MEET THE TEAM
Our team combines 25+ years of experience in psychology, research, community leadership, and instructional design, all grounded in a simple belief that the people leading our digital communities deserve professional training that matches the complexity of their work.
True to our collaborative values, we also work with a diverse network of industry experts and content specialists who share this vision.
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Rachel Kowert, PhD
FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMMING
Rachel Kowert, Ph.D is a research psychologist, award winning author, and globally recognized leader facilitating global policy and product development with non-profit, governmental, and non-governmental agencies for more than 15 years through data-driven research focused on mental health and trust and safety in digital games. She has spoken about her work to thousands of people across the globe, including the United Nations and the United States Congress. She has published a variety of books and scientific articles relating to the psychology of games and, more recently, the relationship between games and mental health specifically. -
Kelli Dunlap, PsyD., M.A.
DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND COMMUNITY
Dr. Kelli Dunlap, PsyD is a clinical psychologist, game designer, and mental health advocate whose work sits at the intersection of games, psychology, and community care. She is a Researcher-in-Residence at American University and experienced practitioner of mental health programming for the gaming community. Kelli serves as Assistant Director and Instructional Designer for the DLC Leadership Program, leading the development of the program’s curriculum architecture, module design, and the frameworks that structure how content is taught and applied.
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Marie Shanley
COMMUNICATIONS LEAD
Marie Shanley is a communications and social impact strategist with 12+ years of experience spanning editorial leadership at Sesame Workshop, digital mental health advocacy as Twitch Partner and live mental talk show host Mxiety. Her background includes published research on community mental health, with public speaking spanning Tribeca, TwitchCon and Pax. Marie is currently pursuing an MA in Child Advocacy and Policy at Montclair State University to better serve marginalized communities and nonprofit communications at the intersection of policy, gaming, and social impact programs. She serves as the Communications Strategy Lead for the DLC Leadership Program, bridging DLC's mission with the industry leaders and community professionals it serves.
EXPERTS WHO TEACH WITH US
The DLC curriculum is taught by leading practitioners and researchers—people who do this work, not just study it. They bring frontline experience in community management, trust and safety, player experience, and games research to every course, so what you learn is grounded in the realities of leading digital communities.
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Victoria Tran
Author, Mastering Community Management
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Matt Soeth
Executive Director, Thriving in Games Group
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Maria Tamellini
Founder, GamerSafer
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Henry Adams
Intelligence Director, Resolver
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Celia Hodent
Founder, EthicalGames.org
FOUNDING PARTNER
Shine a Light Gaming is the DLC’s founding partner. A community- and partner powered initiative, SALG works to make gaming more welcoming, inclusive, and human, uniting players, creators, studios, and advocates to make the ecosystem safer and more equitable for everyone. They support creators, fund inclusive ideas, and train the next generation of community leaders, which is the shared commitment that brought us together.
