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Sessions & Speakers of Womenize! 2024

On June 5, 2024, Womenize! happened as a full-day event at the Institut Français Berlin.

We were happy to welcome 150 attendees and more than 1500 people who watched the live stream on Twitch.

Session image with speaker Maxi Graeff
TALK: Finding Passion in Gaming – and Sustain it

TIME: 10:15 AM – 10:45 AM

Working in Gaming means meeting a lot of people that share the same passion VIDEO GAMES. While this passion is a strong driver for collaboration and innovation in the field, it can be difficult to keep up – especially in these challenging times the industry is facing. Maxi will share her experience and tips for finding a balance that helped her stay passionate and maintain a healthy work relationship.

Maxi Graeff is the Marketing Lead for Xbox DACH with +15 years experience in the gaming industry. With her background she brings expertise in Public Relations, Marketing, Brand, Social, Events & Partnerships with strong Storytelling as her core skill. Maxi also initiated the Xbox Mentoring Program that has been active for multiple years to inspire Women to join the industry.

Session image with speakers Valentina Birke, Ina Goering, Melanie Fussenegger, Sofia Saa & Serenad Yilmaz
PANEL: Navigating the Path to Founding your own Studio

TIME: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM

Join us for a dynamic panel discussion where industry experts share their insights on founding and growing a gaming studio. Our panelists will offer practical advice and lessons learned from their own journeys. Whether you’re an aspiring indie developer or a seasoned professional, this discussion will provide invaluable perspectives and inspiration.

Valentina Birke directs the Indie Arena Booth at Super Crowd Entertainment, spearheading the acclaimed showcase for independent video games. Alongside her leadership at Indie Arena Booth, she actively participates in the gaming industry by serving on the selection committee for the WINGS fund, offering support to gender-marginalized game developers, and contributing to the Gamecity Hamburg Prototype Fund. Furthermore, Valentina holds a position as a member of the board of directors of IGDA (International Game Developers Association). In addition to her industry commitments, she is deeply involved with GAME:IN, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating sexism in the games industry.

Ina Goering is Director of Membership & Funding at game – Verband der deutschen Games-Branche e.V. and the contact person for all questions relating to games funding and supports the regional representatives of game in their work.During and after her studies at the Film University Babelsberg, Ina worked as a producer, production manager and director in the film, television and animated film industry. She then worked for several years in the media team of the Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg (ILB). Most recently, Ina worked as a consultant in the New Media Funding division of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg. She was responsible for the funding programs “Innovative Audiovisual Content” (funding for games, VR and AR projects) and “Location Measures” (events).

Melanie Fussenegger (she/her) studied media technology and media art with a focus on computer graphics and digital games in Stuttgart and Salzburg. Most recently, she worked as a project manager at the Digital Games Culture Foundation, where she was responsible for organizing a conference on “AI Utopia and Dystopia: How AI and Games Are Shaping Futures” and a regional educational program for founders of indie studios in Berlin and Brandenburg. Before that, she worked as an agile project manager and lecturer, among other things.

She recently ventured into self-employment with her passion project KunstSpiel, a blog about the interplay between traditional art forms and digital games. Her passion for digital games as a form of art and expression motivates her to actively shape the future of this medium.

Sofia Saa is Head of the Office for cinema, audiovisual, video games and digital creation at Institut français Deutschland. She is committed to supporting and promoting the visibility of women, particularly in the video game and XR industries. The WOMEN MAKING GAMES program, created in 2023 and set for a second edition in 2024, is one such example.

Serenad Yilmaz is Founder and the Creative Director of Food for Thought (@fft.collective), was once chased by a rhino and has a weak spot for platform shoes.She caught the game bug in the early 2000s, started designing games in Flash, one of them was published online and got played by 11.000.000 people. She worked in the creative industries as a graphic and UI designer for over ten years, half of it being in the game industry. Although she got kicked out of an exchange studentship for wearing short shorts, she still got lots of higher education, such as an MA in Gender Studies and another in Science and Technology Studies.

Session image with speaker Kristina Straßburger
WORKSHOP: Strategies for addressing Sexual Harassment

TIME: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

In this workshop, criminologist Kristina guides the participants through practical strategies and techniques for navigating inappropriate situations in the workplace and at industry events. Participants will learn to recognize and respond to signs of sexual violence and harassment and how to address inappropriate behavior and setting boundaries as well as the importance of bystander intervention and fostering a culture of accountability.

Kristina Straßburger is a criminologist with the mission to prevent sexual harrassment in the workplace. As an expert with a scientific background and practical experience in a counseling center for victims of sexualized violence, she offers tailor-made, helpful training and lectures, both online and offline. Starting from the summer of 2021, she has been actively engaged in valuable educational and prevention work (in German) on instagram, under the handle kriminologin.kristina.

Session image with speaker Rebecca Raschun
TALK: An unexpected Journey: Discovering my Voice in the Gaming World

TIME: 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Join JustBecci on an adventurous journey into the world of gaming and influencing. Without role models and often on her own, she took her first steps, learning from mistakes along the way. Discover how she overcame obstacles and found her own voice. An inspiring story of perseverance, creativity, and the courage to forge your own path

JustBecci is a young woman from Austria with a wide range of interests who entertains her community with her Viennese charm when it comes to gaming and lifestyle. She started her Twitch channel in 2012 and has been “just a girl playing games” ever since.In addition to her streaming career, she is also a moderator, speaker and lecturer. With a degree in media and event management and training as a speaker, she has established herself in the industry. Her projects include stage shows and web videos, in collaboration with well-known partners such as A1 eSports and Red Bull.Most recently, she was nominated for Player of the Year at the German Computer Game Awards.

Session image with speaker Sophie Vo
WORKSHOP: How to sell your next Promotion or Salary Raise

TIME: 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Do you often miss out on promotions or salary raises? Do you find yourself waiting for this conversation to happen with your manager? It’s time to take ownership of your career and be strategic about your next promotion and raise. In this workshop, Sophie will share step-by-step communication techniques on how to approach the conversation with your manager so that your career’s next steps become a reality.

Sophie Vo is a Game Executive with over 15 years of experience working at Gameloft, Wooga, Rovio, Voodoo, and PlayStation —building studio and people’s departments, guiding teams through change, launching games, and running Live Ops on $300M+ lifetime IPs. Currently CEO and co-founder of a new AAA game studio in Vietnam, Kylan. In 2021, she founded Rise and Play: a network and knowledge-sharing platform for the conscious leaders of the gaming industry who advocate for a human-centric approach to game development and teams.

Session image with speakers Sarah Gloeckler, Simge Erdogan & Viktoria Glaeser, and the Riot Games company logo
PANEL: Working at Riot: The Diversity of Jobs in Esports

TIME: 2:00 PM – 3:0 PM

Esports is more than just players and coaches. Hundreds of people are involved every year to bring world class events to live. They negotiate with sponsors, coordinate dates with the venues or make sure players are actually fed. During this panel you hear from 3 amazing women who work at Riot Games and without whom some of those events would not happen the way they do.

Sarah Gloeckler is Country Lead for DACH at Riot Games. She is leading a team that publishes VALORANT, League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Wild Rift and Legends of Runeterra for the German speaking markets. With over 10 years of experience in the gaming industry she developed a great sense for player needs and expectations, helping her to find the right channel and strategies to launch and run some of the most successfuly games worldwide.

Simge Erdogan is BD & Partnerships Manager for VAL Esports EMEA at Riot Games. Prior to joining Riot Games in 2022, Simge spent over six years in marketing and esports roles in the esports ecosystem. She began her career at ESL Turkey, where after a 3-year tenure, she gained extensive experience in community management, league ops, live broadcast, and project management. Followed by her role as Esports Manager at Red Bull, establishing gaming and esports efforts in Turkey for the brand, creating the global CS:GO event Red Bull Flick which is loved and played by many around the globe. Her next steps at Publishme Agency and SPORTFIVE led her to work with major brands such as Vodafone, Coca-Cola, ASUS, Gillette, HyperX, Intel and publishers Supercell and Activision Blizzard on many marketing and community projects both local and regional.

Viktoria Glaeser is a Senior Program Manager at Riot Games with nearly a decade of expertise working in the gaming industry.
Fueled by a passion for excellence in her work, Vik brings together diverse teams to create memorable experiences for players, always with a touch of fun. Notably, she played a pivotal role in the successful launch of VALORANT Esports in EMEA and managed the reconstruction of Riot’s Esports Studio in Berlin, Germany. Currently she’s working on League of Legends Esports in EMEA to create a collaborative and strategically aligned team to deliver the best possible products in the most effective way.

Session image with speaker Jenni Wergin
WORKSHOP: Partnering up with a Publisher – The Dragon in Front of the Gate Problem

TIME: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Learn with Jenni how to navigate the decision to partner with a publisher can be daunting. This workshop will address common misconceptions about publishers, explore what a publisher can and can’t do for your game, and provide insights on how to find the right publishing partner. Join Jenni to gain a clear understanding of the publisher’s role and learn strategies to make informed decisions for your game’s success.

 

Jenni Wergin (she/her) is Creative Producer. She advocates player experience and game vision to help teams create better products with their key audience in mind. Previously, she worked for Headup and as a Product Manager for Thunderful Publishing, where she was involved in releasing award-winning titles like “Viewfinder”, “LEGO® Bricktales” and “Planet of Lana”.

Session image with speakers Frederico Machado de Campos & Richarrie Mosca Klumpp, and the Yager company logo
TALK: Success Factor Confidence – From Self-Awareness to a Growth Mindset

TIME: 3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

In this talk, we will begin with the foundation of self-awareness to develop confidence, explore motivation, and harness it for professional growth. We will also navigate feedback strategies and then finally get into growth mindset, showing how it transforms challenges into opportunities and fosters continuous learning, in order to support your professional growth. This talk aims to equip you with practical insights and tools to thrive with greater self-awareness, improved communication, and an empowered growth mindset. The 3 main topics we want to cover in our talk is Self awareness, Feedback skills and Growth Mindset.

Frederico Machado de Campos is working as Talent Acquisition Manager at YAGER for the past two years. Renowned for his ability to uncover hidden talent and connect with candidates on a profound level, his mission at YAGER is on identifying and recruiting the best talent to drive their projects forward. Fre has been an important instrument to help YAGER not only continue to build work class teams but also make sure “belonging” is key for the company’s success. Fre is passionate about building new relationships and is continuously developing his coaching and strategy skills to become the ultimate recruitment partner. Can’t let out that his is an avid gamer and integrates gaming into his lifestyle, demonstrating his dedication to the industry he loves. He doesn’t merely find time for gaming; he makes time for it, underscoring his belief that games are an essential part of his identity.

Richarrie Mosca Klumpp has been with YAGER for over 12 years. As Senior People & Culture Manager in the company she focuses on Learning & Development, making sure that people know how to keep on growing and learning. While people across all industries at times often come and go, for various reasons, she tries to proactively work against that in her role at YAGER. She has supported several occasions where an intern or junior is rising up the ranks to fulfill a key role in leading positions later down the line. Richarrie is very passionate about learning, an essential part in their company’s values. She finds a lot of passion and motivation in her work, where she is surrounded by so many talented developers. In total she has been working in the HR world for more than 15 years. Before joining the games industry she worked in the Airline and Tourism industry. Richarrie is a certified Coach (Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching) and volunteers also as grief counselor.

Session image with speaker Gabriele Jurkonyte
WORKSHOP: Mindfulness Break

TIME: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM

In this mindfulness break, Gabrielė will lead you through one of the core Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) practices — sitting meditation. You are welcome to participate whether you are a regular meditator or want to try it for the first time, as there is definitely something for all levels of experience.

Gabrielė Jurkonytė is a marketing manager at InnoGames with over 5 years of experience in Conversion Rate Optimization. Alongside her professional role, she is a certified Mindfulness teacher and holds a master’s degree in Psychology. Juggling the challenges of modern life Gabrielė is bringing mindfulness into daily business prioritizing not only productivity but also holistic well-being, with a particular focus on the body. She believes that the true measure of success lies in ending a busy workday with sufficient nervous system capacity remaining for pleasure, creativity, and play.

Session image with speaker Almut Schwacke
TALK: Why your Game sounds mediocre – the magic Skill of giving meaningful Feedback to your Audio Designer

TIME: 2:15 PM – 4:15 PM

Understand the core components of how you can get funding for your game, what you need for a pitch deck to start pitching and things to look out for in publishing agreements.

Almut Schwacke has been roaming the world of interactive sound since 2006. With a Tonmeisterdiploma from the renowned Berlin University of the Arts under her belt, a big collection of Foleyprops and an infinite fascination for auditory subtleties she loves developing sonic identities forvideo games, wearing all the hats from Sound Designer to Foley Artist to Voice Actor to Composer in the process. Her works include Anno 1800, Through the Darkest of Times, YouSuck At Parking, NUTS and Pizza Possum.Audio is truly the greatest playground for her – diverse, interesting and a new challenge each time.

Session image with speakers Fernanda Lange Boettcher, Katja Bäuerle, Mafalda Duarte & Julianne Becker
PANEL: Gaming in Brandenburg: Exploring Opportunities beyond Berlin’s Borders

TIME: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Join us for a panel discussion on the game scene in Brandenburg, Germany. While Berlin often takes the spotlight, our panelists will delve into the unique advantages and what’s going on in Brandenburg. From industries on-site, gaming programs and resources to the support ecosystem, we’ll explore what works well in Brandenburg. Whether you’re considering starting your own studio or seeking to expand your presence in the German game industry, this discussion promises valuable insights and actionable strategies for navigating the landscape beyond the capital city.

Fernanda Lange Boettcher works at the Department Media, ICT of the Brandenburg Economic Development Agency since 2008. In previous years, she has been Head of the Training Department of the Center for Audiovisual Development of the Catalan Institute for Cultural Industries (ICEC) in Barcelona and before that, she coordinated EU funded programs such as European Films Crossing Borders or Sources 2. Prior to that, she worked for more than 10 years at the coordination of the Berlin Film Festival.

Katja Bäuerle is the CEO of Erich Pommer Institut, a provider of professional training for the German and European media industry, based in Potsdam-Babelsberg. In her more than 20 years in the industry, she also worked as Creative Responsibility Manager at German production powerhouse UFA, ran their employee education and learning scheme and produced several long-running daily dramas and prime-time series in Berlin, Cologne and Melbourne. Female Leadership, diversity in the film industry and green production have long been the focus of her work.

Mafalda Duarte (she/her) is a Studio Director, Producer, and international community leader with a background in game development, transmedia storytelling, and studio leadership. Formerly Studio Director at Telescope Game Studios in Potsdam, she worked on multiple projects for the “Whale Singer” story universe and an award-winning demo for the new IP “Summer Camp”.

She is the current Chair of IGDA Berlin and a Board Member of IGDA HQ, where she supports global community initiatives and inclusive industry practices. A Women in Games Ambassador since 2020, she has also served as the program’s Coordinator since 2021, ensuring every ambassador is supported with the tools and materials needed to make an impact.

Julianne Becker is Co-Founder Managing and Director of Coconat and initiator of The Rabbit, born in the US, lived in Vietnam, lived in Berlin and finally to rural Brandenburg 7 years ago. She is a trained artist, filmmaker, communications expert, creative entrepreneur, & more. She lives the Coconat purpose: Inviting. Inspiring. Inventing sustainable stuff.