About Us
Game Pathways seeks to improve representation and diversity in the tabletop gaming industry by increasing student awareness of career paths, introducing students to industry professionals, and working with game companies to engage under-represented groups.
We are a nonprofit organization founded by industry professionals who care about inclusivity, creativity, and celebrating new voices!
Game Pathways Board Members
Damon Saddler
Damon Saddler is a Key Lead Designer for Mattel. An industrial designer by training, he’s responsible for designing well-known games like UNO Attack!, UNO Power Grab, Pictionary Showdown, and Scrabble Speed.
Helaina Cappel
Helaina is the founder of both Kids Table Board Gaming and Burnt Island Games, and the co-designer of Foodfighters and Haunt the House. Helaina is dedicated to creating a diverse community of designers, artists, and players within the board gaming industry.
Omari Akil
Omari is the founder of Colorway Game Labs, building a community that supports diverse gaming experiences. His games include Rap Godz, Hoop Godz, and DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince: Summertime.
Mandi Hutchinson
Mandi is the co-owner and co-host of Salt and Sass Games. She is a teacher who uses gamification in the classroom, especially when discussing topics such as harassment prevention, mental health awareness, inclusion, accessibility, and diversity.
Jay Tucker
Jay is the Executive Director of UCLA’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports. He’s an advocate for advancing diversity in leadership and ownership within the digital media and hi-tech sectors.
Johnny & Chris O’Neal
Johnny and Chris are the co-founders of Brotherwise Games and designers of popular titles like Boss Monster and Call To Adventure. Chris is a Biology PhD and former educator. Johnny previously worked in the toy industry at Mattel, Spin Master, and Moose Toys.
Programs & Outreach
In fall 2023, we’ll be offering our second annual Tabletop Industry Learning Program for LA-area college and high school students. In this program, leaders in the board game industry create an immersive learning experience at a Los Angeles area campus. The in-person event will be in October, with exact dates to be announced later this summer. Students selected for this program will practice the fundamentals of game design and learn about career paths in the industry. For more information on this program, visit our page for students.
Ahead of the face-to-face program, we’ll begin outreach to board game publishers to connect them with applicants from under-represented groups. We’re also providing free resources to help publishers make their products and marketing more inclusive. To join any of these efforts, visit our page for publishers.
Long-Term Vision
In our first two years, Game Pathways will act locally through our LA-based program and nationally through online resources and outreach. Thanks to our generous sponsors, we are able to support:
Grants and scholarships for minority game designers
Online resources for aspiring game designers
A directory of game publishers with job and internship openings that welcome minority candidates
If you have questions about Game Pathways or suggestions on how we can achieve our goals, please contact us!