Gamasutra - Press Releases - Two College Student Minorities Present Game Idea at the White House: Washington D.C. (December 9, 2013) - Two Filipino students from San Francisco State University went to the White House to present a video game idea earlier this week as part of the first Leaders on Fast Track's (LOFT) annual video game innovation fellowship. The prestigious program enables minority students to develop an idea and present it to congressmen and key people in the White House. The two students were Nicu Listana, a junior and technical writing student, and John Funtanilla, a senior and a business management student.
Both students were able to meet with some of the videogame industry’s most influential leaders as well as key government officials lobbying for educational innovation. Several of these people were Antonio Tijierno, CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Michael Gallagher, CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, Congressman Ben Lujan and many more.
The LOFT Innovation Fellowship is a program back by the ESA that empowers students aged 16 to 24 to create video games that seek solutions to solve problems in their communities and emphasizes the importance of engaging the youth creatively on their terms. John and Nicu's upcoming game is titled Founder's Quest, a startup simulation game that enables players to create, develop, and advance their own businesses.
