The retailer applicants that became 2021-2022 fellows were Brandee Ybarra-Lopez of Cardboardia, Jesse Stommel and Joshua Lee of PlayForge, Miles English of Puddletown Games & Puzzles, and Quan Truong of Roll With It Board Game Cafe & Bar. On the game publisher and creator side, the following individuals were named fellows: Ami Baio of Pink Tiger Games, Deon Mixon of Design Eye Game, Desiree Vaughn of Dub This!, Federico Chialvo of Joyful Mathematics, and Richard Day of Anoba Studios. Also, Kathleen Donahue of Labyrinth Games & Puzzles and Rebecca Banky of Black Knight Games, among others, participated as mentors in this program.
“At TCGplayer, we strive to create a Community For All across the gaming ecosystem, ensuring that all game publishers, creators and brick-and-mortar store owners have the opportunity to take part in our incredible industry,” said Chedy Hampson, founder and CEO of TCGplayer. “This is why partnering with GAMA to support the Horizons Fellowship was a no-brainer. Together, we are helping emerging business owners from historically underrepresented backgrounds in our space, equipping them with the tools and resources needed for success.”
In addition to being granted the fellowship, Brandee Ybarra-Lopez of Cardboardia and Desiree Vaughn of Dub This! were given an additional $5,000 grant. TCGplayer also provided each retailer participant with a brand new Chromebook, Quicklist scanner, novelty playmat, branded apparel, and resource guides. Beyond the conclusion of the 2021-2022 fellowship, TCGplayer will provide more support for the fellows in the form of one-on-one coaching conducted by an expert from TCGplayer’s Seller Growth and Success (SGS) team and webinars hosted by TCGplayer and GAMA and the Horizons Fellowship curriculum teams, and all retailer fellows will receive discounted TCGplayer Pro Seller fees for six months with access to TCGplayer’s innovative Retail Solutions.