Hi there!

I’m Kayla. I’m a product-minded Senior Game Designer currently working on PlayStation’s MLB The Show! Previously, I was the Lead Online Game Designer on EA Sports College Football, where I was responsible for the design of everything online in the game, and also responsible for progressing the Live Operations of all EA American Football titles. I was also a Game Design Manager, that helped junior designers and producers advance in their game industry careers. While working for Ready at Dawn Studios, I designed the Echo Store and battle pass content for one of the most successful multiplayer Oculus VR titles Echo VR. Before that I was a live operations designer on the hit historical combat strategy game DomiNations at Big Huge Games, a Nexon game company. I am a leader who has managed game design teams, and I have been responsible for designing and shipping some of the largest online features that have increased engagement, retention, and monetization in the games that I’ve worked on. I have experience in systems design, live ops, content design, UX design, narrative design, world building, and combat design.

I want to help make the games industry more diverse, so anything that I can do to help future generations of game developers mirror our diverse world, I will do. I love helping others so I have volunteered for years by helping students from a variety of backgrounds, especially minorities and girls, learn how to create their own games and launch their game industry careers. I’ve been a Madden Mentor to Historically Black College and University Students (HBCUs) and was the Gaming Pillar Lead for EA Tiburon’s BEAT! organization, where I focused on increasing representation of minorities in games. I’m currently a volunteer for the Black in Gaming (BIG) organization, and in the past I have also volunteered for other gaming outreach organizations including Code in the Schools, Jamtech, and Newport News Shipbuilding’s Career Pathways Modeling, Simulation, & Gaming Outreach program.

In the past I was a 2017 IGDA Scholar, and won an award as a finalist for the 2016 ESA E3 AARP Social Game Jam for my game Neighbors. Neighbors sought to help disrupt aging in those over 60 by reconnecting them with their loved ones and helping them to forge new relationships with people who share similar interests. I also worked as a modeling and simulation engineer for 3.5 years.

I speak English, Korean, and I’m currently learning Spanish. When I’m not playing video games, I enjoy kicking a lot of butt in Hapkido, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu-Jitsu, and obsessing over sports such as soccer and basketball.

If you’re interested in working with me, would like information about my work, or just want to say hi, hit me up!