Evaluation Juries

Benoit Gagnon is a visionary leader based in Montreal, Quebec with has a passion for technology. With extensive experience in cybersecurity, strategic management, and IT, he has spearheaded major technological transformations and redefined strategies for organizations like KPMG Canada and Forensik. As an educator and researcher, Benoit shares his cybersecurity expertise at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Université de Montréal, contributing to the field's advancement. His achievements include establishing strategic intelligence services and co-editing the book Repenser le terrorisme.

Versatile and self-taught, Benoit holds numerous professional certifications and an MBA from UQAM's École des sciences de la gestion. Known for his innovative approach and enthusiasm for cutting-edge technologies, he excels at integrating emerging tech into business strategies, making him a valuable consultant and inspirational leader. Benoit values organizational learning and views mistakes as opportunities for improvement, reinforcing his commitment to strategic management focused on people and innovation.

Fanni Fazakas (HU/AU/NZ) is a Technical Artist, Director, and Researcher, specializing in XR technology to highlight marginalized voices and create social impact. She is the co-founder of RUMEXR, a digital artist collective working in Hungary and Austria, where she integrates co-creation strategies into her artistic practice. Missing 10 Hours VR, her award-winning project exploring the Bystander Effect, has received international recognition, including Best in Show VR at SIGGRAPH and Best XR Impact at the DocEdge Film Festival.

Fanni also leads research at Victoria University of Wellington – Te Herenga Waka, where she teaches in the Master of Design Technology program. She holds degrees from Moholy-Nagy University and NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program.

Dr. Jess Rowan Marcotte (they/them) is a queer, transgender, mixed white-passing Mi’kmaw and Euro settler game designer, maker, writer, researcher, teacher and community organizer. They are one of the three co-founders of the Soft Chaos Cooperative, a worker-owned cooperative that turns feelings into experiences, designing meaningful, playful interactions that connect people at the interstices of physical and digital worlds. They also co-organize the Queerness and Games Conference (QGCon) and consult on educational health games with WHO (WHO Academy) and game initiatives for refugees with UNHCR Innovation Services. Their work focuses on interactive experiences of all sorts, including interactive installations, larps, tabletop games, alt control/hybrid games, video games, and more. What unifies their design work is a general focus on queer, intersectional feminist design approaches, as well as explorations of awkwardness, vulnerability, and intimacy. They try to create games that encourage people to reflect on their relationship to themselves and others.

Graduated with a bachelor's degree in Graphic Communication from Laval University in 2003, Karen works in the field of video games, where the creation of experience is strongly combined with the emotion of the player. For her, the experience isn't just about what's on the screen: the user is the creative initiator. In almost 15 years, Karen has worn many hats. Going from game designer to project manager, she has evolved as much in more technical mandates as in mentoring. She now applies her knowledge to the development of software products, where artificial intelligence and data management allow companies to offer highly personalized experiences to their customers.

Laura Mingail is the Founder of Archetypes & Effects, known for developing innovative solutions to engage audiences for both established and emerging storytelling industries.

With a track record of success across film, TV, XR and consumer products, Laura has led marketing, communications, and new business initiatives for prominent brands such as Disney Junior, CTV, Cineplex Entertainment, Entertainment One and PepsiCo.

In addition to her work with Archetypes & Effects, Laura contributes to the evolution of the entertainment industry as an Advisory Board Member for SXSW and the Foundation for WIFT+ Toronto, media contributor and speaker. She is an invited speaker and jury member at leading events and festivals such as AI World Forum, Augmented World Expo, Guanajuato International Film Festival, Series Mania, SXSW and Tribeca Festival, as well as for intellectual organizations ranging from University of Toronto to Mensa Canada.

Stéphane Roy is a video game studio executive with over 20 years of experience leading large-scale game development teams. As Studio Head and Vice President at Warner Bros. Games Montreal from 2016-2024, he oversaw production of major titles like Gotham Knights. Previously, he served as Executive Producer on the Deus Ex franchise at Eidos Montreal. Stéphane has a proven track record of delivering award-winning games for some of the industry's biggest franchises, including Batman, Deus Ex and Splinter Cell. With expertise spanning game development, project management, and business partnerships, Stéphane is a respected industry veteran who has consistently driven success across AAA game productions.

Su’s professional career spans 25 years in artistic, production, strategy and leadership roles in creative technology, digital media and education. Her extensive involvement in the creative technology sector includes game development and publishing, animation, and agency settings. Su has been pivotal in scaling up multiple independent studios, bringing alignment to operational, creative, and cultural dynamics while successfully shipping projects.

Su has been a key contributor and supporter for volunteer-led communities (Diversity in Games, Full Indie, Spark CG Society) and industry-level advocacy organizations (DigiBC and Creative BC), and a strong promoter of diversity, equity, and inclusion. A lifelong learner with a keen interest in innovation-based applied education, Su holds an MBA with a specialization in the Management of Technology from Simon Fraser University, and is currently the Associate Dean for Digital Arts, Media and Design in the School of Business + Media at BCIT.