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Lonnie Morgan Jr.

he / him

Founder, Skyloft Games, LLC

Life long boardgame player launching a new tabletop game design company (my second wind in life!) Still working the day job as an IT pro, but spending a lot of my free time putting concepts to paper. Hope to launch my first game design with Kickstarter in Q1 2022. I’m excited to make connects (dare I say friends!) in the industry and learn more about how I can help be a better member to the overall tabletop gaming community. Looking forward to providing feedback and helpful critiques.

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Justin Antezana

He/Him

I love helping others bring their designs to life. I’m back for my 3rd consecutive year as a contest judge & ready to have a blast!

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Shari Spiro

She her

CEO Ad Magic Games, Breaking Games, Blackbox Systems, Print Play Games

Hi I’m Shari ,Founder /CEO of Ad Magic, printer of card/board games, Breaking Games, publisher /worldwide distributor of card/board games, Blackbox Systems, kickstarter/web store fulfillment warehouse,Print Play Games/Your playing cards a game prototype facility for game designers and a provider of custom casino quality playing cards for individuals and corporations. I have been in the playing card and game business since 2003, printing and shipping playing cards and games worldwide for everyone from Cards Against Humanity and Exploding Kittens, to Dwellings of Eldervale, Secret Hitler, Garth Brooks, Applebees, HBO, and even the CIA. I love games and love helping game designers make their dreams come true and sometimes we even get their games on the shelves of retailers like Target, Barnes and Noble and Walmart. We love making prototypes for testing and warehousing and shipping games. As long as we can help a game designer at some point in the development of a game – we are happy.

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Ricardo Miguens

Board game enthusiast, wannabe designer.

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Kevin Kotowski

he/him

I am an aspiring designer from Chicago that is participating in the Board Game Workshop for the 2nd time after a semi-final finish last year. I’ve been a lifelong board gamer, and I appreciate all styles of games, and I enjoy just about kinds of board games.

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Raven McKenzie

she/her

Raven McKenzie is a game designer and content creator based in Michigan. She was a recipient of the 2020 IGDN Diversity Sponsorship and serves on the Advisory Committee for Unpub, The Unpublished Games Network. Raven draws on her love of food and enthusiasm for intercultural communication in most realms of her life, from her game designs to her career in international education and her ever-growing reading list.

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Tom Vielott

he/him

Just your friendly neighborhood tabletop gamer, working on games you can play to learn some cool things

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Bez

she/her

Freelance designer, freelance developer, streamer, artist, self-publisher.

Trying to have a laugh where possible. We may be just dust, but the dust we touch is really what makes life worth living. Designer, developer, consultant, artist, self-publisher, streamer, reviewer. Previous work includes: Yogi (the best partygame of physical constraints); Kitty Cataclysm (chaotic cardplay and a whole lot of cat puns); the ELL deck (a lovingly-curated game system); and several other things. Bez currently streams daily at 10am UK-time – interviews, discussions, chats, and play-alongs. Bez is open to having guests. Bez also enjoys chatting, tasting new things, hula-hooping, music, and reading comics. Trying to get back into reading, walking, exercise, playing the keyboard, and making pictures.

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Velgus

he/him

Board Game Designer, Developer, and Editor

Hello, I’m Velgus! I’m constantly working on or playing games of all kinds, especially board games. My freelance work usually focuses on board game design, board game development, and rulebook editing. I also do some puzzle design. It’s not all fun and games – sometimes it’s just games.

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Peter Yang

He/Him

Pitch Professional

Peter Yang is a budding designer who is more passionate about hyping other peoples games more than their own. Taking the experienced they gained as a Health Educator doing two hour presentations a hundred times a year for students, they’ve dove head first into the video and board game industries – looking for the next greatest thing to lift up above the crowd.

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Anthony Tessitore

He/him

Co-founder of Guildhouse Games LLC

Dad, husband, and game enthusiast. Started in the industry as a names and flavortext writer for Magic: The Gathering. Now I am the co-founder of Guildhouse Games LLC – creators of the breakout XCG Varia.

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Brad Bachelor

he/him

Designer, Librarian, Hiker

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Jake Waller

he/him

Game Content Writer & Editor

I’m a writer and editor and have worked on a host of games, covering everything from core game mechanics to entire lore novels to the grammar of the rulebook. I love heavier games, TCGs, and RPGs, but I appreciate that lighter party games have their place so that people will play with me! That said, favourite game is probably Isle of Skye, which puts me firmly in the middle…

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Ethan Leong

him

Chief Pairing Officer

Ethan was brought into the fascinating world of board gaming through trading wood, fish and grains in the ports of Le Harve. Through the love of this hobby, he has created games such as Lawless Empire and Overbooked. From the experiences he has gained through publishing, he has embarked on a journey to give back to the wonderful board gaming community by building the right bridges between designers, publishers and distributors. With his passion and newfound mission, he hopes to introduce more traders to the ports of Le Have and, hopefully, one day terraform Mars into a habitable planet.

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Jeff Black

I am a game designer from the Boston area. My team and I work together as Little j Games. Our main focus is on making fun games that kids, adults, and families can all enjoy together.

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Mark Drejza

he/him

Lead (Only Designer) Designer

In restrospect, I have been a board gamer since I was a little kid. I came into “modern boardgames” being introduced to Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne by friends. Since then I have a decent collection of games and have been designing games seriously since 2011. This is the third year judging in this competition.

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Clarence Simpson

he/him

Clarence is a veteran video game developer who recently made the jump to the analog world. He is a member of the Game Designers of North Carolina and he is right now probably trying to do too many things at once.

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Perry Kleinhenz

he/him

Perry Kleinhenz is a mathematician and board game designer. His game “Drawing Conclusions” was a finalist in the BGW contest in 2020. He enjoys games of all kinds, right now his two favorites are Wavelength and Wingspan.

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Eric Alvarado

he/him

Co-Owner/Lead Developer

Eric is currently the project manager/developer for Talon Strikes Studios. He is the designer of Talon Strikes Studios’ Vinyl and the producer of Cardboard Edison’s Cobras. He lives in Oyster Bay, N.Y., with his wife, Meredith, and two sons, Ari and Eli.

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Andy D

An aspiring board game designer. Won 2 board game design contests in 2020. Organizer of Board Game Design Contests on India Board Games

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Neil Roberts

he/him

Enthusiastic playtester, developer, rules editor, and sometimes designer.

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Benjamin Kocher

he/him

Rule Book Editor

In the industry, I’m a board game reviewer and rule book editor. Outside of board games, I am an avid reader and writer (especially fantasy and sci-fi), birder, massive rugby fan, and I love ultimate Frisbee.

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Eric J. Francis

he/him

An aspiring designer and member of the Boston Game Makers Guild, Eric won the first Board Game Workshop Design Contest with his tile-laying game Calligraphy.

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Simon

He

Project Manager at Locomuse Studio

One of my goal is to stimulation the board game designer community! I’m president of the none profit organization Ludo Québec, producer and animator of the podcast Baladoludique, project manager at Studio Locomuse and organizer of the Proto de l’année – a board game contest held one per year. I’m also an avid player and a wanna be designer!

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Matt Shoemaker

he/him

Librarian, game designer, and owner of game publisher Hit ’em With a Shoe.

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Christopher Kaspar

Man

Techless Founder

Creator of beautiful minimal tech & board game enthusiast.

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Chris Anderson

He/Him

Host of The Board Game Workshop

Host of The Board Game Workshop. Founder of Venntik Games Designer of In Vino Morte and Tempus Quest, both published by Button Shy Games. Member of the Boston Game Makers Guild and Southern Mass Game Designers. I live in Massachusetts with my wife, Mary, and our three cats, Koshka, Krypton, and Argon.