Our Team

Building diverse stories to unlock the largest hidden market within video games.

Us

Glow Up Games is founded in the belief of the narrative power of voices outside the mainstream.

CEO Mitu Khandaker and CXO Latoya Peterson  spent the last decade shaping entertainment through innovative applications of technology and distinctive storytelling. By combining our talents, we seek to advance the industry by centering overlooked voices and leveraging new technologies to craft more powerful and playful experiences.

The Founders

Dr. Mitu

Khandaker

Chief Executive Officer, Director for Technology

A seasoned game designer, programmer, and entrepreneur, Mitu worked on acclaimed systemic narrative indie game Redshirt & was part of the founding team at game AI tools company Spirit AI. A vocal advocate for thoughtful games, tech and stories with respect to race, gender & identity, she holds a PhD on game interactivity, and is on faculty at NYU Game Center.

A television veteran specializing in emerging technology, Peterson was an award winning race and culture writer for major outlets like the New York Times, NPR, Jezebel and Kotaku as well as a three-time judge for the World Video Game Hall of Fame.

Latoya

Peterson

Chief Experience Officer, Director for the Culture

Meet the team

Glow Up Games team member Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo

Dr. Enongo

Lumumba-Kasongo

(She/Her)

Director of Audio

My responsibilities include producing original musical compositions and SFX / curating music and SFX from other producers and sound designers to place in-game / helping to design an original rap composition mechanic.

I got into video games because I loved video game soundtracks as a kid (especially the OST for Sonic the Hedgehog 2) so much so that I started making music on the keyboard in the hopes of one day designing video game soundtracks. When I got a little older and started making original beats and rapping, I even took on the moniker Sammus for my rap persona, based on Samus the intergalactic bounty hunter from the Nintendo series Metroid.

Favorite Game(s):

Metal Gear Solid

Glow Up Games Team Member Brandii JaVia

Brandii

JaVia

(She/Her)

Community ManagER

I’m in charge of community development and social media content for Glow Up Games!

I’ve been playing games since I was 6 years old, and now I get to build communities around them! I’m also the founder of Brown Girl Gamer Code!

Favorite Game(s):

Spyro

Tomb Raider

The Sims

Overwatch

Glow Up Games team member Ashley Godbold

Dr. Ashley

Godbold

(She/Her)

LEAD ENGINEER

My responsibilities include general programming, UI development, data architecture, and dev ops.

I’ve always loved games and I love programming.

Fun Facts about me are:
I’m a mathematics professor, I love cats–like a lot, I got all the achievements in Dragon Quest XI

Favorite Game(s):

Nier

Persona 4 Golden

Glow Up Games team member Owen Bell

Owen

Bell

(He/Him)

LEAD Engineer

I’m Lead Engineer on Insecure: The Come Up Game.

I got into working in video games because I wanted to make art, but these days, bringing people joy is just as important. 

I’m most known for causing chaos on the company Slack!

Favorite Game(s):

Outer Wilds

Glow Up Games team member Chris Williams

Chris

Williams

(He/Him)

Unity Engineer

I’m a Unity Engineer.

I got into working with video games because I wanted to find ways to use computer programming in ways that were expressive and interactive.

I’m known for wearing colorful socks!

Favorite Game(s):

Tetris

Glow Up Games team member Geneva

Geneva

 Heyward

(They/Them)

Gameplay Engineer

I’m a gameplay programmer so I help with getting parts of the game working and fix any bugs that arise by getting in a fist fight with Unity.

I liked playing video games since I was a kid, but I never knew I could make them until I ended up going to gamedev after school programs in high school.

I’m most know for a game I created called Skate & Date.

Favorite Game(s):

The Thousand Year Door

Paper Mario

Glow Up Games team member Regina

Regina

Kgatle 

(She/They)

Senior Engineer

I’m a senior software engineer for Glow Up Games. Assisting the team translate the objectives to technical needs, helping architect and develop features.

I started gaming at arcades at my parent’s game shops.

On the side I do commercial farming!

Favorite Game(s):

Pac-Man

Arcade

Glow Up Games team member Krystyna

Krystyna

 LaFalcipena

(She/Her)

Executive Assistant

I handle all things admin from scheduling, to business insurance, to doing payroll and other logistics.

Gaming has always been a passion. When I was offered the opportunity to be an admin assistant to a female owned gaming company, I jumped at the offer!

Favorite Game(s):

Borderlands 2

Glow Up Games team member Corey Bertelsen

Corey

Bertelsen

(He/Him)

Technical Sound Designer

I’m the technical sound designer. Which means I make sound effects, and also do some coding.

Working with video games was a childhood dream! I thought it wasn’t going to happen, but I started making games for fun, then to promote bands I was in, and then applied to the masters program at NYU.

Favorite Game(s):

Electroplankton

Rez

Glow Up Games team member Elizabeth

Elizabeth

 

(She/They)

UX/UI Design

Growing up I played to escape and have fun. I loved (and still do) the Sims and Nintendogs!

I originally went to school for fashion at Parsons and then I found out that students were making games in the Design and Technology major and I quickly shifted to focus on games. I’ve always found myself to be very critical about games especially about their narratives and characters. I’ve always wanted to see myself and my family/ friends represented. I also use games as a tool to expose me to the worlds of others.

I have a deep interest in augmented reality. I am teaching myself Spark AR and Blender. On my free time I am exploring 3D digital art and fashion and how I can express my gender identity through avatars.

Favorite Game(s):

Journey!

Glow Up Games team member Joahanna

Joahanna

 

(She/Her)

Head of People

I am also the Head of HR for Avalanche Studios New York. I feel fulfilled by supporting creatives & passionate game developers + working with leadership in this industry has given me the platform to pursue my passion in improving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

I’m an aspiring life-long learner. I fill my spare time with reading/listening to Books, podcasts, watching documentaries, conversations & traveling.

Favorite Game(s):

Multiplayer

Narrative

Glow Up Games team member Ronojoy Mitra

Ronojoy

Mitra

(He/Him)

Intern - Unity Development, Production and BizDev

I’m an Intern working in Unity Development, Production and some BizDev.

I got into working with video games from coming to the NYU Game Center and realizing how unique the medium is as an intersection between tech and art.

Favorite Game(s):

Age of Empires 2

Scroll to top