PixelPop Team

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

Carol Mertz

Executive Director
Co-Founder

Carol is an independent game designer, educator, and community organizer. She’s worked in interactive media and games for over a decade, and aims to both create and encourage works that challenge the industry status quo.

Mary McKenzie

Mary McKenzie

GAMES & COMMUNITY DIRECTOR

Mary is a producer, developer, and builder of worlds for Volcano Bean, a small independent studio currently working on Battlecakes, a snack-sized RPG. Coming to game development from a costuming and illustration background, she just really, really likes to make things.

Jordan Jones-Brewster

Jordan Jones-Brewster

Session Manager

Jordan is an independent narrative designer and writer from New York City.

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

Jillian Stiles

Community Manager

Jillian is a St. Louis-based Illustrator, animator, and game developer. Her credits include games for My Little Pony, Transformers: Rescue Bots, Mr. Potato Head, Discovery Channel, Hive Jump for PC/WiiU, and many more.

Mary McKenzie

Jalen Taylor

Expo Manager

Jalen “Jax” Taylor is a graphic and game designer currently studying Game Design at Savannah College of Art and Design. Primarily interested in Narrative Design, he uses his design skills to create truly engaging gaming experiences, tabletop or otherwise.

Jordan Jones-Brewster

Kirby Weber

Production Assistant

Kirby is an independent game designer, who makes quirky and weird games. She also enjoys playing games and eating toast.

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

RacheMarie Santos

Production Assistant

RacheMarie Santos is a creative force who developed and refined her skills at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). She has constantly been described as a thoughtful, narrative, and well-organized person who is always ready to help others. She is an artist, designer, craftsman jeweler, and visionary storyteller.

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

Melanie Severs

Production Assistant

Melanie is a motion graphic designer who has worked making art and animation for games. She is in love with low-poly 3D, pixel art, and volunteering with the Metro Trans Umbrella Group in St. Louis!

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

EMi Spicer

Event Photographer

EMiSpicer is a thirty-something good-for-nothing video game vagabond based out of New York. She is best known for her work as a documentarian photographer, events organizer, and social media manager. She has been affiliated with groups such as Disco Elysium, Feminist Frequency, GameTheory, Babycastles, Pulsewave, Fantastic Arcade, Different Games, IndieCade, and more. Sometimes she talks too much.
Learn more at uglymachine.net

Jordan Jones-Brewster

Emperatriz Ung

Curatorial Advisor

Emperatriz is a Chinese-Colombian game designer & writer from the American Southwest. Her creative work predominantly explores themes of mental health & generational trauma.

Mary McKenzie

Nobonita Bhowmik

Curatorial Advisor

Nobo is a Bangladeshi game and multimedia artist with a background in game design, digital media and art, graphic design, and motion graphics. She enjoys making games that champion progressive, inclusive ideologies.

Carol Mertz - Executive Director

Rob Santos

Curatorial Advisor

Rob makes Games, Apps, & Exhibits. His credits include the BAFTA-nominated Adventure Time Game Wizard and Hive Jump. He also teaches at Maryville and Washington University, and serves as the vice-chair of the St. Louis Game Developer Co-op.

Previous Collaborators

Many thanks to our previous collaborators for helping to make PixelPop Festival what it is! These folks have spent time as part of the organizational committee in past years, and have had a huge impact on the history of PixelPop Festival.