Once again, it is that time of the week when we introduce you to the women achievers of the year. We have been paying tribute to all the women who have made us proud by scaling unprecedented heights in the genre of technology and we are here again, yet another time, to do so. Our, this week’s achievers are tech czarinas who have taken online gaming to a never-before platform. Besides adding feathers to the grand cap of the video gaming industry, they have redefined entertainment and made the term popular among people of all classes, tastes, genders, and age. Are you ready to get introduced to them? Here’s Mizwhiz introducing you to the great ‘gamers’ of 2011.
Erin Robinson
If you have a passion, follow it, you never know, what is just an interest for you today, may tomorrow become something that will make you popular worldwide. Well, this especially holds true for Erin Robinson; for, if she hadn’t followed her passion, she wouldn’t have been what she is today… she would have still been a research assistant in a psychology lab. Erin is more of a game-developer by choice than by chance. What was once a topic close to her heart is today what her profession is. Based out of Chicago, she is one of the pioneers of the genre of indie games and has surely made it a much sought-after genre. Some of her memorable works till date remain Nanobots, Little Girl in Underland, Spooks, and Puzzle Bots.
Kellee Santiago
President and Co-founder of thatgamecompany, Kellee Santiago is a name to reckon with in the world of gamers. Having given us popular games such as Flow, Flower, and Journey, Santiago has brought the video gaming experience to an altogether new level. She believes that there is no person who is a non-gamer; he is just a person who is yet to find a game of his liking. No wonder, through her work, she aims to connect with people across a vast spectrum. Besides developing and producing games, Santiago is also actively involved in promoting indie game developers (individual gamers who are not associated with any brand).
Veronica Belmont
Another influential name in the list of women tech achievers 2011 is that of Veronica Ann Belmont. A gamer herself since childhood, Veronica no wonder well understands what an avid gamer looks out for. This helps her to exactly host her programs in the desired way. Some of the projects that she is/has been actively involved in include Tekzilla and Qore.
Jessica Kahn
If you have played Tap Tap Revenge, the popular iPhone game, you will know for sure who Jessica Kahn is. And those of you who are yet to play this game, this is Jessica Kahn for you – the person who has created this popular game that gaming enthusiasts from all over the world took up like there was no tomorrow. She is today working as the vice president Engineering, Disney Mobile, and is responsible for operations and strategy building for Tapulous (the company that created Tap Tap Revenge). Jessica was also associated with Apple as a software engineer prior to her joining Tapulous. Her vast knowledge on the subject and a passion to surprise her audience with newer concepts has surely contributed toward the growing popularity of the games produced and developed by her company.
Heather Kelley
While the others have catered to a vast audience, Heather Kelley with her aesthetic and artistic sense of video gaming nuances have found her place under the sun for a niche audience. She is a media artist and video game developer who is mostly known for her products that include ‘pleasure software for women’. Her famous projects include names such as Lapis, Fabulous, and Body Heat. She is also a popular name in the jury of computer festivals held worldwide. Heather is currently working as the founder and president of Perfect Plum.
Technology remained a male-dominated genre for long. However, with these power ladies coming up and taking center stage, this no longer holds true. Mizwhiz aims to recognize the achievers of 2011 and introduce them to you so that the celebrations come a full circle.
