A networking event from Science World for students to explore STEAM careers with mentors in the video game industry.
About this event
Do you want to learn about the career paths available for you in the video game industry? Join Science World and some amazing women in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and design and math) for a virtual networking event on July 24th!
While the terms "women" and "girls" are used in our event, Girls and STEAM invites participants and mentors who identify as women, girls, trans, genderqueer, non-binary, two-spirit, and gender questioning.
Get an opportunity to meet women who have been successful in the video game industry and meet other like-minded participants with similar aspirations and interests. Join us and equip yourself with knowledge that can help ease your transition from high school to higher education.
The event will begin with an introduction of our mentors, followed by breakout rooms to give participants a chance to interact more in-depth with different mentors.
Program
11-11:10am: Introducing the mentors
11:10-11:30am: Hosted discussion with mentors
11:30-11:50am: Networking breakout room with each mentor
11:50am-12:00pm: Closing remarks
Mentors
Dani Merrithew
Dani Merrithew (They/Them) graduated from the Game Art and Design program from Laselle (formerly known as the Art Institute of Vancouver) in 2015 and joined DHX Media as a QA Tester. In 2016, they became a Game Designer on various projects, including Slug It Out, Slug It Out 2, Guardian Force, and Beyblade Burst Rivals. Since 2017, Dani has become the Lead Game Designer and Producer at Epic Story Interactive on Slug It Out 2, Ben 10 Heroes, and Beyblade Burst Rivals. They oversee the design department at Epic Story Interactive and are a pillar for nurturing company culture and representing diversity, inclusion, and equity. Dani is also a game design mentor for up-and-coming graduates, a volunteer for the Women in Games Vancouver organization which focuses on having marginalized voices recognized in the games industry, and the secretary for the Vancouver Dyke March and Festival Organization.
Leanne Roed
Leanne Roed is a game and UI/UX designer who has been working in the game industry for close to 10 years. She is currently a lead game designer at Gasket Games Corp and has worked for several local game studios on multiple projects, from large teams with high-profile intellectual properties to small teams bringing unique projects to life. She co-designed her own indie game, Cribbage With Grandpas, in 2016. It has been featured multiple times on the Apple App Store and was nominated for IndieCade 2017.
Vidhi Shah
Vidhi Shah (She/Her) is a multi-award-winning game designer from Mumbai, India, most known for her work on Hardspace: Shipbreaker, which won Best Design and Fan’s Choice Awards at the Canadian Game Awards in 2021. Vidhi has channeled her unique life experiences growing up in complex circumstances into finding escape and joy in video games and pop culture. At the age of 15, she moved to Australia where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Interaction and Visual Design. Her interactive installations were exhibited at ARS Electronica when she was only 19. After working with the game studio Halfbrick, she fully embraced her love for game design, later making her own mobile game called Scuttled. After returning to India and working in the Indian games industry, she published a paper about narrative design in indie development at the HCI conference in 2015. She moved to Vancouver to get her Masters of Digital Media, during which time her game “Lure” won the Gerri Sinclair Innovation award. She then joined Blackbird Interactive to work on Minecraft Earth and Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Vidhi is an engaged member of every community she is part of, currently acting as the Vice President of Full Indie; a non-profit Vancouver-based indie development organization.
Accessibility:
- Closed captioning and Sign language translation will be available.
- We strive to make our events accessible and enjoyable for everyone. If you have an accommodation request not listed above, please let us know in your registration form or contact Madelyn Osborne at [email protected] or 604.443.7496.