Empower Change : Elect New Board Members to Drive Our Non-Profit Organization Forward
We are thrilled to announce the official starting date for the BGA election process, as well as share our excitement for the outstanding candidates who have stepped forward to lead our organization.
As members of the BGA, your active participation is crucial to the success of our democratic process. We encourage you to carefully review the candidate profiles and their proposed initiatives, as well as take the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions during the election period.
To cast your vote, please respect these different steps :
🙏Be a member of the BGA
✍️Register via the form to unlock your voting right by Friday 30 June at 12 pm CET: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdwFFglkWNZDNuGFThRngooLE1plKihEH8DsUVXWtlFhgxEVw/viewform
🗳️Follow this link and cast your votes (you may select three female and three male candidates). The election will be opened from Friday 30th June to Friday 14 July, 6 pm CET.
Link to vote : https://snapshot.org/#/mybga.eth
Look out for the announcement of Board members which will take place on July 19.
❗️Please note: 1 Company = 1 Vote
Our candidates
Christina Macedo, Co-founder & COO at Ready Games
With a background in law and a future in gaming, Christina Macedo represents the face that many women need to inspire their own journeys in the worlds of gaming, tech, and web3. Christina comes from a law background beginning her career journey in the digital contracts sector.
Christina discovered the power of gaming when she entered the health and wellness industry and introduced gamification to tools she built. She strives to provide a face to inspire and invite women to enter the world of web3 gaming and innovate.
“BGA represents validity. I want to show the world that there is more to web3 than what is in the news. The accomplishments of blockchain technology need to be celebrated, promoted, and implemented. I want to have an impact.” — Christina Macedo
See my pitch : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XoPVNykjImLNvkur7fTvrBdaTzeyEsrB/view
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinamargaridamacedo/
MARTIN SPINETTO, Founder & CEO at Widow Games
Considering the presence of 1.7 million UAW on one side and 2.7 billion gamers worldwide on the other, it becomes evident that the most effective approach to achieving widespread adoption of the Web 3 gaming category is to communicate using the same language as traditional gaming developers. Rather than focusing on the technology itself, emphasis should be placed on enhancing the Player Experience.
From the outset, numerous Web 3 developers attempted to incorporate gamification into decentralized finance platforms, presenting them as video games. However, their primary focus remained solely on the financial speculation surrounding NFTs and Tokens.
Now is the time to move away from these strategies and instead concentrate on constructing entertaining and extraordinary user experiences. Implementing Web 3 features should only be done in a manner that resonates with Players, ensuring transparent and seamless user flows.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mspinetto/
Mariano Rubinstein, Co-founder at Sura Gaming
Mariano is an excellent choice for the Board, as he represents a region that is currently underrepresented in our alliance.
Sura Gaming has been an active and enthusiastic member of the Blockchain Game Alliance, and their participation over the past year has been outstanding, including the regular online events, participating at BGA side event, sharing panels with BGA at AIBC Malta, and representing BGA at LabitConf in Buenos Aires and the Block World Tour in Granada, Spain. Sura Gaming’s commitment to BGA is demonstrated during the last year and the strength to continue contributing to the future is intact, making Mariano an excellent addition to the Board.
See my pitch : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1vQFnfs1eQ-bijQOfyl-gZWSqbcK-BMZE
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianorubinstein/
Philemon Duhm, Communication & Partnerships at CryptoSpaceFleetAll
As a 23 years young and ambitious Blockchain pioneer from Germany, I started my blockchain journey in 2017.
My passion is to promote blockchain technology in the gaming industry and create new opportunities for creators and gamers. That’s why I would like to join the Blockchain Game Alliance as a Board Member and share my expertise and network.
With the first German venture capital club based on NFTs and a large network of blockchain influencers and luminaries next to me, I can open up the DACH region as an important market for crypto projects and support the Blockchain Game Alliance in this innovative region.
See my Pitch : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FKKt5Eg-hCLCzXx2Rpv6mG9WtdenQgBZ/view
https://www.linkedin.com/in/philemon-duhm-540220203/
Ciaran O’Herlihy, Founder at LZRBRD
Ciarán O’Herlihy, a seasoned Google veteran and innovative entrepreneur, has built a career bridging partnerships and pioneering emerging technologies. As a founding member of Project Tetris at Google, he advocated for HTML5 Gaming and spearheaded early DayDream VR and Google Publish initiatives. Now, as the founder of LZRBRD.xyz and a 2nd-time entrepreneur, he’s disrupting the tech industry with projects ranging from a game portal to NFT art. A recipient of EU Innovation Funding and an active WEB3 game investor, Ciarán thrives at the intersection of innovation, technology, and values-driven leadership.
See my Pitch : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1chAqhjzjdl7iD0ktxfpU2EIiuAMlSyTwz4RweQRDUX8
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ciaranoherlihy/
Yasmina Kazitani, Chief Marketing Officer at Interverse
Yasmina has over 18 years of experience in marketing, business development & gamification journeys. Currently operating as CMO for Interverse AI in the web3 gaming space. She has expertise in franchising and licensing business models & ecosystem building across various markets.
She is currently working with the UK parliament and other institutions to set regulations and frameworks to help the industry grow and thrive safely.
Yasmina is vocal about diversity and inclusion which offer the industry a wider range of products and revenues.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmina-kazitani-mba-ms-52576bb/
Jeff Donnelley, Founder & CEO at MegaFans
25 years of marketing and building for eGaming, iGaming, Mobile Gaming, eSports and Fantasy Sports companies such as Draft Kings, Ubisoft, Jam City, War Gaming, Bet on Sports, Bet DSI, Bet Online, Bet US, Americas Card Room, Reward Mob, MegaFans and more. Trade expert at user acquisition, retention, monetization and optimization against varied KPIs with successful outcomes.
Jeff is the Founder & CEO of MEGAFANS, a competitive SAAS, esports platform focused on game and metaverse developers and their global audience of 3.2 billion users.
See my pitch : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BxmQUPhZ6Q3Cp5BzBHNR4jnzHaPBNwrb
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffdonnelley/
Umberto Canessa Cerchi, Founder & CEO at Pink Moon Studios
Umberto’s vision for joining the Blockchain Game Alliance (BGA) springs from a firm belief in the transformative power of Web3 technologies in gaming. He acknowledges the role of pioneering indie Web3 gaming studios in driving this revolution but contends that the demand should not come from these studios alone, but rather, from the gamers themselves.
Umberto envisages this being achieved primarily through education, introducing gamers to the groundbreaking and literal game-changing benefits Web3 brings to them. These advantages include the decentralization of information, providing unparalleled transparency and promoting genuine fairness in esports, as well as revolutionizing digital asset ownership through the immutable nature of blockchain technology.
By advocating for Web3 technologies and creating accessible educational content, Umberto aims to empower the gaming community. He wants to ensure they understand and embrace the benefits of Web3 gaming, thereby fostering demand for its widespread adoption.
In joining the BGA council, Umberto aims to share his insights, learn from other industry leaders, and champion this revolutionary shift within the gaming industry. He seeks to build a future in gaming where technology and user empowerment go hand in hand, creating a more equitable, engaging, and immersive gaming experience.
See my pitch : https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1syglBM80ifww9uKd32nUYAOFYADSBtaWmvTv5TDZ690/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.linkedin.com/in/umbertocanessa/
Artur Pszczolkowski, VP & CMO at GamerHash
Please see my election video where I present myself as a candidate & describe the main points of my program as a potential BGA board member:
- Educating and Empowering the Community
- Fostering Collaboration and Innovation
- Advocating for Fairness and Inclusivity
At GamerHash we already onboarded 750k web2 gamers into web3, which is very close to BGA vision.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arturpszczolkowski/
Leah Callon-Butler; Director at Emfarsis
Leah is the director of Emfarsis, a web3 advisory firm investing in early-stage projects including Yield Guild Games (YGG), GAMEE, My Pet Hooligan, Crypto Unicorns, BreederDAO, and more. In crypto since 2017, Leah has collaborated with Games4Change APAC, the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), Blockchain Australia, Women in Blockchain and others to drive blockchain gaming adoption and impact globally.
Leah takes an active role in guiding public discourse around web3, having led content and programming for world-class events including the Metaverse and Gaming Stage at Consensus 2023 and the Philippine Web3 Festival. Via her regular opinion column, Leah authored the first-ever Coindesk article about Axie Infinity in August 2020 when it had less than 500 DAU. She was also the writer/narrator of the award-winning short film, “Play-to-Earn: NFT Gaming in the Philippines” (May 2021).
With a special interest in evolving regulatory landscapes, Leah was an advisor to the inaugural V20 Summit and led communications for the interVASP joint working group, which created the world’s first technical standard to help crypto exchanges adhere to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’s travel rule.
Additionally, Emfarsis partners annually with the BGA to produce its annual Member Survey and Report.
Leah holds a bachelor of Communications majoring in Writing and Cultural Studies and a Masters of Business Administration (MBA), both from the University of Technology Sydney.
See my pitch : https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UwmD5LmsAuB4h1LIJZVj_ox0WwLY8IfL1vbGBDRINhI/edit?usp=sharing
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahcallonbutler/
Hinza Asif, Brand Alliances Specialist at NFT Studio24
Hinza is a brand alliance specialist with expertise in connecting Japan to the global market.
As a brand alliance specialist with expertise in the blockchain gaming industry, I can assist the Web3 Blockchain Game Alliance in identifying potential brand allies, conducting market research, developing a brand alliance strategy, and facilitating negotiations with potential partners.
By leveraging my skills and experience, I can help the alliance form successful partnerships and expand its business in new markets.
See my pitch : https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-NRZ1XFDpLFmh3KNsZAHrfWiK411bxrX
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hinza-asif/
Hideaki Uehara, Director Of Business Development at Square Enix
Among the many traditional video game publishers, Square Enix has been a relatively early entrant in the blockchain space researching, developing, and investing in blockchain gaming to unlock the potential of blockchain in the entertainment industry.
Since 2019, as the Director of Business Development at Square Enix, I have participated in many events organized by the BGA, driving investments in blockchain projects, and promoting collaborations within the blockchain gaming community.
The BGA has been making invaluable contributions to promoting BGA members’ businesses and significantly growing the blockchain gaming community. Thanks to the BGA, we have been able to invest in several BGA members’ projects and also build synergies with and among BGA members.
There are not many Japan-based companies involved in the BGA at the moment, but the Japanese market is very promising for blockchain gaming, and I am sure many BGA members are considering entering the Japanese market.
The Japanese government has implemented a policy to promote Web3. Hence, I believe that Japan could become one of the most attractive and important markets for BGA and its members.
I plan to use my gaming business experience in Japan and the West for the BGA and its members.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hide-uehara-351a7122/?originalSubdomain=uk
Alper Esen, Chief Operations Officer at NFTb
A lifelong FPS & RPG gamer who’s had the pleasure of trying out thousands of games. Gaming has always been my passion, and I’ve immersed myself in countless epic adventures and battles.
In my professional life, I spent several years working in strategy and operations at firms like Amazon, Airbus and so spanning multiple countries. It was an exciting journey, but now I’ve transitioned into the world of Web3 in early 2022.
Currently, I’m the COO of two Web3 brands making waves in the gaming scene. One is NFTb, a Web3 Gaming HUB backed by Binance and Polygon gaming, where we’re pushing the boundaries of gaming experiences and developed some of the 1st of its kind features. The other is Yoda Labs, a top-notch Web3 gaming research, review, and media HUB which produced some of the most valuable Web3 gaming research pieces to date.
I would be delighted to contribute to the board, offering a distinctive perspective, valuable professional and personal insights that can drive meaningful impact and success in BGA while having fun and making the industry great.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alper-esen/
Alex Kosloff, Head of Business Development at AlturaNFT
Alex is a seasoned business professional with over a decade of experience in a variety of industries. He has successfully run companies, led sales teams, worked with some of the largest corporations around the world, and has a proven track record of achieving results.
As one of Altura’s first employees, he has successfully signed on 100+ games and secured major partnerships with industry leaders such as Unity, Cronos Labs, and various other partners.
Alex is known for his dedication and drive, both in his professional career and in his personal pursuits, such as recently completing an Ironman triathlon.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-kosloff-7ab681105/
Patrick McGrath, Co-Founder & CEO at Moonlit Games
Patrick is a F2P mobile gaming expert with a proven track record of creating and operating games at mass scale.
With experience at prominent companies like EA, Zynga, and Playtika in roles ranging from product management to executive leadership, his products have been installed by over a billion people leading to nearly $3b in revenue.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/psmcgrath/
Kenneth Hurley, Founder at Genuis Ventures Inc
Hello, esteemed members of the Blockchain Game Alliance. I am Kenneth, an experienced engineering manager and an ardent believer in the transformative power of blockchain in gaming. Working with industry leaders like Nvidia, EA, Intel, Amazon, and Google has given me deep insights into scalable cloud services, software architecture, and blockchain.
Gaming today goes beyond entertainment — it’s about building communities and economies and offering immersive experiences. Blockchain can enhance this experience, making it more secure and democratic. As a prospective member of this Alliance, I aim to combine my comprehensive gaming industry background, blockchain understanding, and business acumen to help guide this convergence in a beneficial direction for gamers globally.
Remember, we’re not just playing games but architecting an immersive, decentralized future. With your support, we can redefine the future of gaming.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/klhurley/
Nicholas Douzinas, Co-founder at Ajuna Network
My name is Nicholas Douzinas, and I am the Co-founder of Ajuna Network. After studying and working in the corporate world in the UK, I founded my first company in 2014 and co-founded my first blockchain gaming company in 2017.
Being part of the BGA since 2018, I have seen it grow and evolve. At its best, the BGA can be a platform for inspiring developers who want to navigate the web3 gaming space. A source of talent, innovation,n and information for studios and publishers, and a common ground for infrastructure projects to work together. With my past experience as a builder in the web3 space, I wish to actively contribute more as a board member for the BGA.
Nicholas holds BSc in Economics and Econometrics from Warwick University, an MSc from CASS Business School, and an MSc from Imperial College.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/douzinas/
Michael Sanders, Co-Founder & Chief Storyteller at Horizon
I’m committed to making web3 easy, fun, and accessible for users and builders.
I’ve been in the blockchain space for 13 years and have invested the past six years into building Horizon — creators of Sequence and Skyweaver — to enable and accelerate the next generation of video games so that players and studios benefit from web3 and have more fun playing.
As a BGA board member, I’ll help onboard the world to the wonderful new dimension of web3.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbsanders/
Nicolas Sierro, Product & Content at Blockchainizator
I bring broad experience in the area of information systems and new digital services.
Active in blockchain gaming & NFTs since the beginning with the pioneers, I share my knowledge based on delivered projects & products in the market.
My proposal for focused areas by BGA is:
- initiatives supporting members to build games, collections, & platforms efficiently with guidelines, standards, & information sharing
- growth of BGA awareness by players & consumers with communication & promotion, helping members own B2C marketing and sales
- participation in actions for long-term values of games & digital assets in operation.
I will collaborate with other board members & the operational team for the benefit of all, from my experience of complex organizations, my habits for novelties, and in an independent way.
See my pitch : https://blockchainizator.com/download/Blockchain%20gaming%20NFTs%20activities%20-%20Nicolas%20Sierro%202023.pdf
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sierro/
Aurelien Godderis, Head of Partnerships at Cometh
Aurelien is the Head Of Partnership at Cometh, expert in the field of blockchain technologies. Since 2017, Aurelien has been deeply immersed in the world of blockchain, also as a member of the Ethereum France and several gaming organization. he’s exploring its vast potential and leveraging its transformative power to revolutionize the gaming sectors.
Aurelien’s journey into blockchain began with a deep fascination for decentralized systems and their potential to reshape traditional industries. Recognizing the disruptive nature of blockchain technology, he delved into extensive research and hands-on experimentation to grasp its intricacies.
His relentless pursuit of blockchain’s potential, combined with his expertise and industry leadership, makes Aurelien the perfect candidate to contribute to the growth and success of the Blockchain Gaming Alliance and the broader blockchain ecosystem.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aur%C3%A9lien-godderis-5a6268b6/
Martin Harder, Business Development Lead at AtomicHub
Martin is a web3 enthusiast with a passion for digital assets, gaming, and music, rooted in data science.
He is heading the business development at AtomicHub, a true European success story in web3. He and his team built AtomicHub, the busiest hub for web3 games and collectibles. With millions of connected wallets and major global brands onboarded, they have facilitated over 23M sales since inception. They are also behind NFT Insider, AtomicAds.io, the AtomicHub Launchpad and the newly launched AtomicHub Game Fest. With the latter, they celebrate some of the best web3 games and engage players globally in a fun event.
Martin understands and speaks the “languages” of developers, artists, gamers, and web3 business builders alike. He is a strong proponent of connecting the right people on the B2B side with the larger goal in mind. On the user experience side, web3-enabled gaming still has miles to go before it has a compelling offer for the next 1 billion users. He and his team are working actively to change this. Ambition, credibility, and willingness to collaborate are key in the current macro market.
See my Pitch : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sLWBmFervPRbzFsSxXCWuG4RCekGzgav/view
https://www.linkedin.com/in/profile-martin-harder/
Candidates here : https://heyzine.com/flip-book/ce7ab5bd13.html
