Ashley Zeldin
Mission
I'm at my best when inspiring and empowering others to realize their potential,
whether in a professional or educational setting.
I advocate for diversity in technology, helping aspiring developers break into the industry and mentoring emerging creators from underrepresented demographics.
I have presented my passions at conferences from San Francisco to Seattle, Montpellier to Melbourne, and at underserved schools throughout the Los Angeles area.
I advocate for diversity in technology, helping aspiring developers break into the industry and mentoring emerging creators from underrepresented demographics.
I have presented my passions at conferences from San Francisco to Seattle, Montpellier to Melbourne, and at underserved schools throughout the Los Angeles area.
Languages
Proficient
- English
- Spanish
Comfortable
- HTML
- CSS
- Javascript
- C
- C++
Learning
- Japanese
- Java
Education
| Santa Monica College |
computer science and game design
|
part-time 2014-2019 |
| University of Sydney |
Master of Media Practice with Merit
|
2009-2010 |
| University of Southern California |
Bachelor of Arts in Print Journalism
|
2004-2008 |
Adorkable Games
February 2012-present
(Select projects)
Designer and Artist on Fantastic Jack
In development
- Designing not-so-endless runner with game mechanics focusing on the power of imagination as a coping mechanism for adolescents dealing with bullying.
- Illustrating urban and fantasy environments inspired by Los Angeles architecture.
Designer on reVAMP
Released February 2016
- Designed whimsical game exploring the pressure of societal expectations on women to perform femininity through the ritual of makeup, with planned support for diverse cast of protagonists based on geographical region.
- Invited to exhibit at Playdate expo at 2016 L.A. Zine Fest.
Designer and Artist on
Two-Faced, for
iOS and
Android
Released February 2014
Indie Game Magazine on Two-Faced: A "fast-paced puzzle game that...manages to bring new life" to the genre with "admirable and impressive" accessibility.
- Conceptualized and iterated on game design to optimize accessibility and enjoyment.
- Devised colorblind configuration praised in the Indie Game Magazine.
- Designed animated gameplay tutorial using proprietary scripting language.
Designer on Tiny Rabbi Saves Hanukkah!
Released December 2013
- Developed overall design and level design.
- Contributed to art assets.
- Composed chiptune gameplay music using BeepBox.
- Featured in the Holiday Game Jam bundle to benefit Child's Play charity.
- Exhibited at Animation Breakdown: Women in CGI at The Cinefamily in December 2014.
- Included on John Polson's list of "notable" games on IndieGames.com.
Designer and Artist on Molydeuxsa
Released April 2012
@petermolydeux on Molydeuxsa: "I'm not joking, this was one of the most fun games in the Jam yet it hasnt been mentioned. I couldnt stop playing it until I completed it."
- Designed mechanic around tweet by @petermolydeux.
- Created all art assets, including individual animation frames.
- Composed chiptune gameplay and victory music using prerelease version of BeepBox.
Magic Pixel Games
April 2013-July 2013
Associate Producer
- Planned milestones and prioritized tasks for collectible card game Outcast Odyssey (Bandai Namco) and combat strategy game This Means War! (TapZen) for mobile devices.
- Refined the art production pipeline to better track assets from design through concept, model and render.
- Designed scalable game screens using graphical interface builder, ensuring compatibility with devices of different screen resolutions and aspect ratios.
- Contributed to design of combat systems.
- Solicited contract art work.
- Conducted extensive QA and bug-tracking with JIRA.
International Game Developers Association
IGDA Scholars program coordinator
January 2012-August 2012
I directed the IGDA Scholars program at eight conferences on three continents, and led programs at GDC, E3 and IGDA Summit + Casual Connect Seattle on-site.
- Organized behind-the-scenes tours of local studios, meet-and-greets with prominent gamedevs and one-on-one mentorship by industry professionals.
- Negotiated sponsorships for the program at industry conferences and collaborated with conference organizers to expand the program, doubling the event slate.
- Coordinated scholarship selection process: contacted universities to promote the program to their students, recruited judges and mentors, notified scholarship recipients and unsuccessful applicants.
Project manager and community manager
October 2011-August 2012
- Facilitated the IGDA presence at industry conferences on planning committees for GDC and IGDA Summit 2012. Assistant volunteer coordinator at the 2011 IGDA Leadership Forum.
- Promoted the IGDA through social media campaigns on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
International Game Developers Association Los Angeles chapter
Vice-Chair
March 2017-September 2018
- Made connections with game developers, studios and organizations to grow presence and value of IGDA LA.
- Monitored project management tools to promote progress towards established goals.
- Encouraged inclusion and ensured safety of membership to preserve a positive environment.
Event Coordinator
September 2013-March 2017
- Led event planning, recruited speakers, arranged venues, found presenting partners.
- Directed day-of proceedings, emceed events, moderated panels.
- Promoted IGDA LA events and opportunities to 1,200+ members: designed and wrote newsletters, helped maintain the IGDA LA presence on Facebook and Twitter, updated the IGDA LA brand identity.
Women in Games International
November 2013-present
Video game design patch program leader
I lead workshops for 9- to 14-year-old Girl Scouts to foster STEM skills.
- Engaging girls in discussion of the elements of game systems.
- Supervising creation and playtesting of analog games made with everyday objects.
- Guiding creation and playtesting of digital games made with Gamestar Mechanic.
- Promoting the video game design patch program at Girl Scout and games industry events.
USC Interactive Media and Games Division
Producer and Designer on The Return, MFA thesis game
August 2012-April 2013
Official Selection, 2013 Different Games Conference
- Recruited and managed core development team, created production plan for milestones.
- Used PlayMaker and NGUI in Unity to script interactions and dialogue.
Producer on Intimation, MFA thesis game
January 2012-May 2012
- Ensured the team met development milestones.
- Coordinated playtesting and collected playtester feedback.
USC Joint Educational Project
January 2004-May 2004
Teaching Assistant
- Worked with five students on remedial reading skills at Birdielee V. Bright Elementary School in conjunction with LING115: Language, Society and Culture.
Other Independent Development
Games include:Blockage, 2012 Global Game Jam, 48-hour game jam
January 2012-February 2012
- Guided team production, led concept brainstorm and contributed design ideas.
- Composed chiptune gameplay music using prerelease version of BeepBox.
- Co-wrote a postmortem published in the March 2012 issue of IGDA Perspectives on level design.
January 2011-February 2011
- Contributed gameplay and character design ideas.
- Wrote promotional copy and press releases, updating throughout the development process.
- Created and managed social media presence for the team, game and Facebook app, soliciting playtesters from other GGJ sites around the world.
Select Presentations
Professional
| Game Developers Conference | "Indie Soapbox: How to Succeed at Failing Without Really Trying" | March 2015 |
| PAX Australia | "You Can Make Games Too!" | November 2014 |
| PAX Australia | "Everyone Games: Creating Inclusive Gaming Communities" | November 2014 |
| PAX Prime | "Game-Changers: Making Mid-Career Transitions & Awesome Games" | August 2014 |
| PAX Prime | "You Can Make Games Too!" | September 2013 |
| PAX Prime | "Breaking Into the Games Industry" (video) | September 2012 |
| Game Connect Asia Pacific | "Celebrating Failure, Redefining Success" | October 2014 |
| Glitch City Demo Night | "Succeeding at Failing" (video) | June 2014 |
| DigiWorld G@me Summit | "How (Not) to Go Indie" | November 2013 |
| ENJMIN Video Game Workshops | "Developing Diversity" | January 2013 |
| ENJMIN Video Game Workshops | "Partners: Finding a Work-Love Balance" | January 2013 |
Educational
|
Makers of Entertaining Games Association University of Southern California |
Games Industry Networking Panel | March 2014 |
|
Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles Academy Middle School |
"Kicking @$$ and Making Games" | April 2013-present |
| St Mary's Academy Inglewood |
"Kicking @$$ and Making Games" | March 2014-present |
Journalism
TRIBE Media Corp.
September 2010–February 2012
Contributing Writer
- Wrote sports features, game previews and game coverage and profile and product features for the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles newspaper and TRIBE magazine.
Calabasas Patch
January 2011-September 2011
Contributing Writer
- Wrote breaking news and community features, specializing in business and education reporting, and weekly Fit Calabasas column, highlighting various workout programs throughout the city.
Pasadena City College
October 2008-January 2009
Editor/Writer, Public Relations
- Copy-edited and wrote press releases and college communications, including community newsletter Campus Report, distributed each semester to more than 160,000 households throughout the Pasadena area, and employee newsletter Mercury.
- Compiled statistics and copy-edited content for the San Gabriel-Foothill Association of Community Colleges brochure collectively advocating for the six district caucus.
USC Community Journalism
January 2007-May 2007
Sports Journalism Instructor
- Coached eight middle school students in sportswriting for Foshay Times newsletter at James A. Foshay Leaning Center through JOUR470: Community Journalism.
- Mentored students to develop research and interview techniques.
- Organized afterschool field trip to the Amateur Athletic Foundation Sports Library (now LA84 Foundation Sports Library) to encourage students in their writing tasks by highlighting the significance of sports and sports media in American culture.
Freelance Journalism and Public Relations
Contributing Writer at TRIBE Media Corp.September 2010-February 2012
Contributing Writer at Calabasas Patch
January 2011-September 2011
Account Coordinator at CRT/tanaka
November 2010-January 2011
Media Relations Manager at Amagezi Gemaanyi Youth Association
July 2010-December 2010
Media Relations Intern at The Cancer Council New South Wales
August 2009-November 2009
Editor/Writer at Pasadena City College Public Relations
October 2008-January 2009
Public-Access Production Assistant at Time Warner Cable
February 2008-May 2008
Sports Writer and Sports Editor at Daily Trojan
March 2004-August 2007
Editorial Intern at Tu Ciudad magazine
July 2005-February 2006
Editorial Intern at FOXSports.com
May 2005-July 2005
Contributing Writer at The Acorn
March 2002-June 2003
Awards
|
Women in Gaming Awards presented by Xbox & Microsoft Studios |
Nominee, Ambassador category |
March 2014 |
|
The Ambassador Award recognizes the woman who has helped advance the gaming industry as a whole, making it a better industry to be part of in unique ways, and also extending beyond the industry as an advocate for gaming. |
||
|
Women in Gaming Awards presented by Xbox & Microsoft Studios |
Nominee, Rising Star category |
March 2013 |
|
The Rising Star award recognizes the woman who has made the most impact in her less than two years in the industry, demonstrating rapid advancement in work, responsibility, and results. |
||
Ashley Zeldin is always interested in opportunities in game development as well as beyond the games industry in STEM innovation and education.
Her communications background readily translates to game production and design. An effective facilitator and creative who performs well on deadline, she has proven ability to focus on the details while keeping the bigger picture in mind.
Please find a printable version of this resume here.