The Healthy Gamer Foundation Expands Board of Directors with Industry Legends from Twitch and Aim Labs
Kevin Lin, Marcus Graham, and Wayne Mackey, Ph.D., join the Healthy Gamer Foundation to tackle mental health for the digital generation
HOUSTON - May 19, 2022 - Today, the Healthy Gamer Foundation welcomed industry titans, Marcus Graham, Wayne Mackey, Ph.D. and Kevin Lin to its board of directors. Established in 2021, the Healthy Gamer Foundation promotes the mental health needs of the digital generation through funding, policy and targeted research to drive action.
Marcus Graham (djWHEAT) - A pioneer in Live Streaming and Esports with over 20 years of experience in Community, Marketing and Interactive Content, Graham was a founding member of Twitch and served as its Head of Creator Development until earlier this year.. As someone who has helped cultivate the newest generation of Creators, and is the parent of a teenager himself, Graham intimately understands the unique mental health challenges faced by people growing up online.
Wayne Mackey, Ph.D. - Founder and CEO of Statespace, Mackey brings both his scientific expertise and industry expertise to the Healthy Gamer Foundation to advance the non-profit’s focus on research and advocacy. A lifelong gamer, he created Aim Lab, which has more than 40 million players and has partnered with Riot Games and Ubisoft. An accomplished Ph.D. neuroscientist, Mackey also started State Space Digital Health, which builds video games for brain health.
Kevin Lin - Lin is a serial entrepreneur, startup mentor and advocate for the power of community in gaming culture. He is the co-founder and former COO of Twitch where he helped propel the platform to more than 140 million unique monthly visitors and established it as a leader in the industry. His newest venture, Metatheory, is an interactive technology and entertainment company building Web3 games and virtual worlds that leverages blockchain to make high-quality experiences.
“The mental health of young people is in crisis. The current solutions are too old, too slow and too expensive. The Healthy Gamer Foundation was built to cut through the red tape, support research and advance policy that will actually address this crisis,” said Kruti Kanojia, Executive Director of the Healthy Gamer Foundation. “Marcus, Wayne, and Kevin have spent their careers understanding the needs of young people online. I am thrilled to have their fire power behind the incredible work we are doing to tackle one of the most important challenges of our time - the mental health of the digital generation.”
“Being a driver of the Healthy Gamer Coaching Program at Twitch was one of my proudest accomplishments. Stepping up as a Board Member of the Healthy Gamer Foundation lets me continue to advocate for better resources and ideas that will help provide mental wellness to a future generation in need,” said Graham.
“The Healthy Gamer Foundation is an organization I’m excited and proud to be a part of,” said Mackey. “Through my own work, it became crystal clear how an entire generation that grew up online has been left behind when it comes to mental health resources. Now, in partnership with the rest of the board, we can continue to push for a better future, one where mental health is more than mental illness.”
Young people are suffering from the increase in mental health issues at a disproportionate rate, and Graham, Mackey and Lin are aligning with the Healthy Gamer Foundation to bring new, innovative solutions to support young people today. As part of the Board of Directors, the industry veterans join Alok Kanojia MD MPH (“Dr. K”), the foremost expert on video game addiction and prominent mental health authority for young people, who leads the Foundation’s Research and Policy initiatives.
To learn more about the Healthy Gamer Foundation or contribute to the organization, visit www.healthygamerfoundation.org.
About the Healthy Gamer Foundation
The Healthy Gamer Foundation is a non-profit that promotes the mental health needs of the digital generation. The non-profit arm of Health Gamer, the Foundation is focused on finding mental health interventions that work for young people and fueling them through funding, policy and targeted research to drive action. Learn more at HealthyGamerFoundation.org.
