"Attending GDC 2025 as part of the IGDA-F program was one of the best weeks of my life. It’s been tremendously useful to me. I learned a lot professionally but also personally and about the things I should keep working on. It also gave me more confidence to share with others."

— Participant, GDC

“It was inspiring meeting people in-person! I got to meet my velocity cohort mate and teammate on three game jams in person.”

— Kenna L., Velocity

"My goals for GDC were to expand my network and come out with a clearer direction for my path in game development. Additionally, a personal goal of mine was to connect with developers I had virtually worked with in the past."

— Participant, Ripples

"It was awesome to ask leadership, business and DEI questions directly and get such empathetic, and thoughtful insight from such a powerhouse. This inspired me to keep making this industry a better place."

— JC L., Next Gen Leader

"The foundation brought me a sense of community that helped motivate me to take risks."

— Ace L., Scholar

"The Virtual Exchange helped me decide my career path as a gameplay engineer, which led to my first job in the industry."

— Valencia C., Scholar

“Not only did I receive helpful insights into potential career directions, but I also networked with other underrepresented, passionate, leaders in the industry.”

— Noah M., Next Gen Leaders

"I applied and was accepted, and I can confidently say that was the best decision I made this year. I now have a clear path ahead of me, an amazing mentor, and a better understanding of the games industry.”

— Chijoke A., Velocity Program