Maria Burns Ortiz
Executive Director
Global Game Jam
Global Game Jam
Maria Burns Ortiz is the executive director of the Global Game Jam, which organizes the world's largest game creation event, The Global Game Jam, and the world's largest youth game jam, GGJ Next. GGJ works year-round to support the growth of game development ecosystems and champion indie developers around the world. Through these efforts, GGJ reaches over 40,000 game creators across more than 100 countries annually.
Talks & sessions
Serious Games, Serious Business
The indie games space has never been more crowded, and the once tried-and-true routes to building a financially sustainable studio have never been less reliable. Serious and impact games aren't a quick fix, but - whether as an additional revenue stream or an all-in business model - they offer access to alternative funding pipelines, institutional partners and often ready-made audiences. Drawing on experience building an educational/social impact games studio into a multimillion-dollar business and leading serious game jam initiatives with NGOs, governments and UN agencies, Global Game Jam executive director Maria Burns Ortiz makes the case that serious games aren't just altruistic but smart business.