Jason Della Rocca
Executive Director
International Game Developers Association IGDA 

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Jason Della Rocca

Jason is the executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA), a professional society committed to advancing the careers and enhancing the lives of game developers. Jason and the IGDA focus on connecting developers with their peers, promoting professional development, and advocating on issues that affect the developer community -- such as quality of life, creative freedoms, workforce diversity and credit standards. In 2008, Jason was honored with the inaugural Ambassador Award at the Game Developers Choice Awards.

As the spokesperson for the IGDA, Jason has appeared in countless news outlets (e.g., Wired, Nightline, LA Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, G4, etc) and has spoken at conferences around the world (e.g., GDC, E3, TGS, SIGGRAPH, ChinaJoy, DiGRA, etc). Jason has been a member of the game development community for over a decade, and has spent time at Matrox Graphics, Quazal and Silicon Graphics.

Sarah Dale-Harris
Legal Counsel
GANZ

Sarah Dale-Harris

More information coming soon.

Stuart Duncan
President and CEO
Bight Games (PEI - Canada)

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Stuart Duncan

More information coming soon.

Nathon Gunn
CEO
Bitcasters (ON - Canada)

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Nathon Gunn

Nathon has built successful and award-winning web-sites, games, technologies and television shows for leading entertainment companies such as MuchMusic, BMG and Disney. His games have had over 150-million plays, including the recent and successful StormHawks Squadron (40-million plays and counting).

Nathon has helped launch several successful businesses including CHUM's Interactive Division and Miramax New Media.

His innovations have included some of the first enhanced CDs, the first backstage Grammy's webcast in 1994, "blogging" or citizen-journalism at events like the 1995 Toronto Film Festival, the user-generated video channel Bitcast in 1998, online campaign technology in support of Al Gore in 2000 and running net strategy for former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin in 2002.

Nathon has developed one of Canada’s first Serious Games with the History Canada Game and has just launched an action-based 3D MMORPG for kids based on the global animated hit show StormHawks.

The primary focus of Nathon’s current work is social gaming and to this end he is preparing the beta launch this fall of Social Game Universe, a connected universe of social games in which media industry titans Michael Cohl, Moses Znaimer and Clive Smith have invested.

Nathon is a graduate of Ryerson University with a double major in Film/Photography and Computer Animation and has won awards for various films and music videos.

Fred Hasson
Executive Director
RedBedlam
(former CEO and founder of TIGA) (UK) 

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Fred Hasson

Fred has an extensive experience of TV, web-media and games sectors.

He was until recently Founder and CEO of UK Games developers trade body, TIGA (2001-8), he recently joined RedBedlam , a Brighton based MMOG and Virtual World developer as Executive Director, who have developed one of the few UK produced 3D Virtual World products on the market (www.roma-victor.com) demonstrating where he believes the future of interactive entertainment is heading. He also operates a consulting company.

Previously he;

• Owned a new media consultancy with City analyst Mathew Horsman – h2p (Horsman Hasson Productions)

• was a Director of new media  producer Victoria Real which was acquired by Endemol in 2000

• was Head of Corporate Affairs for BBC Regional Broadcasting

• was Head of Regional and Training Policy and Strategy for the Producers Alliance for Cinema and TV (Pact)

• was Deputy Director of the Independent Programme Producers Association (IPPA)

• was Chairman of the TV and film industry freelance training organisation FT2

Wojtek Kawczynski
SVP and General Manager
SilverBirch Studios (ON - Canada)

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Wojtek Kawcynski

Wojtek Kawczynski heads-up the game division of SilverBirch Inc setting strategy, overseeing the operations of the publishing and development groups, identifying M&A opportunities, and leading the integration efforts within the division.  Wojtek also directly runs the operations of SilverBirch Studios, the development studio that was the founding group of the game division.

Wojtek is an avid gamer with a passion for growing businesses.  His professional experience spans venture capital investments and technology startups.  Prior to SilverBirch Studios Wojtek spent close to 3 years running the product management group at Avokia a venture-backed startup in the database market.  Prior to Avokia Wojtek spent 5 years at Ventures West, one of Canada's top venture capital firms, focused on investments the technology sector.

Wojtek's holds a B.Sc. from Concordia University (1992), an M.Sc. from McGill University (1995) and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business (2001).

Scott Steinberg
Managing Director
Embassy Multimedia Consultants (USA)

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Scott Steinberg

Over one billion people have turned to Videogame Marketing and PR www.sellmorevideogames.com author, entrepreneur and TV/radio host Scott Steinberg for insight. A frequent ABC, CBS and CNN guest, he's founder of game industry advisory Embassy Multimedia Consultants, and has covered technology for 300+ outlets from The LA/NY Times to Playboy, Rolling Stone and TV Guide. A successful self-publisher and industry talent scout, he's also creator of DigitalTrends.com's acclaimed documentary series Players Only.

Hailed as an expert by pundits from BusinessWeek to Forbes and NPR, his most recent books include Get Rich Playing Games  and The Videogame Style Guide, his most recent game Heavyweight Thunder for PC CD-ROM.

Robert Shoniker
Principal
Courage Capital 

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Robert Shoniker

Over the past eighteen years as President of R.G. Shoniker & Associates Inc. and Courage Capital Corporation, Mr. Shoniker has arranged more than $800 million of financings, mergers, acquisitions and transactions.  From 1985 to 1987 he was Director, Emerging Growth Investments at McCarthy Securities Limited.  In 1980 he co-founded and became Chief Executive Officer of formerly TSE listed Accugraph Corporation.

Prior to this, he founded two consulting companies, Management Resource Group and R.G. Shoniker & Associates Inc. From 1970 to 1975 he was Senior Investment Analyst with Burns Brothers & Denton Limited.  Mr. Shoniker graduated from Queen's University with a B.Comm and an M.B.A. He currently serves on the board of PARTEQ Innovations and Mondial Energy.  He is also the Chairman of Bedlam Games, a Toronto based video game software developer.

Jason J. Kee
Director of Policy & Legal Affairs
Courage Capital 

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Jason J. Kee

 Jason J. Kee is the Director of Policy and Legal Affairs for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada (ESAC), the industry association that represents publishers and distributors of video and computer games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers and the Internet in Canada. Among other things, he monitors and analyzes issues and legislation affecting the video game industry in Canada (both domestically and internationally), and regularly works with both government and partner organizations on matters such as intellectual property policy and enforcement, international trade, tariffs, ratings, and any policies and/or legislation affecting the sale and marketing of entertainment software products in Canada.

Prior to joining the ESAC, Jason practiced intellectual property, information technology and entertainment law (with an emphasis on Internet, e-commerce, gaming and interactive media-related matters ) at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. He also acted as legal and policy counsel to the Canadian Interactive Alliance / Alliance Interactive Canadienne (CIAIC), an alliance of provincial new media associations that represents the interactive media industry at a national level. He is the founder and former chair of the interactive media committee of the Canadian IT Law Association (IT.Can), the Technology Liaison for the Entertainment, Media & Communications Section of the Ontario Bar Association, and an active member of numerous other legal associations.