The world’s first video game non-profit announces a massive expansion to its Board of Directors, adding industry veterans from Devolver Digital, Six Foot, EA, Uber, IGDA, Microsoft, and Hit Detection.
Los Angeles CA —June 7, 2018 — E3 2018 — Now hosting its third consecutive AFK (Away from Keyboard) Room at E3, Take This will be swearing in three additional members to its Board of Directors.
Industry veterans Christian Svensson (Six Foot), Jeff Green (1Up, Hit Detection), and Kelsey Wesley (EA, Uber) join Take This co-founders and veteran journalists Russ Pitts and Susan Arendt, senior VP of Bethesda Pete Hines, former IGDA executive director Kate Edwards, and Devolver Digital and Good Shepherd co-founder MIke Wilson to head the mental health awareness and advocacy non-profit, now in its sixth year.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with the Take This team to raise awareness about mental health issues and to provide education about mental illness, especially in the video game industry, where that awareness and education is aptly needed,” said Christian Svensson.
Prior to his current post, Christian was founder and CEO of Svensson Consulting, which provided services to developers and publishers in all areas of the mobile, console, PC and VR gaming businesses. His clients included Q-Loc S.A., Digital Domain 3.0, Six Foot, Digital Development Management and many others.
He has also served as the Corporate Officer and Senior Vice-President of Consumer Software at Capcom USA where he was responsible for all of Capcom’s publishing efforts in North and South America on all platforms. Earlier in his career, he has also been Vice-President of Entertainment Publishing at Midway Games, CEO of Xion Solutions, Inc., CEO of MCV USA, Inc., Editorial Director at Computec Media USA Inc. and Editor-in-Chief of Next Generation Online. He is a graduate of Bucknell University. He has historically participated on several Boards of Directors and Advisors including the Board of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Digital Development Management, Q-Loc S.A. and IEP.
I am honored and thrilled to be part of the Take This Board, whose mission and message is very close to my heart and has been for years,” said Jeff Green. “I have suffered from clinical depression most of my life, and was without help or resources for it when I most needed it–when I was young–so I know firsthand that maybe the most important thing for anyone suffering from mental illness is to never feel they are alone.”
Jeff Green is a twenty-two year veteran of the video game industry – the first twelve years as a journalist covering the scene, the next five years on the other side of the fence as a producer, writer, and social media director for EA and PopCap, and the four years since as a consultant with Hit Detection.
“As a Diversity & Inclusion practitioner, I’ve dedicated my life’s work to being an advocate for individuals of all different backgrounds and experiences,” said Kelsey Wesley. “I’m honored to join the Governing Board of Take This, Inc. and hope to leverage my expertise to help bring awareness and support to the gaming industry and community around the topic of mental health.”
Kelsey Wesley is a Diversity & Inclusion expert who has worked in the gaming/tech industry for over 7 years. Having spent 5 years working to improve the D&I experience at EA, where she was fully-immersed in the gaming community, she is now the Global Lead of D&I People Development at Uber, where she works to better understand how to support organizations to achieve their highest potential while driving creativity and innovation in the work they do.
This powerful board will add its combined experience and insight to helping Take This grow and evolve to address the mental health needs and concerns of games industry professionals, audience members, and mental health clinicians engaged with the space. Particularly in the area of Take This’s targeted consultation program, working with game studios and entertainment brands to educate community moderators and workforce managers responsible mental health best practices, and “aggression vs. assertiveness” training.
In addition to the board expansion and continued core work of Take This, the new “Ambassador Program” will begin its rollout this year, focusing on providing streamers and online personalities with resources for addressing mental health issues and questions in a safe, constructive manner. More details on the Take This Ambassador Program, and sign-up information to come later this year.
The AFK Room at E3 2018 is open to all show attendees, and is located in Meeting Room 407, on the second level of the Los Angeles Convention Center, between South and West halls.
About Take This Inc.
In its 6th year, Take This Inc. is the first of its kind, 501(c)(3) non‐profit to inform the global gaming community about mental health issues, to provide education about mental disorders and mental illness prevention, and to reduce the stigma of mental illness. Take This helps those who suffer by letting them know that they are not alone and providing information on treatment options and how to find help. For more information, visit http://www.takethis.org