THE JUDGES

Ben Garney

Chief Engineer at The Engine Company

Ben Garney is a tool builder and a serial entrepreneur. He started his career as one of the first hires at GarageGames developing C++ game middleware, then moved to Flash when he co-founded PushButton Labs. While at PBL, he wrote the PushButton Engine, co-wrote "Video Game Optimization", advised Adobe on their games strategy, and helped develop a number of social games, including Social City, voted Social Game of the Year in 2010.

Ben is now building Loom, a powerful platform for developing mobile apps and games with live reload of code and assets and an AS3-like scripting language.

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Brian Schmitt

Art Director at Zynga

With almost 20 years of experience at industry-leading studios, Brian brings a wealth of knowledge and skill to the table. A capable mentor and advisor, he is able to give directed, constructive feedback in a positive manner, making him a valuable addition to the judging panel.

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Jay Moore

Massively Parallel Entrepreneur & Cross Sector Industry Insight Merchant

A veteran of the game industry since the days of Sierra Online, Jay is a startup advisor to game entrepreneurs. As an insight merchant, he focuses on building strong business teams and advising on brand, business, and corporate development. He work mostly with startups that have the resources for growth.

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Jeff Tunnell

Co-Founder at Spotkin, LLC

A co-founder of Dynamix, GarageGames, Push Button Labs, and now Spotkin, Jeff has left an indelible mark on Eugene's game industry. Always on the lookout for the next big opportunity, his latest focus is on cracking open the mobile market.

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Jess Kappeler

Senior Designer at Pipeworks

Jess has shipped nine games as a designer or lead designer during his tenure at Pipeworks. Active in the dev community, he helps run the local Eugene Area Game Developer group, and has offered his advice to LCC student projects.

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