Tim Cullings is a video games industry veteran and the Executive Director of Global Game Jam, the world's largest game creation event empowering individuals worldwide to learn, experiment, and create. Tim is also the Executive Director and Board President at Seattle Indies, a nonprofit organization championing independent gamers who wish to pursue game development as a hobby or profession. Before joining GGJ, he was a Systems Engineer at Oculus and a QA Test Lead at Airtight Games.

An experienced community builder, Tim serves as a chapter lead for the International Games Development Association (IGDA), the world's largest nonprofit network fostering game creators. He also helped found GUILD, a support group for indie game developer community organizers and Games for Our Future, a multi-city jam gathering client science researchers and game developers to create games about climate change and other social impact themes.

In this episode…

When the first video game, Spacewar!, emerged in 1962, no one probably predicted it would evolve into a $100-billion global industry. Since then, popular consoles like Atari, Sega Genesis, Nintendo, Playstation, and Xbox have become household staples. Along with being a favorite pastime, the gaming industry is a top employer. In the US alone, nearly 300,000 people work in the video game industry, a 3.5% increase since 2018. With an expected growth rate of 73.8% from 2020-2027, there's a demand for video game developers.

That's why passionate industry leaders in the video game space like Tim Cullings are committed to creating safe spaces for gaming enthusiasts. Game development competitions, known as game jams, allow hobbyists and aspiring gaming professionals to experiment and create games from scratch. These events provide community, networking opportunities, mentorships, and job opportunities. 

In this episode of the Here's Waldo Podcast, Lizzie Mintus welcomes Tim Cullings, Executive Director at The Global Game Jam, to discuss the positive influences of gaming communities. Tim shares his career journey into the gaming industry, Seattle Indies' mentorship program, and the evolution of Global Game Jam and its success stories.