Last week, the Accelerate program hit a major milestone – we took our fellows to the Game Developers Conference 2025! Eight of our ten fellows flew out to San Francisco and spent the week attending talks, learning from experts, connecting with peers, interacting with the industry and, of course, meeting and hanging out with their Accelerate cohort.
Sarah and I could not be prouder! For most of the fellows, this was their first time at GDC and, for some, their first time at a games conference. Each and everyone of them were stellar representatives of the program, Take This, and most importantly of the importance and impact of the games and mental health intersection.
While we’re all still collectively recovering from the trip, here are a few highlights!
GDC is in a league of its own. It’s literally the place to be and for fellows with limited and early career game industry experience this is the place to break bread and tread new ground that can impact you for years to come.
In addition to the official GDC activities, fellows Ro and Jamy created a therapeutic art in the park experience. People walking through Yerba Buena Gardens had the opportunity to sit down and share about their personal stories as game devs, expressing themselves through words, art, or even washi tape.
The vibes are immaculate.
The pop-up was a huge success. Ro and Jamy are in the process of bringing all these expressive pieces together to create a zine about the joy, grief, and hope of being a game dev.
Last month, we shared that we’d be taking our first class of Accelerate fellows to GDC and that trip was made possible by our title sponsor Riot Games and with generous support from Sony Interactive Entertainment, I Need Diverse Games, and the GDC Scholar Program.
We are actively looking for sponsors for season 2 of Accelerate! If you’re interested in sponsoring the program, please contact us!