AMBASSADOR EVENT SPOTLIGHT: IWD CELEBRATION & PANEL, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
We are grateful to our Ambassador Hind Toufga for sharing an overview of the event that was hosted with Dashy Studios last month in Stockholm, Sweden.
The event was held on March 6th to coincide with International Women’s Day and featured a panel discussion on ‘Levelling Up: Breaking Barriers & Building Opportunities for Women in Games’. The panel brought diverse experiences from independent development, corporate leadership, business strategy, and innovation—all essential perspectives as we discuss the challenges and opportunities for women in games today. They included:
Anna Högberg Jenelius – Indie Game Developer, Consultant, Speaker & Event Organizer at Valiant Game Studio
Linda Tiger – Chief Operating Officer at Arrowhead Game Studios
Gabriella Kalteneckar – Strategic Business Developer, Advisor & Program Manager at RISE GameNode
Sanna Valapuro – Expert in Game Business Strategy & Leadership
Hind has provided some key highlights from the discussion here:
Anna Högberg Jenelius
Focus: Indie Game Development, Game Design, Diversity & Inclusion
What are some unique challenges of being an indie game developer?
Anna emphasised the emotional and financial rollercoaster that often defines indie game development:
“The highs are very high and the lows very low. You pour your heart and soul into your creations, and every setback can affect you emotionally in a very tangible way.”
Financial insecurity is a common concern, as smaller studios often lack the financial buffers of larger companies. Despite the stress, Anna values the freedom of creativity and lifestyle that indie development offers:
“The freedom of lifestyle and creativity makes it, in my opinion, all worth it.”
What practical steps can indie developers take to promote inclusion?
Anna advocates for intentional hiring practices:
“It’s natural to hire from your network—but that often means building a team of people like yourself.”
She stresses the importance of recognising personal biases and creating inclusive recruitment processes. A homogenous team can be intimidating for newcomers, especially minorities, which reinforces cycles of exclusion.
“A team is stronger when built with different backgrounds, experiences, and world views represented.”
Linda Tiger
Focus: Production Leadership, Team Management, Career Progression
What have you learned about career growth in the games industry?
Having started as a QA tester in 2002 and risen to COO, Linda reflects on the importance of leadership at all stages:
“Good leadership will always be a key ingredient—whether you’re leading yourself, a team, or others through leadership.”
Her advice for women in games:
“Stay curious on your journey. You have the same right as anyone else to take space, kick in doors, and punch through glass ceilings. Fight imposter syndrome every chance you get.”
How do you foster an inclusive workplace culture as a leader?
Linda encourages openness to different perspectives—across both backgrounds and levels of experience:
“We always continue to learn & gain new insights, no matter how much experience we gain.”
She also champions knowledge-sharing structures. At Paradox, she led the Production Thought Leaderprogram—bringing producers together across studios for roundtables, workshops, and ‘Lunch n Learns’ to exchange ideas and foster collaboration.
Gabriella Kalteneckar
Focus: Business Development, Ecosystem Growth, Diversity Advocacy
What are the biggest obstacles preventing women from advancing into leadership?
Gabriella identifies systemic barriers, not personal limitations:
“The biggest challenge isn’t a lack of skill or ambition—it’s structural and cultural barriers.”
One of the most significant is ‘the broken rung’—the step between junior and mid-management that many women never get to climb. Hiring and promotions are often based on informal networks where women remain underrepresented.
Cultural factors also play a huge role:
- Lack of supportive structures (e.g., work-life balance, inclusive leadership)
- Outdated leadership expectations (favoring technical over strategic or people skills
- Internalised self-doubt due to societal conditioning
“Women often wait longer before starting their own business. But some of the most impressive business plans I’ve seen came from women who were initially unsure of themselves.”
How important is mentorship and sponsorship?
Gabriella highlights the distinction:
- Mentors offer guidance and share experience
- Sponsors open doors, advocate, and help women gain visibility in key spaces
“Without sponsorship, talented women risk getting stuck in ‘waiting mode’—highly competent, but never given the opportunity to step up.”
She underscores the transformative power of industry initiatives:
“When we create ecosystems where women are not just advised but actively championed, we see real change.”
Programs like Donna Days and structured mentorship aren’t just about skill-building—they actively reshape access and opportunity in the industry.
Sanna Valapuro
Focus: Neurodiversity, Freelance Game Business, Accessibility in the Industry
What needs to change to make the games industry more accessible for neurodivergent professionals?
Sanna brings her lived experience as an autistic woman with ADHD and outlines a critical industry blind spot:
“Many of us struggle with office environments and aren’t able to work full-time. Freelance often becomes the only sustainable option.”
She advocates for flexibility—particularly around remote and part-time work:
“What benefits your neurotypical workers might instead be detrimental to your neurodivergent employees’ ability to do their job.”
What barriers do neurodivergent women face, and how can companies help?
The core solution is communication and flexibility:
“Be more open to part-time, fully remote work. You might find that your neurodivergent hires deliver better results in less time.”
Sanna emphasises that success lies in individualizing support rather than forcing conformity:
“It all boils down to communicating expectations clearly and understanding that we all have different needs.”
Key Takeaways from the Panel
- Inclusion must be intentional: Break cycles of sameness through proactive hiring and leadership practices.
- Leadership is for everyone: Women belong in every room—whether leading themselves, a team, or a company.
- Systemic change matters: Remove invisible barriers by creating fair, transparent pathways to career growth.
- Sponsorship is game-changing: Representation alone isn’t enough—women need advocates.
- Accessibility includes neurodiversity: Flexibility and clear communication open the door for new kinds of excellence.
If you’ve hosted an event or initiative, we would love to hear your story! Please email lisa.carter@womeningames.org