IGDA’s Kate Edwards joins board of mental health charity Take This

Former executive director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Kate Edwards has joined the board of directors at Take This, a non-profit charity that aims to inform the video game community about mental health issues.

Edwards joins journalists Russ Pitts and Susan Arendt, who co-founded the charity, as well as Bethesda’s vice president of PR and marketing Pete Hines, who also acts as a board member.

Edwards brings a wealth of experience to the role, as her five-year tenure at the IGDA saw her advocating for the safety and well-being of game developers around the world, particularly in regards to crunch culture. She also reinvigorated IGDA’s presence in the industry.

As the game industry is a creative community with ever-growing diversity of individuals and our associated complexities, the mission of Take This is absolutely critical to the long-term well-being of all aspects of the game industry,” Edwards said. I am very fortunate for this opportunity to contribute my experience and perspective as a member of the board of directors to help guide the organization towards even greater effectiveness and reach.”

Russ Pitts, Take This executive director and co-founder, added:Kate has been a champion for gamers and game developers her entire career, and a great ally of Take This. Over the years I’ve come to call her a friend. I am thrilled to now welcome her to our family, and to have her mighty assistance in reducing the stigma of mental health issues.”