​GDC can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the conference or navigating the industry as an marginalized developer.

This AMA offers practical, compassionate guidance on how to approach GDC with intention, focusing on learning, networking, and caring for yourself along the way. Whether it’s your first GDC or your fifth, you don’t have to do it “the right way” to get value from it.

​Join us for a welcoming, judgement-free conversation about navigating GDC in a way that works for you. Our goal is to ensure you leave feeling connected, supported, and empowered.

​Speakers:

​Zoë Curnoe (She/Her), Principal and Founder, Lumina Leadership 

​Zoë Curnoe has spent over two decades in the games industry leading production and operations at industry giants such as Riot Games, EA, and almost ten years at The Coalition (Xbox). In 2021 she founded Timbre Games leading it through rapid growth as Studio Director and Head of Production and Operations.

​In early 2024, she left Timbre to pursue a burning passion and founded Lumina Leadership. She now coaches and consults with game industry leaders and teams to make braver choices, build vibrant inclusive cultures, and lead with authenticity, putting their words into action to create thriving creative businesses. 

​Since completing her formal coaching training through the Co-Active Training Institute she has coached over 200 professional hours adding ADHD and Career Coaching to her roster of skills.

​Zoë has been attending the Game Developers Conference for 25 years and has spoken at the conference on multiple occasions sharing her strategies for leadership and creating inspiring cultures that ship great games.

​She has been an avid Wonder Woman fan since childhood and lives with her husband and their two cats, Leeloo Dallas Multipass and Obi-Wan Kenobi in Vancouver, BC. 

​Ruth Diaz (She/Her), Social Scientist and Environmental Designer.

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​Dr. Ruth Diaz is the founder of BridgeMakers, a cross-platform learning community for game and social VR community builders. BridgeMakers helps leaders practice inclusion, facilitation, and conflict resiliency through live, embodied experiences. Ruth’s long-term goal is to build a game that teaches conflict resiliency through play. She previously created The Troll Project, an interview-based study conducted in public lobbies and with moderators, community leaders, and developers, and her work was featured on the Voices of VR podcast. She was invited to Games for Change’s XR Brain Jam 2023, where her team received a Digital Laurel for Most Product Potential.

​Sam Webb (They/Them), Multidisciplinary Designer, Artist, & Community Manager

​I’m a multidisciplinary game designer & illustrator, currently based out of Boston, MA, USA, having earned my BFA through the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) at Tufts University. I currently work at Counterplay Games as a Community Manager. 

​I’ve been described as someone who’s particularly passionate and driven to create, but I like to think of myself as perpetual student as much as I am a creative. Most of my skills are based in storytelling through media such as games and interactive design, and I’m especially interested in the experiences of disabled, queer youth.

​I also spend a lot of time educating others on professional development in creative fields—especially college and high school students—using my own AAA games experience to guide them.

​Tina Merry (She/Her), CEO & Co-Founder, Simply Sweet Games

​I am a game industry veteran who spent nearly fourteen years in senior leadership roles at Electronic Arts. I have deep experience building teams, mentoring talent, and shipping products players enjoy. That background shaped my belief that strong culture, clear strategy, and care for players lead to better creative outcomes.

Today I serve as CEO and Co-Founder of Simply Sweet Games. We build accessible casual puzzle titles with vocabulary rich mechanics and thoughtful design. I am a Cultural Intelligence certified leader, international speaker, and juror who advocates for a more sustainable and representative industry. I lead strategy, partnerships, fundraising, and IP development to grow a portfolio of premium casual titles that respect players and create long term value.

Explore more of my work and background here: https://tinamerryconsulting.ca/about/

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