In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason sits down with Kate Edwards. An award-winning 30+ year leader in the global game industry, culturalization pioneer, former Executive Director of the IGDA, former head of the Global Game Jam, CEO of Geogrify, and CXO/Co-Founder of SetJetters.
Kate has worked on more than 306 games across genres including RTS, FPS, racing, horror, and AAA franchises like Age of Empires, Battlefield, Mad Max, Jade Empire, and Indiana Jones. She is widely known for establishing the discipline of game culturalization, helping studios navigate geography, culture, geopolitics, and global markets.
Jason and Kate dive deep into her journey from Microsoft geographer to global industry leader, her work on major titles, running IGDA during Gamergate, giving historic talks at the Royal Geographical Society, and consulting for studios around the world.
Kate also opens up about battling imposter syndrome, embracing introversion as a superpower, protecting creative teams, and why the future of games depends on cultural awareness and authentic storytelling. A powerhouse episode for anyone in gaming, tech, leadership, or creative industries.
Topics Discussed:
• How Kate pioneered the field of game culturalization
• Working on 300+ games across global studios
• Her path from Microsoft to founding Geogrify
• Cultural risks, geopolitical challenges, and narrative world-building
• Behind the scenes of Age of Empires, Jade Empire, Battlefield, Indiana Jones, and more
• The evolution of gaming from Pong to massive AAA franchises
• Indie studios shaking up the industry
• Speaking worldwide and navigating stage nerves
• Gamergate, harassment, and standing up for underrepresented creators
• Diversity, representation, and global game development
• Her dream studios and game franchises
• Why introversion can be a creative advantage
• Imposter syndrome, leadership, and creative courage
Connect with Kate Edwards:
🌐 Website: https://setjetters.com/
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geogrify/
🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/geogrify
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geogrify
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