Today we are excited to introduce our esteemed jury. They bring a wealth of expertise in education, gaming, industry training, emerging technology, and venture capital to the Challenge, and share a passion for the transformative potential of new tools for learning.
We are honored to have this group of leaders contribute their incredible talents to the Challenge, and would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the judges for their time and effort.
Meet your judges!
ELIZABETH BARON
Virtual Reality & Advanced Visualization Technical Specialist, Ford Motor Company
Elizabeth Baron is a Technical Specialist in Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization at Ford Motor Company. She has been the driving force in the development and deployment of immersive vehicle verification technology at Ford Motor Company and is the principal inventor of the Ford immersive Vehicle Environment (FiVE) process and technology. Elizabeth became the first Virtual Reality Technical Specialist at Ford, a position she asked to create so that she could grow the technology with the Company. Elizabeth was awarded the highest technical award in Ford Motor Company, the Dr. Haren Gandhi Research and Innovation Award, honoring her career in immersive visualization and her technical leadership.
NONNY DE LA PEÑA
CEO and Founder, Emblematic Group
Nonny is CEO and founder of the Emblematic Group which uses digital reality technologies to tell important stories both fictional and news-based that create intense, empathic engagement on the part of viewers. Her work is funded by various organizations, including the University of Southern California, Tribeca Film Institute, Google, Associated Press and the World Economic Forum. Nonny was called “The Godmother of Virtual Reality” by Engadget and The Guardian, and was named “One of the People Who Made the World More Creative” by Fast Company.
MARLON EVANS
CEO of GSVlabs
Marlon is CEO of GSVlabs where he oversees an ecosystem of innovation including 180+ start-ups, investors, corporations, universities, and government. In creating a platform for collaboration via innovation labs focused on ed tech, mobility, big data, entertainment and sustainability, GSVlabs helps accelerate the journey from solution to scale. Prior to joining GSVlabs, Marlon served as a Director of Corporate Affairs at Hewlett-Packard. His team implemented global community engagement programs, collaborating with the Stanford d.school on ideathons and facilitating company-driven hackathons in support of educational, health, and environmental innovation.
STEVE ISAACS
Video Game Design and Development Teacher, William Annin Middle School
Steve Isaacs teaches Video Game Design and Development at William Annin Middle School in Basking Ridge, NJ. In addition, he developed and teaches an online version of the Video Game Design and Development course for the VHS Collaborative. Community building and connecting with other educators is one of Steve’s passions. He is proud to be the co-founder of #EdTechBridge, a Twitter chat and community working to build collaborative relationships among EdTech stakeholders to create better EdTech for our students.
RESHMA SAUJANI
Founder and CEO, Girls Who Code
Reshma is the Founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Through its Summer Immersion Programs and Clubs, Girls Who Code is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities. Reshma’s TED talk, “Teach girls, bravery not perfection”, has more than one million views and has sparked a national conversation about how we’re raising our girls. She is also the author of the groundbreaking new book, Women Who Don’t Wait In Line.
KURT SQUIRE
Co-Director of the Games+Learning+Society Center in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
Kurt is Professor of Digital Media in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at University of Wisconsin Madison and Co-Director of the Games+Learning+Society Center in the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. A former Montessori and primary school teacher, Kurt also has served as research manager of the Games-to-Teach Project at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-director of the Education Arcade. He is a published author and internationally recognized leader in games and learning.
KIKI WOLFKILL
Microsoft’s 343 Industries, Halo Transmedia & Entertainment Studio Head
Kiki Wolfkill heads up 343 Industries’ transmedia and entertainment efforts. She served as Executive Producer on the digital series “Halo: The Fall of Reach”, “Halo: Nightfall”, the upcoming Halo television series, as well as the Halo Channel experience on Xbox One, PC, and mobile platforms. As a passionate storyteller both in and out of games, Kiki brings together her production background and her creative leadership to deliver on the next chapter in Halo’s expansive universe. In 2013, Kiki was named one of the 10 Most Powerful Women in Gaming by Fortune Magazine.
As a reminder, the EdSim Challenge is accepting submissions for simulation concepts through January 17, 2017 at 4:59:59 PM EST. Sign up to receive all Challenge updates here.