Black Girl Gamers today revealed more information about the upcoming 2024 Online Summit, including the lineup of speakers and when it will be held. The event will take place on August 3 and will be hosted on RingCentral. In addition to the individuals revealed below, more speakers will be revealed in the coming weeks.
Black Girls Gamers first held its online summit in 2020, sponsored by Twitch. According to the organization, this year it plans to focus its discussions around four main talking points:
- Ownership and access rights: Go beyond diversity conversations 101 to get to the nitty-gritty of today’s industry needs.
- Impact and innovation – Exploring gaming’s impact on mainstream culture and its intersection with non-endemic brands and media.
- Culture and authenticity – Led by Black and POC industry professionals, these panels will provide insightful advice and actionable guidance to viewers.
- Advocacy and coalition – Educating allies about effective ways to support underrepresented communities.
Confirmed speakers for the Black Girl Gamers Online Summit include:
- Dr.. Rachel Kowert (Research Director, Take That)
- Eileen Gomez (Vice President, Latinx in Games)
- Dr.. Akil Fletcher (Princeton University)
- Jessica Mowry (Co-Founder and CEO of Wicked Saints Studios)
- Niles Seymour-Heron (Head of Strategy, Hair and Hooks)
- Keshauna Gray (University of Kentucky)
- Olivier Nouri (Chief Accessibility Officer at Games Accessibility Hub)
Jay Ann Lopez, Founder and CEO, Black Girl Gamer (Who spoke at GamesBeat Next 2023), said in a statement: “The gaming industry is going through a lot right now. That’s why it was important for us to bring back the Online Gaming Summit this summer. “I’m excited for us to create a space for industry professionals, aspiring professionals, and those who like to play for fun to engage in candid and much-needed conversations, especially in the wake of continued layoffs, DEI cuts, and GamerGate 2.0.”