“Diverse Stories, Great Games: A Virtual Conversation with the Creators of Never Alone”

Jun 21, 2021 | Talks & Articles

Upper One Games and E-Line Media joined together to develop Never Alone, the created the first video game made in collaboration with the Alaska Indigenous community. Alan Gershenfeld and Amy Fredeen shared the inclusive development process which saw nearly 40 Alaska Native elders, storytellers, and community members contributing to this award-winning game. Moderated by Professor Pierre Tousignant of NAD-UQAC, this interactive discussion hosted by the United States Embassy and Consulates in Canada shared best practices for expanding the storytelling potential of video games.

Amy Fredeen is of Inupiaq descent and serves as the CFO and Executive Vice President for Cook Inlet Tribal Council (CITC), where she has grown the organization’s unrestricted cash by over 1,000 percent in a 6 year period. This strategic growth and careful stewardship of funding has allowed CITC to take a leadership role in fiscal excellence. She is a pioneer in strategies to increase investment in indigenous communities through social enterprise, innovation, and partnerships. Through CITC’s for-profit subsidiary, Ms. Fredeen helped form a partnership with E-Line Media, an industry leader in educational games.