New York University

New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study

NYU Game Center Incubator Director at New York University

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Founder and managing director of an incubator that leverages academic, corporate, and government resources to enable sustainable entrepreneurship in games.Recruited 100+ member advisory board, raised over $1 million in public and private funding, and shepherded 45+ teams through investment acquisition and product launches. Project manager of multiple, simultaneous games. Oversaw marketing, finances, and production.Participating projects are provided a structure to address the marketing, legal, financial, and other business issues of launching a successful commercial game. The Game Center fosters partnerships with publishers, technology companies, veteran developers, lawyers, journalists, and other industry experts who guide the Incubator participants towards their launch goal. Through a combination of curriculum development, events programming, production assistance, and financial support, the goal of the Incubator is to bring to market innovative work that might not otherwise get there.

NYU Game Center Incubator Director

In courses ranging from 12-person seminars to 100+ lectures, I teach critical approaches to studying and making games. Courses include Videogames: Culture & Industry, Thinking About Games, Career Seminar.Students learn and utilize theoretical and critical approaches to studying games. The courses are designed to help students discuss games with thoughtfulness and nuance, helping them channel their enjoyment of playing games into a deeper engagement with the medium.

Adjunct Faculty

Grew the NYU Game Center from a two-class pilot to one of the top ranked graduate and undergraduate game design programs in the world. My responsibilities ranged from strategic to operational.Key member of the team that defined the vision for a new department in an emerging field and developed the curriculum that is now the preeminent methodology for game design education.Created brand identity and managed outreach, effectively raising the number, diversity, and quality of student applicants. Ran social media, led redesign of website, and hosted hundreds of public events.Acted as chief of staff, coordinating the needs of a wide range of stakeholders. Advised department heads on critical organizational decisions including hiring. Oversaw all external strategic partnerships.

Dylan McKenzie

Dylan McKenzie