Category: Startup Founders

Justin Sacks has worn many hats in his 15+ years in the game industry—from competitive gamer to content creator to leading business development for a global multimedia game company. Today, he serves as the CEO of Nexus, a platform specializing in building and managing creator programs for the world’s top live service games. Tune in to learn about the evolution of game marketing, the significant impact and potential of content creators, and effective strategies for incentivizing creators to authentically engage with games they truly love, fostering long-term partnerships and sustainable content creation.

Ethan Evans is a career development expert dedicated to helping professionals overcome career blockages and advance to the next level. After retiring as VP from Amazon, where he built Prime Gaming, managed Amazon’s first game studio, and contributed to Twitch, he shifted his focus to paying forward his good fortune by assisting clients from top US companies. With 70+ patents, over 10,000 resumes reviewed, more than 2,500 interviews conducted, and experience leading global teams of 800+, Ethan offers a wealth of expertise. Join host Lizzie Mintus to explore his remarkable career journey, including insights on overcoming career challenges, the significance of proactivity and emotional intelligence, and practical advice for advancing your career.

Shawn Foust is the Co-founder and COO of Fortis Games, a global game studio with a mission to create worlds that matter – that challenge minds, build connections, and inspire communities. Before founding Fortis, Shawn was VP of Central Operations at WB Games after its acquisition of PlexChat, which he co-founded and led as CEO. Tune in to learn about his journey from a lawyer to an executive and founder of multiple studios. The episode also touches on Sean’s personal experiences with layoffs from both perspectives, scaling global remote teams, and navigating the ups and downs of startup life.

Jordan Weisman is a 40-year industry legend with four entrepreneurial company exits to Disney, Microsoft, Topps, and Paradox Interactive. Today, he is the CEO of Endless Adventures Inc., a no-code game creation platform designed to empower game designers, storytellers, authors, and artists to create their own narrative video games and drive innovation. Tune in to learn about Jordan’s journey and the key lessons he’s learned along the way.

🎮 Wondering what it takes to build successful game franchises or start your own game studio? Join host Lizzie Mintus on the latest episode as she chats with Bill Roper, a gaming industry veteran behind iconic franchises like Warcraft, Starcraft, and Diablo. Beginning as employee #17 at Blizzard Entertainment, Bill rapidly ascended from voice actor and writer to Vice President within nine years. His distinguished career features executive roles at Flagship Studios, Cryptic Studios, Disney Interactive Central Creative at the Walt Disney Company, and Improbable World.Now the CEO of Lunacy Games, Bill Roper shares invaluable advice on turning vision into reality. Learn about handling adversity, building strong teams, and creating a lasting impact in the gaming industry.

🕹️ 🏁 From building race cars and owning a computer store chain to creating toys for millions, Jeri Ellsworth’s early achievements set the stage for a groundbreaking career. She then moved on to creating an entire Commodore 64 into one of its iconic joysticks, played a pivotal role in creating components found in most VR headsets today, and even convinced the legendary, Gabe Newell at Valve to sell her the technology that is now Tilt Five, the world’s first augmented reality tabletop gaming system. Listen in to this week’s episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast to explore Jeri’s early adventures to breaking into Silicon Valley and her take on the future of AR in games.

Join host Lizzie Mintus as she sits down with Charles ‘Chuck’ Tolman, a seasoned CTO with a rich history in the video game industry. Chuck’s career began at Atari in 1993, and he has since made significant contributions to over 30 games, including major franchises such as titles like Spider-Man, Call of Duty, and The Walking Dead. Discover Chuck’s insights on how his leadership propelled Skydance’s success in VR gaming, and explore valuable tips for VR game development, including navigating technical challenges, creating immersive experiences, and balancing gameplay mechanics.

Tune in to the latest episode of the Here’s Waldo Podcast, where host Lizzie Mintus sits down with Scott Hartsman, Advisor at Brain Jar Games and an active investor in various companies. Scott has an extensive track record in the game industry, with a portfolio of successes dating back to the early days of online gaming. From EverQuest 1 and 2 to Rift, Trove, ArcheAge, Gemstone, Scepter, and even online Warcraft, his contributions have generated billions in revenue and engaged hundreds of millions of players. We dive deep into the secrets to creating successful live games, streamlining hiring processes, and making tough decisions as a leader.

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Mitch Gitelman, a 30-year veteran of the game industry and former CEO of Harebrained Schemes, known for hits like the Shadowrun Returns and Battletech. Mitch shares wisdom on navigating layoffs with compassion, fostering meaningful industry connections, offering tips on maintaining culture through acquisitions and starting a studio, and more!

Join Lizzie Mintus on today’s episode of the Here’s Waldo podcast as she interviews Jon Radoff, co-founder and CEO of Beamable, to explore the future of gaming. Discover the transformative potential of generative AI and immersive technologies, and how they intersect with social networking, content creation, and online communities to shape the next generation of the game industry.