GG Bavaria
Business Day 2026: Speakers

Ralf Adam (he/him)

Founder, TigerTeam Productions

Although he still claims to be only 29, Ralf has been up to mischief in the video game industry for over three decades now. In these almost 35 years, he has contributed as a producer and game designer to over 100 games on every conceivable platform and has worked for publishers and studios all over the world.

Even though Ralf has also held lead and executive positions at large companies in the past, including VP Production for Gameforge or Travian Games, his real passion lies more on the developer side. As a freelancer, he has been advising development studios of all shapes and sizes on all aspects of game production for over 20 years.

He is also a regular guest lecturer at various universities, including Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences, MdH, Macromedia or SRH Heidelberg.

Odongo George Ahere (he/him)

CEO, Game Director, Weza Interactive Entertainment LTD

Odongo is a game developer and co-founder of Weza Interactive Entertainment, a studio focused on building culturally-driven games and interactive experiences from Africa. With nearly a decade of experience in Game and XR development, his work explores how games can serve as tools for storytelling, identity, and transformation.

He is currently leading the development of Riziki, a rhythm game inspired by African music and dance culture, while also working with organisations to design gamified training and engagement systems. His focus lies in expanding access to the industry and creating pathways for African talent to participate and lead.

Peter Bathge

Senior Editor GameStar, Webedia GmbH

I’ve worked for over 20 years in gaming journalism, written every kind of article and once drank four beer and six shots of liquor with Diablo developer Max Schaefer the night before he had to battle demons in the full summer sun. I’ve seen things.

Giacomo Boni (he/him)

Expert Concept Artist, Day4Night Studios

Experience in Comic art (Disney), illustrated books (DeAgostini), to mobile games (Social Point) to triple A studios (Ubisoft), Indie games (D4N) and Trading Card games (Ravensburger/Disney).

Lauranne Cauduro (she/her)

Marketing Manager, The Game Bakers

Lauranne is the marketing manager for The Game Bakers, a self-published studio that developed Furi, Haven and Cairn. Her background is in influencer marketing, but she’s grown quite fond (read: obsessed) with the steam algorithm, paid ads and spreadsheets.

Andreea Chifu

Founder and CEO, Bright Gambit

Andreea is a passionate business advisor in the video game industry. Founder Bright Gambit a funding intiative for video games, previously Snr Regional Lead at Xbox, Head of Commercial at Raw Fury, Business Developer Paradox Interactive. Closed over $160M in deals and launched and promoted games across all platforms. Active angel investor, comes with a background in international business and law.

Fabian Mario Döhla

Head of Coms, CD PROJEKT RED

Writing and talking about games since 1996. Former jobs: Official PlayStation Magazine, Codemasters, SEGA. Leaked the first Xbox by mistake. Now looking after all things CD PROJEKT RED – Cyberpunk 2077, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, The Witcher series and other cool things. I’m not on LinkedIn and very proud of it. (ask me anything if you see me)

Julian Geheeb

Founder, Developer, Sagewing Studio

Julian has been making games since 2017, where he quickly discovered a lasting passion for interactive experiences. He is currently building his own indie studio while conducting research at the Technical University of Munich, focusing on player experience and how it shapes game design. His work bridges hands-on development with academic insight, exploring how games can be crafted to resonate more deeply with players.

Steve Heng (he/him)

Communications and Marketing Manager, Medien.Bayern GmbH / Start Into Media

Steve Heng is the Communications and Marketing Manager at Start Into Media, an initiative of Medien.Bayern GmbH. He is responsible for social media strategy and content development and helps young people break into the media industry.

As a trained film and video editor, he organized “TubeMunich,” the first YouTuber meetup in Munich. Previously, he worked as a Creative Producer and Community Manager at the Bavaria Film Group, where he implemented projects with YouTube and creators.

As a former YouTube Ambassador in Munich, he brings extensive experience in the creator economy and has an excellent network within the industry.

Emese-Anna Hoppa

Game Design, Frog In a Pond

Anna is a Game Designer with over 6 years of experience, specializing in city builder, management games and adjacent genres. Among her shipped titles are Tropico 6 and Anno 117.

Since 2023 she is part of the FemFevs Meetup OrgaTeam, a group dedicated to provide meetups and events for women and other marginalized people in the industry.

Laura Käppner

Store employee & self-employed, Søstrene Grene & Lootlings

Laura graduated with a master’s degree in Game Development specializing in Game Art. At the time, she works in retail and is trying to get her opportunity to break into the games industry. She loves to attend game events; that’s why she volunteered several times at GG Bavaria. Last year she started her own adventure of founding a small business named “Lootlings”, where she offers freelance work and is planning to sell 2D & 3D Art as well as Game Assets in the future.

Prof. Marcus Klöppel (he/him)

Co-initiator, Fair play – Democracy

Marcus Klöppel has been telling interactive stories for over 20 years. Whether it’s theme parks, pen-and-paper games, impact games, board games, or indie games—he can tell an interesting story in any medium.

Since 2023, he has been teaching the next generation of game developers as a professor of “Game Design and Development” at Macromedia University of Applied Sciences.

Marcus is particularly passionate about narrative design and narrative mechanics. Driven by his love for these topics, he founded Narranauten in 2023.

Chris Kohler

Composer & Audio Designer, Freelancer

Chris Kohler is a game composer and audio designer from Munich, specializing in narrative-driven soundscapes for titles like ASHGARD: Infinity Mask and Mindlock. Blending handcrafted innovation with modern storytelling across 30+ projects, he also teaches Game Audio at the Technical University of Munich.

Max Kübler (he/him)

Business Development Manager/Game Scout, Daedalic Entertainment

Max Kübler has explored the video game industry from multiple angles since 2010. After producing titles like Lords of the Fallen and The Surge at Deck13, Max took his expertise international, heading up publishing at Poland’s Crunching Koalas and directing portfolio strategy for the South Korean investment and acceleration program Global Top Round.

Today, Max is back doing what he loves most: helping developers turn visions into reality. As a Business Development Manager and Game Scout at Daedalic Entertainment, he spends his time finding incredible games and ensuring they find the success they deserve.

Valentine Ledour (she/her)

Mis-Chief Officer, Three Raccoons Studio

With over a decade in mobile games, Valentine Ledour has worked in roles ranging from global companies like King and Wooga to founding her own indie studio, Three Raccoons Studio. Her work sits at the intersection of insight and creativity, exploring how games can use audience understanding to spark new conversations and stand out through original content.

Hendrik Lesser (he/him)

CEO, remote control productions

Hendrik Lesser is an entrepreneur and founder who serves as CEO of Munich-based remote control productions, the international games production house he founded in 2005. Over more than two decades in games, he has helped build a broad network of independent studios and has also taken on an influential industry role as President of the European Games Developer Federation.

Nicolas Lietzau-Schreiber (he/him)

CCO / Narrative Director, Dare to Dream Games

Nicolas Lietzau-Schreiber is a German writer and game developer with over twelve years of experience in the industry. He was project lead on the Skyrim Total Conversion “Enderal”, which was awarded with a Game Award in 2016. Since then, he has led the writing on the SpellForce 3 franchise and the Gothic Remake. In 2025, he co-founded Dare to Dream Games together with Michael Schmalz, former President at Digital Extremes (Warframe), where he works on an unnanounced fantasy RPG.

Freyja Melhorn

Director Marketing Communications, BXDXO GmbH

Freyja Melhorn is a seasoned communications and marketing specialist with over 19 years of experience in the games industry. As Director Marketing Communications at BXDXO GmbH, she leads PR, influencer relations, and go-to-market strategies for both indie studios and global publishers, working with brands such as Bethesda, NVIDIA, and ROCKFISH Games.

Alain Milly (he/him)

VP Publishing, MICROIDS

I have been in the industry for 35 years now. I started at the French Nintendo hotline, spent 15 years as a video game journalist and spent the last 15 years as a VP publisher and licensing. My role is to find the best game and studio, eventually the best IP to grow Microids catalog.

Miroslava Moreno (she/her)

Senior Director Organizational Development, PLAION GmbH

Miroslava Moreno is a senior executive driving transformation in gaming and tech by aligning systems and people to make change actually work. She brings over 13 years of experience in gaming, leading teams through complex change and redesigning organizations to turn strategy into execution. She is passionate about building environments where people can thrive. Alongside her role at PLAION, she serves on the advisory board of Women in Games International, mentors at Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment, and was named one of the top female managers in the German games industry in 2023.

Johannes Natterer (he/him)

Game Designer / Founder, Ironbite Games GmbH

Johannes Natterer is a game designer and the CEO of Ironbite Games. After completing his training at the Games Academy in 2015, he spent nearly nine years at Hans im Glück, where he served as editor-in-chief and developer on titles such as Carcassonne, Paleo, Planet B, and Cardia.

Since 2025, he has been developing his own video game, Inner Demons, with Ironbite Games, combining his experience in board game development with digital game development.

Yumi Oishi (she/her)

Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Rovio Entertainment

Yumi Oishi is the Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Rovio, the company best known for the Angry Birds brand, and part of the SEGA group. In her current role, she is responsible for designing and delivering the company’s DEl strategy across 6 countries and 500 employees. By taking a structured, analytical and practical approach, she seeks to transform the organization one step at a time. Prior to Rovio, she worked at Google and Nokia in their Tokyo and Zurich offices within their HR function.

Laura Peter (she/her)

Host & Content Creator, Your Host Laura

Laura Peter is a Vienna-based host, interviewer and content creator specialising in live events, broadcast as well as hybrid productions. With a background in digital media and over a decade of experience across marketing, gaming and live communication, she brings structure, energy and clarity to complex conversations – guided by curiosity as well as a genuine enthusiasm for people and meaningful exchange.

On stage, her focus lies on creating space for authentic dialogue – thoughtfully highlighting her guests, their perspectives and the audience alike. From esports stages to corporate conferences, she connects worlds that don’t usually meet and makes them resonate.

Prof. Marion Plank (she/her)

Professor of Game Art, IU Internationale Hochschule

Marion Plank is Professor of Game Art at IU International University of Applied Sciences. With over ten years of industry experience as a 2D and 3D artist, she combines practical production knowledge with academic research. Her work focuses on game art education, creative work cultures, and the impact of emerging technologies such as AI on creative practice. Through teaching, research, and interdisciplinary projects, she explores how games are created, taught, and experienced.

Laura Prinz (she/her)

IT Specialist, BMW Group

Business Psychologist – Raid Lead – IT Strategist – Laura is rewriting the corporate playbook using Gamer DNA. After years of leading Germany’s #1 guild in Black Desert Online, she transitioned from managing virtual battlefields to shaping IT strategy for 130,000 users at BMW. Her philosophy? Hierarchy is a legacy system; intrinsic motivation is the new meta.

As an expert in Female Leadership and “”Heart-ware,”” Laura shows us why the future of work is a multiplayer game—and how you can win it. GG!

Lara Schmidt (she/they)

Freelance Voice Actor

Lara Schmidt is a German Voice Actress, known for her Roles in Murder Drones (Cyn), The Eminence in Shadow (Delta), One Piece (Young Luffy) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (Gold Saucer Voice) and many more! She’s a video game enthusiast and also works as a freelancing social media and community manager.

Dr. Thorsten Schmiege

Präsident Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM)

Dr. Thorsten Schmiege ist seit 1. Oktober 2021 Präsident der Bayerischen Landeszentrale für neue Medien (BLM). Seine Tätigkeit für die BLM begann er im September 2019 als Geschäftsführer.

Im Rahmen der bundesweiten Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Landesmedienanstalten ist er aktuell Vorsitzender der Direktorenkonferenz der Landesmedienanstalten (DLM) sowie der Kommission für Zulassung und Aufsicht (ZAK). Außerdem ist er Ersatzmitglied der Kommission zur Ermittlung der Konzentration im Medienbereich (KEK) sowie stellvertretendes Mitglied der Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz (KJM).

Der promovierte Jurist war ab März 2017 Leiter des Referats Medienpolitik/Rund­funkrecht sowie ab 2018 auch stellvertretender Leiter der Abteilung Europa und Medien in der Bayerischen Staatskanzlei. Weitere berufliche Stationen waren Referatsleitungen im damaligen Bayerischen Staatsministerium für Wirtschaft und Medien, Energie und Technologie sowie Projektleitung bei Linde Engineering. Er hat seine Staatsexamina in Regensburg abgelegt und wurde dort auch promoviert.

Alec Shea (he/him)

Composer, Voice Director, Sound Designer, Alec Shea – Music / Voice / Sound

Alec is a freelance composer, voice director and sound designer specialising in indie games and animation. His work includes EcoGnomix, Nullstar: Solus, Corpse Factory, Mindlock: The Apartment, and much more!

Sandra Spensberger

Attorney-at-law, Galion IP GmbH

Sandra Spensberger is an attorney specializing in IP and IT law, advising game and tech companies on trademarks, copyright, software licensing, and complex commercial agreements. With experience in law firms and corporate legal departments, she supports studios in navigating publishing, licensing, and contract-related risks. As a legal expert and gaming content creator, she offers practical insight into industry realities and hidden legal pitfalls

Tobias Springer (he/him)

CEO, tobspr Games GmbH

Founder and CEO of tobspr Games, a fully remote indie game studio established in 2018 in Germany. Specializing in factory and automation games, the studio’s flagship shapez franchise has attracted millions of players worldwide. With a growing team of 15, tobspr Games self-publishes across PC platforms and focuses on crafting deep, systems-driven games that resonate with automation enthusiasts around the globe.

Borys Trienin (he/him)

Senior Games Business Strategist, remote control productions

Borys is a Senior Games Business Strategist at Remote Control Productions, helping game studios and publishers turn market data into better decisions — from pitch evaluation and revenue modeling to publishing strategy and release positioning. With over a decade in games, he works across the full project lifecycle, ensuring studios stay commercially grounded without compromising creative ambition.

Prof. Dr. David Weber

Professor, FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie und Mangagement gGmbH

David Weber is Professor of Business Psychology at FOM University of Applied Sciences. His research focuses on developing psychological models that reliably predict in-game spending behavior, examining genre-specific patterns and transaction item types such as progress items and cosmetics. A key aim is to identify stable mechanisms that motivate the vast majority of casual players — who typically show no willingness to spend on in-game transactions — to reliably do so. Since 2018, he has been teaching in higher education in the fields of applied psychology, with a focus on market and advertising psychology as well as empirical research methods. He additionally brings over 15 years of professional experience as a consultant in marketing and sales.

David Zapfe-Wildemann (he/him)

CEO, Game Designer, Creative Director, neoludic games

David is the creative director at neoludic games. In this role, David combines his game development and game design expertise with a deep-seated belief in the creative power of small teams, to direct small projects with tall ambitions.