Speakers

Carl is an experienced Games Producer currently working at Altered State Machine in Auckland, NZ. He is the creator & host of the Zero to Play Podcast & is currently serving his 3rd year on the Board of the NZGDA.

Stef Animal is creative director of Spookysoft Games in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
Stef and her team have created two games for the HEIHEI games platform: Animal Tracks (2022) and Super Fun Wow Comic Creation Kit (2023 - forthcoming).
Spookysoft Games are currently at work creating My Year of Penguins, a minigame suite for Android and iOS devices.

Dan Milward is the CEO and Creative Producer at Gamefroot and acting Games Commissioner for HEIHEI.

With over two decades of experience in the games industry, Dan has a deep passion for great game design and is committed to helping people find success in the field. He has previously served on the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) and has worked alongside multiple stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, and Te Puni Kōkori, to develop engaging Games Based Learning solutions for schools across Aotearoa, New Zealand. Dan's mission is to foster the next generation of game designers and developers and to help put them on a games industry career path.

Sam is an influential thought leader, storyteller, industry champion and creative technology innovator. She has spent over 20 years bringing awe-inspiring stories and experiences to life through digital and emerging technology.

Passionate about authenticity, Sam sees technology as a driver and enabler for creative ideas that create connection with their audience. She also cares deeply about creating pathways for new generations to enter the creative and tech industries.

Sam is co-founder of Method, an award-winning creative tech studio; Mad Carnival, making beautiful, fun and wholesome games; and Mighty Eyes, the studio behind the acclaimed VR adventure game Wanderer.

Bradley Walker is a Director of Adrenalin Games www.adrenalingames.co.nz. To date Adrenalin Games have completed 6 games, all which include Māori language elements, played out on web and mobile platforms.

Bradley also manages Adrenalin Group which creates screen content in Video, TV Series and Animation. He is also a Director on a number of boards and other companies.

When he is not working, Bradley is studying - he just completed his Masters in Technological Futures and is considering starting a doctorate. He also enjoys managing his twin daughters band - Vivid Haze and new record label Kōtuku Records in his spare time.