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ESA LOFT Video Game Innovation Fellowship has served as platform for top minority game developers by identifying and promoting the top 20 minority innovators (15-25 years old) who can create video games or mobile applications that focus on new, technology-based approaches to address local and global social issues.

ESA and LOFT provided the platform for these young game developers to display at the White House, U.S. Congress, educational community, media, and the rest of our nation’s leaders that young people can develop innovative video game designs to address social issues and create change on their own terms.

Demographic Distribution
  • California – 30 Fellows
  • New York – 18 Fellows
  • Texas – 8 Fellows
  • Florida – 5 Fellows
  • Massachussets – 3 Fellows
  • New Jersey – 3 Fellows
  • Georgia – 2 Fellows
  • Illinois – 2 Fellows
  • Missouri – 2 Fellows
  • Arizona – 1 Fellow
  • Maryland – 1 Fellow
  • North Carolina – 1 Fellow
  • Ohio – 1 Fellow
  • Oregon – 1 Fellow
  • Pennsylvania – 1 Fellow
  • West Virginia – 1 Fellow
ESA LOFT Video Game Innovation Fellows

Kiana Jackson
Female, 16
New York City, NY 10027
The Dog House; Reporting Stranded Pets

Marielly Luna
Female, 17
Astoria, NY 11102
Reducing Carbon Footprint; Teaching About Carbon Footprint

Sharon Lin
Female, 17
Corona, NY 11368
Carewell: A Low-Cost Infant Incubaror

John Llamas
Male, 19
Pasadena, CA 91107
JavaScripty; Teaching Basic Programming Skills

America and Penelope Lopez
Female, 25
Los Angeles, CA 90031
Sobriety Labs; Coping With Alcohol Sobriety

Jesus Maldonado
Male, 24
Oakland, CA 94607
Dual Meanings; Dealing With People of Differing Personalities

Derek Mejia
Male, 15
Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Hungry Hungry Hannah; Combating Obesity

Xavian Moody
Male, 15
Lauderdale Lakes, FL 33311
Waste Partner; Recycling and Reusing

Ella Nelson
Female, 16
Chicago, IL 60630
Avidyā; Branching Storyline Between Side of a Story

Juan Morales-Rocha
Male, 21
Santa Cruz, CA 95076
Diversity in Games (DiG); Organization Fostering Minority Game Designers

Daniel Padilla
Male, 19
Oakland, CA 94601
Desolation; Latino Immigration

Roman Scalise
Male, 24
CA
Keeper and the Soldier; Overcoming Abuse and Depression

Ahnaf Taha
Male, 15
Long Island City, NY 11101
WeClean; Cleaning Trash in Neighborhoods

Chun Tat Chan
Male, 18
Oakland, CA 94601
Amnesiacs; Building Awareness For Difficulties of Growing Up

Sasha Williams
Female, 15
Danville, CA 94506
Halls High; Coming of Age and Maturity

Fernanda Valle
Female, 16
Astoria, NY 11103
Study Drop; Donation Through Learning

Calvin Bell, III
Male, 15
Pennsauken, NJ 08110
Waste-To-Move; Environmental Hazard Prevention

Maydi Guevera
Female, 15
Corona, NY 11368
Cracking the College Code; College Application Resource

Estrella Hernandez
Female, 16
San Antonio, TX 78209
WeWalk; Fitness and Empowerment

Liam Howerton
Male, 17
Houston, TX 77072
Malice.Net; Protection Against Malware

Christopher Carbajal
Male, 20
Burbank, CA 94558
DollarDreams: App Store for Non-Profits

Alyssa Edmund
Female, 17
Astoria, NY 11105
Your Personal Friend: Online Support System

William Emanuel
Male, 17
Napa, CA 94558
Neighborhood Water Watch: Water Conservation

Andrew Gayle
Male, 15
Mirmar, FL 33025
The Trash Eliminator: World Pollution 

Naomi Hareid
Female, 18
Marana, AZ 85653
Surgery: Strategic Moves

Jacky Jimenez
Female, 15
Astoria, NY 11102
Finding Your Future: College and Job Opportunities

Gerardo Leon
Male, 17
Houston, TX 77036
Learn Realm: Study and Test Preparation

Omar Lopez
Male, 23
Oxnard, CA 93030
Project Echoes: Choices and Consequences 

Nicodemus Madehdou
Male, 19
Philadelphia, PA 19136
Turbo Finger Swipe: Early Childhood Education 

Giselle Martinez
Female, 17
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Reflecxio: Increase Productivity 

Ashley Miller
Female, 21
Chicago, IL 60625
Phantom Limb: Sexual Assault 

Ana Nico-Silva
Female, 19
Watsonville, CA 95076
Youth Empowerment Institute: Food Justice Quiz

Aleida Olvera
Female, 17
Brownsville, TX 78526
SmartGuard: An Emergency Alert System

Margot Richaud
Female, 17
Long Island City, NY 11106
Space Cleaners: Space Debris Awareness

Nicholas Romero
Male, 21
Chapel Hill, NC 02048
HighStep: Healthier Lifestyle 

Juan Torres
Male, 16
San Francisco, CA 94110
Uncover Police Brutality: Police Brutality 

Alisha Ukani
Female, 17
Weston, MA 02493
Proton: Addressing Self-Esteem

Noelle Vela
Female, 21
Lubbock, TX 79415
Raza: Increasing Hispanic Political Engagement 

Jabari Voss
Male, 16
New York, NY 11221
The Real Politician: Understanding Fundamentals of Politics

Jenny Xu
Female, 16
Cambridge, MA 02139
Hungry Trash: Protecting the Environment

Nigel Radford
Male, 16
St. Louis, MO  63130
Food Gizmo: Helping Hunger

Brittany Arbogast
Female, 16
Mill Creek, WV  26280
Classroom Adventures: Math Skills

Jennifer Caceres
Female, 15
Jackson Heights, NY  11372
La Cocina De Mama: How to Cook & Learn Spanish

Adrian Lopez-Mobilia
Male, 25
Austin, TX  78757
CodeSpells: Teaching Code

Maria-Teresa Ibarra
Female, 16
San Francisco, CA  94118
First World Problems: Dependent on Technology 

Esteben Zaldivar
Male, 21
Austin, TX  78741
Project Our World: Environmental Issues

Selina Wang
Female, 16
Bayside, NY  11364
Trash Attack: Recycling 

Marc Robert Wong
Male, 16
San Francisco, CA  94116
The Abstraction of War: Human Cost on War 

Kevin Soto
Male, 16
Houston, TX  77023
One Jump: Getting Ready for College

Eric Brigham
Male, 16
Watsonville, CA 95076
YEI College Mentor: Self Education

Julian Hernandez
Male, 15
Miami, FL  33175
Networkaholics: Cyber Security

Jorge Avelar-Lopez
Male, 16
Oakland, CA  94603
(Trim Fitt) and (Trim Fitt 2:Trash Smash): Obesity

Rabimba Karanjai
Male, 25
White Plains, NY  10504
MathRacer: MathSkills 

Nicolas Badila
Male, 15
Jonesboro, GA  30236
STEMBox: Gender Gap in STEM

Jose Martinez
Male, 16
Oakland, CA  94621
Lucid: Coping with Loss  

Marilu Duque
Female, 17
Deltona, FL  32738
My Fitness Journey: Teenage Healthy Lifestyle

Thomas and John Kriston
Male, 17
San Ramon, CA  94582
Children Pioneers Practicing Programming Organization (aka C3PO: Teaching Code

Yulkendy Valdez
Female, 19
Babson Park, MA  02457
Ya Si!: Mentors For Hispanic Youth in Underserved communities

Ruben Estrada
Male, 16
Los Angeles, CA  90033
Reminder 101: School Work Reminder

Jay Flores
Male, 25
Fort Lauderdale, FL  33308
Mighty Manufacturing: STEM Education in Manufacturing

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