Schedule

Time:

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Kelsey Wesley, Jami Jeffcoat, Christina Jasinski, James O'Donnell, Wendy Wade, Jo King-Yost, Kareem Shuman

Have you ever met someone whose current occupation is your dream job? This panel is meant to cut to the core of helpful advice for those who are in middle school to recent college grads and are interested in careers like the ones earned by our talented team at Bungie. Panelists with different positions and backgrounds will each discuss the one thing they’d recommend future game devs in their field should start trying today. What are the most important resources, tools, methods, skills, or experiences that you can immediately start tackling? Come to this panel to find out.

Time:

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Sarah Gulde, Tristan J. Tarwater, Jamala Henderson, Grace Moore, Ebony Adams, Sharon Magliano Feliciano

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas and differences in life forms.” Gene Roddenberry had a vision that challenged social mores but couldn’t be fully realized in the 1960s. How has Star Trek evolved over the last fifty years, from TOS to Discovery? Has the representation of race, gender, orientation, ability, and neurodiversity matured? What would Gene think?

Time:

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Kristina Petersen, Dylan Faaland, Ruby Weber, Kate Fredrickson, Angela Shannon

How are Disney movies changing to reflect our current, modern culture? GeekGirlScouts discuss!

Time:

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Rockette Fox, Stephan Pennington

While tabletop gaming is a great way to kick back, more players and game masters are asking whether difficult topics should be addressed and, if so, how? Can issues like harassment, bias, and oppression be respectfully explored? How do factors like physical space, player diversity, etc. impact tone and engagement? How do we as GMs create safe spaces where players can engage with these topics and still have fun? Join the discussion on GMing as a tool for inclusivity, understanding, and activism.

Time:

10:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Location:

Garnet

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Paula Burrows

Do you like hanging out with fellow humans? Human fellows? Then you’ll love meeting Paula Burrows, voice of Rayla from Netflix’s hit animated series The Dragon Prince. Join us to hear her stories on breaking into acting, working with a talented cast and crew, and what it’s been like to meet fans of the show.

Time:

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Emily Calkins, Jackie Parker, Robin Bradford, Zola Mumford, Jessica Werner

Librarians from Pacific Northwest libraries recommend their favorite new diverse and inclusive science fiction and fantasy reads. Fill your to-read pile with titles by queer authors and authors of color—we’ll cover at least 30 titles, so there’s sure to be something for every reader!

Time:

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location:

Garnet

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Andrea Toyias, Mary Bourrie, Jennifer Owings, Dina Medeiros, Candace Thomas, Christi Kugler, Stephanie Shu

Join the “Badass Women of Blizzard” as they open up and recount the journeys that brought each of them to the jobs they now love at Blizzard Entertainment. Women from art, audio, design, engineering, production, talent and QA will share their stories from the frontlines: challenges they’ve overcome, successes they’ve celebrated, and how they managed everything throughout it all. Real talk. Honest convo. And tips and insights to assist everyone in finding their own inner “badass”.

Time:

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Jeanine Tullos Hennig, Maggie Nowakowska, Tish Wells, Amy (Falkowitz) Bradley, Julie Zetterberg, Rache

Women have always had a primary and undeniable role in fannish history. From fanzines cranked on mimeo, to hand-screened arts, to costumes made of salvage, to folksongs taped at cons on handheld recorders and VHS music videos. Fannish women have always laid claim to their creative power on their own terms, refusing to be yet another lost anecdote of women’s history! Come join us for another batch of stories, shared and told in the #ownvoices of Geek Elders.

Time:

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Emilee (Our Shield Maiden), Mallory Cohen, Shannon Daly, Yeji Sakoda, Melissa Britt

Being a princess in the 21st century looks a lot different from the way it once did…and we’re glad! Join a panel of “Real Princesses,” aka the coolest cosplayers in all the land, who hold being a princess near and dear to their hearts. We’ll laugh a lot, sing a little, and show that getting your fairy tale ending really is entirely up to you!

Time:

11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Ruby Davis, Franzeska Dickson, Destination Toast, Flourish Klink, Elizabeth Minkel, John Frens

What does it really mean to “ship”? What are favorite fan tropes? What fandoms are most common on platforms like Archive of Our Own, Fanfiction.net, and Wattpad? How do comments impact fanfiction authors? Join Fansplaining, Destination Toast, Franzeska Dickson, and UW’s fanfiction data analytics group as we present fandom data to address these questions and more.

Time:

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

JC Lau, Cookie Hiponia Everman, Kelly Snyder, Alex A.K., Uriah Belletto

This panel aims to examine media representations of bisexuality and pansexuality, which influence not only how other people perceive us, but also how we perceive ourselves. We will compare and contrast tired tropes with real representation, and talk about why that matters now more than ever.

Time:

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Jill Taplin, Alyx Wulf, Jessica Ross, Carlene Young, Crystal Frasier

Outsider Comics specializes in one-shot roleplaying game events that are inclusive and instructive. We have a diverse collective of game masters, each with different methods for encouraging players to interact with their group in fun and positive ways. We realized through small instructive discussions that we all bring lots of experience with many games to the table and can constructively answer questions newer DMs may have.

Time:

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Adriana Nodal-Tarafa, Karla Esparza Martínez, Valeria Téllez

Enter House of Ñ, a Mexican collective dedicated to translating and promoting quality translation of graphic narratives and literature. We’ll dive into how our process differs from mainstream comic translation approaches; our collaborative, collective comics translation approach; and walk the audience through our translation of the comic Bound By Law.

Time:

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Nic Figley, Rockette Fox, ayom ament

Crystal Gems unite! The exploration of fluidity in Steven Universe reflects the many paths people take in life, considering the profound question: what does living your truth look like? Taking a look at varying gender identities, expressions of self, and how fluidity impacts the Crystal Gems’ world and ours, we’ll discuss and fan swoon over this glorious rise in representation. After all, it’s why we believe in STEVEN UNIVERSE!

Time:

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Location:

Garnet

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Trudy Kortes, Dajae Williams

Ever wonder how the Curiosity Rover got on Mars? Or how we can see such detailed images of Saturn’s rings? NASA veterans Trudy Kortes (Chief, Human Exploration & Space Operations Division) and Dajae Williams (Manufacturing Engineer) discuss just what it takes to explore our universe.

Time:

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Location:

Furiosa

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Nichole Klocksiem, Luzviminda Uzuri "Ms. Lulu" Carpenter, Tamasha Emedi, Dr. Dana Waters, Lauren Pittis

Join a panel of educators, paraeducators, and administrators from differing backgrounds who are equally passionate about education and geek culture. Led by a lesbian teacher, this panel will be a question and answer session for other aspiring educators or students who are curious about how educators think.

Time:

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Geanna Culbertson

Geanna Culbertson graduated college with the honors thesis Beauty & the Badass: The Origins of the Hero-Princess Archetype. Her passion for both hero and princess main characters sent her on a quest to understand the core pillars of the hero-princess as she wrote her fantasy fairytale series, The Crisanta Knight Series. This action-packed epic follows the children and younger siblings of fairytale characters, all of whom live in a magical world called “Book” where citizens train to be the next generation of main characters in stories. Discover Culbertson’s recipe for a hero-princess, learn about creating the realistic, strong, and sassy female main character in today’s world, and explore other topics like fairytale retellings, writing fantasy, love interest dynamics, and inspiring positive change through fiction. ***FREE Ebook gift card of BOOK ONE in the series for every panel attendee!

Time:

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Hope Nicholson, Jen Vaughn

Have a great idea for a book? Have a completed project and wondering what comes next? Featured contributor Hope Nicholson, the owner of Bedside Press, demystifies the publishing process and guides you through the process of creating a comic, from concept to completion! This will be an in-depth guide on how to publish a comic or graphic novel from scratch.

Time:

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Lauren Salter, Hannah Tyo, Brianne Hawes, Hudson Michaels, Megan Evans, Elizabeth Sweet

Captain Marvel became the first female-lead film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introduced as the slated leader of the MCU’s fourth phase of superheroes. The addition of Captain Marvel didn’t come without controversy, particularly from the male demographic. In this discussion, we’ll talk about why Carol Danvers is important to women and girls, why Captain Marvel matters in the future of the MCU and comic lore, and touch on the women who paved the way for her to rise.

Time:

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Location:

Garnet

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Jessie Gaupel, Hafsah Faizal, Aiden Thomas, Molly Brooks, Kira Jane Buxton

Are you a bookworm? Love to get lost in YA and OwnVoices? Then do we have a panel for you! GeekGirlCon is excited to bring authors Hafsah Faizal (We Hunt the Flame), Kira Jane Buxton (Hollow Kingdom), Molly Brooks (Sanity & Tallulah), and Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys) to the stage. Join us as we ask these fresh faces how they got their start, what their favorite books of the year are, and much more!

Time:

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Emily Levesque

Astronomy has always been a powerful element of science fiction and fantasy. This literally-universal science can serve as everything from a source of linguistic inspiration and easter eggs (e.g. the stellar names in Harry Potter) to a fundamental anchor point of a creator’s world (e.g. the frankly-wacky planet orbits dictating the seasons in Game of Thrones). This presentation and Q&A will discuss the science and storytelling power of astronomy across a broad range of fandoms and highlight connections between these worlds and the adventures and discoveries of modern astronomy research.

Time:

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Maddy Vonhoff

Play is no longer just for kids! While the stereotype remains that most geeks prefer to enjoy their favorite fandoms alone, over the last few years we are seeing the rise of the social geek. Comic conventions, quidditch, murder mysteries, parties, and other interactive geeky events are more popular than ever. These events add excitement and spontaneity into our everyday lives and allow attendees to be the hero of their own story. Join us for a panel on the importance of interactive geeky events.

Time:

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Ebony Adams, Anita Sarkeesian, Carolyn Petit

Join the killjoys of Feminist Frequency as they bring you a live recording of their weekly pop culture post-mortem, Feminist Frequency Radio! FFR is the podcast that aims to teach you how to be critical of the media you love. It’s going to be an entertaining, provocative, take-no-prisoners conversation about the latest films, games, and TV. Feminist Frequency Radio is there to help you dig deeper into the things you love. Warning: we may significantly enhance your media (and con-going) experience!

Time:

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Symantha Reagor, Suzanne Skaar, Rockette Fox, Amanda Cherry, Grace Moore, Angie Jernejcic, Isabela Oliveira

Chronic illnesses can drain strength from not only the body but also from your source of creativity. In this panel, we’ll discuss how we manage our conditions to balance physical/mental health while living our best creative and chronic lives.

Time:

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Tanya DePass, Random Tuesday, Lysa Penrose, Cherry Rae

Often times Twitch, Mixer and other online spaces are treated as a wide open space where one needs to have a thick skin to prosper, and anything goes. It doesn’t have to be that way, and streamers from a variety of experience will discuss ways in which to have a better community in your streaming spaces.

Time:

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

JC Lau, Elisa Mader, Aleasha Ford, Allie McNulty

What is it like to make video games? Join the women from Harebrained Schemes–the makers of BATTLETECH and the Shadowrun series–as they talk about how they entered the games industry, challenges they’ve faced and overcome, and how you can leverage your skills into a games job. From design to engineering, art to production, you’ll learn about the roles within a games studio, the future of the games industry, and how we can make games a better place to work for everyone.

Time:

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Tanya Cook, Evan Peterson, Lauren Karp

Beyond putting ‘dank memes’ in your PowerPoint slides or assigning The Hobbit as a literary text, how can, and why should, fan practices and geek pop culture be integrated into your pedagogy in more fundamental ways? From assignments that use fan fiction as a product to experiential learning, to video editing projects, learn how to better engage diverse learners and build community in the high school and college classroom. We’ll share specific examples of how to include fandom in your pedagogy!

Time:

4:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Andy Munich, Raeden Norris, Grace Bell, Sierra McDonald, Kaela O'Leary

In this panel the GeekGirlScouts will discuss how women and girls from various fandoms impact their respective universes and how that impacts the public standards of beauty and character.

Time:

4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Bianca Hernandez, Johnnie Jae, Kay Ahern, Caitlin Jacques, Bridget Strychnine, Kate Sellers

An explorative and forward-looking panel on representation in Star Wars. Looking towards the future of the franchise and fandom, we reflect on what we’ve learned and experienced during the last four years of new Star Wars content and what we hope to see in the era following the Skywalker saga.

Time:

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Nicole Tanner, Regina McMenomy, Demetria Spinrad, Isabela Oliveira, Andrew Buckley, Alisha A. Knaff, Sarah Gulde

Game of Thrones has a slew of female characters, but the show created an interesting dichotomy when portraying women. Some weak characters became strong, some strong characters became weak, and some stayed consistent. In this panel we’ll explore where the show succeeded and where it failed, examining the show’s portrayal of women in terms of politics, sexuality, motherhood, relationships with men, and relationships with each other.

Time:

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Valerie Bentivegna, Daniela Huppenkothen, Kim Bott, Meredith Rawls, Jeanna Wheeler, Katherine Pratt, Dr. Jenn Huff

Could we bring dinosaurs back to life? Will we ever make contact with aliens? Will robots take over the world? In this panel, we will explore the links between scientific research and science fiction (SciFi). While keeping scientific concepts accessible, we will discuss the advances being made in fields portrayed in SciFi media. Researchers in robotics, astronomy, and genetics will discuss fiction and real research, and the lessons that each can learn from the other.

Time:

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Jordan Ellis, Mallory Cohen

The Sartorial Geek is a podcast for the geek in all of us. We focus on pop culture, girl power, and cool stories told by cool people. We would love to do a live podcast at GeekGirlCon! Come for a conversation about young adult and LGBTQIA+ books with Mallory Cohen from WhatchYA Reading?

Time:

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Location:

Garnet

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Johnnie Jae

This is a creative discussion on the trauma, recovery, and resilience of Indigenous people from a pop cultural lens made popular by George A. Romero and The Walking Dead. It is an exploration of the way that Indigenous knowledge, science, weaponry, and values helped Indigenous communities survive in the aftermath of their own apocalyptic realities and how it has prepared them to survive anything—especially zombies!

Time:

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Julie Tergliafera, Claire Woolsey, Martell Hesketh, Rosheen Birdie, Ophelia Vidal

Live a good life, rack up enough points, and you’ll get into heaven. That’s the main conceit of The Good Place. Yet we learn that it’s just not that simple; some people seem to have an easier time being “good” than others. And, as we know, health works in the same way; some people have an easier time being “healthy” than others. Come join five grad students from the University of Washington as they discuss equity, health, and (after)life outcomes.

Time:

6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Emilie Waggoner

Do you like seeing some leading women kick some major butt in anime? Well, this panel is for you! Join us as we explore the rise of female lead characters in anime, and how identity and intersectionality are becoming more prominent in their character development. Is this reflective of the female fan base and how it is evolving? Can we apply female identity development to these characters? We sure can! Come learn about some strong female leads!

Time:

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location:

Samus

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Jessica Ross, Lysa Penrose, Jen Vaughn, Kat Kruger, Hadeel al-Massari

Last year, DM Lysa Penrose ran a group of monsters through a masked mystery, and this year, the Paranormal Investigative Private Investigators are back (and looking to have another monstrously good time). Join this group of goblins, kobolds, dragonborns, and bugbears as they look for a new mystery to solve!

Time:

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location:

Mulan

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Rockette Fox, Symantha Reagor, Johnnie Jae

Fandom is a space where fans are able to express their admiration about the thing they are a fan of. This space has historically been and continues to be, in some cases, a place where racism persists. Let’s discuss the experience fans of color have had in fandoms, what can be done by other fans to fight against racism within the fandom spaces, and how social justice can be used as a tool.

Time:

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Location:

Uhura

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

The Bug Chicks

Join The Bug Chicks®, a group of entomologists who teach about the incredible world of insects and spiders, as they talk about using bugs to teach social & emotional learning. The animals (and how we interact with them) can teach us a lot about changing our perceptions of ourselves and others. Kristie Reddick and Jessica Honaker will bring their signature enthusiasm and bugdork-itude—along with live animals and cool microscopes.

Time:

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location:

Korra

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Kristen Johnson, Demetria Spinrad, Emily Howard, Laurie Rockenbeck, Maddy Vonhoff

Murder mystery has been a popular genre for years–from Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie novels–but recently, true crime has surged into mainstream popularity. The rise of podcasts, shows, and documentaries like Serial, Making a Murderer, and My Favorite Murder highlight the increasing demand for the genre. This panel will discuss the rise of true crime as a popular genre, including what makes it so popular with women, and discuss where the genre can grow from here.

Time:

7:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Location:

Chell

Type:

Panel

Speakers:

Kris Pepper Hambrick, Alisha A. Knaff, M Downing

You’ve probably heard of fanfiction, LARPing, and tabletop games. But have you ever wanted to combine them into one hobby? Online roleplaying takes many forms, but at its heart it involves taking on the role of a beloved character to see how they react in different narratives. Part collaborative storytelling, part “tag, you’re it,” roleplaying takes fandom to another communal level and creates situations and stories that transcend individual imaginations. Learn the history and how-to in this panel.