Griffin Gaming Partners

Frankie Zhu holds simultaneous venture and M&A/investment banking roles in interactive entertainment, leveraging early games and digital-media banking experience into a specialized advisory perspective and front-line deal leadership.

Nick Tuosto combines venture investing with strategic advisory for gaming companies, leveraging his LionTree gaming investment banking experience advising Supercell, Zynga, and Roblox, and champions user-generated content and creator-economy infrastructure.

Peter Levin leverages a background running Lionsgate and Nerdist to guide founders in emerging markets like Türkiye to turn games into multi-platform franchises, advising on IP, studio partnerships and AI.

Phil Sanderson, often described as the longest-running active games investor with over two decades' experience, made the first venture bet in Discord and focuses on game-adjacent infrastructure and community platforms.

Pierre Planche is a Partner who leads European deals, bridging European game creators and US capital by backing early-stage mobile-first teams—especially small, energetic French and Finnish founders rethinking free-to-play models.

Gregory Wertman is Chief Investment Officer and General Partner at SC Master Fund, with experience in business development and corporate strategy across Series A through pre-IPO stage companies in defense, national security, automotive, food technology, life sciences, and advanced consumer electronics. He serves as a board member and investor with involvement in LP and VC networks.

Anthony Palma is Head of Gaming Partnerships at Mysten Labs, where he focuses on ecosystem development for the Sui blockchain and its associated platforms. He previously worked as a venture capital partner and founder, and currently advises gaming startups on fundraising and web3 strategy. With over 10 years of experience in the video game industry, he has led teams across web3 gaming, cloud computing, platform building, and game publishing.

Alex Kamins, an operator who led Roblox and Twitch partnerships as WMG SVP, ran WMG Boost, and is a recognized architect of in‑game music experiences who aligns stakeholders for founders.

Chris Quaidoo combines public-markets experience covering publishers like Activision Blizzard with early-stage venture investing and his role as Content Acquisition Lead at Carry1st, offering crossover insight into African gaming.

Doug Bemis blends gaming focus and commercial AI expertise—co‑founded Geometric Intelligence (acquired by Uber to form Uber AI Labs) and founded legal‑AI Syntracts, with neurolinguistics and CTO game-technology background.

Jason Della Rocca removes friction between creators and capital, running hands-on GDC Masterclasses pitch coaching and public events, mentoring over 20 indie studios and advising agencies on game development policy.

Jesse Houston is a studio leader with over two decades at BioWare, Riot Games, Phoenix Labs and Critical Path Games, championing life-outcomes-first leadership and building companies that endure decades.

Jessica Tams brings rare board-level insight from serving on Atari's board and deep technical and production expertise, having moved from software engineer to game development operations and now venture roles.

Jim Huntley, USC Games professor and marketing lead, leverages relationships with Take-Two, Microsoft and Sony to create the Gerald A. Lawson Endowment Fund advancing Black and Indigenous representation in games.

Leo Olebe brings platform-level perspective from leading gaming businesses at Facebook/Meta, Google Play and YouTube, plus hands-on creator ecosystem and competitive gaming program experience and early marketing leadership at BioWare.

Brings 30+ years of strategic and marketing experience. Board member at several companies; previously CMO and SVP of Marketing at Microsoft.

Mike Capps combines AAA game leadership (Scion Studios founder; former president of Epic Games) with co-founder experience at explainable AI startups Diveplane and Howso, aiding founders at the games–AI–data intersection.

Mike Sepso, co-founder of Major League Gaming and ex-leader of Vindex, offers expertise in leagues, events, media rights, venues and broadcast tech, champions local gaming centers and advises non-endemic brands.

Riz Virk is a veteran gaming founder-operator, bestselling author on simulation theory and startups, academic collaborator at MIT and ASU, and Zen-minded entrepreneur with indie film and game-pioneering experience.

Russell Binder leverages decades of licensing and merchandising expertise—turning IP like Five Nights at Freddy's and Twilight into franchises—to help companies expand games into films and series, merchandise and experiences.

Angela Dalton founded Signum Growth Capital in 2018, a FINRA-registered broker dealer providing M&A advisory, capital raising, and public markets services. She has over 20 years of experience in technology and media, with previous roles as Managing Director at UBS, Evercore Partners, and Guggenheim Partners, and as a co-founder of Evercore Group LLC. Dalton also founded AD8 Pop, a games publisher focused on user-generated content platforms and developer tools, and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and degrees from the University of Kansas.

With three decades in toys, MMOs, mobile, Web3 and AI—including running Disney’s toys business and serving as GM of Club Penguin at its peak—Chris Heatherly builds ventures, offering founder-operator empathy.

Jex Li is Head of Business Development and Investment for China at Garena, bringing over 10 years of experience in business development and investment within the gaming industry. Li holds an MBA from Chicago Booth and serves as an interviewer for the program. Prior experience includes roles at Tencent.

Mich Mathews-Spraldin is a 22-year Microsoft CMO and Senior VP who stewarded a multibillion-dollar ad budget and shaped Microsoft's brand, bringing hands-on positioning and go-to-market expertise to gaming founders.

Brings experience in asset management audits for investment firms, specializing in valuations and compliance. Previously at KPMG US.

Brings 5+ years of administrative and operations experience across financial institutions. Previously at CODE Advisors.

Brings financial analysis and deal execution expertise. Vice President at GoodGame Advisors; previously at Airtable and LionTree.

Provides financial and valuation analysis. Previously worked in media investment banking at The Raine Group.

Emily Wang combines partner investing with rare COO responsibilities in gaming VC and convenes specialist game VC and founder panels to build bridges across the ecosystem.

Brings 10+ years of social media and community management experience in games. Previously at Creative Assembly, Jagex, and Payload Studios.

Brings 20+ years of venture industry experience in compliance, finance, legal, ops, and investor relations. Previously at Hambrecht & Quist, Granite Ventures, Tandem Capital, Pantera Capital, and Cooley.

Brings experience with M&A, capital raising, and strategic financial transactions. Previously an investment banking analyst at B. Riley Securities.

Brings a decade of gaming M&A and product expertise. Previously at Play Ventures, Rovio, and Wargaming.

Brings over 15 years of recruiting in games. Previously at N3TWORK, Glu Mobile, DeNA/ngmoco, and Concept Art House.

Brings 7+ years of executive support experience within family offices. Previously at Steyn Group and KJJF Supercharged Initiative.

Brings 6+ years of game publishing and cross-market strategy experience across China and Europe. Previously at tinyBuild and XD.

Has over seven years of experience as an IT consultant, working with numerous small and medium-sized businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Brings a background in publishing, entertainment, and game development. Previously at ESL FACEIT, Travian Games, and Paradox Interactive.

Brings over 18 years in the video game industry with a focus on independent creators. Previously at Valve Software (Steam) and Devolver Digital.

Provides financial and valuation analysis. Previously worked in technology investment banking at Centerview Partners.

Seth Nutt is both a principal and chief of staff, bringing growth-stage venture and strategic M&A perspectives in gaming from a career spanning gaming-focused banking, advisory, and venture.

Brings financial analysis and deal execution expertise. Associate at GoodGame Advisors; previously an investment banker at LionTree.

Tammy McDonald is a games industry executive with 27+ years of experience owning and operating Axis Game Factory, a development studio that created interactive video games across multiple platforms for over 150 licensed properties and produced more than 20 hours of 3D animation for in-game cinematics, broadcast television, and film. Her clients have included major publishers such as Sony Computer Entertainment, Microsoft, Activision, Blizzard, Electronic Arts, and Take-Two Interactive. McDonald currently serves as Chief Business Officer at Stealth Mode and works as a strategic advisor and venture partner with Griffin Gaming Partners, focusing on game development and technology investment opportunities.