In 2012, the International Game Developers Association needed a new director. Thankfully IGDA choose Kate Edwards. Really, it wasn’t a hard choice to elect Kate Edwards. She is a talented and intelligent person who uses her unique perspective to problem solve.

Kate Edwards really is an amazing brain. She is an applied geographer, writer, and content culturalization strategist. Kate’s background includes geography, cartography and geopolitics. She has traveled extensively which has given her wonderful perspective. All of this education and experience are tools that Kate successfully uses.

After taking on the mantle of Director of IGDA Kate used her power in the best way. For the betterment of those who didn’t have a voice in the industry. She forayed her raining and talents to help tackle some very difficult problems for the network of the world’s game developers. Kate took a firm stand about Gamergate and sexism in the gaming industry. She also was outspoken about the topics of diversity and unpaid “crunch” time. 

Kate resigned as Director of the IGDA in 2017. She stated; “I felt it’s time for me to move on. When I first took the IGDA role, I told the board that this is likely a three- to five-year mission for me, and here I am nearly at five years. My top goals were to reinvigorate the IGDA’s relevance, reinstate the IGDA’s core mission as an advocacy org and voice for game developers (not companies), and to emphasize the ‘I’ part of the IGDA and strengthen our international presence.” Kate believed that after five years it was time for someone with a different skill set to help IGDA continue to move forward.

In short Kate Edwards has made our world a little better place through her hard work at IGDA. She took an unflinching stand against injustice. She made the road a little easier for those in the gaming industry moving forward. Kate has shown us that by being brave and hard working you can make a change in the gaming industry. She has also had a good time doing it in cosplay.

Always keep sparkling!