Connect with top gaming leaders in Los Angeles at GamesBeat Summit 2023 this May 22-23. Register here.
We’re proud to say our diversity efforts for our GamesBeat Summit events have come a long way. Our GamesBeat Summit 2023 event on May 22-23 in person in Los Angeles (and online on the 24th) will feature our sixth Women in Gaming Breakfast.
And yes, unlike our earlier breakfasts during the pandemic, it will feature actual food. And yes, it will be for women. It takes place from 8:00 a.m. Pacific time to 9:15 a.m. on the first day of our GamesBeat Summit 2023 event on May 22. We’re pleased to note Visa is the sponsor.
Our title for the panel is “Implementing Change & Bringing Women to the Forefront in Gaming.” Rachel Kaser, our intrepid writer for GamesBeat, will moderate the panel. And our speakers include Michelle Torrey, director of the gaming industry on Visa’s NA Merchant Bill Pay Team; Jen Oneal, CEO of Magic Soup Games; and Catharina Mallet, vice president and general manager of EA Maxis.
The breakfast will highlight inspiring gaming veterans who will share their experiences, insights and inspirations for gaming. It will address breaking into the industry and breaking barriers, as well as opportunities to implement change on a high level in games. The idea behind our sixth Women in Gaming breakfast is to help women network, listen to each other, and take away some positive and practical inspirations for change, creativity, innovation and business success.
Event
GamesBeat Summit 2023
Join the GamesBeat community in Los Angeles this May 22-23. You’ll hear from the brightest minds within the gaming industry to share their updates on the latest developments.
Register Here
Women can get into the breakfast and the conference for free using this GBSWIGB23 (maxing out at 100 attendees for the breakfast). And women can also register on this link as well. And others can register with this code GBSDEANNEWS for a 40% discount).
We’re looking forward to this power panel, which includes Oneal, who left a big company and is now at a startup which is cooking up some new games and food for the soul.
Oneal’s company came out of stealth in March (via an exclusive story in GamesBeat), and her cofounders included Blizzard veterans J. Allen Brack and John Dunham.
“J., John, and I have similar ideas about the types of games we want to make, and we’re tightly aligned on company goals and principles, so this was a natural fit for us,” said Oneal, at the time. “We know the quality of our games will be a reflection of our team culture. We’re doing the work up front to make sure we’re fostering creativity, fully remote collaboration and a diversity of backgrounds.”
Oneal is a veteran video game industry leader with more than two decades of experience. As CEO and cofounder of Magic Soup Games, she is focused on building high-performing teams, driving culture, and ensuring the success of the company’s fully remote work environment. Jen got her production start at LucasArts in the late 1990s working on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones video game franchises before becoming a producer at Activision, where she produced several titles in the Tony Hawk franchise. She was most recently co-president of Blizzard Entertainment.
Meanwhile, Catharina Lavers Mallet is VP and General Manager of Maxis and The Sims Franchise at Electronic Arts. She heads up a diverse team of individuals from different backgrounds who are continuously innovating and exploring new forms of gameplay for their global community of players. Prior to EA, Catharina managed and redefined the strategies for the high growth Consumer Wearables business for Bose Corporation.
Michelle Torrey is the director of the gaming industry on Visa’s NA Merchant Bill Pay Team. With 20-plus years of sales experience specializing in the digital gaming vertical, Torrey is the go-to gaming subject matter expert and, in her role, is responsible for managing several large merchants in the category. Prior to Visa, Torrey was the head of sales at The Gaming Community Network and has also held sales roles at Future, Curse and Roblox.
Rachel Kaser is a gaming and technology writer for GamesBeat from Dallas, Texas. She has been writing about games for various publications since 2013, and has covered almost everything about the industry. She currently covers news for GamesBeat.
We can let as many as 100 women in gaming into the breakfast and into the larger GamesBeat Summit event as well. Just use the code: GBSWIGB23.
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