Diversity in Games is excited to present our International Women’s* Day Panel- Let’s talk about access, baby! Join us on Zoom for an online panel session, featuring 3 parents in the games/tech industry whose focus on the panel is educate listeners on experiences that parents/caregivers have had in the games industry and the potential challenges they’ve run into around equity. We are framing this around the International Womens Day theme of #EmbraceEquity. Note: we say Women*, as we want to intentionally include those who are cisgender women, trans women, non-binary, gender-queer, AFAB individuals, two-spirit and more! Speakers: Crystal Larsh, VP of Operations, Rainbow Unicorn Games Lan Roed, Senior Game Designer, Blackbird Interactive Heather McQuillan, Executive Director, Families in Film RSVP to reserve your place now! The event is free to attend but space is limited, so please register in advance! A zoom link will be sent out the day before the event. This event is open to individuals of any gender identity. Speaker Bios
Crystal Larsh (she/her) Crystal Larsh is the VP of Operations for Rainbow Unicorn Games, as well as running her own consulting business as The TabletopPM – working with companies across gaming and across the globe on Agile training & coaching, and operational improvements and strategy. While her career focus has largely been in the realm of project and product management over the last two decades, Crystal is best known for her servant leadership style and pouring hours and social capital into DEI initiatives across the spectrum of intersectionality – both in companies she’s been a part of as well as her community including voting access, trans rights, women in STEM, and disability awareness & education.
Lan Roed (she/her) Leanne (Lan) Roed has been making games in the industry for ten years. In addition to working on projects at several studios in Vancouver she has worked on two independent games during that time. Cribbage With Grandpas, her most recent indie project, has been featured multiple times on the Apple App Store and was nominated for IndieCade 2017. In her spare time she works with a group she co-founded with a group of game devs called Heart Projector to curate pop up arcades in Vancouver.
Heather McQuillan (she/her) Heather McQuillan grew up in the film industry working across western Canada, first in front of the camera and now, working behind the scenes as a buyer and Set Decorator. Her credits include The Babysitters Club, A Million Little Things, Disney’s Flora and Ulysses and Legend’s of Tomorrow. In 2018 she was on the Emmy nominated team for Project MC2 and is an active member of IATSE 891 serving as co-chair for their Human rights committee. She is the founder and Executive Director of Families in Film, a non profit working with government and industry to research industry needs and create the supports required to make raising families in the film and entertainment industries viable. She sat on the International Steering committee for Reel Families for Change and worked hand in hand with The Canada Coalition of Women in Film on their Family Care Report released in 2021. She continues to consult for unions, employers and government to develop cohesive solutions for family care that support a sustainable workforce in entertainment.
