Guildmasters & Keynote Speakers

Insights, Advisory, and Advocacy

Guildmasters
This special designation is given to esteemed game industry leaders who serve as elected advisors, partners, and advocates of 水多多导航 Guildhall in a variety of ways.

Keynote Addresses
Experienced developers have educated and inspired throughout our history in a variety of ways, including graduation addresses, Industry Insights Speaker Series, and the Game Changers Speaker Series. You can find on-demand recordings on  and .


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Richard Garriott

Guildmaster

Credits: Founder, Argent & Sable; Founder, Origin; Founder, Portalarium; Astronaut; AIAS Hall of Fame; GDC LTA Award

Tim Sweeney

Tim Sweeney

Guildmaster

Credits: Founder/CEO, Epic Games; AIAS Hall of Fame

Gabe Newell; Image Credit: Starfish

Gabe Newell

Guildmaster

Credits: Co-Founder, Starfish; Co-Founder/Mng. Dir., Valve; AIAS Hall of Fame

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Warren Spector

Guildmaster

Credits: CCO/Co-Founder/Game Creative Dir., OtherSide Ent.; VP/GM/Creative Dir., Disney Interactive; GDC LTA Award

Greg Zeschuk

Greg Zeschuk

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2012)

Credits: GM, Blind Enthusiasm Group; Co-Founder, BioWare: AIAS Hall of Fame

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Kate Edwards

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2016)

Credits: SEO, SetJetters; CEO, Geogrify; Dir., The Global Game Jam; Exec Dir., IGDA; Forbes 50 Over 50

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Tom Hall

Guildmaster

Credits: Co-Founder, id Software; Co-Founder, ION Storm

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Adam Sessler

Guildmaster

Credits: Host, Xplay; Editor-in-Chief/On-Air Talent, G4; Editor/Producer, Rev3Games; Pres., TheoryHead

smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor ed fries

Ed Fries

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Gen. Partner, 1Up Ventures; VP, Microsoft Game Studios; Co-Creator, XBOX

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David Helgason

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Founder, Unity; Partner, Transition

Ted Price

Ted Price

Guildmaster

Credits: Founder/President/CEO, Insomniac Games

Rob Pardo

Rob Pardo

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2013)

Credits: Design & Operations, Bonfire Studios; CCO, Blizzard Ent.

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Richard Hilleman

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2011)

Credits: Dir., PMT, Amazon Games; CCO, Electronic Arts

Garrett Young

Garrett Young

Guildmaster & 

Credits: GM, emptyvessel; GM, id Software; Dir. of Production, The Walt Disney Company

Steve Nix

Steve Nix

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2014)

Credits: CEO/Co-Founder, ForwardXP & Yvolver; Div. VP, GameStop; Dir. Dig. Platforms, id Software; CEO, Ritual Ent.

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Jennell Jaquays

Guildmaster

Credits: Dir. Game Design, Coleco; Designer & Artist, ID Software, Ensemble Studios, CCP; Co-Founder, 水多多导航 Guildhall

Yusuke Naora

Yusuke Naora

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Art Dir., Square Enix

Aaron Thibault

Aaron Thibault

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2016)

Credits: Dir. of Games & eSports, Texas A&M; VP of Strat. Operations, Gearbox Software

smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor celia hodent

Celia Hodent

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Game UX Strategy Consultant; Dir. of UX, Epic Games

Tanya Watson

Tanya Watson

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Group Studios GM, Microsoft; Co-Founder/CEO, Squanch Games; EP, Epic Games

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Dan Connors

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2013)

Credits: Partner, Skunkape Games; Co-Founder/CEO, Telltale Games

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Drew Murray

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2014)

Credits: Design Dir., Insomniac Games; Design Dir., The Initiative

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Doug Lombardi

Guildmaster & 

Credits: VP Marketing, Valve Software

smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor graeme devine

Graeme Devine

Guildmaster & 

Credits: CTO, QXR Studios; CEO/Co-Founder, GRL Games; Wandering Wizard, Magic Leap

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Ken Levine

Guildmaster

Credits: Co-Founder & Creative Dir., Ghost Story Games (Irrational Games)

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JJ Richards

Guildmaster

Credits: Unity Game Developer, Netflix/SpryFox/Spontaneous Quirk; Founder, Spontaneous Quirk

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Paul Barnett

Guildmaster

Credits: CCO, DPS Games & World of Tanks; Exec. Producer, EA; GM, BioWare-Mythic

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Paul Bettner

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2015)

Credits: CEO/Founder, Playful; VP/GM, Zynga; Creative Director, Microsoft Ensemble Studios

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Michael Gallagher

Guildmaster

Credits: Pres/CEO, ESA

smu guildhall guest lecturer advisor sigurlina ingvarsdottir

Sigurlina Ingvarsdottir

Guildmaster & 

Credits: Found. Partner, Behold Ventures; Production Dir., Bonfire Studios

Sandy Petersen

Sandy Petersen

Guildmaster & Graduation Speaker (2015)

Credits: Founder, Petersen Games; CCO, Barking Lizards Technologies; Game Designer, Ensemble Studios; Gaming Hall of Fame

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Mark Randel

Guildmaster

Credits: Founder/Principal Technologist, Terminal Reality

Fawzi Mesmar

Fawzi Mesmar

Game Changers Speaker

Credits: VP Global Creative, Ubisoft; Head Of Design, DICE

Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper

Game Changers Speaker

Credits: Technical Program Mgr., Meta; Dir. of Development, Oculus VR; Creative Dir., id Software

Cindy Armstrong

Cindy Armstrong

Game Changers Speaker

Credits: Chief Administrative Officer, Playable Worlds; Studio COO, Activision/Mutant Arm; COO, Hitbox Entertainment

Morgan Wilson

Morgan Wilson

Credits: Lead Level Designer, That's No Moon; Sr Game Designer, Naughty Dog; Level Designer/Scripter, id Software

Guido Arcella

Guido Arcella

Game Changers Speaker

Credits: Dir., Arcella Sound; Co-Founder/Co-Creative Dir., Suut; Studio Dir., Casona Indie Music Studio

Zach Stambaugh

Zach Stambaugh

Credits: Product Manager & Sr. Art/UX Lead, People Fun

Stephen Chin

Stephen Chin

Game Changers Speaker

Credits: Sr Gameplay Designer, Guerrilla; Sr Gameplay Scripter, Hangar 13; Technical Designer, Crystal Dynamics; Designer, Bungie

Joel Rodriguez

Joel Rodriguez

Credits: Director of Marketing, Free Range Games; Sr Brand Mgr, Versus Evil; Sr Brand Mgr, Telltale Games

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Kyle Langley

Credits: Sr Technical Game Designer, That's No Moon; Technical Designer, Epic Games; Author