa Leebaert<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Melissa Leebaert has been working in Voiceovers since stumbling into her career while working in the film industry in Australia in the 80s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa\u2019s work spans documentaries, murder series for Discovery, nature series for National Geographic, animated children\u2019s videos, thousands of commercials, including political commercials for the Democrats, most proudly being the main female voice for the Obama \u201908 campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the world of video games, Melissa\u2019s work can be heard in iconic games such as the Elder Scrolls Morrowind and Grand Theft Auto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melissa received an Emmy Award for the series \u201cInside\u201d on Discovery as well as 26 Peer Awards for Commercials and Narrations. Her website, which admittedly needs major updating, is www.melissavoice.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad Hermida<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad Hermida (also known as Trinidad Hermida Black) is the Founder & CEO of The Hermida Company LLC, a consulting firm focused on \u201cBuilding Equity through Empathy.\u201d Trinidad is passionate about expanding technology access to traditionally underserved groups and believes that \u201cby incorporating everyone\u2019s genius, we can change the game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July 2023, Trinidad was appointed as the Executive Director of the Black in Gaming Foundation, marking a significant milestone in the organization\u2019s journey toward equitable gaming. Prior to her current roles, Trinidad served as the first Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Niantic, where she developed the company\u2019s inclusivity strategy and talent diversity programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trinidad also launched the Black Developers Initiative at Niantic, providing Black innovators with funding and platform access to create industry-changing technology. An advocate for human-to-human connection, Trinidad engages in coaching, mentoring, and life coaching to empower individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maya Rogers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maya Rogers is the CEO of Tetris, one of the world\u2019s most iconic video game franchises and celebrating a 40-year legacy in 2024. Under her leadership, Tetris has evolved into a multi-faceted brand beloved by fans worldwide, with popular titles like Tetris 99, Tetris Effect: Connected, and Tetris apps on mobile phones. In 2023, a major motion picture, Tetris, was launched, further cementing the brand\u2019s influence. Maya has expanded Tetris as a lifestyle brand with over 90 licensees and promotional partners globally, offering Tetris-branded products in apparel, toys, home d\u00e9cor, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2012, Maya co-founded Blue Startups, a Hawai\u2019i-based venture accelerator that supports early-stage, scalable tech companies across sectors such as SaaS, Travel & Tourism, Sustainability, and Gaming. Blue Startups has invested in over 100 companies, prioritizing female-led businesses and driving innovation in Hawai\u2019i and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maya is deeply committed to community service, serving on the boards of the American Red Cross Hawai\u2019i Chapter, the Women\u2019s Fund of Hawai\u2019i, the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, and as a Trustee of Cushing Academy, her alma mater. Maya holds a BS in Business Administration and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University. Maya grew up in Japan and Hawai\u2019i, with a Dutch-Indonesian father and a Japanese mother, and currently resides in Honolulu with her husband and two children.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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