Recovering child actor and now gaming host, writer and producer Abby Sherlock (real last name, no she’s not related to Sherlock Holmes, he's a fictional character, come on y'all), grew up in good ole South Carolina before achieving her final form as a Forbes 30 under 30 Finalist in Games as an undergraduate at the University of California, San Diego.

Some highlights include being broadcast on the live page of Twitch as a personality, leading panels with VAs from Overwatch, appearing on the E3 2018 ESL Gaming stage, speaking for the Electronic Software Association's in their diversity initiative #WeAreVideoGames, and interviewing pro CS:GO players from CLG.

As a Women in Games Ambassador WIGJ, she's seen the gaming industry from multiple angles, from interning at media news and production companies like Geek & Sundry and Nerdist to hardware providers like NZXT. She also worked as a Community Coordinator for Tespa, partnered with Blizzard Entertainment supporting the largest collection of collegiate gaming organizations in the world.

Currently, she is studying creative production at the University of Southern California's Interactive Media Game Design Masters Program in the School of Cinematic Arts as an (IGDA) ™ Velocity Scholar.

Abby Yaffe is a game developer from the NYC area. She is interested all aspects of game development but specifically capable in games writing, UI design, and UI programming. Over the past year, while studying at the NYU Game Center, she has worked at FeralCatDen on their upcoming title Genesis Noir.

Hi, I'm Aleena, a passionate geek just trying to make games. I'm a graduate student at Purdue University studying Computer Graphics Technology. I have a background in mathematics but am also an enthusiastic artist, coder and gamer. I like the outdoors, pets and comic cons!

Hey I'm Alexa, current student from St.Edwards University studying Computer Science and Video Game Development. In between dying my hair every week, I'm playing Final Fantasy XIV with friends or watching shows like She-Ra Princess of Power. While playing video games at age five, I never knew I could make my favorite hobby into a career. Some of the most exciting projects I've done have been creating a board game named "Cactus Capture" with a team of St.Edwards students. I have also recently created my first hand drawn animated short called "Predator". I am very honored to be apart of this fellowship and to meet future developers and current gamers. I hope to inspire them the way they inspire me.

Archika is a Seattle native and freshman at Princeton University. She is passionate about the intersection of humanitarian issues and innovation, especially regarding educational equity and gender-based issues. As the Founder of Innoverge, she created a youth-led initiative of 30+ chapters in 10 countries, impacting 2,800+ minority youths across 200+ free programs. She has also conducted research and interned under Stanford, NASA, University of Washington, and Sensoria Health. As a 2019 Global Teen Leader and Mars Generation 24 under 24, Archika is passionate about education, social equity, and using technology for good while empowering other young people to do the same.

My name is Ariba Siddiqi and I am a computer science student at Ryerson University. Coding has been my passion ever since high school because of its ability to propel my imagination! Currently, I am honing my technical skills while participating in various opportunities such as web designing and content development. I also spend my time giving back to the community through a youth-led grassroots organization I co-founded called the Association of Committed and Engaged Youth (ACEY). We are a collective of students that are dedicated to reaffirming the power youth hold at the forefront of generational change. I am always on the lookout for exciting new opportunities and looking forward to meeting new people in the STEM industry!

Hello! My name is Baishaki Debi. I am a sophomore in Macaulay Honors College at CCNY majoring in computer science. My academic interest lies in Cybersecurity so I've taken this summer to learn more about the field and grow my technical skills. When I'm not busy doing school work, I love to read epic fantasy books like Lord of the Rings. I also enjoy drawing intricate mandalas. I find them strangely therapeutic and calming!

Bec is an aspiring writer and avid cat lover. They are currently working with a small studio as a game designer and writer, as well as contributing to character design. Bec also co-host a weekly gaming podcast that covers a new game each week. In their free time, they can be found playing video games, taking excessive photos of their cat, learning about psychology and communication, or learning to draw.

Hi, I'm Colleen! I love animation, pixel art, coding, teaching, and working together to make amazing things. I'm majoring in Game Design and Development at Rochester Institute of Technology, and I'm hoping to get a chance to work in character design one day.

A recent graduate from the University of Utah with events and marketing experience in the game industry including: HTC, Epic Games, Tespa, and Manticore Games.

Mexican game artist and game designer. Currently attending a Master's degree in Games and Playable Media at UCSC and working in a serious game for Stanford School of Medicine. Creative Director of Knot Me! a 3d adventure about consent.

Lover of spicy stuff and all the games that make me feel similar.

You can follow me: https://twitter.com/faylink

Or check out my portfolio: https://www.behance.net/fatyma

Hi! :) I'm Jesse, a junior at the University of Maryland studying bioinformatics and neuroscience. I'm active in my school's Human-Computer Interaction research lab, excited about finding ways to make information systems more accessible for vulnerable populations, and passionate about empowering the next generation of coders to positively impact the world around them. I can't wait to meet you and celebrate your growth!

Hello! My name is Kristopher Kath and I am an aspiring video game developer/programmer. I love playing games such as Animal Crossing and Divinity Original Sin 2. I am currently studying Computer Science at California State University of Long Beach (CSULB) and will graduate in a years’ time. I am also a club officer at Video Game Development Association at CSULB where I help teach students how to make their own games for scratch! I work as a programmer at Games For Love where we are creating a strategy game called “Battle for the Kingdom” and many other projects. I am excited to see where I am in the next few years and how the video game industry will change to the new wave of developers. Thank you for reading!

Hello! My name is Meghan. I'm an Art + Design major at NC State University in Raleigh, NC. I have a passion for creating environments and creatures and would love to be an environment or creature concept artist in the video game industry. While I specialize in 2D art, I'm starting to learn how to model 3D creatures and landscapes. My favorite games are Xenoblade Chronicles, Monster Hunter Stories, and Galaga.

At home, I have two cats, Shadow and Blackie, and a family dog Zoey. Shadow is my lap cat; he sits on me all day as I'm working.

When I'm not playing games or drawing, I enjoy doing cardio dance, going on road trips, playing DnD, gardening, and watching anime and movies. I love monster movies like Godzilla and Pacific Rim. I also love a good disaster film like Twister, Poseidon, Japan Sinks 2020 (technically an anime), and Into the Storm.

Hi my name is Reva and this is my first year as a GMG Junior Counselor, I have been to the camp for two years prior and on my second year my game made it to demo day. Currently I am pursuing another passion of mine which is comic creation and am publishing my webcomic Unknown Tomorrow on Webtoon, you can follow our instagram @unknowntomorrow_ for more updates.

Hi! I’m Ryan, a junior undergraduate student at St. Edward’s University studying Video Game Development and Computer Science. When I’m not busy playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends or catching up on homework, you can find me at the local coffee shop on campus as a barista! One of my favorite school projects so far has been an audio project where I removed all of the sounds from a DOOM: Eternal trailer and edited my own sounds on top of it, including music and amateur voice acting from me and my friends! Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Final Fantasy XIV online with my friends, or streaming Dragon Age II so they can watch me play! I’m so thankful to be a part of this fellowship, and I’m super excited to help inspire the next generation of game developers!

Originally hailing from India, I am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Computer Science in the Principles of Expressive Machines (POEM) Lab at NC State University. My research is in the field of Computational Narrative Intelligence where I work on simulating believable virtual characters and generating narratives for the entertainment domain. With the advancements in Augmented Reality (AR), authors and designers will inevitably be challenged to create rules for the space of interaction, redefining narrative experiences, audiencehood, and promoting a more immersive and reactive experience. I'm interested in how societies of virtual characters can be generated for real world (or locative) environments to create unique experiences and stories for their users.

As an Indian woman, I’ve felt alienated by the industry on multiple axes. I'm excited to be a part of the Girls Make Games fellowship. I feel this experience would help build community, learn about new perspectives, ideas and help me collaborate with the other women in our field. Before this, I worked on entertainment intelligence research with Disney Research, Pittsburgh, and completed my MS Computer Science from Georgia Institute of Technology specialising in Interactive Intelligence.

I'm Shanice Smith, a current Game Design student from CUNY City Tech. Growing up playing video games with my cousins, I just knew I would love a career in the technology field. Experienced as a Frontend Developer and Data Analyst through previous internships, I'm excited to explore career opportunities in gaming. I enjoy volunteering in my community, attending Hackathons with friends, tinkering with new technologies, and advocating for diversity within the industry.

Sloane Miller is an incoming freshman at North Carolina A & T studying Computer Science. Throughout high school she’s devoted much of her time and energy into nonprofit organizations such as Girls Who Code, Black Girls Code, Chick tech and Girls Rock Math. She’s also been an active part of Jack and Jill of America serving on her local executive board for three years and the national board for one. She has even created her own nonprofit, Kid Tech Express, which is dedicated to closing the digital divide between lower income communities. She is excited to continue her education in pursuit of a better world, and hopes to use her platform and work to show others the power of their voice and the strength we have when we stand together.