Jason is a founder of East Side Games, Canada’s leading independent gaming studio. Jason is considered one of Canada’s most experienced gaming entrepreneurs. Prior to East Side Games, Jason was a founder of Super Rewards, which he sold in 2009.  Super Rewards was a social game monetization platform which helped pioneer the free to play game model that is ubiquitous today.  Over the last 20 years he has been mentor to and investor in a variety of Canadian startups and technology companies. 

Darcy has over 20+ years of senior executive experience building successful companies and brands spanning, Asia, Europe and North America. He has a proven track record in C-suite and senior leadership roles at IMG Canada (now Endeavor LLC), Logic Technologies Inc, JT International S.A. and MASEV Communications Inc, that was acquired by IMG Canada. His experience spans corporate, agency, and entrepreneurial environments across free-to-play Mobile games, FinTech, esports, Blockchain, FMCG/CPG, Digital Marketing & Media and Sports & Entertainment industries.

Galan got his start in the video game industry back in 1997, working on Jackie Chan Stuntmaster for the PS1. Within a year, he was promoted to Lead Game Designer on the project, and went on to work on prominent console IP games such as Simpsons Hit and Run and Scarface: the World is Yours, as well as his own original IP. In 2011, he co-founded East Side Games, where he has developed numerous successful IP and original games for mobile platforms, drawing on almost three decades of experience in the business of fun, accessibility, and fan service.

Jason is a founder of East Side Games, Canada’s leading independent gaming studio. Jason is considered one of Canada’s most experienced gaming entrepreneurs. Prior to East Side Games, Jason was a founder of Super Rewards, which he sold in 2009.  Super Rewards was a social game monetization platform which helped pioneer the free to play game model that is ubiquitous today.  Over the last 20 years he has been mentor to and investor in a variety of Canadian startups and technology companies. 

Darcy has over 20+ years of senior executive experience building successful companies and brands spanning, Asia, Europe and North America. He has a proven track record in C-suite and senior leadership roles at IMG Canada (now Endeavor LLC), Logic Technologies Inc, JT International S.A. and MASEV Communications Inc, that was acquired by IMG Canada. His experience spans corporate, agency, and entrepreneurial environments across free-to-play Mobile games, FinTech, esports, Blockchain, FMCG/CPG, Digital Marketing & Media and Sports & Entertainment industries.

Russell Ovans, Ph.D., is a computer scientist and author of Game Analytics: Retention and Monetization in Free-to-Play Games. Russ has balanced careers in software engineering and academia since the late 1980s. In 2007, he founded Backstage Technologies, a studio that pioneered the monetization of free-to-play games on Facebook. Backstage was acquired by RealNetworks in 2010, after which Russ became an angel investor, returned to teaching college, worked as an executive-in-residence at a tech incubator, and opened a brewery. In 2018, Russ returned to gaming as the analytics lead at East Side Games. He stepped back from operations in 2023 but continues to serve on the company’s Board.

Mr. Lew is the President, Chief Executive Officer and a director of GrowthWorks Capital Ltd. (“GWC”), and the President and Chief Executive Officer and/or a director of certain managed funds and operating subsidiaries of GWC, all of which are active venture capital investors. Mr. Lew is also a Partner with Initio Group Inc. (“Initio”), a Vancouver-based early stage angel investment firm, and is a lawyer with experience in the areas of corporate, commercial and real estate law. As CEO of GWC, and at Initio, Mr Lew is involved in overseeing these firms’ venture capital and angel investments, respectively. Mr. Lew was Chair of the British Columbia Innovation Commission (now “Innovate BC”) (2013 – 2018), the Crown agency of the Province of British Columbia responsible for the advancement of innovative businesses and entrepreneurs in the province. He has also been a director of Mobio Technologies Inc., a TSXV-listed company, since November 2012. Active in his community, Mr. Lew is a director of the Frank and Joan Lew Charitable Trust and the FJL Housing Society, which focuses on matters related to social housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Alberta, and is a member of the Law Society of British Columbia.

Darren Xu is the Managing Member of Questline Capital. He was previously a Managing Director, Investment Director, and Analyst at Farallon Capital, a $30B investment fund. He started his career in investment banking at Citigroup M&A in New York City. He brings expertise in capital markets, strategy, investor relations, and mergers and acquisitions.

Rob is the Founder and Portfolio Manager of Azalea Fund LP, a value focused private investment fund focused on smaller capitalization public equities. Previously, Rob was Vice President at Zola Global, a large principal family office focused on private and public North American equity investments. Prior to Zola, Rob was an Associate Portfolio Manager at Alignvest Capital Management focused on long/short Canadian equities. Rob started his career as an Investment Banking Analyst at Scotiabank and Investment Analyst at Birch Hill Equity Partners.