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.
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Evva Kraikul
Executive Director
Evva Kraikul is the Executive Director and CoFounder 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Likes
1,108
Followers
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Subscibers
WEBSITE SESSIONS: May 2014- May 2015
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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
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SUPPORT@GLITCH.MN
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